Years ago, upon a visit to the 600mm-gauge barely pronounceable Schinznacher Baumschulbahn, Switzerland, I was surprised to discover that they once appear to have owned a German-built NG/G 13 Garrett from 1927/28, which must have looked absolutely spectacular: they named it Drakensberg. Saved from South Africa in the mid-1980s, they did a complete overhaul - which unsurprisingly, seeing the size of the monster, took them more than 10 years! - Here's a low-quality video of it running: https://youtube.com/watch?v=upTc0ahGtoA.
When the track layout was changed in later years, sadly they couldn't run any longer... but apparently the Swiss sold it on to the Welsh! Which explains why the Vale of Rheidol Railway is now its proud owner! Isn't that amazing?
Drakensberg seems to be quite happy in Wales, see video!
Years ago, upon a visit to the 600mm-gauge barely pronounceable Schinznacher Baumschulbahn, Switzerland, I was surprised to discover that they once appear to have owned a German-built NG/G 13 Garrett from 1927/28, which must have looked absolutely spectacular: they named it Drakensberg. Saved from South Africa in the mid-1980s, they did a complete overhaul - which unsurprisingly, seeing the size of the monster, took them more than 10 years! - Here's a low-quality video of it running: https://youtube.com/watch?v=upTc0ahGtoA.
When the track layout was changed in later years, sadly they couldn't run any longer... but apparently the Swiss sold it on to the Welsh! Which explains why the Vale of Rheidol Railway is now its proud owner! Isn't that amazing?
Drakensberg seems to be quite happy in Wales, see video!
Many thanks for that, also for recalling happy memories of a trip into the Drakensberg mountains a few years ago (also visited Sandstone: https://www.sandstone-estates.com/ on the same trip).
I can't remember whether I've mentioned this on this thread before, but the summer before the pandemic, I had a short break in North Wales. It included a day going from Porthmadog to Caenarfan and back on the West Highland and a day going up to Blaenau Ffestiniog on the Ffestiniog. Actually, although I did a few other very enjoyable things while I was up there, those were the two main reasons for going.
The Welsh Highland day was in beautiful sunny weather. My train was Garrett hauled (green) in both directions and we crossed another in both directions at Rhyd Ddu (red). The Ffestiniog day was drizzly. I was pulled uphill by a Fairlie and back down by the replica Linton and Barnstable locomotive. Altogether two very memorable trips.
On the WHR I've only done Caernarfon-Beddgelert (one way) - red Garratt!
Most recent FR trip was Porthmadog-Tan-y-Bwlch (return) in lovely vintage bogie carriages hauled by "Merddin Emrys".
On the Vale of Rheidol a couple of years back we sat in the open carriage right behind the loco going uphill - excellent! (Can't remember which loco - not the Garratt which hadn't arrived by then). Lovely sunny day.
I've not been aboard much lately, but am doing some browsing tonight. The New Suth Wales Government Railways had a class of Garratt locomotives in the ear1y 1950's. I can't remember exactly how many were delivered, but my memory is that of a planned class of 50, only 40 or so were actually delivered for heavy freight. As was so common on NSWGR locos in the 1950's, various changes were made to the class during the course of delivery.
They were not the quietest of locomoives built. In suburban Sydney, there's a climb of about 200m from the Parramatta River at Meadowbank to Hornsby, 15 or so km north. The sound of a Garratt making the climb spread over much of what was then the suburban area.
The Belgian SNCV concern had a couple of Garratt tram engines, on metre gauge, for freight traffic. The wheels and motion were boxed in, and the all-over cab was an elongated version of that fitted to their standard enclosed tram engines:
They were built in 1930, and, although Durrant says they were mothballed in 1933, other sources say they lasted until 1952. They may well have been brought out of storage to meet wartime exigencies.
There was also just one Garratt in the Netherlands, on the Limburgsche Tramweg Maatschapij lines (LTM) in the south-east around Maastricht, of standard gauge, and possibly the only Beyer Garratt with inside cylinders. This might not be immediately obvious from photographs, as the wheels were boxed in.
It went to Germany in 1941, after its own line was closed, and its subsequent history is apparently unknown. The photo shows it in store, along with other LTM engines.
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When the track layout was changed in later years, sadly they couldn't run any longer... but apparently the Swiss sold it on to the Welsh! Which explains why the Vale of Rheidol Railway is now its proud owner! Isn't that amazing?
Drakensberg seems to be quite happy in Wales, see video!
For the storyline in English, read up here: https://vor.wales/blog/hanomag-1927-built-ng-g13-garratt-no-60-drakensberg/
Many thanks for that, also for recalling happy memories of a trip into the Drakensberg mountains a few years ago (also visited Sandstone: https://www.sandstone-estates.com/ on the same trip).
The Welsh Highland day was in beautiful sunny weather. My train was Garrett hauled (green) in both directions and we crossed another in both directions at Rhyd Ddu (red). The Ffestiniog day was drizzly. I was pulled uphill by a Fairlie and back down by the replica Linton and Barnstable locomotive. Altogether two very memorable trips.
Most recent FR trip was Porthmadog-Tan-y-Bwlch (return) in lovely vintage bogie carriages hauled by "Merddin Emrys".
On the Vale of Rheidol a couple of years back we sat in the open carriage right behind the loco going uphill - excellent! (Can't remember which loco - not the Garratt which hadn't arrived by then). Lovely sunny day.
They were not the quietest of locomoives built. In suburban Sydney, there's a climb of about 200m from the Parramatta River at Meadowbank to Hornsby, 15 or so km north. The sound of a Garratt making the climb spread over much of what was then the suburban area.
https://www.modelrailroading.nl/articulation/netherlands/images/NMVB 850-851/NMVB Garratt 1.JPG
They were built in 1930, and, although Durrant says they were mothballed in 1933, other sources say they lasted until 1952. They may well have been brought out of storage to meet wartime exigencies.
There was also just one Garratt in the Netherlands, on the Limburgsche Tramweg Maatschapij lines (LTM) in the south-east around Maastricht, of standard gauge, and possibly the only Beyer Garratt with inside cylinders. This might not be immediately obvious from photographs, as the wheels were boxed in.
https://nvbs-actueel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/archiefnieuws-03-NEG147-093.jpg
It went to Germany in 1941, after its own line was closed, and its subsequent history is apparently unknown. The photo shows it in store, along with other LTM engines.