Rajendra Aklekar

A Bombay-based (India) journalist, railway historian
and an archivist, I have been independently involved
with research of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway
(G.I.P.R), the pioneering railway in India, for the
past two years and doing on-track field study along
the Indian Railway’s original route in Mumbai
(Bombay).

As a part of my research, I have walked through the
entire route, listed out heritage items (furniture,
accessories, buildings and even rails and tracks) and
noted down important old inscriptions etched on these
railway heritage structures that tell the tale of the
past. These findings have given me important leads to
trace some unexplored historical aspects of the first
railway in India.

I soon plan to compile my findings in a book.

My collection on GIP Railway comprises some central
documents in the history of Indian railways, including
a share certificate of the first railway company in
India, copies of rare photographs of the early days of
GIP Railway, Indian Railway maps of 1857 and 1881, key
of an old bull-headed track of the GIP Railway (placed
between the rail and the chair fixed on wooden
sleepers) and lots more.

I am a member of several railway societies worldwide
and also write on railway issues in several
international railway publications and journals
regularly.

Member:

O Railway Archaeology Society, Oldham, United
Kingdom.

O Indian Steam Railway Society (ISRS), New Delhi,
India.

O Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society, Australia.

O Indian Railway Fans Club Association (IRFCA).

O Shakuntala Narrow Gauge Railway Society.

Correspondent:

O The Official Magazine of Railway Archaeology
Society, England.

O Railway Preservation News, a reputed railway
magazine, Texas.

O Indian Steam Railway Society Newsletter, New Delhi.

O !’The Signal Box!(, a website on railway signaling,
England.

O Writing regularly for !%The Rajdhani Times!&,
Mumbai.

Rajendra Aklekar (91-22) 565 3078 [e-mail:rail_india@yahoo.com]

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