Indian Railways 158th Birthday

[jis]

Wishing Indian Railway a Happy 158th Birthday.

The first train ran in India from Bombay to Thana on the 16th of April 1853.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

Any website recommendations for learning some of the history?

 

[jis]

Any website recommendations for learning some of the history?

The IRFCA (which originally started as the Indian Railways Fan Club of America, as a mailing list back in the late 80s/early 90s, with yours truly as one of the founders, but is now a mostly an Indian affair) has a very nice series of web pages on the history of IR, starting at IR History: Early Days - I.

Incidentally, now there is an offshoot group including many of the original founders of IRFCA that have formed the IRFCNA (India Railways Fan Club of North America) which is mostly a mailing list like IRFCA was originally, and also has annual get-togethers. This year the get together is in Flagstaff AZ, over the 4th of July weekend.

Just for kicks, here is what I consider the most beautiful locomotive to have run on the Indian Railways - the WP class Pacific, prototypes built by Baldwin based on an Indian Railways design - in all 755 were built and deployed.