DE AREND
by Julius de Waal

De Arend (Dutch for eagle) was one of the two first steam locomotives in the Netherlands together with the Snelheid (Dutch for speed). It was a 2-2-2 Patentee type built in England by R. B. Longridge and Company of Bedlington, Northumberland. On 20 September 1839, it hauled the first train between Amsterdam and Haarlem. It was withdrawn in 1857. The Patentee type of engine was first introduced in 1833 by Robert Stephenson and Company. One of the first examples was Der Adler (German for eagle) the first successful locomotive to operate in Germany, and another, Bayard, the first in Italy.

In 1939 a replica of the Arend was constructed for the 100th anniversary of the Dutch railways. It is displayed at the Nederlands Spoorwegmuseum (Dutch Railway Museum) in Utrecht.

Bedlington Works opened in 1837. The first loco built there was called Michael Longridge and was the first of about 150 to be constructed. The first passenger train to leave Kings Cross in 1852 was hauled by a Bedlington loco. Bedlington locos were delivered to various railway companies around the UK and to Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Persia.

Prince Albert is believed to have been the last locomotive built at the Works in 1852. In 1855 the works closed down.

Replicas of Bedlington locos De Arend and Bayard are preserved in museums in Utrecht and Naples.

This design is for a model in 45mm gauge. The original was a broad gauge (1.945m) locomotive so it makes a compact model.

CLICK ON DRAWINGS TO DOWNLOAD.

GO TO PART TWO GO TO PART THREE GO TO PART 4