Oldest Working Loco

Isn't there a case to say that's not a preserved loco? In which case do we have a winner?

 

Sorry but Isle of Man Railway No 4 'Loch' built in 1874 and still running 7 days a week beats them all 'hands down'! 139 years of almost continuous service . She's definitely not preserved as the IMR is part of the national transport network. Ray.

 

That'll take some beating.

I guess Furness No. 20 so far holds the record for standard gauge (97 years in service) unless anyone finds another example.

 

I'm now looking for engines that were built in the 19th century that went into industrial use. There might have been similar engines to Furness No. 20 but they were scrapped as their value wasn't known. I want to find a standard gauge locomotive that was 'in service' for a century!

 

Bellerophon was built in 1874 for Haydock Collieries and is still about today.

 

Having thought about this a bit during the day, I'm wondering whether we ought to look at another aspect of this. None of the locos we've mentioned have worked for 80 - 90 - 100 years without a break. They've been withdrawn for repairs, overhauls, reboilering and in many cases rebuilding and alteration. What would be interesting would be to identify those locos that have worked the most years (not including the breaks in service), and I wouldn't want to exclude the preservation years either - it still counts as years in service, and whilst some locos aren't worked as hard in preservation as before, some (particularly the smaller locos and some narrow gauge ones) probably get to stretch their legs more now than before.

Mention was made of the Ffestiniog's Prince. Not withstanding the 15 or so years out of service in the second world war and closure period, he has spent a considerable number of his 150 years in service. Any thoughts?

Steve B

 

The Lewin loco that worked at Seaham harbour may have reached a century of industrial service. Its actual build date is of some doubt (1873-77?) and it worked until 1975. There's also the Black Hawthorn (Holwell No.3) built in 1873 and also in use till about 1975. Both now preserved.

 

So is this our standard gauge winner? 102 years...

 

"Prince" has remained in ownership of the same company and apart from recent trips has rarely left North Wales, so I think it could be said to be the oldest loco still working on it's original line.

 

built in Britain in 1855 by Kitson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_Queen_(locomotive)

 

Here are some 2012 photos of Fairy Queen's Kitson sister loco Express hauling a Railway Touring Co charter at Chennai:

https://andrewstransport.smugmug.com/Indiantrains/East-Indian-No-21-Express/

Cheers

Andrew N

 

Here are seven photos of Holwell No 3 (Black, Hawthorn 266 / 1873) on the occasion of its centenary steaming at Wirksworth in 1973:

https://andrewstransport.smugmug.com/LesTindalls1970sBritishtrains/Wirksworth-quarry-1973/

Cheers

Andrew N

 

In NSW, Australia, we have 1904. A humble 0-6-0. Member of the Z-19 Class. Pre 9/1924, a member of the (A)93 Class. 1904 remains with us today, in store at Dorrigo.

Entered traffic as No 96 during August 1877. Retired from revenue traffic late in August 1972. Has only operated for one owner - the New South Wales Goveernmant Railways. 1904 has a total revenue service life of 95 years, all for one owner. Only gaps were for overhauls. Does any other (steam) locomotive on the planet have a better record?

 

Another NSWGR locomotive...

1307, a 4-4-2T, rebuilt from a 4-4-0. A member of the Z-13 Class, pre 9/1924, a member of the (CC)79 Class, before rebuilding in 1902, a member of the (C79) Class. 1307 is still with us today, displayed at Yass Town.

1307 entered service during September 1877, as No 92. Withdrawn from traffic on 16 June 1972. Has only operated for one owner - the New South Wales Goveernmant Railways. 1307 has a total revenue service life of 94 years and 9 months, all for one owner. Only gaps were for overhauls.

 

If it's locos still in use with the original company, then Prince (1863) and Palmerston (1864) on the Ffestiniog will take some beating, though Talyllyn (1865) and Dolgoch (1866) on the Talyllyn get close.

 

If we're going to start considering foreign locos, I'm sure that there were a number of locos in Spain which continued to work beyond their centenaries, including this one:

http://www.constructionphotography.com/Details.aspx?ID=54840&TypeID=1

There was also the famous Sharp Stewart 0-4-0 Tweed at the Saraya Sugar Mill in India. Built in 1873, still at work until about 1992 I believe?

http://www.internationalsteam.co.uk/mills/indiamill01.htm

 

Another overseas possibility is New Zealand Railways F163, an outside cylinder 0-6-0 saddle tank.

- Built 188o by Dübs & Co., Glasgow (to a design dating back to 1874), arrived in New Zealand in 1881
- In service until 1964 (83 years)
- Restored for operational service in 1973
- Retained in the NZR heritage fleet until 1993, when it passed to a heritage trust and ultimately the Fielding and District Steam Rail Society.

She has been operational since then, certainly as recently as 2014 and maybe more recently than that. She is also approved for mainline running in NZ (the equivalent of having a mainline-registered Terrier over here!)

So that is 112 years operational service with the original owner or successor company, and certainly over 130 years still in steam after initially being built.

Not my photos: this were her on the mainline in 2008:

NZR locomotive F163 by Stephen Satherley, on Flickr


NZR Locomotive F163 by Stephen Satherley, on Flickr

Tom

 

Sorry no,

http://www.lambtonlocomotivestrust.co.uk/edwardianrailway/runninganedwardianrailway.htm about half way down the page, this must be the much rebuilt NER 2-4-0 built in 1845, and scrapped as a 0-6-0T in 1968 as an NCB engine so 123 years old.

 

Lovely machine. I read somewhere that she was offered to Frank Atkinson and that he turned her down, presumably because she'd been so heavily rebuilt. Not sure if that's true though.