Garratt

[TWIGYBNSF]

Is this the only Garratt still running today?

[ralph5407]

@TWIGYBNSF There are three running, based at Bulawayo, at the moment. I was there again earlier this year so if you look through my channel you will find several videos of them working on a charter train.

[diorath]

Good stuff Ralph 5407. Good sound. Good photography. When can we expect more?

DiorathB52

[ralph5407]

I'm not very likely to be back in Zimbabwe again so not much chance of big Garratts but smaller gauge ones, well since we will soon have one operating in Wales then perhaps not too long.

[Pesmog]

I love the big Garratts. I never tire of watching the various bits of Youtube vid of teh GMAM's or even the little NGG16's on the Welsh Highland line. It such shame that the daddy of them all, the 260 ton 90,000 lb traction broad gauge special they made for Russia no longer exists

[diorath]

luvmostmusic, you have a lot of knowledge of Rhodesian Garratts. Were you in the running-trades yourself? I'd like to see some tractive effort numbers and steam pressures on the larger Garratts. These are incredibly smooth riding machines, unless you get one with worn pivots! You're right. A 3 meter gauge Garratt would have been an awesome haulier. The ones in the Sudan were quite a piece of work as well. Are you familiar with them?

[ralph5407]

Hey guys why not get in touch direct and then your discussion is not public...

[fmh2066]

thank you for the info.

[luvmostmusic]

As I said a month ago, I would be very interested in your project. And if you decide to go down the route of pursuing an NRZ garratt/s, I would be very happy to help with contacts and self-interest. All the classes are fantastic to drive; as I know from personal driving experiences, around the shed/coaling area..... (including 20th, 16A, 15th and 14A garratts)

[cliffdread]

nice video, i think know this place, its somewhere in westgate bulawayo, close to zeco engineering works

[ralph5407]

If the memory card had been higher capacity you would have seen the full shot round to the sheds.

[luvmostmusic]

This is the approach to Bulawayo steam running shed. Westgate yard is just above the shed, and a garratt still normally shunts there on a daily basis... (Usually a 16A, like the one on Ralph's video)

[fmh2066]

i am looking for these steamers to run here in the US. any idea on who to contact? i deal with railroad equipment so i might have something there in need of.

[luvmostmusic]

fmh2066, majority of garratts in Africa were 3ft 6inch gauge. East Africa used 3 metre gauge garratts. You would need to build a dedicated track. I think that NRZ may be approachable, if you decide to go down that route. (Especially if you have US dollars to sway them.....) Let me know how you get on, as I am very interested.

[diorath]

Correction. East African Railways were of the one meter gauge. 3' 3-3/8"

[luvmostmusic]

Thankyou for correction. I do realise EAR used one metre gauge; just had a senior moment. As I have always said... Anyone who has never made a mistake, has never made anything....

[luvmostmusic]

But just imagine a garratt of the proportions that would would run on 3 metre gauge.. Lol It could haul some mighty train... But note that you were correcting my text, not my knowledge.

[diorath]

You make a very interesting point. I seem to recall that the Soviets were considering doing this very thing during the Stalin era? Do you recall this? Stalin, being more of a realist, recognized that this simply could not be done and when they weighed the cost of building this enormously broad gauge, they appeared to have had second thoughts, and were well into WW 2 anyway. I fired them in South Africa. GCA's, GM,s, GE's, GD's

one trip on the Princess Alice a GL the Granddaddy of them all.

[fmh2066]

any idea if there are 4 foot 8.5 garratts in SA. i am looking to buy one!!

[ralph5407]

I believe there is one owned by the Sandstone Estates and sometimes run by Rovos Rail. I would guess that there must be others about but would not like to say where you could find out from. There are quite a few in Zimbabwe like this one, some still in regular service. I imagine getting one out may be difficult.

[diorath]

SAR (South African Railways) standard gauge, is 3'6". The smaller 2'0" gauge garratts, are dwindling. There are definitely NO 4' 8 1/2" gauge locomotives in South Africa, except for a static display replica locomotive which ran from Durban to Point about 2 miles prior to the 20th Century

[tonypilot]

boy what an engine.

[JimTLonW6]

Never seen one of these before.

[ralph5407]

I've got some more shots of a smaller one on a 2' 6" gauge railway also in South Africa, I'll get them posted later this evening.