India’s Forgotten Steam Monorail: The Patiala State Monorail Trainways

🔍 SpotGenie Fact

While most know about Indian Railways, almost no one’s aware of India’s only steam‑locomotive monorail system, operating over 100 years ago in Patiala. It used a rare design called the Ewing System, and was the only operational locomotive-hauled monorail in the world. It ran from 1907 to 1927 before vanishing from history—and today, a model remains at the National Rail Museum in Delhi.

🏗️ The Story Behind It

• Constructed under Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, this monorail served to move people and goods using mules, bullocks, and later a small steam engine.
• It connected Basi and Sirhind, spanning around 50 miles, at a time when railways were just establishing across India.
• The system used the Ewing monorail design, where one rail guided the train while wheels on the road surface supported the weight—a singular innovation never repeated.

🧠 Why It Matters Today

• This piece of forgotten history highlights India's early adoption of global transport innovation, long before most modern analogues appeared.
• Despite its novelty, the system survived only two decades, making it rare and almost entirely erased from mainstream memory.
• A restored steam locomotive and coach still runs occasionally at the National Rail Museum in New Delhi, offering a living time-travel experience.

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