TR GA class

Last updated
  • Tanganyika Railway GA class
  • East African Railways 53 class
Type and origin
Power type Steam
Builder Beyer, Peacock & Co.
Serial number 6718–6720
Build date 1930
Total produced 3
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 •  Whyte 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratt
 •  UIC (2′D1′)(1′D2′) h4
Gauge 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in)
Driver dia. 43 in (1,092 mm)
Adhesive weight 83.8 long tons (85.1 t)
Loco weight 138.3 long tons (140.5 t)
Fuel type Oil
Fuel capacity 2,455 imp gal (11,160 l; 2,948 US gal)
Water cap 4,925 imp gal (22,390 l; 5,915 US gal)
Firebox:
 • Firegrate area		 43.6 sq ft (4.05 m2)
Boiler pressure
  • 170 psi (1.17 MPa)
  • (180 psi (1.24 MPa))
Heating surface 2,430 sq ft (226 m2)
 • Tubes 
1,856 sq ft (172.4 m2)
 • Firebox 194 sq ft (18.0 m2)
Superheater:
​
 • Type Inside
 • Heating area 380 sq ft (35 m2)
Cylinders 4
Cylinder size 16.5 in × 22 in (419 mm × 559 mm)
Valve gear Walschaerts
Performance figures
Tractive effort 42,600 lbf (189.49 kN)
Career
Operators
Class
  • TR GA class
  • EAR 53 class
Number in class 3
Numbers
  • TR: 300–302
  •        700–702
  • EAR: 5301–5302
First run 1931
[1]

The TR GA class, later known as the EAR 53 class, was a class of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) gauge 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratt-type articulated steam locomotives. The three members of the class were built in 1930 by Beyer, Peacock & Co. in Manchester, England, for the Tanganyika Railway (TR). They entered service in 1931, and, with one exception, were later operated by the TR's successor, the East African Railways (EAR). [2] [3]

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, a 4-8-2+2-8-4 is a Garratt articulated locomotive consisting of a pair of 4-8-2 engine units back to back, with the boiler and cab suspended between them. The 4-8-2 wheel arrangement has four leading wheels on two axles, usually in a leading bogie, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles and two trailing wheels on one axle, usually in a trailing truck. Since the 4-8-2 type is generally known as a Mountain, the corresponding Garratt type is usually known as a Double Mountain.

Garratt articulated steam locomotive with power unit at each end, and boiler slung between

A Garratt is a type of steam locomotive that is articulated into three parts. Its boiler is mounted on the centre frame, and two steam engines are mounted on separate frames, one on each end of the boiler. Articulation permits larger locomotives to negotiate curves and lighter rails that might restrict large rigid-framed locomotives. Many Garratt designs aimed to double the power of the largest conventional locomotives operating on their railways, thus reducing the need for multiple locomotives and crews.

Articulated locomotive

The term "articulated locomotive" usually means a steam locomotive with one or more engine units which can move independent of the main frame. This is done to allow a longer locomotive to negotiate tighter curves. Articulated locomotives are generally used either on lines with extreme curvature—logging, industrial, or mountain railways, for example—or to allow very large locomotives to run on railways with regular track curvature. Articulation is also applied to some electric locomotives, such as the Italian FS Class E656.

Contents

Specifications

The design of the GA class locomotives was based upon that of the KUR EC2 class, which was built at about the same time by the North British Locomotive Company for the Kenya-Uganda Railway (KUR). The main design difference was that the GAs had higher, narrower front tanks than the EC2s. With their reduced water capacity, the GAs also had a lower axle loading, which made them suitable for operation over the World War I-damaged bridges on the Central Line. [3] [4]

The KUR EC2 class, later known as the EAR 52 class, was a class of 1,000 mm gauge 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratt-type articulated steam locomotives.

North British Locomotive Company defunct British locomotive manufacturer, active 1903–1962

The North British Locomotive Company was created in 1903 through the merger of three Glasgow locomotive manufacturing companies; Sharp, Stewart and Company, Neilson, Reid and Company and Dübs and Company, creating the largest locomotive manufacturing company in Europe and the British Empire.

Central Line (Tanzania) railway line in Tanzania

The Central Line, formerly known as the Tanganyika Railway is the most important railway line in Tanzania apart from TAZARA. It runs west from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika via Dodoma. A branch leads to Mwanza on Lake Victoria.

Service history

Upon entry into service in 1931, the GA class locomotives were allocated numbers 300–302. [4] Each of them was also given a name: the first two carried the names Arusha and Iringa , respectively, after the locations of the TR's big road depots, and no. 302 was named Bukoba , as that town had a jetty for marine services. [5] Later, the GAs were renumbered 700–702. [5]

Arusha City in Arusha Region, Tanzania

Arusha is a city in north eastern Tanzania and the capital of the Arusha Region, with a population of 416,442 plus 323,198 in the surrounding Arusha District. Located below Mount Meru on the eastern edge of the eastern branch of the Great Rift Valley, Arusha has a temperate climate. The city is close to the Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Manyara National Park, Olduvai Gorge, Tarangire National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro, and Arusha National Park on Mount Meru.

