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How does a Garratt locomotive work?

How does a Garratt locomotive work?

Beyer-Garratt, type of steam locomotive characterized by tremendous hauling capacity and light axle loads. This British-built locomotive had two articulated pivoting chassis, each with its own wheels, cylinders, and water tanks. These chassis supported a girder frame that carried a boiler, cab, and the fuel supply.

What is the most famous steam locomotive in America?

Big Boy
The Union Pacific locomotive, known as “Big Boy” 4014, is the largest locomotive ever constructed. It just rolled in to Southern California after a massive restoration project. Thousands of people welcomed the largest steam locomotive ever constructed as it made its way back to Southern California Wednesday.

What were the advantages of the Garratt locomotive?

The design of Garratt locomotives provided an advantage over other types of trains during the time period. Due to the location and arrangement of the boiler, the train could run faster without tipping over at corners and could accommodate a larger boiler than many trains of the time could carry.

How does a Shay locomotive work?

A high ratio of piston strokes to wheel revolutions allowed them to run at partial slip, where a conventional rod engine would spin its drive wheels and burn rails, losing all traction. Shay locomotives were often known as sidewinders or stemwinders for their side-mounted drive shafts.

What is a Garratt locomotive?

A Garratt (often referred to as a Beyer Garratt) is a type of steam locomotive that is articulated into three parts.

What does a Garrett 59 class locomotive look like?

The drawing above shows the late Garrett locomotive — the 59 class. The locomotive is articulated (hinged) at each end of the middle section. The wheel configuration is 4-8-2 + 2-8-4. The front tank is for water. The rear tank holds water in the bottom and fuel oil in a separate upper tank.

Why do Garratt locomotives slip?

As the weight on the wheels decreases, slipping occurs. The Garratt was not alone in the field of articulated locomotives; most notably, articulated locomotives in the United States based on the Mallet design achieved power outputs far exceeding those of Garratts.

How fast can a Garratt train go?

Most Garratts were designed for freight or mixed traffic, but several Garratt classes were designed for passenger service. A French-built Algerian Railways Garratt holds the world speed record for an articulated locomotive at 132 kilometres per hour (82 mph).

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