Were Garratts used in India?

June 20, 2019, 12:04 PM
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Yes. Bengal Assam Railway had 2-6-2+2-6-2 Meter Gauge Garrats made by Beyer Peacock & Co. Manchester, the same maker of the earlier Garrats in Burma. A B/W picture of Garrats from Bengal Assam Railway appears on page 19 of Indian Locomotives, Part 2 (Meter Gauge) by Hugh Hughes. There were also a few 4-8-2+2-8-4 MG Garratts in use. One is plinthed at the Guwahati steam shed.

The Bengal Nagpur Railway had several BG Garratts, of classes P (4-8-2+2-8-4), N (4-8-0+0-8-4), NM (??), etc. These were quite powerful, and could haul 2400-ton loads on 1:100 gradients without any problem.

The DHR had a 0-4-0+0-4-0 Garratt (‘class D’, essentially two class B locos put together) built by Beyer Peacock in 1910, on its 2′ NG line until 1948. (? Some reports suggest it was working into the mid-1950’s.)

Consult Hughes’ books for more details of Garratts used in India.

ये भी पढ़े – सर्वाइकल पेन दूर करने के लिए 5 कारगर आसन

And elsewhere in or around the subcontinent:

Burma

Of the total 12 pre-war Garrats in Burma, only 10 were active in 1947. Twelve 2-8-2+2-8-2 were added in 1943 and nine 4-8-2+2-8-4 were added in 1945, all made by Beyer & Peacock. Post war Garrats in Burma were of two types. 12 locos were 2-8-2+2-8-2 and 9 locos were 4-8-2+2-8-4. Four 4-8-2+2-8-4 were transferred to Tanganyika (Tanzania) in 1948 and five 4-8-2+2-8-4 were transferred to East African Railways (Kenya) in 1952, according to Hughes, Indian Locomotives Part 4 page 85.

Nepal

Garratts were in operation on the Janakpurdham-Jaynagar line until fairly recently.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka had BG & NG Garratts. One BG Garratt is now at the Ratmalana Works, Colombo, and another at the Dematagoda Running Shed, Colombo; neither is operational.

Source – IFRCA.org

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