Beyer-Garratt Steam Locomotives in India

Bengal-Assam


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class MWGH/GC (Locobase 5801)

Data from Gavin Hamilton's excellent compilation of Garratt data posted at [] (6 September 2005); and A[rthur] E[dward] Durrant, Garratt Locomotives of the World (revised edition) (Newton Abbott, UK: David & Charles, 1981), p. (Thanks to Nick Lera for his 26 September 2024 email helping to untangle the careers of several Garratt classes such as this one.) Works numbers were 7122-7135 in 1943.

These Double Mikado Garratts shared their boiler and firebox designs with the War Department's Light-Metre Double Consolidation Garratt design. Water tankage and fuel bunkerage grew and that increased total engine weight. Hamilton's tables say that adhesion weight decreased, which doesn't seem likely in view of the location of the water tanks over one set of drivers.

The first two engines never arrived as they were lost at sea. The surviving dozen had been delivered by October 1943. After World War II ended, all of the engines transferred to the Burma Railways.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
ClassMWGH/GC
Locobase ID5801
RailroadBengal-Assam
CountryIndia
Whyte2-8-2+2-8-2
Number in Class12
Road Numbers74210-74223/831-842
GaugeMetre
Number Built14
BuilderBeyer, Peacock
Year1943
Valve GearWalschaert
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)23,520 / 10,669
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)186,928 / 84,789
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)263,984 / 119,741
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)4320 / 16.36
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) 6.60 / 6
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)39 / 19.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)39 / 991
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)204.50 / 1410
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)15.5" x 20" / 394x508 (4)
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)42,832 / 19428.29
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 4.36
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)187 / 17.38
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)43.70 / 4.06
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1742 / 161.90
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)313 / 29.09
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)2055 / 190.99
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume199.41
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation8937
Same as above plus superheater percentage10,277
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area43,978
Power L18360
Power MT788.78

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