Today there are number of Railway Museums in
different parts of the country. But the first one was set up 1979 in
Mysore. The museum is situated opposite the CFT Research Institute on
Krishnaraja Sagar Road. The museum has a good collection of photographs
and objects related to the development of the railways. As the museum
was the first one to be established it set a good pattern for regional
display of objects related to the railways. A striking feature of the
museum is the Chamundi Gallery that showcases a distinctive and
interesting collection of photographs and paintings portraying the
growth of the railways.
Another unique feature of the museum is the Sri Ranga Pavilion that
houses two royal coaches. These coaches belonged to the Maharaja of
Mysore and give you an idea about the grand fashion in which the royalty
traveled. Another interesting exhibit in the Rail Museum is the
Maharani's saloon carriage that has a kitchen, dinning car unit and
royal toilet dating back to 1899. Most of the exhibits in the museum
were once housed in Mysore Palace. The first steam engine that was built
is exhibited here and has been preserved very well. Among the other
things exhibited here are steam engines, signals etc. The museum also
has a battery-operated mini-train that takes you on a ride around the
grounds of the museum. This toy train is the main attraction for small
children.
