CleanupBot II at 20:35, 13 August 2023

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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox museum
| name = Chennai Rail Museum
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| logo =
| former_name = Regional Rail Museum, Chennai
| map_type = India Chennai
| image =
| map_caption = Location in Chennai
| coordinates = {{coord|13.1006076|80.2071805|display=inline}}
| established = 2002
| dissolved =
| location = [[Perambur]], [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]] 600 038, [[India]]
| type = Rail museum
| visitors = 7,500 per month
| director =
| curator =
| publictransit = [[Villivakkam railway station]], [[Anna Nagar Tower Park]] metro station, [https://www.google.co.in/search?q=icf+bus+stand&oq=icf+bus+stand&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i60.11945j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=icf%20bus%20stand&tbs=lf:1,lf_ui:2,lf_pqs:EAE&rflfq=1&rlha=0&rllag=13097529,80179464,3852&tbm=lcl&rldimm=15863720266038494378 ICF Bus Stand]
| website = [http://www.icf.indianrailways.gov.in/works/uploads/files/rrm_new/index.html Official site]
}}
The '''Chennai Rail Museum''' is a railway museum in [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]]. The museum opened on 16 April 2002 in the Furnishing Division of the [[Integral Coach Factory]] (ICF) near [[Perambur]] . The {{convert|6.25|acre|ha|adj=on}} museum has technical and heritage exhibits, with a sizable collection of [[steam engine]]s from the [[British Raj]]. It also has vintage coaches (such as [[Ooty trains]]), which were endemic on Indian railways. Most of the older models were manufactured by the [[North British Locomotive Company]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.icf.indianrailways.gov.in/works/rrm/linkpage/outdoor-mgdiesel.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121218185639/http://www.icf.indianrailways.gov.in/works/rrm/linkpage/outdoor-mgdiesel.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 December 2012 |title=Meter gauge Diesel locomotive, Western Railway. |publisher=Regional Railway Museum |accessdate=7 February 2012 }}</ref> with some trains in the collection dating back more than a century.<ref name="chug">{{cite news|last=Janardhanan|first=Arun|title =Here, past comes chugging to you|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-20/chennai/31373739_1_double-decker-coaches-steam-curator|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130103192750/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-20/chennai/31373739_1_double-decker-coaches-steam-curator|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 January 2013|accessdate=3 July 2012|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=20 April 2012}}</ref> Toy-train rides are available. There are 3 air-conditioned Indoor Galleries (ICF Gallery, Rail History Gallery, Art Gallery, 2 Other Non-airconditioned Galleries, a 90-seater air-conditioned Dolby Digital Movie Theatre (Railway and Railway Heritage Films), Natyarangam, Amphitheatre, a Number of Metal Sculptures made from scrap, 3D MURAL at the entrance, Cartoon Hero Characters better viewed from the Joyous Toy Train Ride, Rail Coach Restaurant, Eco Green Park, Lust Green vegetation, etc., The museum is managed and maintained by the ICF.

== Location ==
It is located in [[Perambur]] area, which is renowned for its [[Integral Coach Factory]]. 71 series buses connects Rail museum to prominent places like Broadway, [[Chennai Central railway station|Chennai Central]], [[Chennai Egmore railway station|Chennai Egmore]], [[Kilpauk]], [[Ambattur]] and [[Avadi]].

== History ==
The Regional Rail Museum (RRM, its original name) was established in March 2002. The [[Railway Board]] had a strong interest in its development, since it would be a model for other RRMs planned for [[Kolkata]] and [[Pune]]. The Chennai museum was first proposed in a 1993-94 suggestion by the Railway Board secretary to the ICF general manager, followed by meetings between the museum's future director and the ICF [[Chief executive officer|CE]]. It was inaugurated by Railway Minister [[Nitish Kumar]] on March 31, 2002, and opened to the public on April 16. The RRM was renamed the Chennai Rail Museum to commemorate the 377th [[Madras Day]] on August 22, 2016. The renovated museum, with a new Art gallery, was inaugurated on October 2, 2016 by [[Padma Bhushan]] recipient [[Padma Subrahmanyam]] in the presence of artist Manian Selvan and ICF General Manager S. Mani.<ref name="new-gallery">{{cite news|date=3 October 2016|title=New galleries opened at Chennai Rail Museum|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/New-galleries-opened-at-Chennai-Rail-Museum/article15423821.ece |publisher=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=23 September 2018}}</ref>

