Garratt locomotive

"Garratt" redirects here. For people with the surname, see Garratt (surname).

The Garratt with the highest tractive effort in the world was the East African Railways 59 class. Its tractive effort of 83,350 pounds was twice that of a British Railways class 9F 2-10-0
Characteristics of the Garratt articulated locomotive

A Garratt locomotive is a type of articulated steam locomotive invented by British engineer Herbert William Garratt that is articulated into three parts.[1] Its boiler, firebox, and cab are mounted on a centre frame or "bridge". The two other parts, one at each end, have a pivot to support the central frame; they consist of a steam engine unit – with driving wheels, trailing wheels, valve gear, and cylinders, and above it, fuel and/or water storage.

Articulation permits locomotives to negotiate curves that might restrict large rigid-framed locomotives. The design also provides more driving wheels per unit of locomotive weight, permitting operation on lightly engineered track. Garratt locomotives produced as much as twice the tractive effort[note 1] of the largest conventional locomotives of railways that introduced them, reducing the need for multiple locomotives and crews.

  1. ^ Durrant 1969, p. 13.


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