RB H 1/2

H 1/2 (standing boiler)
The number 9 (taken between 1886 and 1891)
Numbering:	1-10
Number:	10
Manufacturer:	SCB Olten, SLM
Year of construction (s):	1870-1873
Retirement:	1914-1937
Gauge :	1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Length over buffers:	6375 mm (1–3) 6400 mm (4–10)
Fixed wheelbase:	3000 mm
Total wheelbase:	3000 mm
Empty mass:	10.0-11.7 t
Service mass:	12.5-15.1 t
Number of drive gears:	1
Number of brake gears:	from 1889 1
Size gears:	637 mm
Cylinder d. Gear drive:	270 mm
Piston stroke gear drive:	400 mm
Boiler overpressure:	10 atm.
Number of heating pipes:	163 (1–3) 284 (4 + 5) 240 (6–10)
Heating pipe length:	1850 mm
Evaporation heating surface:	39.5 m 2 (1–3) 58.4 m 2 (4–10)
Water supply:	1.6 m 3
Fuel supply:	0.5 t coal
Inertia brake:	Riggenbach counter pressure brake
Gradient:	250 ‰

H 1/2 (after conversion to the second boiler)
Numbering:	1-10
Number:	10
Manufacturer:	SCB Olten, SLM
Year of construction (s):	1870-1873
Retirement:	1914-1937
Gauge :	1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Length over buffers:	6400 mm
Fixed wheelbase:	3000 mm
Total wheelbase:	3000 mm
Empty mass:	13.1-13.8 t
Service mass:	16.4-17.6 t
Gear system :	Riggenbach
Number of drive gears:	1
Number of brake gears:	from 1889 1
Size gears:	637 mm
Cylinder d. Gear drive:	270 mm
Piston stroke gear drive:	400 mm
Boiler overpressure:	10 atm.
Number of heating pipes:	152–162 (1–3, 6–9) 140 (4 + 5) 213 (10)
Heating pipe length:	1930 mm – 1990 mm (1–3, 6–9) 1960 mm (4 + 5) 1480 mm (10)
Evaporation heating surface:	43.1–48.0 m 2 (1–3, 6–9) 42.0 m 2 (4 + 5) 42.5 m 2 (10)
Water supply:	1.6 m 3 (1–3, 6–10) 1.5 m 3 (4–5)
Fuel supply:	0.5 t coal
Inertia brake:	Riggenbach counter pressure brake
Gradient:	250 ‰

H 1/2
Factory photo of the H No. 12
Numbering:	11-12
Number:	2
Manufacturer:	SLM
Year of construction (s):	1899, 1902
Retirement:	1938, 1946
Gauge :	1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Length over buffers:	6500 mm
Fixed wheelbase:	3000 mm
Total wheelbase:	2900 mm
Empty mass:	15.1-15.8 tons
Service mass:	19.2-19.4 t
Gear system :	Riggenbach
Number of drive gears:	1
Number of brake gears:	1
Size gears:	891 mm
Cylinder d. Gear drive:	290 mm
Piston stroke gear drive:	450 mm
Boiler overpressure:	11 atm. (11) ; 12 atm. (12)
Number of heating pipes:	150 (without superheater) 32/60, 85/12 (with superheater)
Heating pipe length:	1990 mm
Superheater area :	15.4 m 2 , 9.3 m 2
Evaporation heating surface:	47.3 m 2 (without superheater) 53.1 m 2 , 46.2 m 2 (with superheater)
Water supply:	1.8 m 3
Fuel supply:	0.6 tons of coal
Inertia brake:	Riggenbach counter pressure brake
Gradient:	250 ‰

The Rigibahn ( RB ) procured a total of twelve cogwheel steam locomotives with the designation H 1/2 (until 1881 A, A I, A II 1881–1887 Ia, I). Six each were supplied by the SCB workshop in Olten and six by the Swiss locomotive and machine factory in Winterthur. The first ten locomotives were delivered with an upright boiler and later converted to a horizontal boiler. The locomotive no. 7 received a standing boiler again in 1937. 7 is the only one of these twelve locomotives that has been preserved as an operational vehicle.

