Title - History on wheels

The steam locomotives may have bellowed their way into the annals of history. But they have not disappeared entirely.In recent times, they have chugged back in miniature forms. These railroad models either run or are objects of display in many homes. Joining the bandwagon is Ajay Padmanabh, a software consultant, whose collection of model trains and cars, is an education on a bygone world.Ajay’s models are highly-detailed. “I have been pursuing various hobbies for the last 25 years, ranging from scale-model cars to philately. It was only some time back that I started collecting trains.My train collection is made up of mainly those in HO scale (1:87) by Marklin, the German company regarded as the Rolls Royce of model trains. It comprises limited edition sets,” he says.His odyssey began when he read an article on Marklin trains. “Since then It has been a dream to have a Marklin train and a steam engine in particular. I collect Marklin because they are detailed,” he explains.His collection boasts of the ‘King Ludwig Train’ set, ‘Kaiser Wilhelm Imperial Court Train’, 1835 ‘Adler’, ‘Rheingold’, ‘The Wedding Train’, 1859 ‘Wuttemberg Train’ and the ‘Big Boy’ engine. Among others, there is the ‘The Orient Express’ from Hornby and ‘The TGV’ from Jouef.“‘The King Ludwig Train’ set,” he says, “is a limited edition train and there are only 2,000 of those in the world. This has an engine and has six coaches with the king’s throne inside.

These coaches were built in 1930s and 40s and have golden ornamentation,” he informs. ‘Kaiser Wilhelm Imperial Court Train’ is a six-coach train with an office, attendants, a restaurant car and a car for the queen’s staff. “What attracted me to this was its elegance,” he says.

Also striking is the 1835 ‘Adler’ set, which is the first German train. “It has three coaches and is presented in a wooden box,” he adds.

The ‘Rheingold’, on the other hand, is something like a luxury train from Germany. “It is a six-coach train and has only 500 to 600 pieces in the world. It is the only one with the Marklin written on the tender,” Ajay informs.

The ‘Big Boy’, the largest steam engine in the world, was meant for the mountains in those days.

 One can hear its whistle and the sound of steam. The bell in front of the train adds to the appeal. The model of ‘Orient Express’ from Hornby, UK, is his prized possession while The TGV from Jouef, France has people sitting inside and there is lighting as well.

“The credit for my collection goes to my father, as he has instilled in me a keen eye for detail. My grandmother, mother and brother have also been encouraging, apart from other family members,” he says.

“I bought these trains through eBay — the level of complexity determines the price of each one,” he says. Ajay also plans to set up a model railroad and lay out tracks and houses. “I am looking for model trains of the Indian Railways as well,” he says.

Running parallel to his trains are his cars, which comprise more than 500 models in various scales. “Among others, I’ve a fleet of Rolls Royces, the first Benz and the 1937 ‘Maybach Pebble Beach Edition’.

There is the 1965 ‘Shelby Mustang’, autographed by Caroll Shelby, the American automotive engineer who built the famous muscle cars; the first Mercedes of 1885; the Woodstock VW Bus and the 1931 Bugatti Royale, apart from other vintage cars,” he says.

The fleet is extensive and truly impressive, standing testimony to the luxurious lives of famous men and women. They include the cars of the 50s, Jaguars, Ferraris, Dehalaye (French) and VW Beetle, ‘The Beers of the World’ series, ‘The Best of Scotland’ series and ‘The Queen’s Coronation Coach’. But one among these just looms large. And that is the legend’s own — The Rolls Royce of John Lennon