A Tale of Two Garratts

We look at two unique locomotives,both built by Beyer Peacock.Both went to Australia – and one came back!

1.Tasmanian Pioneer David Payling

The current Ffestiniog Railway Traveller’s Guide includes an exploded diagram of a double Fairlie. It aims to begin to explain the workings of these articulated locomotives to visitors to the railway. The diagram, which has been available for many years and has found use in many publications, is believed to have been produced by the railway’s first archivist, the late Michael Seymour. With the NG/G16 Beyer Garratts now well established on the Welsh Highland Railway it might be timely to have a similar diagram to show the workings of these articulated locomotives. South African railway author and draughtsman Leith Paxton has been persuaded to produce an exploded diagram of pioneer Beyer

Garratt K1 of 1909. As nearly as possible it is in the same style as the well-known Fairlie diagram. A significant difference between the Fairlie and Garratt drawings is the well-lagged pipe connecting the front and rear power bogies. It carries the exhaust steam from the high pressure cylinders on the rear bogie to the low-pressure cylinders mounted on the front bogie. The Walschaert’s valve gear on the two bogies differs, as can also be seen in the drawing. On the front bogie the piston valve rod for the low-pressure cylinders is connected to the top of the combination lever which is thus above the point where the radius rod is attached. On the rear bogie the piston valve rod is connected to the combination lever below the radius rod pin joint. The

6■NARROW GAUGE WORLD – N0 52

(Top) Snowdon summit forms a backdrop to K1, pausing at Rhyd Ddu on 8 September 2006 after hauling a special train for supporters of its restoration. Supplied in 1909 to the Tasmanian Government Railways, this pioneer Garratt was repatriated by Beyer Peacock in 1947 and became an exhibit at its Gorton works. Its fate hung in the balance when the works closed in 1965, but happily the locomotive was purchased by the Ffestiniog Railway. (Roger Dimmick) (Lower) Numberplate of K1. (Michael Chapman)