The Rigibahn had another H 1/2, No. 14, which is the H 1/2 No. 2, which was bought in 1908 by the Arth-Rigi-Bahn .

history

The locomotives are the vehicles that were purchased for the opening of the railway. It is also the first mountain railway cogwheel steam locomotives in Switzerland and Europe. Only the locomotives on the Mount Washington Cog Railway are older . Since the track was designed by Niklaus Riggenbach , his Riggenbach gear system was also used.

Technical

The locomotives, which were built in the SCB workshop in Olten, were built according to plans by Niklaus Riggenbach, who was also the machine master and head of the SCB workshop. The first four SLM vehicles were more or less identical in construction, and they were also the first locomotives built before the SLM. Only the two replicas from 1899 and 1902 differed significantly from the older machines and technically correspond more to the ARB H 1/2 .

The locomotives were built on an internal plate frame supported on two running axles. Both wheel sets are loose wheel sets, which means they can cope better with tight bends. The axis on the valley side was unsprung, the springs of the axis on the mountain side were above the bearings. The plate frame was extended to the front and initially carried an open luggage compartment. The two cylinders were on the outside of the frame behind the uphill axle and acted on a jackshaft. The lying twin steam engine was aligned parallel to the frame and the cross heads were guided on two rails. A control according to Allan was used. Locomotives 1 to 6 were controlled with a full eccentric, from locomotive no. 7 with a crank eccentric. The drive gear was initially on its own axle for numbers 1 and 2, but was moved to the valley-side axle in 1888, as with the rest of the locomotives delivered between 1871 and 1873. Only numbers 10 and 11 had a separate drive axle installed in the center of gravity of the machine. Therefore the cylinders had to be placed in front of the uphill axis. The gear wheel has a pitch circle diameter of 637 mm, which results in 20 teeth with a 100 mm pitch of the rack. In addition to the drive gear, the transmission gears were located on both sides, which were not screwed to the drive gear and which the pinions of the crankshaft meshed with. The transmission ratio was 1: 3.07.

The standing boiler was installed at an incline so that it was vertical at an incline of 120 ‰. This arrangement was chosen because it was better guaranteed that parts in contact with fire are always surrounded by water, thus reducing the risk of the boiler cracking . This advantage is bought with disadvantages in operation and especially in maintenance. Since locomotives with horizontal boilers had proven their worth on the Arth-Rigi-Bahn in the meantime, it was decided after twelve years to convert the locomotives one after the other to horizontal boilers. The reconstruction took place between 1882 and 1892. The horizontal boilers were inclined forward by approx. 10 °. The masses of these secondary boilers differed from one another. Locomotives number 5 and 10 received a third boiler equipped with a superheater. Numbers 11 and 12 were subsequently given a superheater. Of the two replicas, only number 12 received a second boiler.

A Riggenbach counter-pressure brake was available for the descent from the start . In addition, there is a double pulley spindle brake that acts on the drive gear. The vapor brake also acted on the grooved disc brake, which automatically and automatically brought the steam locomotive to a standstill if the speed was exceeded - triggered by a centrifugal governor. The crankshaft band brake was not introduced until 1889 and was operated using a long ratchet lever. As a result of the accident at the ARB - in which the axle with the only toothed wheel broke - from 1889 the uphill axle was reinforced and fitted with a brake gear.

