Years ago, upon a visit to the 600mm-gauge barely pronounceable Schinznacher Baumschulbahn, Switzerland, I was surprised to discover that they once appear to have owned a German-built NG/G 13 Garrett from 1927/28, which must have looked absolutely spectacular: they named it Drakensberg. Saved from South Africa in the mid-1980s, they did a complete overhaul - which unsurprisingly, seeing the size of the monster, took them more than 10 years! - Here's a low-quality video of it running: https://youtube.com/watch?v=upTc0ahGtoA.
When the track layout was changed in later years, sadly they couldn't run any longer... but apparently the Swiss sold it on to the Welsh! Which explains why the Vale of Rheidol Railway is now its proud owner! Isn't that amazing?
Drakensberg seems to be quite happy in Wales, see video!
Years ago, upon a visit to the 600mm-gauge barely pronounceable Schinznacher Baumschulbahn, Switzerland, I was surprised to discover that they once appear to have owned a German-built NG/G 13 Garrett from 1927/28, which must have looked absolutely spectacular: they named it Drakensberg. Saved from South Africa in the mid-1980s, they did a complete overhaul - which unsurprisingly, seeing the size of the monster, took them more than 10 years! - Here's a low-quality video of it running: https://youtube.com/watch?v=upTc0ahGtoA.
When the track layout was changed in later years, sadly they couldn't run any longer... but apparently the Swiss sold it on to the Welsh! Which explains why the Vale of Rheidol Railway is now its proud owner! Isn't that amazing?
Drakensberg seems to be quite happy in Wales, see video!
Many thanks for that, also for recalling happy memories of a trip into the Drakensberg mountains a few years ago (also visited Sandstone: https://www.sandstone-estates.com/ on the same trip).
I can't remember whether I've mentioned this on this thread before, but the summer before the pandemic, I had a short break in North Wales. It included a day going from Porthmadog to Caenarfan and back on the West Highland and a day going up to Blaenau Ffestiniog on the Ffestiniog. Actually, although I did a few other very enjoyable things while I was up there, those were the two main reasons for going.
The Welsh Highland day was in beautiful sunny weather. My train was Garrett hauled (green) in both directions and we crossed another in both directions at Rhyd Ddu (red). The Ffestiniog day was drizzly. I was pulled uphill by a Fairlie and back down by the replica Linton and Barnstable locomotive. Altogether two very memorable trips.
On the WHR I've only done Caernarfon-Beddgelert (one way) - red Garratt!
Most recent FR trip was Porthmadog-Tan-y-Bwlch (return) in lovely vintage bogie carriages hauled by "Merddin Emrys".
On the Vale of Rheidol a couple of years back we sat in the open carriage right behind the loco going uphill - excellent! (Can't remember which loco - not the Garratt which hadn't arrived by then). Lovely sunny day.
I've not been aboard much lately, but am doing some browsing tonight. The New Suth Wales Government Railways had a class of Garratt locomotives in the ear1y 1950's. I can't remember exactly how many were delivered, but my memory is that of a planned class of 50, only 40 or so were actually delivered for heavy freight. As was so common on NSWGR locos in the 1950's, various changes were made to the class during the course of delivery.
They were not the quietest of locomoives built. In suburban Sydney, there's a climb of about 200m from the Parramatta River at Meadowbank to Hornsby, 15 or so km north. The sound of a Garratt making the climb spread over much of what was then the suburban area.
The Belgian SNCV concern had a couple of Garratt tram engines, on metre gauge, for freight traffic. The wheels and motion were boxed in, and the all-over cab was an elongated version of that fitted to their standard enclosed tram engines:
They were built in 1930, and, although Durrant says they were mothballed in 1933, other sources say they lasted until 1952. They may well have been brought out of storage to meet wartime exigencies.
There was also just one Garratt in the Netherlands, on the Limburgsche Tramweg Maatschapij lines (LTM) in the south-east around Maastricht, of standard gauge, and possibly the only Beyer Garratt with inside cylinders. This might not be immediately obvious from photographs, as the wheels were boxed in.
It went to Germany in 1941, after its own line was closed, and its subsequent history is apparently unknown. The photo shows it in store, along with other LTM engines.
