Railway Museum
The Ceylon Government Railway (C.G.R.) which was formed in 1862 for the main purpose of laying the rail route to Kandy to meet the requirements of the planters has played a vital role in the economic development of the country.
Ceylon being a colony of the British empire almost all requirements for the Railway came from England. From the ordinary bolt and nut to the heavy Locomotive GARRATT’C’ class weighing 122 tons and 70 ft. 5 inches long builders Beyer Peacock came from England.
Railway is in possession of valuable artefacts used during its long history that will be of interest to researchers and railway enthusiasts. But it is a matter of regret that we have not been able to keep them under one roof so far.
Very important collection of documents and photographs relating to the Ceylon Government Railway are preserved in the Royal Commonwealth Society library in England.
A Railway Museum will no doubt will be an attraction to tourists especially those from England, who will like to see what their forefathers have manufactured for the Ceylon Railway.
I hope our new General Manager though burdened with an enormous task of putting the wheels on the correct track will spare a little time to get the Railway Museum off the ground, if necessary with some assistance from the Museum Department, before these priceless artefacts that are now kept at different places, cut and sold as scrap, as what happened to the ‘Baby Garrat’ no. 293 the only one imported for service on the Udapusselava narrow gauge railway that ran from Nanuoya to Ragala.
B.B. Perera – Katubedda
Source: Dailynews
