International Railroad Discussion > South African industrial steam -- REGM final post

1.  GMAM R11 hauling a train through farm fields   March 1988

2-3.  GMAM R10 at Cooke 3 shaft        June 1992

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4-5.  GMAM R10 on the line and at Cooke 1 shaft.   I chased this day in June 1992 with Dusty Durrant and sadly was the last time I saw him before his death in 1999.

6.     Any finally, the midday break for engine servicing at Cooke Plant finds three GMAMs at rest.  March 1988



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/17/16 10:35 by masterphots.

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There is (or at least was in 2003) one of these fine locos at Reefsteemers in Germinston but no action has been taken to restore it to operating condition.

That is the strangest steam engine I've ever seen.  I wonder if it got less traction as the coal was used up - less weight on the front drivers.

Cheers, Jim Fitch

SPDRGWfan Wrote:
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> That is the strangest steam engine I've ever seen.
>  I wonder if it got less traction as the coal was
> used up - less weight on the front drivers.
>
> Cheers, Jim Fitch

You'd think so but having photographed many and ridden many miles in the cabs, I never saw them really slip.  That frame is very heavy.  A truly ingenious design that put a large boiler and a lot of driving wheels on an engine that could traverse very light rail and in gauges with very tight loading gauges.  btw, Alco had manufacturing rights to build Garratts in North America and a few proposals were made but none ever built by Alco.  Most likely due to no need given the heavy rail and generous loading gauge typical of the US, Canada and Mexico.  Actually the coal is over the rear drivers....they typically ran them that way to keep smoke out of the cab.

Garratts were used on every continent except North America.  But they are most associated with Africa where the majority of those built operated in a wide variety of wheel arrangements and track gauges.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/17/16 08:26 by masterphots.

Looking at the 2016 Google Satellite image of the Mill Site at Randfontien there is all sorts of curious blobs parked 'out back'. Streetview does not have a route close enough to suggest what may be back there. I would think the most obvious equipment to be stored would be excess hopper cars...

A question, The title is GMAM but the units are lettered REGM? Can you answere the difference?

Stanley Jackowski
Valrico, FL

acltrainman Wrote:
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> A question, The title is GMAM but the units are
> lettered REGM? Can you answere the difference?

GMAM is the loco class and REGM is the railroad.

masterphots Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SPDRGWfan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > That is the strangest steam engine I've ever
> seen.
> >  I wonder if it got less traction as the coal
> was
> > used up - less weight on the front drivers.
> >
> > Cheers, Jim Fitch
>
> You'd think so but having photographed many and
> ridden many miles in the cabs, I never saw them
> really slip.  That frame is very heavy.  A truly
> ingenious design that put a large boiler and a lot
> of driving wheels on an engine that could traverse
> very light rail and in gauges with very tight
> loading gauges.  btw, Alco had manufacturing
> rights to build Garratts in North America and a
> few proposals were made but none ever built by
> Alco.  Most likely due to no need given the heavy
> rail and generous loading gauge typical of the US,
> Canada and Mexico.  Actually the coal is over the
> rear drivers....they typically ran them that way
> to keep smoke out of the cab.
>
> Garratts were used on every continent except North
> America.  But they are most associated with
> Africa where the majority of those built operated
> in a wide variety of wheel arrangements and track
> gauges.

You would have thought that a scaled up "North American" Garrett would have made a good engine to use in helper service.
No need to turn it around to go back down the hill.

PHall Wrote:
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>
>
> >
>
> You would have thought that a scaled up "North
> American" Garrett would have made a good engine to
> use in helper service.
> No need to turn it around to go back down the
> hill.

Not to mention narrow gauge mountain railroads.  FCAB (meter gauge) between Chile and Bolivia used them with success for many years.  But CMOs of railroads in North America were, shall we say,  quite conservative re steam locomotive design and with a very large and heavy physical plant, probably saw no great advantage in introducing such an exotic design to their railroads.  A huge 4-8-4+4-8-4 Garratt would have been a sight to see.   They recently restored a NSWGR Garratt of that wheel arrangement in Australia.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/17/16 10:27 by masterphots.

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> masterphots Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > SPDRGWfan Wrote:

> You would have thought that a scaled up "North
> American" Garrett would have made a good engine to
> use in helper service.
> No need to turn it around to go back down the
> hill.

Few people are aware that ALCO had a licensing agreement with Beyer-Peacock to build Garratts in the US. Unfortunately, there were no takers. See: http://www.beyergarrattlocos.co.uk/publ.html

Cheers,
Jack

Great series, Alan. Thanks!

Cheers,
Jack

Thanks for answering my question. love the photos.

Stanley Jackowski
Valrico, FL



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/16 04:48 by acltrainman.