Tracking Shots
Flashbacks: New Zealand History on Film
H199 - One of a Kind
The Rimutaka Ranges posed a problem for engineers looking to build a railway connecting Wellington and the Wairarapa.
The steep gradient, and the number of turns, were too much for normal steam-powered locomotives. The solution lay in the Fell Grip system which uses an extra set of grip wheels.
Fell engines were built and trialled in England before being dismantled and shipped to Wellington. The first engine, H199, was commissioned in 1877 and the railway opened in October 1878.
In 1955 a new tunnel opened enabling diesel engines to operate the line. With the exception of H199, the Fell engines were all scrapped. The passing of the Fell engines and the new tunnel were big news items in 1955. Not only did professionals record the changing times for newsreel productions, many home movie-makers also recorded the event.
After years rusting in a playground, H199 was restored and now takes pride of place at the Fell Engine Museum in Featherston – the only example left in the world.
- Rimutaka Story (2,600kb)
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