119-Year-Old 'Sir Alec' Steam Engine Draws Evening Crowds in Secunderabad

A 119-year-old steam locomotive stationed at the South Central Railway headquarters at Rail Nilayam in Secunderabad continues to draw commuters and visitors with an evening display that simulates the operation of a moving steam engine.

The heritage locomotive, popularly known as 'Sir Alec', is displayed prominently along the busy corridor linking Sangeet 'X' Road with Mettuguda and Tarnaka. Its position has turned the preserved engine into a well-known local landmark for commuters passing through the area.

Built in 1907 by Kitson and Co. in Leeds, United Kingdom, the locomotive originally operated on the Barsi Light Railway's narrow-gauge network. After the railway network shifted from steam power to modern traction, the locomotive was preserved to showcase the technological history and heritage of Indian Railways.

South Central Railway previously refurbished the engine using polyurethane paint and fitted it with decorative illumination to highlight its structure after dark. The installation features simulated evening operations running from sunset into the night, using artificial steam, smoke effects, and a locomotive sound system to replicate an active steam engine preparing to depart.

Railway officials maintain the exhibit to serve an educational function, offering passers-by and younger visitors a direct view into the mechanics of early railway transportation and the historical evolution of locomotive technology.