Fell mountain railway system

The Fell Locomotive is a special type of steam locomotives, which increased by a friction wheel transferable traction. This design was originally developed in 1847 by Georg escol Sellers. Success, however, it was only through the work of the British John Barraclough Fell, whose name it bears too.

In the rail operation, the friction between railway wheel and rail is low at the wheel-rail technology, since both components are made of steel. Therefore, larger slopes for the vehicles of a conventional adhesion railway are difficult to deal with. To solve this problem, there were some early efforts to improve the friction of the wheel-rail system. The so-called " sand " is only an auxiliary step in the start-up and suitable for short distances ( in this case sand is scattered before the driven wheels on the rails in order to increase friction ). The use of racks found in the cog railway use.

The fur locomotives solved the problem by a central rail Reibräderantrieb. Between the tracks were moved centrally a third rail. This central rail ( "dual head rail " ) was developed by additional horizontally located at the lower side of the engine comprises driving wheels on both sides. Springs pressed this drive wheels to the rail, resulting in increased friction. The friction wheels are driven by their own steam cylinders, the pressure from the drivers could be variably adjusted to a spindle. Since this system was complicated and cog railways more efficient, fur locomotives were rarely used, and finally got into Europe into oblivion.

The system was first used in France from 1868 to 1871 for the crossing of the Alps by the Mont Cenis pass from Lanslebourg to Susa. This railway was only three years until the completion of the Mont Cenis tunnel in operation. The line overcame climbs to 8 ½ % to the French or to 8 % on the Italian side.

Until 1926 also wrong in France a fur -Bahn from Clermont- Ferrand to the Puy de Dome. The locomotives were here provided by engineering Hanscotte with an improved drive, in which the friction wheels are pressed against the center rail by means of pressure air cylinders.

In addition to a railway in Brazil, the system found only in New Zealand fur further distribution, where it was used on three routes, as well as braking system ropeways and railways. Of the fur locomotives formerly used on the Rimutaka Range in the province of Wairarapa on the North Island New Zealand found a copy as the only surviving locomotive of this type its terminus in the " Fell Engine Museum " in Featherston. For the projected reconstruction of this railway as a tourist and heritage railway and the construction of two new fur locomotives is planned.

Today alone, the Snaefell Mountain Railway is on the Isle of Man regularly a fur- center rail a - but only for braking with caliper brakes during descent. The same purpose was also a center rail of the track St- Gervais- Le Fayet - Vallorcine Chamonix in France.

With fur - steam locomotives in operation, the following paths or routes were:

• Chemin de Fer du Mont Cenis 1868 to 1871 ( this track was intended as a temporary solution until the opening of the Mont Cenis Tunnel );
• Linha de favela Niterói Nova Friburgo in Brazil until 1964, by when the fur - rail was used, remains unclear;
• Rimutaka Incline in New Zealand from 1878 to 1955;
• Roa Incline in New Zealand from 1909 to 1966;
• Rewanui Incline in New Zealand from 1914 to 1965;
• Chemin de fer du Puy -de- Dôme 1907-1926;