O&K 9998 'Elouise'

Built in 1922 by Orenstein Koppel of Berlin. Works No. 9998. Supplied new to Servicios Florestais, Portugal (Portuguese forestry commission) via an O&K agent in Madrid, Spain.

In the First World War, O&K built railway engines and Rolling stock of all sizes for the German government. With the collapse of Imperial Germany in November 1918, the Allies put further restrictions on German manufacturing and military capacity, seizing all army Feldbahn engines as per the terms of the Versailles Treaty that ended the First World war.

The treaty also removed access to export markets; this had such an impact on the company at the end of 1925, work stopped for three months due to the lost business (Hence the works plates say Madrid even though she was built in Berlin.).

Little is known about her life in Portugal; she was the first Steam engine delivered to the Portuguese Forestry Commission (National Forest Number One) and two other sister engines; after many years of service, she ended up outside a cafe in Cascais as a tourist attraction.

In 1969/70, she was brought over to Britain, where, after several ownership changes, she ended up on the Old Kiln Light Railway in 1986.

Elouise returned to service in 2022 after an extensive overhaul. Her boiler ticket expires in 2032.