Miniature Railway Museum

My fascination with model railways goes back a long way. From the time I read in books about people setting up their own model railways in their lofts to when I grew older and heard of actual miniature villages with working models of trains running through them. Unfortunately, the nearest I could get to a miniature train was one going round and round in a track. Later, thanks to an aunt and uncle living in the US, I got a small train, which chugged around on a track, with a little fellow sliding into the train midway and then being dropped off at a tiny station. It kept me engaged for hours on end, and was my prized possession for many years until I finally had to part with it when I went to college. With the arrival of the internet, I discovered the joys of you tube, and enjoyed seeing miniature trains running over well laid out railway lines, amidst beautifully constructed houses and realistic looking scenery. Going abroad to see one of these didn’t seem very feasible, so I turned my energies to making my own small version, for our navaratri golus. It did help that by then, Samhith had also become interested, and had his own Thomas the Tank Engine sets to play with! Our set today can fill up the entire house, and with our Lego blocks, we can happily make our own version of cities and villages, and with the number of cars and animals we have, we even manage to bring a semblance of life to it. 

Our attempt at making a miniature city with a railway line running through it

Yet, I still dreamt of one day going abroad to see one of the miniature cities!

And then, searching through the internet for ideas for one of our golus, I stumbled across the website of a miniature railway enthusiast, who has set up his own miniature museum, of all places, in Pune,  which is barely 3 hours away! That the museum has been in existence from 1997 just made me feel more ignorant, and also rue the lack of marketing skills among us Indians! For the last 3 years, I have been trying to visit the museum, but with no success. In the same period, I visited Pune at least 5 or 6 times, and passed by the city numerous times, but for some reason or the other, wasn’t able to visit. At last, a couple of weeks back, my sister-in-law suddenly landed up, with some work in Pune, so I happily agreed to go along. Dropping her off  for her appointment, Samhith and I hurried over to the Joshi Miniature Railway Museum. As it turned off, we arrived at a slack time, and had the entire place to ourselves. We had to pay extra for the privilege, since they put up the show for a minimum of 4 people, and there were just 2 of us (and one a kid, so I can say 1 and a half) but it was absolutely worth it!!

Let me take you on a photographic journey through the museum....

This is what it looks like, at first glance....

There were so many things to see that Samhith wasnt sure what to look at first!!!

The railway station.....

With lots of trains waiting at the various platforms...

A tram...

An electric train...

And even a double decker train!!

A coal wagon... which works!

And a chimney which emits smoke!

The trains set out from the shed...

And are directed to the right track by a turntable

And a hot air ballon which rises during the show!

A cafe.. with lots of people...

And a waiting area for people near the railway station!

Another, smaller, station...

And an amusement park!!! with a circus too!!

You can see how interested Samhith is, in the amusement park!

Another view..

A roller coaster ride.. which works!

A roundabout too!

A Giant Wheel and a revolving restaurant, which also goes up and down!!

Another view of the circus and amusement park..

The circus looked great, but we were stunned when the big top lifted....

And we could see the acrobats inside!!

And then it lifted again, and inside were the Ringmasters!!

The circus had its own zoo too!!

There was a swimming pool nearby

The mountains and bridges were what interested us the most!! and the woman you can see is the one who operated the whole thing!

This tiny train is among the smallest miniature trains in the world!

There was also a screen... an open air theatre! Anyone remember the one in Bombay?

There were other vehicles too.. such as this Funicular railway going up the mountain.. and can u see a blurred red cable car? 

Tunnels have always been the favourite part of any railway journey for us, and seeing them here was a  bonus too!

The mountain had a castle

And mountaineers!!

The other side of the tunnels

And more mountaineers

There was a mountain lake.. with a boat and ducks!

And another small railway station.

A tiny train with its own turntable!

Bridges and water tanks...

And also campers!

When the tube light was turned off, and tiny lights switched on inside, it really looked like a lit up city!

And finally, here is Samhith, with the whole set up, which is just in one small room! It is set on a turn table, which allows us to see the different parts of the miniature city!

Whether or not you are a railway enthusiast, this is one museum which I am sure most of you... and your kids... will enjoy! It appears to be the only one of its kind in India. It might not even be of the same quality as those abroad, but it is only when you set out to make something like this do you realize the constraints we face. It is not just the finance, but also the materials and space that poses a problem for us.  Apart from that, a great deal of knowledge about trains as well as other machines is needed, and that is not something all of us have!This museum grew out of a personal interest and years and years of hard work, so it is something that must indeed be appreciated. So, if you are ever in Pune, do drop in and take a look. I am sure you will come out with a smile on your face!

For further details about the museum, please visit their website:  http://www.minirailways.com/