Beyer-Garratt South African Railways Locomotive

Made:
1929 in Manchester
maker:
Beyer, Peacock and Company Limited
Beyer-Garratt articulated steam locomotive, Class GL Beyer-Garratt articulated steam locomotive, Class GL Beyer-Garratt articulated steam locomotive, Class GL

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Beyer-Garratt articulated steam locomotive, Class GL
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Beyer-Garratt articulated steam locomotive, Class GL
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Beyer-Garratt articulated steam locomotive, Class GL
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Beyer-Garratt articulated steam locomotive, Class GL, made by Beyer, Peacock & Co. Ltd, Manchester, 1929 and used by South African Railways as locomotive no. 2352.

Built by Beyer, Peacock and Company in Manchester for South African Railways, 2352 was designed to pull heavy coal trains, weighing as much as 2,000 tons each, on lines running through hilly terrain. The engine was large and powerful, but its weight was spread over 14 sets of wheels so it could travel over lightly laid track, and the articulated design allowed it to bend around tight turns.

Until the fall of the racist Apartheid system in the 1990s, South African Railways imposed strict racial segregation on its trains. There were separate carriages for passengers of different races, with the best facilities reserved for white people. While smaller Garratts were used on passenger trains, the enormous 2352 spent its career mostly hauling coal.

2352 was acquired from South African Railways for the museum collection in 1984.

Details

Category:
Locomotives and Rolling Stock
Object Number:
Y1984.873
Materials:
cast iron, brass (copper, zinc alloy) and metal (unknown)
Measurements:
overall: 27.6 m,
type:
steam locomotive
credit:
Gift of South African Transport Services

Parts

brass worksplates for Beyer-Garratt locomotive

brass worksplates for Beyer-Garratt locomotive

Reproduction brass worksplates for Beyer-Garratt locomotive (made in 2013 to replace missing original)

Materials:
metal (unknown)
Object Number:
Y1984.873.1
type:
locomotive worksplate