Fowler History

The Fowler at Nystrup Gravel was a rather seldom seen locomotive from a foreign manufacturer in Denmark. Only three other Fowlers are known in Denmark. Apart from the chance sale of the loco to Nystrup Gravel in 1934, Fowler only succeeded in selling a six coupled 700 mm gauge loco to a sugar factory in 1948 and two standard gauge shunters in 1952 to a railway in northern Jutland.

My 1/19 model of the Fowler F 30 is carefully being shunted toward the workshop by the Lister while workshop manager Thorleif Petersen watches the operation (as usual with a cup of coffee in his left hand).

 

 

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The Fowler at Nystrup was most likely originally meant for a customer in the tropics using Imperial measurements. Fowler had a good business selling locos, wagons and track for sugar plantations in the Pacific area. The gauge on the loco was in fact 2 feet (610 mm) while Nystrup Gravel used 600 mm gauge. The Fowler was consequently slightly 'over gauged'. There is no indication from archive scources that the loco ever derailed more than any of the company's other locos. 

The Nystrup Gravel management was aware that the gauge potentially could cause problems and had consulting engineers deliver a short analysis of the consequenses.  The consultants concluded that the difference in gauge didn't matter considering the track's condition.

The Fowler loco was instrumental in the expansion of the gravel production at Nystrup and the primary locomotive for a number of years. It was out of service for most of the German occupation of Denmark 1940-1945 due to lack of spare parts and fuel. As soon as parts were available again it was back in service, being in use at least until 1963 according to surviving maintenance records.

Illustration from a Fowler catalogue showing a 6 wheeled loco of the same type delivered to the Danish 700 mm gauge beet lines in 1948.

The Fowler's arrival at Nystrup Gravel was big news in the rural area and received mention in a newspaper article dated 17. January 1934. The visiting press was invited for a ride and one journalist wrote: "The cab allows a flow of fresh air and provides a great view for the driver, something the workers will no doubt appreciate during shunting”. Obviously the journalist hadn't much experience of loco driving in the cold Danish climate. Only on warm summer days did the drivers appreciate the cab designed for much warmer climates. Most of the year they were freezing despite trying to close the cab with a variety of tarpaulins and wooden boards. 

Photo of a Fowler F 30 in service at an Australian sugar cane mill. Many of the loco's features are identical to the Nystrup Gravel loco, reinforcing the theory that Nystrup aquired a loco ordered by an Australian customer. The open cab was well suited to the hot Australian climate, but didn't go down well with the Danish weather.