Fell Locomotive Museum facts for kids
The Fell Locomotive Museum is in Featherston, New Zealand. It is home to something very special: the only steam-powered Fell railway locomotive left in the world! This amazing train is called H 199.
From 1877, locomotive H 199 helped trains climb a steep hill called the Rimutaka Incline. This hill was about 4.8 kilometers long and rose 265 meters. H 199 used a special system invented by John Barraclough Fell. It had four extra wheels that gripped a raised rail in the middle of the track. This helped it climb very steep slopes.
H 199 was one of six H class locomotives built for the Rimutaka Incline. They worked there for 77 years! At the museum, you can learn all about their story. There are videos, models, photos, and other cool items to see.
Contents
The Story of H 199
From Work to Museum Display
On November 3, 1955, a special ceremony happened for the new Rimutaka Tunnel. At this event, the Minister for Railways, Mr. McAlpine, gave H 199 to the town of Featherston. This was so the town could display it.
After H 199 finished its last jobs helping to remove the old tracks, it was taken to a workshop. It stayed there until August 1958. Then, it was moved to Featherston. For a while, it sat on a platform in a playground, where children could play on it.
Saving a Piece of History
By 1980, people noticed that the locomotive was getting old and damaged from being outside. So, a group called the "Friends of the Fell Society" was formed. Their goal was to save and protect H 199.
Restoration work began in 1981. Volunteers worked on the locomotive whenever they had time. While they were restoring it, the museum building was constructed. It was built across the main road, right next to the town's old courthouse.
Moving the Giant Locomotive
In February 1984, H 199 was prepared for its big move to the new museum. The move happened on March 10, 1984. The huge locomotive was loaded onto a special truck, like those used to move houses. It was then driven to the museum.
Once there, it was carefully lifted onto a temporary track. This allowed it to be pulled inside the building. The restoration work continued until 1988. The Friends of the Fell group never planned to make the locomotive run on steam again. However, they restored it so it looks almost like it could. It is now on rollers driven by an electric motor. This lets visitors see its parts move, which is very cool!
Adding the Brake Van
In 1995, the Friends of the Fell Society got to lease F 210. This was the only remaining Fell brake van. A brake van is a special carriage used to help slow down trains. They leased it from the MoTaT. One rule of the lease was that the van had to be restored to how it looked when it was working.
F 210 arrived in Featherston in June 1995. It was brought there by Tranz Rail. Restoration work started at a nearby company's workshop. The museum building was made bigger to fit the new addition. On December 11, 1996, F 210 was moved to its new home. Its restoration was finished on August 20, 1997.
