MORRIS FIRE ENGINE
The Morris Fire Engine is the oldest road vehicle in the city of Delhi. This fire engine was built by the famous fire engineers, M/s John Morris and Sons Ltd of Salford, Manchester in 1914. In 1912, the company entered into a collaboration with Belsize Motors Ltd of Clayton, Manchester to market their fire-engines. One of the earliest lot was sold to the Nizam’s Hyderabad Railway. This model proved very successful and was in production till 1921. Now only two Morris-Belsize fire engines are known to exist and one of them is with the National Rail Museum, New Delhi. Its original Shrewbury and Challiner solid tyres make this vehicle unique.

The Morris Fire Engine was in seen action on Delhi’s roads on February 8 during the 43rd Statesman Vintage Car Rally.

DID YOU KNOW?
VT STATION
Built in 1888 as the headquarters of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway Company, Victoria Terminus is also the westernmost end point of the Central Railways. Designed by Frederick William Stevens, a British architect, the building is a wonderful example of Indo-Victorian Gothic Revival architectural style. The railway station was opened to the public on New Year’s Day, 1882. Today, at least 1,250 trains leave the station every day from its 14 platforms, carrying some 3.3 million passengers in and out of the city. It is the hub of the suburban (local) railways as well as some of the long distance trains. A major part of the building houses the administrative section of the Central Railways.

Construction of the Terminus began in 1878 and was completed after 10 years in May 1888 at a cost of Rs. 16.14 lakh. In 1853, it was from this station that India’s very first steam engine left for its first trip to Thane. Initially named as ‘Victoria Terminus’ in honour of the reigning Queen Victoria, in 1996 it was renamed Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus honouring the great 17th Century Maratha king, by the state government of Maharastra. It is now commonly known as the CST though the old name VT or Victoria Terminus, is still commonly used.