Rimutaka Incline Fell Locomotive H199

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Ian Roberts
Posts: 196
Joined: 24 Feb 2009, 16:42
Location: Sugar Land Texas

Rimutaka Incline Fell Locomotive H199

Post by Ian Roberts »

I first learned of this interesting line reading old Railway Wonders of the World magazine of pre-World War II vintage given to me by my father.
The idea of five locomotives spaced through a train aroused my interest.
In the interests of progress, the incline closed in 1955 and was replaced by a tunnel, 8.8km (5.5miles) long under the Rimutaka Mountains about 9 years before I first went to New Zealand.
The original line on the East side of the mountains, on a 1 in 15 gradient, was operated on the Fell system with a center rail, much like a rack system, but without cogs, with the locomotives fitted with a second set of cylinders operating wheels held against the center rail by springs. This was used in the climbing mode while descending hand operated brake shoes controlled by hand gripped the center rail aided by similar brakes applied from small 4-wheel brake vans.
The original locomotives were 0-4-2 Tanks 4 built in 1878 by Avonside and 2 built in 1886 by Neilson.
One locomotive H199 still exists in a specially built museum in Featherstone at the bottom of the incline.
I planned to include a visit on my recent trip to New Zealand, not realizing that off season hours closed at 1430.
After enquiries at the local library they contacted one of the Museum Volunteers, who turned out to be a 91 year old lady, widow of one of the museum founders, who drove over and let me in.
The loco is mounted on rollers which show the operating of both the outside adhesion wheels and the inside grips between the frames. A mirror was set up in the pit to make viewing of the inside gear easier.

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A section of track showing one running rail and the center Fell rail.

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Fell Locomotive H199 Front View

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Fell Locomotive H199 Underneath

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Fell Locomotive H199 Cab: Note two regulators

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Fell Locomotive H199 Left hand outside Stephenson valve gear and between the frames gearing

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Fell Brake van Inside
Ian
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