The Belgian SNCV concern had a couple of Garratt tram engines, on metre gauge, for freight traffic. The wheels and motion were boxed in, and the all-over cab was an elongated version of that fitted to their standard enclosed tram engines:
They were built in 1930, and, although Durrant says they were mothballed in 1933, other sources say they lasted until 1952. They may well have been brought out of storage to meet wartime exigencies.
There was also just one Garratt in the Netherlands, on the Limburgsche Tramweg Maatschapij lines (LTM) in the south-east around Maastricht, of standard gauge, and possibly the only Beyer Garratt with inside cylinders. This might not be immediately obvious from photographs, as the wheels were boxed in.
It went to Germany in 1941, after its own line was closed, and its subsequent history is apparently unknown. The photo shows it in store, along with other LTM engines.
What fascinating, outlandish engines, BF - but they somehow make sense! Thank you!
I first read about these engines in an Auncient Boke, y-clept Bygone Light Railways of Europe, published by Oakwood Press in 1973. It was written by a Dane - Ole Winther Laursen - and is well worth looking out for (copies crop up on eBay now and then).
The section on Danish light railways - mostly standard-gauge, though there was an extensive metre-gauge system on the island of Bornholm - is especially interesting, as these lines were (and are) hardly ever mentioned in English publications. They were pioneers in the use of early diesel locomotives and railcars, often of very old-fashioned appearance, but many lasted into the 1960s, and AFAIK some have been preserved.
I don't know about Denmark, but there are narrow-gauge railways on (as far as I can see) four of the north German islands, one of them horse-drawn! There is also the famous "Molli" but that's on the mainland I think.
There are (or were) narrow-gauge railways on Borkum, Juist, Wangeroog, Langeoog, Spiekerooge, Amrum, and Sylt!
W J K Davies, in Railway Holiday in Northern Germany (David & Charles 1965) describes some of them. As you say, some are still working, though I can't recall offhand which one is now horse-worked - at the time of Davies' visit in 1964, all were dieselised (though Borkum had a couple of steam locomotives for times of heavy traffic, and Wangerooge - whose line was run by DB - had an 0-6-0T in reserve).
Only marginally to do with this thread - but there has been a terrible funicular accident in the centre of Lisbon. This is one of four funiculars in the city, and the best known - I lived in Lisbon and used it on a number of occasions. The car's body will have had no crash integrity whatsoever. It is a tragedy. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cpqnnllppnpt
Yes, the Lisbon accident has been on the news here this morning. A terrible thing to happen.
On unusual north German minor railways, somewhere on the Frisian coast or islands there is a narrow gauge network where the locals drive their own vehicles around the system, an option which I don't think has existed here anywhere since the 1820-30s. I saw a film of it fairly recently on a television channel, and it appeared to be still operating. However, I have not been able to find out much about it. Some of the vehicles are little diesel trucks and some I think, are either sail powered or can be powered by an auxiliary sail if the wind is right.
Well researched @Baptist Trainfan - this railway is one I've not heard of before...
Apropos the Lisbon Elevador disaster - I've also been on all of them IIRC. Funicular railway accidents anywhere are very rare indeed, I think, especially involving death or injury.
Obviously we don't know what happened. Having read most of the recent UK railway accident reports, I'm inclined to speculate that some sort of clamp holding the car to the cable developed a hairline crack which - invisible to the naked eye even on inspection - slowly propagated over a period of time until it finally broke. If I'm right (and I may not be) only ultrasonic testing would have detected this - and who'd think of doing that on a slow-moving funicular? My explanation does however raise the question of redundancy: i.e. the failure of one crucial part should not be catastrophic.
Obviously we don't know what happened. Having read most of the recent UK railway accident reports, I'm inclined to speculate that some sort of clamp holding the car to the cable developed a hairline crack which - invisible to the naked eye even on inspection - slowly propagated over a period of time until it finally broke. If I'm right (and I may not be) only ultrasonic testing would have detected this - and who'd think of doing that on a slow-moving funicular? My explanation does however raise the question of redundancy: i.e. the failure of one crucial part should not be catastrophic.
Yes, the real cause may not be known for some time, though your speculation may be right.
Are the other Lisbon Elevadores (sp?) being checked meanwhile?
I think so, certainly their operation has been suspended. That includes the Baixa lift. I'm intrigued that they now have route numbers in the E (eletrico = tram) sequence.