Locomotives 4, 10, 11 and 12 were fitted with a Schmidt superheater between 1911 and 1929. This required a replacement of the boiler for numbers 4 and 10, because the conversion also increased the steam pressure from 10 to 12  Ath. elevated. Larger cylinders and piston valves were also installed. In the two other machines, the original boiler pressure and the cylinders were retained (boiler pressure: No. 11 11 atm., No. 12 12 atm.) And only the slides were adjusted.

number	Designation until 1881	Designation 1881–1887	Surname	Construction year	Manufacturer	Serial number	2. Boiler conversion	Superheater	Scrapping	Remarks
1	A.	Yes	City of Lucerne	1870	SCB workshop Olten	17th	1882		1914	then abort
2	A.	Yes	City of Basel	1871	SCB workshop Olten	18th	1883	-	1923	then abort
3	A.	Yes	City of Bern	1871	SCB workshop Olten	19th	1884	-	1923	then abort
4th	A I	I.	-	1872	SCB workshop Olten	21st	1886	1911 3rd boiler	1937	then abort
5	A I	I.	-	1872	SCB workshop Olten	22nd	1886	-	1937	then abort
6th	A I	I.	-	1872	SCB workshop Olten	23	1891	-	1923	then abort
7th	A II	I.	-	1873	SLM	1	1892	-	1937	1937 Conversion to an upright boiler, preserved in working order
8th	A II	I.	-	1873	SLM	2	1892	-	1937	then abort
9	A II	I.	-	1873	SLM	3	1891	-	1937	then abort
10	A II	I.	-	1873	SLM	4th	1888	1929 3rd boiler	1937	then abort
11	-	-	-	1899	SLM	1210	-	1919	1938	then abort
12	-	-	-	1902	SLM	1415	1930	1912	1946	then abort

Note table: The locomotives from the SCB workshop in Olten did not have a number on the nameplate, but a Niklaus Riggenbach nameplate with the number and year. When the locomotives were converted from standing to lying boilers, the replacement boilers were obtained from the original manufacturer. The third boiler and the superheater were obtained from SLM.

Operational

Locomotives 1–10 could carry either one large or two small presentation wagons, while locomotives 11 and 12 carried one large and one small presentation wagon.

Until the commissioning of the three H 2/3 in 1913, 1923 and 1925, the H 1/2 carried all traffic. Since the locomotives 14–16 can transport two large wagons, the H 1/2 were used less frequently afterwards. With the electrification of the line in 1937, all locomotives became redundant and scrapped. Only the locomotive No. 12, which was refueled in 1930, remained in the fleet until 1946.

The locomotives were scrapped and scrapped except for number 7 as follows: 1914 number 1; 1923 No. 6; 1932 No. 2 and 3; 1937 No. 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10; 1938 No. 11; 1946 No. 12

Historic locomotive No. 7

• 

  The reconditioned locomotive No. 7 in 2009 in Vitznau

• 

  Locomotive 7 2009 in Rigi Kulm

After being phased out in 1937, locomotive No. 7 was restored to its original state in cooperation with the SLM, which is particularly noticeable in the standing boiler and the luggage platform. The additional crankshaft band brake installed in the meantime and the additional brake gear were retained. It was exhibited as number 1 at the Swiss National Exhibition in 1939, then again displayed with number 7 in Vitznau. In 1959 she came to the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne. In view of the 125th anniversary of the Vitznau-Rigi Railway , it was refurbished so that it could run special trains between Rigi Staffel and Rigi Kulm in the summer of 1996. On the occasion of the celebration of 150 years of Swiss railways , it was used again in 1997, but this time from Arth-Goldau. Then it was back in the exhibition in the Museum of Transport. Between November 24, 2008 and December 3, 2009, she stayed at Rigi-Bahnen again, after which she returned to the Museum of Transport.

literature

• Alfred Moser : The steam operation of the Swiss railways 1847–1866. 4th edition, pages 356-362.
• Hans Staffelbach: Vitznau-Rigi. Orell Füssli, Zurich 1972, ISBN 3-280-00459-4 .

Web links

Commons : VRB H 1/2  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Vitznau-Rigi, page 44
2. ↑ Florian Inäbnit Rigi-Bahnen, page 63
3. ↑ Rigi Bahnen say goodbye to steam locomotive No. 7 - goodbye! Bahnonline.ch, December 8, 2009, accessed on October 18, 2018 .