THE ENGINE FROM HELL
As Kent & East Sussex Railway-based No. 376 ‘Norwegian’ celebrates its centenary, Norwegian Locomotive Trust trustee ANDY HARDY explores this Scandinavian ‘Mogul’s’ fascinating history.
100 years of the KESR’s ‘Norwegian’
Yes, you read that right. The Kent & East Sussex Railway’s Norwegian ‘Mogul’ No. 376 is the engine from Hell… just not in the way you might think. There’s something definitely British about No. 376. It’s the running plate. The way it flows from the bufferbeam, up and over the cylinders, along the bottom of the low-slung boiler and down underneath the cab in one unbroken, sweeping line. There’s a hint of British styling, perhaps even Gresley ‘Mogul’ about it.
Foreign locomotives don’t necessarily figure highly on enthusiasts’ radars, but the KESR’s Norges Statsbaner (NSB) ‘21c’ is arguably an exception that proves the rule. So long now has it been based at the former Colonel Stephens light railway that it has almost become part of the furniture.
Sadly for its fans, however, the Norwegian 2-6-0, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in July, will bow out of traffic at the end of the season in need of a major overhaul, but its impending withdrawal is the perfect opportunity to detail the incredible story of this centenarian – an engine which is Norway’s equivalent of Lostock Hall or Carnforth’s last ‘Black Fives’.
EVOLUTION
Even prior to its arrival on these shores, No. 376 had British connections. It was built by Swedish firm Nydqvist och Holm AB at its Trollhattan works (Works No. 1163) in 1919 as one of the last eight NSB class ‘21c’ 2-6-0s, a sub-class of the NSB ‘21’ – one of the most numerous classes of steam locomotive on the NSB system. The design was an evolution of the earlier ‘15c’ class locomotives – the first 15 of which were built by Dübs & Co. of Glasgow and bore a striking resemblance to David Jones’ goods locomotives for the Highland Railway.
In order to cope with the sharp curvature of the Bergen-Voss line for which they were built, the 12ft 6in wheelbase of the ‘15c’ was reduced to 11in, and the boiler was raised by just over 5in
so that the firebox would fit between the two rear driving axles. The new locomotives, built as two-cylinder compounds with slide valves and no superheaters, were classified as NSB class ‘21’, and the first five were delivered in July 1904, having been transported in pieces by sea from Oslo to Bergen, with a further five being delivered between 1905-06.
They were designated as mixed traffic locomotives, and when several Norwegian railways were rebuilt from narrow to standard gauge at the turn of the 20th century, a further ten ‘21s’ were built by Thune Mechanical Workshop in Oslo, and Hamar Foundry, between 1909-10 for the Solør line (between Kongsvinger and Elverum), the Hamar-Otta line, and the Randsfjord line (Drammen-Hønefoss).
There were three main sub-classes of ‘21’ 2-6-0; the initial compound, slide valve, non-superheated ‘21as’, the noncompound, piston valve, superheated ‘21bs’ (introduced in 1908 for the Randsfjord and Lillestrøm-Kongsvinger lines), and the eight ‘21cs’ fitted with Knorr feedwater heaters to improve fuel economy and introduced in 1919. No. 376 hails from this batch, and was the penultimate ‘21c’ to be built.
A cursory glance at No. 376 today will reveal that the ‘Mogul’ no longer carries this distinctive apparatus. All the ‘21cs’ were subsequently shorn of their feedwater heater gear, as the system proved to be complicated, requiring regular maintenance from trained staff, and the gains made from the better fuel efficiency were lost in labour and maintenance costs.
To Hell And BAck
It had been ordered on August 17 1918, but the early history of the locomotive is a little unclear. Some records show that the engine was ordered for and delivered to the Kongsvinger line. However,
recent discoveries show that the engine was probably delivered to the Meraker line in central Norway, entering service on July 30 1919. This line ran inland from Trondheim on the coast to Ostersund in Sweden, passing through a town named Hell. This has led to some Kent & East Sussex Railway footplate crews affectionately telling visitors that it is ‘the engine from Hell!’
The later ‘21b’ and ‘21c’ locomotives were among the last steam engines running in NSB service. The last in regular operation were on the 92km (57-mile) Numedals branch line, where the weekly ‘21’-hauled freight trains lasted until May 1970, with regular ballast trains lasting until that autumn – the last regularly steam-hauled trains on the NSB network.
