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In Reply to: Re: Garratt locomotives - Yup, remember them very well... posted by DevillEars on April 22, 2007 at 22:26:28:
THE BG's made for Rhodesia and Sth Africa were I THINK the biggest ever made. One model had 78,000 lbs of tractive thrust!For all the norte-americanos here - I believe Garratts were not common in the USA or Canada - this rare breed of locomotive has three articulated parts.
The central bit looking like an ordinray loco and two extra articulated bits t'either end where the cylinders that drive it are, IE NOT on the central chassis, the rear part is also a coal tender on some models. These articulated front and rear power units give this TYPE a couple of critical advantages.
The axle loading (ton's per two wheels) will be 'a LOT lower' than for any similarly powerful single chassis, which allows more rail roads to cope with a POWERFUL loco, and allows railway lines to use 'much' tighter radii for their curves.
Aussie and southern African Railways did/do tend to have quite steep gradients and tight curves, and lower construction costs in terms of rails and their supports:- ballast, sleepers, ties, bridges.
The Garratt was the perfect solution; very powerful, lower wear on the lines, as the mass is distributed over more wheels, and manouverable.
And they have their own unique syncopated sound, unlike any other steam locos!
I loved them, AYCPGuess!
WarmestTimbo in Oz
The Skyptical Mensurer and Audio ScroungerAnd gladly would he learn and gladly teach - Chaucer. ;-)!
'Still not saluting.'
Follow Ups:
...
Dave
Later Gator,
Crank up your talking machine, grab a jar of your favorite "kick-back", sit down, relax, and let the good times roll.
of a Garratt, but with just ONE articulated part where power is delivered, so that the OTHER power delivery point is under the main chassis?Kerrek't?
WarmestTimbo in Oz
The Skyptical Mensurer and Audio ScroungerAnd gladly would he learn and gladly teach - Chaucer. ;-)!
'Still not saluting.'
I never understood why all locos were not cab forward after the introduction of automatic feeders and oil-burners. With no need to shovel coal from the tender into the firebox, why not give the crew vastly superior visibility?
Notice that there are three sets of drivers; one under the tender.
Dave
Later Gator,
Crank up your talking machine, grab a jar of your favorite "kick-back", sit down, relax, and let the good times roll.
I just saw this monster on the Discovery Channel a week or so ago. Fully articulating, 135,000 pounds of tractive thrust, able to pull a 3600 ton train over a 1.14% grade, etc, etc.
Tre' cool!
Ergo grex, ergo sum.
Allegheny not quite as much tractive effort though.
"Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to" Mark Twain
Firstly, a bit of "train-trivia" from Aus:
So what exactly was the longest train in the world?
The longest train ever was a test freight train:Length: 7.353 KM
# of cars: 682
# of engines: 8 diesel/electric
Company: BHP Iron Ore
Location: Port Hedland, Australia
Length of trip: 275 KM - 171 Miles
Date of trip: June 21 2001
The regular train on this Port Hedland run is a 240-car, 37,500-ton iron ore train powered by four GE Dash-8, 4,000-hp diesel-electric locomotives.
And, locally here in SA, the regular train runs featuring the most wagons are the coal-carrying trains to Richards Bay which typically are 200-car, 20,000-ton (loaded) trains powered by four Hitachi 7E locomotives.
A 200 wagon coal train crossing the Umfolozi River bridge on the Richards Bay Coal line in South Africa
This takes me back to my schooldays in Rhodesia and my pride and joy - a Marklin train-set with an electric loco and a steam loco sharing the same track with two controllers - one driving the centre-track pickups and the other the overhead conductors. The electric loco looked a bit like this:
several shelves full of Lionel trains going back as far as 1947 and on up until the early 90's. I'd like it better if they were set up and running.
"Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to" Mark Twain
There is really no better feeling in the world than skinning back the throttle of 13,200 hp of three shiny new GE ES4400ACs and "Letting 'em eat" (some miles).The shitty part is the call at 2200 to go run an all night drag at 0001 after getting out of bed at 0730 that morning.
The best sounding diesel I get to run? An EMD SD40-2. 3000 hp and the turbo screams beautiful 2 cycle diesel music for hours.
--
Al G
Born To Tinker!
- I'd love - kavakidd 07:25:42 04/24/07 (2)
In Reply to: the life I lead posted by anumber1 on April 23, 2007 at 19:03:31:
to go along for that ride just once before I die - even though my real affinity is for old "steam". They're just so damned beautiful. Real engineering feats.Toughest climb in the USA (so they say) is near where I grew up in the Berkshires - thus the name "Berkshire" developed specifically, I think, for that run.
The Alcos were built in Schenectady NY, not far from where I live now.
"Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to" Mark Twain
- Re: I'd love - anumber1 08:46:01 04/24/07 (1)
In Reply to: I'd love posted by kavakidd on April 24, 2007 at 07:25:42:
I work on the former Pere Marquette. In the early '40s the the Van Sweringen brothers owned the PM. C&O and Nickel Plate.They bought Lima Berkshires for the fast freight on those roads.
Only a few of these survive and two still run. The PM 1225 and the NKP 765. I have rode behind the 1225 on my home rails. That was cool.
When I get off a locomotive, I am tired. When they get off the 1225, they are filthy, exhausted and covered in sweat. Majestic as it is, I'll take a nice new engine for daily bread earning and go look at the steam!
The "pro's" call train buffs "foamers" but you have to have some appreciation of trains to even do the job (most of the time it is quite thankless).
I like trains...
This is me about 10 years ago working as a conductor on a BN SD-70AC pulling 18,000 tons of coal in the middle of the night somewhere between CHI and GRR.
There are a few more RR pics in my gallery.
--
Al G
Born To Tinker!
- Thanks for - kavakidd 11:27:52 04/24/07 (0)
In Reply to: Re: I'd love posted by anumber1 on April 24, 2007 at 08:46:01:
sharing - Yer right - I wouldn't wanna DO it but do love to watch
"Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to" Mark Twain
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