Iringa Place in Tanzania

Iringa region in Tanzania with a population of 112,900. It is situated at a latitude of 7.77°S and longitude of 35.69°E. The name is derived from the Hehe word lilinga, meaning fort.

Bukoba town in Kagera Region, Tanzania

Bukoba is a city situated in the north west of The United Republic of Tanzania on the south western shores of Lake Victoria. It is the capital of the Kagera region, and the administrative seat for Bukoba Urban District. Population estimate: 100,000. The city is served by Bukoba Airport and regular ferry connections to and from Mwanza, as well as roads linking to Uganda's Rakai District for the cross border car commuters with plans underway for a standard gauge railway construction to fulfil the high ambitions of Uganda.

It was the TR's general policy to allocate tender locomotives to standard duties, and use its Garratts only for the most demanding tasks. The GA class therefore normally worked between Dar-es-Salaam and Morogoro, the heaviest part of the Central Line. [3]

Morogoro Municipality in Morogoro Region, Tanzania

Morogoro is a town with a population of 315,866 in the eastern part of Tanzania, 196 kilometres (122 mi) west of Dar es Salaam, the country's largest city and commercial centre, and 260 kilometres (160 mi) east of Dodoma, the country's capital city. Morogoro is the capital of the Morogoro Region. It is also known informally as "Mji kasoro bahari", which translates as "city short of an ocean/port".

The GA class's operating costs were markedly lower than those of their predecessors. Even during the Great Depression, when traffic volumes greatly declined, they were of great operational benefit. Following the outbreak of World War II, they became indispensable. [4]

Unfortunately one member of the class, no 702 Bukoba, was derailed by a washaway near Mikese during a night of bad weather in 1944. The crew was saved, but the locomotive was almost completely submerged and had to be scrapped. [4]

In 1949, the TR and the KUR were merged to form the EAR, which took over the two survivors, classified them as its 53 class, and renumbered them 5301–5302. [5]

The EAR also equipped the two survivors with a French-style ACFI feedwater heater, one of which had already been fitted to the last member of the KUR EC1 class, no 66. However, the feedwater heaters were later removed, partly because they achieved only limited improvement in thermal efficiency, and also as they had caused similar maintenance problems to those experienced by the KUR. [5]

In the 1950s, the EAR 53 class locomotives were replaced on the Central Line by the new EAR 60 class locomotives, and therefore transferred to the northern part of the EAR system. Later, they returned to what had become Tanzania, to carry out transfer work in Dar-es-Salaam. They were withdrawn and scrapped there in the late 1960s. [3] [5]

Class list

The numbers and names of each member of the class were as follows: [6] [7]

Builder's
number		First TR
number		Second TR
number		EAR
number		NameNotes
67183007005301 Arusha
67193017015302 Iringa
6720302703- Bukoba Scrapped 1944 following a derailment

See also

Related Research Articles

KUR EC3 class

The KUR EC3 class, later known as the EAR 57 class, was a class of 1,000 mm gauge 4-8-4+4-8-4 Garratt-type articulated steam locomotives. The twelve members of the class were built by Beyer, Peacock & Co. in Manchester, England, for the Kenya-Uganda Railway (KUR). They entered service between 1939 and 1941, and were later operated by the KUR's successor, the East African Railways (EAR).

EAR 58 class class of 18 East African 4-8-4+4-8-4 Garratt locomotives

The EAR 58 class was a class of 1,000 mm gauge 4-8-4+4-8-4 Garratt-type articulated steam locomotives built by Beyer, Peacock & Co. in Manchester, England, in 1949.

The KUR EC class was a class of 1,000 mm gauge 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratt-type articulated steam locomotives. The four members of the class, built by Beyer, Peacock & Co. in Manchester, England, were the first Garratts to be ordered and acquired by the Kenya-Uganda Railway (KUR). They entered service in 1926, and, after a relatively short but successful career with the KUR, were sold and exported to Indo-China in August 1939.

The KUR EC1 class, later known as the EAR 50 class and the EAR 51 class, was a class of 1,000 mm gauge 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratt-type articulated steam locomotives.

EAR 31 class class of 46 East African 2-8-4 locomotives

The EAR 31 class was a class of oil-burning 1,000 mm gauge 2-8-4 steam locomotives. The 46 members of the class were built in 1955 by Vulcan Foundry, in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, England, for the East African Railways (EAR). They were a lighter, branch-line version of the EAR 30 class, and worked from various sheds throughout the EAR system.

KUR EC4 class

The KUR EC4 class, later known as the EAR 54 class, was a class of 1,000 mm gauge 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratt-type articulated steam locomotives developed under and for use in wartime conditions.

The EAR 56 class was a class of 1,000 mm gauge 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratt-type articulated steam locomotives built by Beyer, Peacock & Co. in Gorton, Manchester, England, in 1949. The six members of the class were ordered by the Kenya-Uganda Railway (KUR) immediately after World War II, and were a slightly modified version of the KUR's existing EC5 class.

