Visitors at the Birla Industrial and Technological Museum would soon be able to enjoy a sneak peek into the history of the transport system, including the crucial modes that are iconic with the city of joy.

The BITM, which is a unit of the National Council of Science Museums under the Central government’s Ministry of Culture, is to open a new feature named the ‘Transport Gallery’ in its premises on International Museum Day on 18 May.

The transport gallery, according to sources in the BITM, would visually narrate the story of evolution of the transport system from earliest times to the present day. At the entrance, visitors would be welcomed by the model of the bullock cart of Mohenjodaro along with a transport model of Indus Valley Civilization. The next few chariot models depict the craftsmanship of the Vedic, Egyptian, Greek and Roman periods. The influence of environments such as desert, snow and mountains on transport systems have also been depicted through models. The evolution of boats and bicycles has been represented by means of a number of models. On the way to the second enclave, models on evolution of wheels symbolizing the progress of human civilization, leading to the 18th century when mechanization allowed each transportation mode to experience an evolution in motive methods and vehicles, are on display. Models of Cugnot’s vehicle which first established the concept of a self propelled car, Trevithick’s road locomotive, Benz’s automobile and the motorcycle of Daimler illustrate the story of evolution of automobiles.

Visitors would also be able to catch glimpses of the working models and replicas of railway engines, coaches and wagons including India’s flagship Vande-Bharat Express or even the underground metro rail in Kolkata. As informed by sources in the BITM, the gallery also includes models of various types of airplanes flying in different routes all over the world alongside cut-out models of rockets fuelling our space ambitions. An inner chamber houses two real engines – one steam and the other diesel, along with two vintage cars – a Rolls Royce Motor Car from 1926 and the Fiat Tipo owned and used by Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose. Visitors would even be able to hop in a stationed coach and enjoy the sights of a train ride.