some pictures of the famous Garratt Locomotive. Garratt's were a little different than your normal steam loco. the boiler is in the middle with the cab, the water is carried over one engine and the fuel over the other. Garratts were so designed for great tractive effort and great flexibility. the engines on either end were articulated so even though the locomotive was quite long it could negotiate curves like a much smaller engine type. it also spread the load of engines, fuel and water over a long wheelbase and many axles thus permitting it to run on lighter weight rails as well. the top picture shows a 4-8-2 + 2-8-4 wheel arrangement. the middle picture shows the same in a photograph. bottom is a diagram of a different wheel arrangement but shows how it all works on a Garratt regardless of number of wheels. the majority of Garratts built were narrow gauge of some measurement or another. most of these locomotives were used in Africa on the railways of different British Colonies and later on independent nations after the Brits no longer governed them. nevertheless they have the British to thank for their railroads. apparently there were still a few Garrats in operation in Zimbabwe as late as 2009.
some pictures of the famous Garratt Locomotive. Garratt's were a little different than your normal steam loco. the boiler is in the middle with the cab, the water is carried over one engine and the fuel over the other. Garratts were so designed for great tractive effort and great flexibility. the engines on either end were articulated so even though the locomotive was quite long it could negotiate curves like a much smaller engine type. it also spread the load of engines, fuel and water over a long wheelbase and many axles thus permitting it to run on lighter weight rails as well. the top picture shows a 4-8-2 + 2-8-4 wheel arrangement. the middle picture shows the same in a photograph. bottom is a diagram of a different wheel arrangement but shows how it all works on a Garratt regardless of number of wheels. the majority of Garratts built were narrow gauge of some measurement or another. most of these locomotives were used in Africa on the railways of different British Colonies and later on independent nations after the Brits no longer governed them. nevertheless they have the British to thank for their railroads. apparently there were still a few Garrats in operation in Zimbabwe as late as 2009.
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