== Overview ==
[[File:Chennai Rail Museum Fowler Ploughing Engine.jpg|thumb|left|alt=19th-centuryengine with flat wheels|1895 Fowler ploughing engine at the museum]]
The {{convert|6.5|acre|ha|adj=on}} museum has two galleries, a number of 19th-century outdoor heritage exhibits, a toy train that takes visitors around the perimeter, and a playground.<ref name="Hindu_MuseumToMakeInroadsIntoTourism">{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/rail-museum-looks-to-make-inroads-into-tourism/article5816021.ece|title=Rail museum looks to make inroads into tourism|last=Hamid|first=Zubeda|date=22 March 2014|newspaper=The Hindu|accessdate=23 March 2014}}</ref> Its collection includes indoor and outdoor exhibits. The indoor galleries contain photographs detailing the early years of the ICF and Indian Railways. The museum also houses working scale models of trains, and rare colonial-period artifacts. This will be the location of new exhibits for the museum's second decade.<ref name=deca/> A video about [[Neal's ball token system]] (which provided signaling between trains) is featured, as well as a coach in which [[Mahatma Gandhi]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.in/2002/10/28/stories/2002102800591100.htm|title=A peep into the Rail Museum|date=28 October 2002|newspaper=The Hindu Business Line|accessdate=7 February 2012}}</ref> traveled.

The museum's outdoor exhibits include 41 train models.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kumar|first=S. Vijay|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/retired-staff-to-showcase-railway-heritage-at-museums/article24188237.ece|title=Retired staff to showcase railway heritage at museums|date=18 June 2018|newspaper=The Hindu|accessdate=28 July 2018}}</ref> An 1895 model of a Fowler steam [[Traction engine#Ploughing engine|ploughing engine]] (manufactured by [[John Fowler (agricultural engineer)|John Fowler]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.icf.indianrailways.gov.in/works/rrm/linkpage/outdoor-fowler.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121219130447/http://www.icf.indianrailways.gov.in/works/rrm/linkpage/outdoor-fowler.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 December 2012|title=Fowler Ploughing Engine|publisher=|accessdate=7 February 2012}}</ref> and 1860s [[Double-decker bus|double-deck]] coaches are on display. Models include Coach of Inspection car RA 30 (manufactured by [[Metropolitan Carriage and Finance]]), Crane Hercules (used for emergency relief) and [[luxury train|luxury]] coaches. Nearly all of the museum's coaches are accessible to visitors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.icf.indianrailways.gov.in/works/rrm/linkpage/outdoor-dhr.html|title=Outdoor Exhibits: Narrow Gauge Engine (Darjeeling Himalayan Railways)|publisher=Regional Railway Museum|accessdate=7 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120522063212/http://www.icf.indianrailways.gov.in/works/rrm/linkpage/outdoor-dhr.html|archive-date=22 May 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The exhibits are interspersed with posters of high-speed trains from around the world, the history of Indian Railways and models of coaches made for [[Sri Lanka]], the [[Philippines]], [[Vietnam]] and [[Zambia]]. They also include a coach from the Mumbai suburban train network, old railway maps of India, century-old clocks, and a diesel-locomotive engine block.<ref name="Hindu_MuseumToMakeInroadsIntoTourism"/> Outdoor exhibits include life-size models of a [[Nilgiri Mountain Railway]] coach, a GM inspection car, an MG EMU, a hospital van, a hand-operated crane, an overhead equipment car, a meter gauge EMU, and a variety of engines (steam, diesel and plough).

The museum also contains photographs of visits to ICF by world leaders, royalty, and other dignitaries. The model trains run on three tiers, and over 150 photographs document the history of ICF and Indian Railways.

The ICF Diamond Jubilee Gallery has photographs by Ian Manning which were digitally restored, including one of a steam-engine turntable. It also has a first-class compartment seat, a scale model of third-class MG coaches designed and manufactured at ICF for Uganda, and photographs of dignitaries such as [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]], [[K. Kamaraj]], and Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]. An art gallery contains over a dozen paintings. The paintings, by artists such as M. S. Murthy and Shahid Pasha, illustrate subjects commonly found in railway stations and related establishments. Murthy's ''Gandhi'', is a tribute to the man and his [[Gandhism|philosophy]]. In Pasha's ''Kanhaiya's Journey'', a young [[Krishna]] showing his mother [[Yashoda]] the way home as she pulls a suitcase and tries to board the Mathura Express at the [[Bangalore City railway station|Bangalore railway station]]. The painting demonstrates that one's god (or gods) are not restricted to temples, but are present everywhere to provide guidance.

An antique steam engine which once operated in the [[Nilgiri Mountains]] is at the museum entrance, and the space surrounding it is decorated with greenery and herbs. A walking path helps visitors get close to the antique train.