Comments
When the track layout was changed in later years, sadly they couldn't run any longer... but apparently the Swiss sold it on to the Welsh! Which explains why the Vale of Rheidol Railway is now its proud owner! Isn't that amazing?
Drakensberg seems to be quite happy in Wales, see video!
For the storyline in English, read up here: https://vor.wales/blog/hanomag-1927-built-ng-g13-garratt-no-60-drakensberg/
Many thanks for that, also for recalling happy memories of a trip into the Drakensberg mountains a few years ago (also visited Sandstone: https://www.sandstone-estates.com/ on the same trip).
The Welsh Highland day was in beautiful sunny weather. My train was Garrett hauled (green) in both directions and we crossed another in both directions at Rhyd Ddu (red). The Ffestiniog day was drizzly. I was pulled uphill by a Fairlie and back down by the replica Linton and Barnstable locomotive. Altogether two very memorable trips.
Most recent FR trip was Porthmadog-Tan-y-Bwlch (return) in lovely vintage bogie carriages hauled by "Merddin Emrys".
On the Vale of Rheidol a couple of years back we sat in the open carriage right behind the loco going uphill - excellent! (Can't remember which loco - not the Garratt which hadn't arrived by then). Lovely sunny day.
They were not the quietest of locomoives built. In suburban Sydney, there's a climb of about 200m from the Parramatta River at Meadowbank to Hornsby, 15 or so km north. The sound of a Garratt making the climb spread over much of what was then the suburban area.
https://www.modelrailroading.nl/articulation/netherlands/images/NMVB 850-851/NMVB Garratt 1.JPG
They were built in 1930, and, although Durrant says they were mothballed in 1933, other sources say they lasted until 1952. They may well have been brought out of storage to meet wartime exigencies.
There was also just one Garratt in the Netherlands, on the Limburgsche Tramweg Maatschapij lines (LTM) in the south-east around Maastricht, of standard gauge, and possibly the only Beyer Garratt with inside cylinders. This might not be immediately obvious from photographs, as the wheels were boxed in.
https://nvbs-actueel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/archiefnieuws-03-NEG147-093.jpg
It went to Germany in 1941, after its own line was closed, and its subsequent history is apparently unknown. The photo shows it in store, along with other LTM engines.
And I have just recovered my photo of it, together with its twin! I thought it was lost. What a lovely engine the G13 is.
What fascinating, outlandish engines, BF - but they somehow make sense! Thank you!
I first read about these engines in an Auncient Boke, y-clept Bygone Light Railways of Europe, published by Oakwood Press in 1973. It was written by a Dane - Ole Winther Laursen - and is well worth looking out for (copies crop up on eBay now and then).
The section on Danish light railways - mostly standard-gauge, though there was an extensive metre-gauge system on the island of Bornholm - is especially interesting, as these lines were (and are) hardly ever mentioned in English publications. They were pioneers in the use of early diesel locomotives and railcars, often of very old-fashioned appearance, but many lasted into the 1960s, and AFAIK some have been preserved.
W J K Davies, in Railway Holiday in Northern Germany (David & Charles 1965) describes some of them. As you say, some are still working, though I can't recall offhand which one is now horse-worked - at the time of Davies' visit in 1964, all were dieselised (though Borkum had a couple of steam locomotives for times of heavy traffic, and Wangerooge - whose line was run by DB - had an 0-6-0T in reserve).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molli_railway
The horse-worked island line is the Inselbahn Spiekeroog:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inselbahn_Spiekeroog
On unusual north German minor railways, somewhere on the Frisian coast or islands there is a narrow gauge network where the locals drive their own vehicles around the system, an option which I don't think has existed here anywhere since the 1820-30s. I saw a film of it fairly recently on a television channel, and it appeared to be still operating. However, I have not been able to find out much about it. Some of the vehicles are little diesel trucks and some I think, are either sail powered or can be powered by an auxiliary sail if the wind is right.
Well researched @Baptist Trainfan - this railway is one I've not heard of before...
Apropos the Lisbon Elevador disaster - I've also been on all of them IIRC. Funicular railway accidents anywhere are very rare indeed, I think, especially involving death or injury.
Yes, the real cause may not be known for some time, though your speculation may be right.
Are the other Lisbon Elevadores (sp?) being checked meanwhile?
https://www.carris.pt/viaje/alteracoes-de-servico/ascensores-e-elevador-da-carris-temporariamente-encerrados