Baby Sivok, one of the oldest steam locos of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), was once again made functional during the Ghum Winter Festival that was hosted by the DHR to popularise the mountain railway.

The fest ended on Sunday.

The steam loco was built in 1881. It is 143 years old now.

After serving a long period in the railways till the 1970s, it was put on display in front of the Siliguri Junction railway station till the late 1990s.

Later, it was shifted to Ghum, the highest railway station in India located at a height of 2,258 metres from sea level, and was put on display there.

Ahead of the fest, officials of the DHR and the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) — the railway zone under which DHR is located — decided to make it operational again.

“We could make the Baby Sivok move again on the railway track. On Saturday, it was flagged off symbolically, much to the joy of toy train enthusiasts, at Tindharia,” said Priyanshu, the director of the DHR.

Chetan Shrivastav, the general manager of the NFR, flagged off the tiny loco that was made operational by engineers at the DHR's workshop in Tindharia, said sources.

A senior railway official said the engine was named after Sevoke, as there was a branch line of the railway between Sevoke and Gailkhola. Around 100 years back, the loco was operational at the mountain railway’s then Teesta Valley service.

“It took almost a month for the engineers to make it functional and bring it on the tracks again,” the source added.

Though the loco ran during the festival, DHR officials said they would put it on display for tourists at Ghum.

“There is a railway museum in Ghoom that draws several tourists. This historical loco will also draw their attention if we can display it at the station,” said an official.

He mentioned that the third edition of the fest which had commenced on November 30, drew hundreds of tourists.

“There were even some tourists from abroad who joined the fest,” said a source.

On Sunday, the closing ceremony was held at Chowrasta in Darjeeling, where cultural troupes and musical bands performed.