No. 14 Helen Kathryn
Photo: “Helen Kathryn” shunting stock ready for the first train on Saturday 29th August 2009. Photographer Stephen Taylor.
Steam locomotive “Helen Kathryn” arrived at the South Tynedale Railway, Alston, Cumbria on Wednesday 3rd April 1991. It is a 70 horse power, 0-4-0 tank, Riesa class locomotive, built in 1948 by Henschel & Sohn, of Kassel, Germany, works No. 28035.
This locomotive was first used to assist in the removal of rubble from the bombed German cities after the second world war, and later was used on a variety of construction contracts. It was brought to the United Kingdom in 1971 and used on the Bala Lake Railway in Wales. In 1975 it was transferred to the Llanberis Lake Railway in Wales where it worked regularly until 1987. By that year sufficient former ‘native’ quarry steam locomotives had been restored to operate all of the services and Helen Kathryn was laid aside. Following a general overhaul and the fitting of a steam operated air pump, used to operate the train brake, Helen Kathryn entered service at Alston, although this locomotive is privately owned.
This locomotive was first used to assist in the removal of rubble from the bombed German cities after the second world war, and later was used on a variety of construction contracts. It was brought to the United Kingdom in 1971 and used on the Bala Lake Railway in Wales. In 1975 it was transferred to the Llanberis Lake Railway in Wales where it worked regularly until 1987. By that year sufficient former ‘native’ quarry steam locomotives had been restored to operate all of the services and Helen Kathryn was laid aside. Following a general overhaul and the fitting of a steam operated air pump, used to operate the train brake, Helen Kathryn entered service at Alston, although this locomotive is privately owned.
Photo: “Helen Kathryn” photographed at Alston Station, prior to 2003.
Locomotive History:-
During its later years prior to 1971, this locomotive was working on a forestry railway line in East Germany, then it was imported into Britain and entered service on the Bala Lake Railway in 1973. It was the first narrow gauge steam locomotive to run at Llanuwchllyn, but because of its weight and size, being rather too large, it saw only limited use on the Bala Lake Railway train services. In 1975 the owner of the locomotive reached agreement to move it to the Llanberis Lake Railway, where it continued to operate train services, in return, a Hunslet built steam locomotive named “Maid Marian” (Works No. 822, built in 1903) was transferred from the Llanberis Lake Railway to Llanuwchllyn on the Bala Lake Railway.
After arriving at the South Tynedale Railway in 1991, Helen Kathryn has received a full overhaul consisting of the fitting of air brakes, new steam pipes, new bunker and an air reservoir tank, replacement of four boiler stays plus some smokebox repairs. Most of this work was completed in time for the locomotive to make its first public appearance in steam during the 1994 Steam Enthusiasts’ Weekend that took place over the weekend of the 30th and 31st July that year and it also hauled passenger trains over the next four weeks, hauling trains with a diesel locomotive assisting to provide air brakes, as the fitting of the air pipes and steam pump was not completed until towards the end of the following year.
The locomotive has been regularly used to haul passenger trains since 1994, firstly between Alston and Gilderdale during summer months and on the Santa Special trains in December. During 1999 it hauled an empty passenger train from Alston to Kirkhaugh and back, to test clearances on the Gilderdale to Kirkhaugh section and was then used on passenger train services between September and December 1999 on the Alston to Kirkhaugh stretch of line following its official opened to passenger trains from 4th September 1999. The locomotive continued to be a regular performer on the extended line until it was withdrawn from service for major overhaul at the end of October 2002, upon the expiry of its boiler certificate.
The major overhaul was completed by July 2003 and earlier that year, the locomotive received a repaint, with blue bodywork with red and black lining and red buffer beams. The locomotive remains privately owned, but it is operated by the South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society’s own members, in the same manner as the vehicles owned by the Durham Narrow Gauge Group.
This steam locomotive is very popular with footplate staff, as well as visitors to the railway.
Photo: “Helen Kathryn” at Alston on 23rd July 2005. Photograph by Daniel McIntyre.
Dimensions:-
Original dimensions:-
Original dimensions:-
Outside cylinders = 250 mm (9.8 in) x 300 mm (11.8 in).
Fitted with Walschaert’s valve gear.
Working pressure of 12 atmospheres (176 per sq. inch).
Driving wheels = 650 mm (2 ft 1.6 in) diameter.
Tractive effort at 60% of boiler pressure = 2,075 kg (4,570 lb).
Length = 4,600 mm (15 ft 1 in).
Width = 1,925 mm (6 ft 4 in).
Height = 2,800 mm (9 ft 2 in).
Wheelbase = 1,400 mm (4 ft 7 in).
Weight = 8.5 tonnes (8.3 tons) empty, 11.3 tonnes (11.1 tons) loaded.
Rebuilt dimensions:-
Length = 15 ft 0 in (4,572 mm).
Width = 5 ft 10 in (1,778 mm).
Overall height = 9 ft 1 in (2,769 mm).
Wheel diameter = 2 ft 1½ in (648 mm).
Wheelbase = 4 ft 5 in (1,346 mm).
Other Riesa class locomotives preserved:-
Three other 0-4-0T steam locomotives of the Riesa class, are currently preserved in Germany, these are:-
|
·
|
Works No. 28039 of 1948 is preserved at the Deutsches Dampflokomotiv Museum (German Steam Locomotive Museum) at Neuenmarkt, Bavaria, Western Germany. This locomotive previously worked for the company known as Burmeister of Hamburg, Germany until 1980.
|
|
·
|
Works No. 28477 of 1948 is also preserved at the Deutsches Dampflokomotiv Museum (German Steam Locomotive Museum) at Neuenmarkt, Bavaria, Western Germany. This locomotive also previously worked for the company known as Burmeister of Hamburg, Germany and was later purchased by G. Knass of Blankenfels, Germany until it arrived at the museum in 2002.
|
The source of information for the above three locomotives is the book “Dampf-
|
|
Works No. 28033 of 1948 is preserved at the Parkeisenbahn Chemnitz, a park railway at Chemnitz in Eastern Germany. This locomotive previous worked for a building company (Baufirma) Faber and Schnepp (Gießen) until 1970, then became became (a monument locomotive) placed on a plinth at Lang Göns until 1978, when it was purchased by the Frankfurt Feldbahnmuseum. From 6th October 1980 until the end of 1985, it was based at Viernheimer Schmalspurmuseum (Viernheim Narrow Gauge Railway Museum) in Einsatz, Germany. That museum had then closed and it returned to Frankfurt Feldbahnmuseum, and it later went to the Parkeisenbahn (Park Railway) at Gera. It was later overhauled at Görlitz Works and it arrived at the Parkeisenbahn (Park Railway) at Chemitz in May 1994.
|