CHENNAI: It was called a splendid act by the Southern Railway. In the 1970’s the S Railway presented a small model of `SS Irwin’ to the Egmore museum. From then, this model has been considered as a piece from the history of Madras.
SS Irwin, also known as the train boat, was a ship operated in the 1930’s by the London-based South Indian Railway Company Ltd. It sailed between Dhanuskodi and Thalaimannar Pier.
In fact in those days the Railways had even operated a mail train service from Chennai to Dhanuskodi to facilitate passengers to go on board the ship.
Recollecting his experiences on board the ship, S Muthaiah, Editor, Madras Magazines and Chronicle of Madras said, “I was a small chap then and every time I traveled on the ship, I used to fall sick.” After all these years, SS Irwin has become a part of the history of Madras, he added.
The ship’s model along with the first radio transmitter used in India by the Madras Presidency Club in 1924 and by the Corporation of Madras from April 1, 1930 and the Madarasian Cleaver and the first Madrasian Hand Axe are all exhibited at the Government Museum as part of the Madras Day Celebrations.
The exhibition was inaugurated on Friday by Muthaiah in the presence of TS Sridhar, Principal Secretary, Commissioners of Museums. The show will be on till August 27.