Fell Locomotive Museum facts for kids
The Fell Locomotive Museum in Featherston, New Zealand, is home to a very special train. It has the only remaining steam-powered Fell railway locomotive in the whole world!
This amazing locomotive, named H 199, used a unique system to climb steep hills. From 1877, it climbed 265 metres (869 ft) up the 4.8-kilometre (3.0 mi) Rimutaka Incline. It used four special grip wheels that held onto a raised centre rail. This helped it get up the very steep slope!
H 199 is one of six H class locomotives built for the Rimutaka Incline. They worked there for 77 years! Today, a group of dedicated train fans looks after H 199. The museum shares its story with videos, models, photos, and other cool items.
Contents
History of the Fell Locomotive
From Working Train to Museum Star
On 3 November 1955, the Rimutaka Tunnel officially opened. At this event, the Minister for Railways, Mr McAlpine, gave H 199 to the town of Featherston. After finishing its last jobs helping to remove the old Incline track, H 199 was taken to Hutt Workshops. It stayed there until August 1958.
Then, it was moved to Featherston. It was placed on a special stand in a playground for children to play on!
Saving a Piece of History
By 1980, it was clear that the locomotive was getting old and damaged. It had been outside for many years. So, a group called the "Friends of the Fell Society" was started. Their goal was to save and protect H 199.
Restoration work began in 1981. Volunteers worked on the train whenever they had time. While they were working, the museum building was built. It was placed across the main road, right next to the town's old courthouse.
Moving H 199 to its New Home
In late February 1984, H 199 was made ready for a big move. On 10 March, the locomotive was loaded onto a special truck, like those used to move houses! It was then taken to the new museum. There, it was 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 never planned to make the locomotive run on steam again. However, they restored it so it looks almost like it could. It sits on rollers that are powered by an electric motor. This means visitors can see its parts move, just like it's working!
The Fell Brake Van F 210
In 1995, the Friends of the Fell Society got to use F 210. This was the only remaining Fell brake van. They leased it from the MoTaT. One rule of the lease was that the van had to be restored. It needed to look just like it did when it was in service.
F 210 arrived in Featherston in June 1995, thanks to Tranz Rail. Restoration started at a nearby workshop. The museum building was made bigger to fit the new exhibit. On 11 December 1996, F 210 was moved to its new home. Its restoration was fully finished on 20 August 1997.
