S1, Orenstein & Koppel 5662 of 1912

Orenstein & Koppel built 5662 at their Drewitz works, Potsdam, Berlin. The loco is a very typical O&K steam loco of their 50hp type. It was doubtless completed in the circular erecting shop, known among Orenstein & Koppel men as ‘Der Zirkus’ (The Circus). An O&K catalogue tells us that 50hp locos had cylinders 8 ½” diameter by 12” stroke.

5662 was ex-works November 1912. It was most likely completed without the tender; the current tender bears little resemblance to any O&K product The customers was “Duhnkrack & Sohn”. Duhnkrack appear to have been a Hamburg based company who were involved in the Argentinian sugar industry. We have no real evidence to suggest exactly where the loco went in Argentina; a site named “Cruz Alta” is the only glimmer of evidence yet available.

At this point, the already cold trail disappears until the loco re-appeared at some time in the 1980s within the premises of a company in Buenos Aires; they were said to have come from the province of Santiago del Estero, in the north of Argentina. At some point (one source suggests by 1985), the loco was photographed standing on a panel of track in Tigre (northern part of Buenos Aires). Apparently in a similar condition to the present day (complete with “O&K” lettering on the tender), it carries a large billboard stating (in Spanish) “Steam Locomotive Restored – Offered for Tourist Train”.

In March 1998, OK5662 was seen in the yard of a company called Auto San Blas, again located near BA. It appears that they were involved in the import and export of machinery. By 19 May 2003, both locos had arrived in the UK, at the yard of RC Tuxford Exports Ltd, Calverton, Notts. Tuxford supply second-hand road vehicles around the world; Argentina suffered a major economic crisis in the period 1998-2002, and it has been suggested that the locos were used as payment for road vehicles.  January 2004 saw the loco sold by Tuxford and moved to a private site near Higham Ferrers (The “Higham Ferrers Loco Collection”). In June 2009, the loco moved on to the Statfold Barn collection.  Finally, May 2014 saw the loco moved to for restoration. This was competed and the loco entered traffic at Apedale in 2022.