World's oldest steam locomotive to be back on track

Fairy Queen, the world's oldest running steam engine, will start chugging again from Saturday.

The 162 year old locomotive will haul a tourist train called 'The Steam Express' once a month between Delhi and Alwar via Rewari.

Built in Leeds, UK, in 1854, Fairy Queen made its first commercial run on August 15, 1855, from Howrah in West Bengal.

Fairy Queen, which retired in 1908, was resurrected by Rail board chairman Ashwani Lohani in 1997 when he was director of National Rail Museum. The heritage engine has also made it to the Guinness World Record.

The locomotive was vandalised and looted at a railway shed in Delhi in 2011 after which it was rendered useless. It took Railways six years to restore the locomotive.

Railways will operate the locomotive on mainline till April next year.