Last year, this narrow gauge locomotive with three side dump cars was put on display in the center of our municipality. From the early sixties to the early nineties it was used to feed the local brickworks with clay, mined nearby the factory.
The 1963 diesel locomotive was built by Schöma (Christoph Schöttler Maschinenfabrik GmbH) from Diepholz, Germany. The company is still in business.
More precisely, this is the Schöma 2638, type CDL 28, with a track gauge of 700 mm. Not built for comfort, nor for speed.
CDL 28 explained, right there.
The MWM engine must be the water cooled (wassergekühlt) power unit, whereas the Deutz has to be the air cooled (luftgekühlt) option.
Three domestic Spoorijzer KW 13 side dump cars in a row. And a 2010 Kia Sorento turbodiesel in the background.
The connection between the locomotive and the first side dump car…
…and the car-to-car attachment.
According to the information I found, this photo dates back to the summer of 1991. In the subsequent year, that brickworks was closed down. The whole combination is clearly ‘well-used’ at this point, yet still working hard.
Similar mini trains were once a very common sight across the whole Dutch river delta. The rivers brought us clay, and numerous brick and roof tile factories were erected alongside those rivers. For ages, working there was physically-demanding, to put it mildly, and that included (un)loading the end products manually.
Eight years ago, I posted this picture of the same ol’ brickworks. Rough, abandoned, and desolate. Nothing has changed since. The location is easy to find, it’s west of De Gerlien van Tiem. That will do, for sure.
Now take it away, Albert!
Immediately, reminded me of the shunter Matchbox released in the late 1970s. Authentic tribute by your municipality.
‘Fast Train’ was the very first hit of iconic Canadian rock band April Wine, from 1971.
Nice that they used the actual stock from the line. Brickworks often had narrow gauge lines to move the clay. The last one in Essex was Cherry Orchards that closed in 1995:
N.G. rails were used in all kinds of places, not always worked with locos. This is a short (disused) line I found in an old North London factory (near Victoria Park and Regent’s Canal) in 1979.
Fantastic post! Pure workhorse, I love it.
Btw, to misquote Crocodile Dundee, THAT’S not a narrow, gauge, THIS is a narrow gauge. It’s called Puffing Billy, runs for 25kms (15 mi) on the outskirts of Melbourne, was many moons ago part of the suburban network, now a gorgeous tourist attraction in the very green mountains (adjoining where I grew up) about 30km, or about 20 crow-miles, from the city. Gauge is just 2’6″.
Or 762mm, as it turns out on a more careful check, so yours wins. Oops! You can always count on my maths – but prepare to lose.
A friend of mine works on/with/for Puffing Billy .
-Nate
‘Puffing Billy’. Very nice, could also be the nickname of a local guy with COPD.
Had to look it up, in Maine there were several 2′ gauge railroads (some of the equipment is still run at museums. ) That works out to just 609mm
https://mainenarrowgauge.org/mission-history
It reminds me of this one :
If you want to see some Schöttler-built sisters and brothers of the featured loco, have a look here:
https://www.entlang-der-gleise.de/Feldbahnen/feldbahn-schoema-5.html
Thank you! Schöma 2638 (in ‘Teil 3’) is missing, but at least we know where it is now…
A three speed manual transmission to back up the 28 horse engine. Nice to offer a choice of water or air-cooled engines.
The little train that could and De Stijlled down to its bare minimum.
It looks a lot like a WWI trench railway locomotive, I was a little surprised it it was only 62 years old.
Interestingly Schoma’s locomotives are heavily used for construction work including rail lines. London Underground has several Schoma locomotives with exhaust scrubbers that were used on the Jubilee Line extension and other projects and now supplement the battery locomotive fleet. Schoma locomitives are also used on the big sewer project in London.
Thanks for the extra info!
I had never, ever heard of Schöma before, until I read the name of the manufacturer inside the locomotive’s cab. As you know, I’m more into commercial vehicles with rubber tires…