“ AN ODYSSEY IN TIME”

“ The Story of Civilisation is, in a sense, the story of engineering – that long and arduous struggle to make the forces of nature work for man's good ”.

Genesis : The old Steam Demonstration Room (SDR) at INS Shivaji, which had trained thousands of MEs, ERAs, MECHs and Officers and came to be regarded as the ‘Mecca' of the Indian Navy Marine Engineers since 1949 was converted into the ‘ Naval Engineering Museum ' on 23 Jan 1990 . The Museum houses a collection of main and auxiliary machineries and equipment of ships from yesteryears of the Indian Navy which also include the main boilers of HMIS PUNJAB, BALUCHISTAN and engines of HMIS PROTECTOR.

Evolution of Marine Propulsion : With this facelift based on the theme of evolution of marine propulsion the Museum has manifested itself back into the glorious and fascinating world of Marine Engineering, where one can see the past and the present under one roof. To many an old foggy, the museum will definitely revive the memories of the past. To a green horn it will unravel the heritage and wealth of the past and will also tell the story of changing technology and developments.

Layout : The museum layout has been divided into well conceived and logically arranged sections with each one unfolding the evolution of Marine Propulsion over the years. To make it an information hub for the Marine Engineers, information Windows have been displayed to ‘Tell the Untold' in each section. Models and photographs of old and new ships have been placed at appropriate locations to link with history. The sections are as follows:

• Sail Boat including History of Ship Building : Display windows in this section take you through the “era of” sail boats and also shipping routes. Pictorial display boards of ship building provide a windows to the evolution of ship building in India right from the Harappan era.
• Steam Machinery including Nuclear Propulsion: Steam Section unravels the evolution of steam propulsion system from coal-fired boilers to nuclear propulsion systems. Some of the major artifacts on display include main and auxiliary equipment of from ships HMS Protector, Bassert , Belfast, HMIS Punjab and HMIS Baluchistan with items dating back to the 1930s.
• Diesel Engine : This section takes you down memory lane depicting the evolution of various diesels used for main propulsion over the ages. The engines on display vary from ASRI Engines of the old INS Brahmaputra and MAN engines of INS Gaj to Radial Engines of Russian design.
• Submarine Section : This section traces the history of submarine arm from the 15 th century to the present era. Details of various submarine propulsion systems used in Navies world wide have been depicted pictorially.
• Gas Turbine Section: This section covers the evolution of Gas Turbines .On display are disassembled M2B Gas Turbine, an aero jet engine and scaled down models of GT propelled ships INS Delhi and INS Vibhuti .

Light and Sound show : The museum also has an interesting light and sound show for the HMIS Punjab and HMIS Baluchistan boilers, reciprocating steam engine and Parson's steam turbine. The show takes you through the history and working of the first generation steam machinery.

Since its inception, scores of budding engineers have passed through the hallowed portals of the Museum. A walk around of the exhibits on display has instilled in them a sense of belonging to their alma-mater. It has opened a window to the past – a time of rudimentary technology, a time of backbreaking work in the harsh environments. A walk down the memory lane brought a lump in the throat of many an ‘Ancient Mariner'. One of them had this to say “An understanding of the past is the key to the future. A journey through an engineering past, propelled and crafted with great passion. What better way to preserve, uphold and live tradition”.

The raging pace of the ever-progressing marine technology is sure to leave behind a devastating trail of machinery still firing but rendered obsolete and unwanted onboard. And for those obsolete equipment and machinery left unmercifully on the way side, the Naval Engineering Museum will provide a safe haven, reminding the young and old alike of nostalgic encounters in the bowels of the men-of-war of our magnificent Navy.

The Museum has since been registered under Society Registration Act 1860 as the Naval Engineering History Society (NEHS) which was formed at INS Shivaji on 25 Apr 01.