TR DL class class of 6 East African 4-8-0 locomotives

The TR DL class, later known as the EAR 23 class, was a class of 1,000 mm gauge 4-8-0 steam locomotives derived from the Nigerian Railways Emir class. The six members of the DL/23 class were built by Beyer, Peacock & Co. in Gorton, Manchester, England, for the Tanganyika Railway (TR). They entered service on the TR in 1923, and were later operated by the TR's successor, the East African Railways (EAR).

The TR MK class, later known as the EAR 25 class, was a class of 1,000 mm gauge 2-8-2 steam locomotives. The eleven members of the class were built by Vulcan Foundry, in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, England, for the Tanganyika Railway (TR). They entered service on the TR in 1925–1926, and were later operated by the TR's successor, the East African Railways (EAR).

The TR RV class, later known as the EAR 21 class, was a class of 1,000 mm gauge steam locomotives designed and built for the Tanganyika Railway (TR) as a 4-8-2 development of the 2-8-2 TR MK class. The eight members of the RV class were built by Vulcan Foundry, in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, England.

EAR 60 class

The EAR 60 class, also known as the Governor class, was a class of 1,000 mm gauge 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratt-type articulated steam locomotives built for the East African Railways as a development of the EAR's existing 56 class.

The TR ML class, later known and expanded as the EAR 26 class, was a class of 1,000 mm gauge 2-8-2 steam locomotives designed for and ordered by the Tanganyika Railway (TR), as a development of the TR MK class.

KUR ED1 class class of 27±4 East African 2-6-2T locomotives

The KUR ED1 class was a class of 1,000 mm gauge 2-6-2 T steam locomotives built for the Kenya-Uganda Railway (KUR). The 27 members of the ED1 class entered service on the KUR between 1926 and 1930. They were later operated by the TR's successor, the East African Railways (EAR), and reclassified as part of the EAR 11 class.

KUR EC5 class class of 2+4+5 East African 4-8-2+2-8-4 locomotives

The KUR EC5 class was a class of 1,000 mm gauge 4-8-4+4-8-4 Garratt-type articulated steam locomotives built during the latter stages of World War II by Beyer, Peacock & Co. in Gorton, Manchester, England, for the War Department of the United Kingdom. The two members of the class entered service on the Kenya-Uganda Railway (KUR) in 1945. They were part of a batch of 20 locomotives, the rest of which were sent to either India or Burma.

The UR G class, known later as the UR / KUR GA class, and later still as the KUR EB class, was a class of 1,000 mm gauge 4-8-0 steam locomotives built by Nasmyth, Wilson and Company in Patricroft, Salford, England, for the Uganda Railway (UR). The seven members of the class entered service on the UR in 1914, and continued in service after the UR was renamed the Kenya-Uganda Railway (KUR) in 1926.

The UR GB class, known later as the UR / KUR EB1 class, and later still as part of the EAR 22 class, was a class of 1,000 mm gauge 4-8-0 steam locomotives built by North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow, Scotland, for the Uganda Railway (UR). The design of the GB class was based upon that of the earlier UR G class.

The UR GC class, later known as the UR / KUR EB2 class, was a class of 1,000 mm gauge 4-8-0 steam locomotives built by Nasmyth, Wilson and Company in Patricroft, Salford, England, for the Uganda Railway (UR). Its design was very similar to that of the earlier UR G class and UR GB class, save that the two members of the GC class were equipped with piston valves and a Robinson superheater.

The EAR 13 class was a class of 1,000 mm gauge 4-8-2 T steam locomotives built by North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow, Scotland, for the East African Railways (EAR).

The UR MS class, known later as the KUR MS class, later still as the KUR EE class, and finally as the EAR 10 class, was a class of 1,000 mm gauge 2-6-4 T steam locomotives built by Nasmyth, Wilson and Company in Patricroft, Salford, England, for the Uganda Railway (UR).

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Ramaer 1974, pp. 60–61, 62, 86.
  2. ↑ Ramaer 1974, pp. 60–49.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Durrant 1981, p. 184.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Ramaer 1974, p. 60.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Ramaer 1974, p. 61.
  6. ↑ Ramaer 1974, p. 89.
  7. ↑ Durrant 1981, p. 189.

Bibliography

  • Durrant, A E (1981). Garratt Locomotives of the World (rev. and enl. ed.). Newton Abbot, Devon, UK; North Pomfret, Vt, USA: David & Charles. ISBN   0715376411. 
  • Patience, Kevin (1976). Steam in East Africa: a pictorial history of the railways in East Africa, 1893-1976. Nairobi: Heinemann Educational Books (E.A.) Ltd. OCLC   3781370. 
  • Ramaer, Roel (1974). Steam Locomotives of the East African Railways. David & Charles Locomotive Studies. Newton Abbot, Devon, UK; North Pomfret, Vt, USA: David & Charles. ISBN   0715364375. 
  • Ramaer, Roel (2009). Gari la Moshi: Steam Locomotives of the East African Railways. Malmö, Sweden: Stenvalls. ISBN   9789172661721. 

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