Joshi's Museum of Miniature Railways

Museum Address
17/1 B/2 G.A.Kulkarni Road,
Next to Sangam Press, Kothrud,
Pune – 411038
City
State
Maharashtra
Pin Code
411038
Email
ravi@minirailways.com
Phone Number
Museum website
http://www.minirailways.com/
When was the museum established?
1998
Main category
Briefly describe the history of the museum, its collection and donors.

Joshi’s Museum of Miniature Railways represents the private collection of Mr B.S. Joshi, who was fondly referred to as ‘Bhau’. The museum is located in Kothrud, Pune, and is a part of a factory named Soudamini Instruments. This museum was a dream project for Mr Joshi, and in the larger context, represents the evolution of his hobby to a full-fledged career option. Starting for his early years, Mr Joshi got into the habit of making Diwali qilas (clay forts that are made during the festival of Diwali). Gradually he started including manoeuvrable parts in his forts, most of them being controlled or operated by a system of strings. 

Moving ahead with the with his childhood hobby, Mr Joshi envisaged a miniature city with moving train models, which was then converted into a museum. He then created several prototypes of this but soon realized that these models could not be carried around and hence he decided to establish a museum to showcase his collection. The entire setup of the museum includes scale models of the locomotives and railway systems that or not merely static but can be operated manually or by using a computer.

Mr Joshi sadly departed shortly after the museum opened to the general public in the year 1998. Nowadays the museum is supervised by Mr Joshi's son, Ravi Joshi. This museum is famous for its special shows where they feature the working of the trains and the various attributes attached to it.

 

Photography
Yes
Videography
Yes
Cafeteria
No
Museum shop
No
Wheelchair friendly
No
Restroom
Yes
Drinking water
Yes
Locker room
No
Parking
No
Information in Braille
No
Workshops/seminars/lectures
Yes
Garden/picnic area
No
Audio/visual guides
No
Guided tours
Yes
Library and archives services
No
IT facilities ( Photocopying, printing, computer )
No
Auditorium
No
Conference/ Seminar hall
No
Museum membership
No
Conservation lab
No
Research lab
No
Who manages the museum?
Private Organization
Email
ravi@minirailways.com
Person-in-charge of the museum
Owner
First Name
Dr. Ravi
Last Name
Joshi
Mobile no.
Reference Link
http://www.minirailways.com/
What is the average duration to see the museum?
less than 1 hour
Map your museum’s correct location on the map given below.

18.5017119, 73.8223036

Is the museum currently closed?
No
Image for museum exterior/building
Joshi's Museum of Miniature Railways
Gallery Images
Image
Description of the Image

This is the board of Joshi's Museum of Miniature Railways in Kothrud, Pune.

Image title
Museum board
Image
Description of the Image

Pictured here is a scale model of a railway junction with all its accessories. This working exhibit, with an audio-visual show, is one of the prized possession of this museum. Mr Joshi personally paid for this artefact to be displayed in his museum.

Image title
Scale model of a railway junction
Image
Description of the Image

Pictured here is a zoomed-in photo of the main exhibit of the museum, models such as these try to capture the life or human neighbourhoods that spring up near railway stations.

Image title
Train station overview
Entry Fee
Applicable
Entry fee information
For visitors below the age 3 years - Free
For visitors above the age of 3 years - ₹90/-
Getting there
The museum lies in Kothrud, which is the most bustling part of Pune. It is well connected by all modes of transport. The nearest bus stop is Karishma Chowk. It is 50 minutes from the airport and 30 minutes from Pune Railway Station.
Opening Days
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Opening Time
09:30 a.m.
Closing Time
05:00 p.m.
Other Information
On Sundays the museum opens from 5 PM to 8 PM