Where was it built?
Leeds, England — built for India.
Kitson, Thompson & Hewitson built EIR 22 in 1855. It was shipped to Kolkata for the East Indian Railway.
United Kingdom / India · Steam trains
EIR No. 22 Fairy Queen
2-2-2
Fairy Queen was built in Britain in 1855 for the East Indian Railway. Its large driving wheels and tall chimney belong to an early age of steam. It is one example of a train built far from the country where it worked.
- Speed
- 25mph40 km/hTechnical maximum · Rewari Steam Loco Centre
- Year
- 1855Built
- Maker
- Kitson, Thompson & Hewitson, Leeds
- Job
- Early passenger journeys
Turn it. Take it apart. Discover.
Explore your train
Interactive model loads here. Read the train guide below while it gets ready.
3D modelDrag to turn · Pinch to zoom · Tap a number to explore
How does steam make a train move?
Heat turns water into steam. Steam pushes pistons, and rods turn the wheels. Explore the boiler, cab, running gear and supplies.
- 1The smokebox and frontAt the front of the boiler
Hot gases pass through the boiler and into the smokebox before leaving through the chimney. Look underneath: a curved support called a saddle holds the front on the locomotive’s frame.
Look deeper
Built by Kitson, Thompson & Hewitson in Leeds in 1855 for the East Indian Railway. The model follows preserved EIR 22 at Rewari: green boiler cladding, lined splashers and an open-sided canopy. Its sister Express is EIR 21.
- 2The driver’s cabBehind the boiler
The crew works here. On a conventional steam locomotive, the fireman tends the fire and the driver controls the engine.
Look deeper
A locomotive’s cab is a workplace, not a passenger compartment. Some early engines had little shelter for their crews.
- 3Chimney and steam domesAbove the boiler
The chimney carries exhaust away. Steam domes help collect steam above the water in the boiler.
Look deeper
Steam and smoke are different: steam is water vapour, while smoke comes from burning fuel. Equipment varies by locomotive.
- 4Wheels, pistons and coupling rodsBelow and beside the boiler
Steam pushes pistons. Rods transfer that motion to the driving wheels, and coupling rods link driving wheels together.
Look deeper
Fairy Queen has one large driving axle. Inclined cylinders push connecting rods attached to these wheels. Its smaller front and rear wheels support and guide the engine; they are not coupled driving wheels.
- 5Water and fuelIn tanks or a separate tender
A steam engine needs water and fuel. Tank engines carry supplies on the locomotive; many other engines pull a tender.
Look deeper
The model shows the general storage area. Tender and tank capacities are not reproduced to engineering dimensions.
Get to know EIR No. 22 Fairy Queen
How does it move — and what is its job?
Steam pushes pistons, and connecting rods turn the driving wheels.
The wheels grip the rails to move the train. Passenger engines and small yard engines have different jobs: maximum speed is not the only measure of a good locomotive.
When was it built?
Fairy Queen was built in 1855.
It left ordinary service in 1909 and returned to working order in 1997. Its preserved appearance has changed during its long life.
Where does it run — or where did it run?
It first hauled light mail trains in West Bengal, India.
It later worked on railway construction in Bihar. The heritage centre documents later special trips from Delhi; check the operator for any present-day trip.
What are we still researching?
We leave gaps visible instead of guessing. The original catalogue and our learning model do not establish every real-world specification.
What is it made from?
A train uses different materials for different jobs: metals for strength, glass for windows and insulating materials around wires. Paint colour cannot tell us whether the body underneath is steel or aluminium.
Is it still running today?
Old photographs and launch announcements do not prove that a train still runs. A whole class may still work even after one member retires. We need a recent operator or museum source.
How power reaches the wheels
Follow these steps, then find the matching sections in the model above.
- 1
Fire
Burning fuel supplies heat.
- 2
Boiler
Heat turns water into steam.
- 3
Pistons & rods
Steam pushes; rods transfer the motion.
- 4
Driving wheels
The wheels grip the rails.
Read the wheels
2-2-2 uses wheel counts: 2 leading wheels, 2 driving wheels and 2 trailing wheels. Count both sides together. A T means tank engine; ST means saddle tank and WT means well tank.
What does its speed really mean?
Technical maximum · Rewari Steam Loco Centre. A maximum speed describes particular conditions; station stops, curves, signals and track limits make an actual journey slower.
A fast train is a whole system: vehicle, track, electricity or fuel, brakes, signalling and trained people. A race in the game is a simplified comparison.
What curious kids ask
Are smoke and steam the same thing?
No. Smoke comes from burning fuel. Steam is water in its gas form. The white cloud you can see contains tiny water droplets formed as water vapour cools.
Does the driver steer like a car?
No steering wheel is needed to choose a direction. The rails guide the wheelsets. At a junction, movable sections of rail called points or switches guide the train onto another track. The driver controls speed and braking.
Why can’t it stop straight away?
A moving train has energy. Brakes must remove that energy to slow it down. A heavy train travelling fast needs room to stop, so railway signals help keep trains safely separated.
Meet these trains next
Compare how they look, what they carry and where their power comes from.
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B&O No. 147 Thatcher Perkins 
LNWR Pet Little railway dictionary
Bogie / truck
A frame holding wheelsets beneath a vehicle. It can turn relative to the body to help the train follow curves.
Gauge
The distance between the inside faces of the two running rails. Narrow gauge means closer rails; loading gauge describes the space a train may occupy.
Pantograph
A folding roof collector that stays in contact with an overhead power wire.
Traction
The force used to pull or propel the train. Grip between wheels and rails limits how much force can be used.
Multiple unit
A train with propulsion equipment within its passenger vehicles, operated together from one cab.
Locomotive
A powered vehicle whose main job is to move other railway vehicles.
Shunting / switching
Moving and arranging vehicles in a yard, often at low speed.
Livery
The colours, stripes, logos and other markings painted or applied to a train.
Service speed
The permitted speed for passenger or freight operation on a suitable section. It is not the journey average.
Record speed
A speed achieved on a particular test or record attempt, sometimes with special equipment and conditions.
Tender
A vehicle coupled to a steam locomotive to carry extra water and fuel. A tank engine carries water on the locomotive itself.
Prototype
An early vehicle built to develop and test a design before a production fleet.
Sources & reading
Follow the operator, builder and museum references below for more detail. Links beside an answer show which source supports that answer.
Edition 2026-09-27. Catalogue background is carried forward from the original collection; it is not a new independent verification. Engineering explanations describe principles. Portraits and 3D models are illustrations, with simplified parts and proportions. This is an independent learning guide, not an operator’s timetable.