‘Mogul’ No. 376 actually outlasted its classmates, living out its final days on snowplough and ballast train duties at Grong, 60 miles north of Trondheim, before official withdrawal from Dombaas shed on June 22 1971.
Enter KESR member and local landowner David Barham. Inspired by the then recent import of classmate No. 377 ‘King Haakon VII’ (now at Bressingham), he saw an opportunity to acquire a similar locomotive for the railway.
Negotiations between David and the NSB started almost immediately and in September of that year, the engine moved under its own power to Oslo, making one of, if not the last, steam-hauled workings in Norway. In Oslo, the engine was loaded onto a low-loader and shipped to Felixstowe for onward travel by road to Rolvenden.
The engine was returned to traffic and ran until 1977 when it required a major overhaul. It was stored and eventually its ownership was transferred to the then Tenterden Railway Company. However, the overhaul was not forthcoming as the railway’s finances were already committed to extending the line and building volunteer amenities.
In 1984, the Norwegian Locomotive Trust was formed with the aims of acquiring and restoring No. 376 for the KESR. With the locomotive duly purchased, the restoration started, continuing for nearly ten years until March 5 1995 when the engine returned to traffic, commissioned by the Norwegian Ambassador (and patron of the trust) Tom Vraalsen.
During the nine-year restoration, No. 376 received a number of modifications, including a rocking grate and hopper ashpan, and a completely new cab and tender body. Some of these modifications were to make the engine look a little less Continental so it would fit in with the look of the KESR, including removal of the enclosed cab and rebuilding of the tender.
Since then, No. 376 has run thousands of miles in revenueearning service on normal passenger trains, ‘Wealden Pullman’ dining trains and railway experience courses, and its gentle and easy-to-handle nature has made the engine a firm favourite with both the KESR crews and the paying public alike.
Its only downside is its light weight, which means it can only take four Mk 1s up the 1-in-50 Tenterden bank, where most of our main services use five coaches. However, it is loved by crews, is incredibly efficient, comfortable and easy to work on. It also has that light railway charm about it; after all, it was effectively built for the lighter railways in Norway, so it is doing a fairly similar job.
Being ‘foreign’, it isn’t a locomotive Colonel Stephens would have looked for, but it is certainly the sort of engine he would have liked. A small tender engine is perfect in many ways for the KESR.
NORDIC VIsITORs
The ‘Mogul’ re-established its Norwegian links earlier this year when the railway had a visit from the Norsk Jernbaneklubb (Norwegian Railway Club) in May. The group of about 30 enthusiasts, including some drivers and firemen from various Norwegian heritage railways, were impressed with the way No. 376 has been kept and operated, and thoroughly enjoyed their visit to the KESR. This has in turn led to increased access to material and advice from our counterparts in Norway.
However, although we are celebrating the locomotive’s 100th anniversary this year, it will also be a year of some sadness as No. 376 will be withdrawn from traffic at the end of the main season. ‘Norwegian’ has had a hard working life on the continent and in the UK, and it is believed that the majority of the boiler (some of which is 1919 vintage) will require significant, or even complete replacement. The cylinder blocks are also known to be thin and are likely to require replacement.
However, the trustees do not intend to sit idle, and are actively engaging with the KESR to ensure No. 376 has a bright future. The trust has acquired some 500 drawings for the locomotive, alongside technical manuals and details for the various pumps, dynamos and fittings on the engine.
The recent visit by the Norwegian enthusiasts has forged a strong link with the Norwegian Railway Club and two preserved railways in Norway that also own ‘21’ class locomotives. This has already paid dividends as some spare parts have been sourced and made available to us. One of the locomotives in Norway has also received a new German-built boiler, the drawings and technical details of which have also been made available.
On July 30, the locomotive celebrated its 100th anniversary and was rostered to work several services on the KESR. A special evening train was also operated for members of the trust, KESR guests and Norwegian consul Are Berentsen to celebrate its anniversary and to fundraise as part of the next overhaul.
it is loved by crews, is incredibly efficient, comfortable and easy to work on
●● No. 376 has had a colourful and interesting history and we firmly believe it has a bright future on the KESR, which we can achieve with your help, either financially or practically.
To find out more and to join our 376 club please see www.norwegianlocomotivetrust.com or email contact@ norwegianlocomotivetrust.com