== Visitors ==
[[File:An-Rail-Engine-display-in-ICF-Rail-Museum-Chennai.JPG|thumb|alt=Blue-and-white diesel engine|Engine on display at the museum]]
The museum was established to showcase the Heritage of Indian Railways. Work on it began in 2001, and the museum was inaugurated in March 2002 by [[Minister of Railways (India)|Railway Minister]] [[Nitish Kumar]]. Several additions have been made since then, and the museum constructed a train ride for children. Although nearly 5,500 people visit the museum each month<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/article3333204.ece |title=Housing the history of Indian Railways for a decade|accessdate= 7 March 2012|newspaper=The Hindu|date=20 April 2012}}</ref> (primarily students and local residents),<ref name="Hindu_MuseumToMakeInroadsIntoTourism" /> the railway struggles with a lack of awareness and publicity despite its role in India's growth.<ref name="chug" /><ref name="gaze">{{cite news|last=Sreevatsan|first=Ajai|title=Rail museum far from public gaze|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Chennai/article572841.ece|accessdate=3 July 2012|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=16 August 2010}}</ref> During 10th-anniversary celebrations in 2012, the museum announced plans for expansion.<ref name="deca">{{cite news|title=Housing the history of Indian Railways for a decade|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/article3333204.ece|accessdate=3 July 2012|newspaper=The Hindu|date=20 April 2012}}</ref> In August 2017, 14,792 people visited the museum (up from 10,809 visitors in August 2016).<ref name="MetroPlus_TrainspottingForBeginners">{{cite news
| last = Rajendra
| first = Ranjani
| author2=
| title = Trainspotting for beginners
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Chennai
| date = 14 September 2017
| url = http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/trainspotting-for-beginners/article19680270.ece
| accessdate = 30 September 2017}}</ref> Many visitors complain that the museum deserves better facilities and clean pathways. Many heritage models are desperate for painting.

== {{anchor|Chennai Express Restaurant}}Restaurant ==
On August 31, 2018, a rail coach-themed restaurant opened at the museum.<ref name="coach theme restaurant">{{cite news|title=Integral Coach Factory installs AC rail coach restaurant at Chennai Rail Museum|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2018/sep/01/integral-coach-factory-installs-ac-rail-coach-restaurant-at-chennai-rail-museum-1865903.html|accessdate=1 September 2018|newspaper=[[The New Indian Express]]|date=1 September 2018}}</ref> The air-conditioned Chennai Express restaurant is inside a Linke Hoffman Busch train coach provided by the ICF. It is the second such restaurant opened in the country by the IR, following one in [[Bhopal]] (2015). The restaurant offers Chinese, continental, North- and South-Indian cuisine.

The area leading to the coach entrance was designed to resemble a railway platform.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.zeebiz.com/india/photo-gallery-indian-railways-luxury-icf-chennai-rail-coach-restaurant-will-leave-you-craving-for-more-see-pics-61772|title=Indian Railways' luxury ICF Chennai Rail Coach Restaurant will leave you craving for more; see pics|date=2018-09-01|website=Zee Business|language=en|access-date=2019-01-04}}</ref> The restaurant can seat 64 people at tables in the coach and on the platform.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/would-you-like-to-dine-in-a-train/article24916881.ece|title=Journey to a full stomach|last=Paitandy|first=Priyadarshini|date=2018-09-10|work=The Hindu|access-date=2019-01-04|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> The coach's interior was designed to resemble the [[Maharajas' Express]] and the [[Deccan Odyssey]].<ref name=":1" /> Its adjacent kitchen is a repurposed shipping container.<ref name=":1" /> The coach's exterior was painted by Asma Menon and a team of artists.<ref name=":0" />

== Theater ==
The museum opened a small 90-seater, Digital Dolby, Large Screen, air-conditioned theater on August 15, 2018.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/mini-theatre-comes-up-at-rail-museum/article24699169.ece|title=Mini theatre comes up at Rail Museum|author=Staff Reporter|date=2018-08-16|work=The Hindu|access-date=2019-01-04|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> The theater, with a capacity of 90 people, to showcase films about the Integral Coach Factory, Indian Railways, World Railway and Railway Heritage clippings to museum visitors.<ref name=":2" />

==See also==

{{colbegin}}
* [[National Rail Museum, New Delhi]]
* [[Rewari Railway Heritage Museum]]
* [[Railway Museum Mysore]]
* [[Railway Heritage Centre, Tiruchirappalli]]
* [[Joshi's Museum of Miniature Railway]]
{{colend}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Regional Railway Museum, Chennai}}
*{{official website| http://www.icf.indianrailways.gov.in/works/uploads/files/rrm_new/index.html}}
* [http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/rail-museum-a-hidden-gem/article5815443.ece?ref=slideshow#im-image-0 Rail Museum - a hidden gem: Slideshow]

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{{Chennai Topics}}
{{Indian Railways}}

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[[Category:2002 establishments in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Children's museums in India]]
[[Category:Museums established in 2002]]
[[Category:Museums in Chennai]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Railway museums in India|Chennai]]

Chennai Rail Museum - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 20:35, 13 August 2023