Very good video showing the best shots of the loco and the country. The loco is very neglected with leaky drain cocks , clanking bearings, and no doubt worn wheels. However it still has some life left in it. I hope it is kept alive for the future generation to show how Africa was developed. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for your comment David. The future of these Garratts has to be in doubt, especially now with the new management in Zimbabwe. No doubt, there'll be an effort to modernise the country.
This is a stunning video, particularly the first sequences in the colder morning air. All steam locomotives are magnificent compared with modern vanilla technology, but a Beyer-Garratt with leaky steam valves is the tops!
Memories! I well recall these locations. And, when I left Bulawayo on the overnight train to Johannesburg via Botswana, it was a blue-liveried 414 which hauled us to the border at Plumtree. 1992. Thanks for this, from Australia.
My father was a driver, or engineer for Americans, of the Garretts in Zimbabwe. As a 12 year old, I would frequently accompany him to work. We lived in Thompson Junction near Hwange in the early 1970's, the marshalling yard was literally our backyard.
Very interesting. This video features Thomson Junction yard. You may find it worth watching - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6HYVLXwgPoU.html .... Andy
I'm wondering why they have the cylinder cocks open all the time- it's particularly noticeable coming up the hill, at about 2:25. He seems to be wasting a lot of power and dry steam
Of course, steam cocks should be opened occasionally but in this case it's probably a valve that is stuck or inoperative. These Garratts are maintained on almost no money! - Andy
I believe this particular loco is still steamable (in theory) but hasn't actually steamed for a while. Whether it steams again depends on the demand from steam enthusiasts visiting the country ... Andy
I love Articulated locomotives, too bad the only garratt in the US is on a private railroad not open to the public along with a ex SAR 2-8-2 both in 2 foot gauge!
A private railway? Really? They must have plenty of money! There are a few of those South African Garratts working on the Welsh Highland Railway in the UK. They're great little locomotives ..... Andy
@@IndustrialParrot2816 They have a number of the Garratts already in operation. Here's a short video I made in 2018 - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZIUzjNtijaE.html ..... Andy
@@AndyDandanFisherSteam well i was talking about the kalahari loco its not a garratt its tender engine though its getting its tender rebuilt with an enclosed cab
This is Zimbabwe. Very few rules ---- there were two trains in the same section too !! We had a diesel hauled passenger train to carry us to each location. Andy
This is Cape Gauge as it is (correctly) known - 42" / 3'6". It's standard in southern Africa and many other parts of the former British Commonwealth ...... Andy
Such fascinating and unique little workhorses, they may be no Big Boy, but that's still some serious steam. It's almost surreal to see one of these things running like nothing at all has changed since they were built for Rhodesia Railways, especially when you compare it to western railroads which often break the illusion with the presence of modern buildings, vehicles or equipment... Yet here you are out in southern Africa essentially watching a time capsule of the 1940s.
@@RailyardProductions I'm not sure about the state of the Garratts in Zimbabwe. There's a recently restored Garratt working the mainline on enthusiast charters in Australia. In the UK we have quite a few narrow gauge Garratts working on different heritage lines. The best visit to make is definitely the Ffestiniog / Welsh Highland Railway which operates several Garratts and the very unusual "Double Fairlie" locos .... Andy (Contact me directly by Email if you'd like more info)
@Wyeil Arbukle C'mon dude, you just came into an Innocent Locomotive video to throw racist comments? Do you know how stupid that sounds?! You just came to fight with random people in Internet, just go away, weirdo. No one here spoke about Skin colours, right? Only you...
@Wyeil Arbukle Yep, you are Sick, get a Medic, You are having some sort of seizure or whateaver. You know, just live the present, be a good person, don't bother anyone, and turn off your phone/pc, we don't need people like you in the internet.
how good to see that reminds me just of my childhood in Zims,and riding up front on the victoria falls engines ,when they refilled with water ,thank you
They still ran the Bulaway to Vic Falls PAX in 2000 when I took my sons, but it broke down somewhere near Dett and so we had to make our own way to the Falls and back. Love falling asleep in RR trains with the unwelded track. Ti-tick-de-tick, repeated endlessly
Interesting how they use U. S. style couplers and wheelsets. I would have figured that they'd have British style infrastructure since much of their railways were built when they were subjects of the British Empire.
There are one or two preserved in Australia, I believe, although I haven't seen them personally. These in Zimbabwe are really on the last legs though. Andy
There are multiple Garrets preserved in Australia, including G42, NGG127 & 128 at the puffing billy railway in Victoria, and another (G33) being restored at the Bellarine Railway. Also the NSWGR AD6029 are some examples.
Having seen restored Garretts running in western Sydney NSW and when travelling in Bulawayo Rhodesia prior to the end of the Smith regime, there appears to be a definite unique rhythm to these great machines when working hard. There is an unrestored Beyer Garrett in Dorrigo northern NSW that I often stop to look at when travelling south from my home in SE rural Queensland, they are even larger than they appear at a distance when standing directly alongside one. I believe they were introduced in Australia to eliminate 'double heading' large freight trains however they were not very efficient and costly to maintain hense their demise in Australia and of course the introduction of large diesel and diesel electric locomotives. Great video, thanks !
Hello Andy and Dandan, I am making a podcast episode about Garratt locomotives and wanted to ask if it would be possible to feature some of your footage in it? I would credit you and link back to your channel, of course. All the best, Corwin
This was recorded three years ago, of course, Bruce. I believe there are still a couple of the Garratts which are capable of being steamed for charter work but with the travel situation being totally in lockdown at the moment, these Garratts may well never steam again. This would be a huge shame and a loss for the world of steam enthusiasts. We shall see. Please take a look at a few others of my Zimbabwe videos - ru-vid.com/group/PLNKEdhmODMJziDJwSvN7jzE_x4-Ucj859 ...... Andy
Another video to your usual high standard. Yes at times it looked to be working hard given the amount of load, but it added to the visual impact. Great work by you both Thanks
The concept is very similar in principle to the big articulated locomotives of the USA but, of course, the Garratts use the weight of coal and water to aid traction ..... Andy
None have been in regular mainline service for some years. This was a private charter for us. A very few are kept serviceable at Bulawayo although, with the collapse of tourism in 2020, their survival is on a knife edge ....... Andy
@@AndyProper When it was built by the Great Northern Railway it was classified as A1. Then the GNR became part of the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) and it became Class A3. That's what it's known as now .... Andy
