Graf Schwerin-Löwitz

I paid my first visit to the Brecon Mountain Railway today. It is certainly an attractive line - the only disappointment for me was that Sybil, Pendyffryn and Redstone were not on display.

A small photographic display featuring Graf Schwerin-Löwitz caught my eye at Pant, as I had never before seen any pictures of the locomotive before she left Germany. It prompted a few questions for me:

1. The engine's smokebox has been extended since she left Germany - does anyone know why?
2. Apparently, one of her sister engines was preserved in California - is it still there?
3. Finally, why is the engine named Graf Schwerin-Löwitz? According to Wikipedia he was a German politician but I can't find a railway connection!

Any information gratefully received!

 

The following might be of help/interest:

1. I'm not sure of the reason for the smokebox extension but its a feature that it shares with its sister (see 2). I believe that both it and its sister loco have had new boilers provided in preservation, losing or simplifying a lot of the original external "plumbing" that they carried originally when running on the Mecklenburg Pommersche Schmalspurbahn. The smokebox extension seems to have been added at the same time.

2. Sister (brother?) loco 99-3351 was exported to the USA on closure of the MPSB in the late 1960's and was based at a number of sites including Edaville. It was however purchased returned to Germany in 1998 (after apparently falling foul of changed US legislation re rivetted boilers) and now resides in working order at the Feldbahn museum in Frankfurt (Where I visited a couple of weeks ago - highly recommended) as their No.14 "Jacobi" and now complete with a new boiler. Speaking to one of their volunteers about the loco he seemed to think that they had either lent the BMR their new boiler drawings (or vice versa?) which would probably explain the similarity in some of the changes made.

3. The name is original to the loco when built for the MPSB although it seems not to have carried it in later days. Maybe the gentlement in question had a hand in promoting the construction of the line originally?

As an aside, one of the MPSB coaches also made it to the UK, being purchased by a fledgling Welsh Highland Railway when based at Kinnerley. Unfortunately, although basically complete when it arrived, in common with the ex IOM coach they also aquired at the same time, it eventually ended up as little more than a flat wagon and collection of bits. The underframe has also now returned to the Frankfurt museum although any restoration will effectively mean a replica body being constructed. I was told it was a "long term" project!

At least two of the MPSB 0-8-0 tender locos were also purchased and briefly based in the UK. Without checking I can't remember exactly which one went where but I've seen photos of them at the FR and Knebworth at least and I think one was stored at the RHDR for a while. One is now at the Froissy line in France whilst the other has again returned to Germany.

Hope this helps
Chris

 

99 3462 was the 0-8-0 stored on the FR from 1972 to 1978. It was intended for use on the Vale of Rhiedol but that never happened and eventually went to Dampfkleinbahn Mühlenstroth, Gütersloh in Germany. One was stored at the RH&DR for a time but i can't recall which one.

Tim

 

Thanks for the info guys It's nice to at least have part of the mystery solved - it looks like the BMR need to update their display board regarding 99-3351! Now it has been mentioned I remember the 0-8-0 but didn't realise it had come from the same railway as Graf Schwerin-Löwitz - I need to brush up on my knowledge of German narrow gauge! It's also interesting to learn that the name is original - this is surely quite unusual for Germany?

 

Around the early/mid 70's Graf Schwerin-Lowitz and several other locos, some of which also went to the BMR, were stored at Llanberis. Ray.