Sir Leslie Wilson arrives at Mumbai CSMT

What a day
today! They say life comes a full circle and was a witness to the momentous
event today when the Sir Leslie Wilson or EF/1, India’s first electric freight locomotive
class that was introduced in 1928 returned home at Mumbai CSMT or formerly
Bombay Victoria Terminus station.

I say home because the engine was in active service till 1992 and had spent its
lifetime here and after retirement shifted to Kalyan electric loco shed. The
engine has now been brought here to be a part of the ‘Heritage Alley’ on World
Heritage Day 2018 and will be on permanent display. Sir Leslie Orme Wilson was
the Governor of Bombay in 1928 who inaugurated the loco and hence named after
him.

It was transported by road, splitting it into three parts that were later assembled
here. It features the original livery of India’s first railway company, the
Great Indian Peninsula Railway, now Central Railway. EF/1 20067 is one of the
two remaining of the class, the other one being at National Rail Museum in New
Delhi.

4 comments

  1. Thank you for this blog. I have fond memories of seeing Sir Leslie Wilson shunting in the lower Parel area when I was in college in Mumbai in the late 1980s. She (is that the right way to talk of a locomotive?) was then in the rail museum in Delhi, and I was thrilled to find her there when I took my children there a few years ago. Now thanks to you, I see she is in Mumbai. I am in Mumbai next week; i might go and see her if I have the time!

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