The steam loco 781; and (top) a chair car coach of the DHR displayed at the museum in Tinsukia. Telegraph pictures

Siliguri, Sept. 20: The Narrow gauge steam loco 781 that had pulled a toy train in the late 1890s and hauled coal from the collieries at Tipong for more than 20 years is now proudly on display in Tinsukia.

The Railway Heritage Park cum Museum in Assam, inaugurated on July 24, is the first-of-its kind of the North-East Frontier Railway to house railway antiquities.

“The NFR has the proud tradition of preserving and showcasing its rich heritage. We have the distinction of possessing and operating the DHR which is a live Unesco World Heritage site and the oldest hill railway in the country. The museum was opened to project the heritage of Indian Railways in general and that of the NFR in particular. Among its exhibits is the narrow gauge steam loco 781 that hauled coal from the collieries of Tipong,” said Situ Sing Hajong, the chief public relations officer of the NFR.

Built in 1899 by Sharp Stewart, Glasgow, Class B 781 is among the oldest and most valued collectibles at the museum.

According to DHR lovers, it is among the 35 Class B steam locos built between 1889 and 1925 for the DHR. In 1968, however, engine 781 was withdrawn from the hill railway to carry coal from the Tipong collieries — located in eastern Assam — along with three other steam locos. They were the 784 built by Sharp Stewart in 1902, 789 built by North British Loco Co, Glasgow, in 1913, and 796, christened Kurseong, built at the DHR’s Tindharia workshop in 1923 with parts shipped from Britain.

“In 1968, the four B class locos were transferred from the Darjeeling line. They first went to Calorex Ltd in Calcutta for modifications to be made to enable them to work at Tipong Colliery, where they arrived in 1970,” Peter Jordan, the operation director of Darjeeling Tours Ltd — the associated tour agency of the UK-based Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society — wrote in an e-mail to The Telegraph.

He said the locos had hauled coal from the top of the mine shaft for two miles down a lush green valley to a trans-shipment area, which was the closest main line meter gauge.

Although engines 789 and 796 are still in working condition, 784 and 781 were worn out. The loco 781 was refurbished with some parts of the engine 784 before being put on display at the museum.

Two chair car coaches, one first class and the other second class of the DHR have also been placed in a gallery dedicated to the hill railway.

The Tinsukia Junction was chosen for the museum given that it is the convergence point of the historic Dribu Sadiya Railway (DSR) and the Assam Bengal Railway. An indoor exhibition gallery modelled on Lekhapani station of the DSR and a conference cum video hall on wheels for presentations and videos of NFR history are unique attractions at the park.

The museum has Virasat, a heritage hall which houses vintage steam and diesel locos of the meter gauge era, an original steam loco turntable of 1892 built in the UK and bridge pillars built between 1894 and 1898.

“There is also a children’s park with a joyride on the toy train and mini model of a station,” Hajong said.