NG locos - where are they now?

[Hove Heretic]

Can anyone please shed some light on the present whereabouts and status of a couple of locos I recall from (far too many) years ago?

There was a chunky black 600mm (I think!) gauge tender loco on a short length of track at New Romney around 40 years ago. Thinking back, I believe it was an 0-4-0, and looked decidedly German in outline.

A paperback 'Discovering Narrow Gauge Railways' by James Buck, pub. 1972 mentioned the then Vale of Rheidol Supporters Assoc. had 'a powerful East German tender engine in store' - in the event BR allowed them some operational role I assume.

I've not come across reference to either (or perhaps they're even the same) loco in many moons. Any ideas or info please?

 

[Mvann]

I think the new Romney loco is The Bug. I believe it used to be on display, but is now running I the rhdr and has travelled about a bit. Don't know anything about the rheidol engine.

 

[Hove Heretic]

I think the new Romney loco is The Bug. I believe it used to be on display, but is now running I the rhdr and has travelled about a bit. Don't know anything about the rheidol engine.

Definitely not 'The Bug' (nor was it 15" gauge). I stood taller than the Romney loading gauge back in £.s.d days - this loco was WAY larger, full size NG. I think RH&DR No.4 was still in a Belfast scrap heap back then !

 

[Marvin]

A paperback 'Discovering Narrow Gauge Railways' by James Buck, pub. 1972 mentioned the then Vale of Rheidol Supporters Assoc. had 'a powerful East German tender engine in store' - in the event BR allowed them some operational role I assume.

I think this loco is Graf Schwerin-Löwitz, which is now on the Brecon Mountain Railway. The VoR and BMR were owned by the same company for a while after BR sold the former.

 

[Hove Heretic]

Thanks Marvin, sounds eminently logical. One down - one to go ! Anyone know if Graf Schwerin-Löwitz (the loco, that is) spent any time at New Romney after import? I've a nagging feeling the Romney loco was a different one, smaller and the cab looked far more 'Henschel' plus I don't recall a bunker on the loco. It was a very long time ago though!

 

[robvulpes]

Are you sure you're not thinking of standard gauge "Dunrobin"?

SEE HERE [LINK] and HERE [another LINK] for a couple of references. More if you google "Dunrobin".

Rob

 

[Hove Heretic]

Are you sure you're not thinking of standard gauge "Dunrobin"?


Rob

Positive Rob. The loco I'm enquiring about was decidedly Teutonic in appearance and narrow gauge with a 4w tender. Definitely not 'Dunrobin' and not 'The Bug'. From memory, it was outside cylindered and had no leading or trailing axles. I seem to remember it was 0-4-0, but wouldn't swear to it in court! It was superficially reasonably clean and quite well presented, liveried in typical German/Austrian style all over black. This would have been during or just after the Collins/Catt regime some time around 1970.

It was on an isolated length of track, either 600mm (or possibly even 760mm) gauge, at the end of the then café/model railway building (a few yards east of the present day turntable and pretty, much opposite the main sheds) close by the siding running to the car park gate where stock still gets delivered today.

 

[Waldgrun]

You might like to visit this Link http://www.festipedia.org.uk/wiki/99.3462
it's the same loco! I remember reading that it didn't run on the Ffestiniog because of the wheel profiles, which would have need altering twice if the loco was to run on the Vale of Rheidol!

 

[Hove Heretic]

You might like to visit this Link http://www.festipedia.org.uk/wiki/99.3462
it's the same loco! I remember reading that it didn't run on the Ffestiniog because of the wheel profiles, which would have need altering twice if the loco was to run on the Vale of Rheidol!

Thanks The J.Snell reference in the link might explain it's presence at New Romney. Wish to hell I took a photograph at the time. ho-hum!

 

[Monkey Magic]

This seems to be a photo of it:

http://www.steamlocomotive.info/vlocomotive.cfm?Display=10510

 

[Waldgrun]

Thanks The J.Snell reference in the link might explain it's presence at New Romney. Wish to hell I took a photograph at the time. ho-hum!

My pleasure, I also remember it at New Romney, but never took any photos!
And I recall that there was an article on this loco in the Railway Magazine in the early 1970's!

 

[Hove Heretic]

This seems to be a photo of it:

http://www.steamlocomotive.info/vlocomotive.cfm?Display=10510

Cheers MM Oddly, it's the tender & cab which look most familiar ! It's bigger than I recalled, but that sure looks like the beastie !! Problem solved - thanks all!