Bhubaneswar: Conservationist and historian Anil Dhir has expressed concern over the neglected Railway Heritage Steam Machine – PL-692 – stored in front of the BNR hotel in Puri.
He urged the train to provide a layer of fresh paint to the century machine to prevent it rusting further.
He said, “Saline air from that place has damaged the engine, while rust has been completely destroyed.
The roof of the engine has withered.
Some layers of rust formed in boilers, wheels and chimneys.
I asked the Indian train to preserve it at the upcoming train museum In Bhubaneswar.
“He added that this old engine was shown in one of the postage stamps issued during the celebration of a hundred in 1987 from the South East Railway.
The century century train locomotive was imported by Maharaja Paralahhemundi for Rs 12,000.
It is run by Parlaki Light Railway (PLR).
The Paradanghemundi engine is known as the PL class built by Kerr, Stuart and British company in 1904.
The engine weighs 20 tons.
Run at a size of 2 feet-6 inches PLR in the naupada-gunupur section (90.6km).
The train has brought the train line to Naupada in 1884.
Then Maharaja from Parkiamedi (now Paradadahemundi) has decided to connect the capital of Paradanghemundi with Naupada with a lightweight train and has approached the government over the sanctions.
After obtaining permission for a lightweight train in 1898, Maharaja from Paralahhemundi has opened a line of 39 km on April 1, 1900 by spending RS 7 Lakh.
After the Indian Railroad Law, 1890, it began to apply to this line, Railway Bengal Nagpur (BNR) has taken over PLR from January 1, 1902.
Initially, this line losses.
After 1910, it had begun to make marginal profits, which increased after 1924-25.
Later, the line was expanded to gunupur in 1931.