Garratt locomotive

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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