INDIAN RAILWAYS | Deccan Queen

Indian Railways with more than 160 years of rich history; presents a wide spectrum of the national heritage of India. The story of India’s Railways is closely woven into the social fabric of the country and has helped transport the aspirations and dreams of millions of Indians. Many of their life memories are intertwined with the large network and experiences of train travel. The introduction of 'Deccan Queen'  was a major landmark in the history of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, the forerunner of the Central Railway.   

• The Deccan Queen was introduced between Mumbai and Pune on June 1, 1930 by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR), the forerunner of the Central Railway.
• This was the first deluxe train introduced to serve the two important cities of the region, and was named after Pune – also known as the “Queen of Deccan”.
• It is among the rare Indian trains that have never been hauled using steam traction and were always electric-powered; on rare instances running on diesel.
• The GIPR in the 1940s would run Race Special trains for Mumbai’s horse racing enthusiasts who would come to Pune on weekends and race days.
• This train holds many a record, including that of being India’s first superfast train, first long-distance electric-hauled train, first vestibuled train, the first train to have a ‘women-only’ car, and the first train to feature a dining car.

Many travelers from Mumbai and Pune have travelled and continue to travel on the scenic route traversed by the Deccan Queen. They have many memories associated with these journeys and would like to take away and keep memories of this journey in the form of Deccan Queen-themed merchandise. 

The railway means different things to different enthusiasts. This collection is a tribute to the rail heritage of the country. It consists of a selection of locomotive models, gifts, homewares, posters, postcards, apparel, books and collectibles depicting the glorious past of Indian Railways. The collection offers many memories and stories of Indian Railways to India’s citizens through objects. The items can be used to explain Indian culture and heritage of Indian Railways - Perfect gifts for train enthusiasts and railway fans.