Janeshwar Mishra Park, Lucknow

(Pic taken on 11th July 2016)

THE Janeshwar Mishra Park in Lucknow has taken three years

to develop and has cost, according to to Wikipedia, Rs 168 crores.

The Samajwadi Party which is in power in Uttar Pradesh with

Akhilesh Yadav as the chief Minister in commemoration  

Janeshwar Mishra, a party stalwart and Parliamentarian

who passed away in 2010.

This morning I decided to take a cycle ride to see for myself!

The Samajwadi Party election symbol is the bicycle, the

common man's mode of transport. Shunned till recently by 

most people who could afford other means of transport, it

has been making a come back over the last few years. Media

 houses, with an axe to grind, and supported by cycle 

manufacturers, have been organising cycle rallies that have 

ignited the interest in a large section of young people, 

including many who otherwise eye all the latest motor 

cycles that crowd city roads today.

 Akhilesh Yadav, the youngest chief minister ever, himself

a cycling enthusiast, has had miles of cycling 

tracks constructed in the hope that people, young and

old, can continue using this old, non polluting mode

of transport safely. 

Still miles to go: I noticed hundreds of saplings
 yet to be planted

Vast area will need massive maintenance work, especially
during the summer months

I was happy to see an engine that is to be installed at
the park. On closer examination I noticed that this
 YG series steam locomotive is in very poor condition.
All the metal 'skin' that covers the bolts and
rivets on the boiler is missing. I hope the railway
keeps its image and long service to the
nation in mind and makes this old iron horse
presentable for visitors and the younger
generations that never saw them pull
their load.
Most people never knew that locomotives
remained steamed up for a week at a time
before fire would be dropped for the
weekly wash-out!
This engine has come from Gujarat, according
to the name and phone no on the trailer rig.
Seeing that it is a YG I checked the net and
found a blog post by John Smith who spent
considerable time in 1997 photographing steam
locomotives in Gujarat shortly before
they were to be retired forever!

To show this old faithful respect it needs to get
more than mere paint and polish 

The steam engine ready for display
 (Pic taken on 11th July 2012)