Tanganyika Railway Beyer-Garratt Locomotives in Tanganyika


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class GA/53 (Locobase 793)

Data from Gavin Hamilton's excellent compilation of Garratt data posted at [link]

(6 September 2005); and "Tanganyika Railway-Design 1171", Beyer-Garrrat Patent Articulated Locomotives (Manchester, England: Beyer-Peacock & Company Limited, 1931), archived on flickr's Historical Railway Images at [link], et seq, p. 27; and "TR GA class" in Wikipedia at [link], last accessed 2 September 2021. Works numbers were 6178-6720 in 1931.

Double Mountain Garratts whose purchase was reportedly inspired by the success of Kenya-Uganda Beyer-Garratt EC2 locomotives built by North British Locomotive Company. Wikipedia notes that higher, narrower water tanks over the front engines reduced axle-loading compared to the EC2s

All took names. Arusha and Iringa signified the two largest locomotive depots and the Bukoba recognized the town with a jetty. TR soon established that these engines delivered operating costs "markedly lower" than earlier classes. "Even during the Great Depression, when traffic volumes greatly declined", Wikipedia adds, "they were of great operational benefit." Once World War II broke out, "they became indispensable."

Bukoba was submerged when its tracks were carried away by a washaway in 1944. The crew was rescued.

Once the KUR and TR merged in 1949 as East African Railways, the EAR fitted the 5301 and 02 with ACFI feed water heaters. These proved relatively impotent and demanded a lot of maintenance and the systems were removed.

But the pair of 53s continued to serve the EAR until the late 1960s.

The trio later served East African Railways as Class 5301-5303.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
ClassGA/53
Locobase ID793
RailroadTanganyika Railway
CountryTanganyika
Whyte4-8-2+2-8-4
Number in Class3
Road Numbers300-302/700-702/5301-5302
GaugeMetre
Number Built3
BuilderBeyer, Peacock
Year1931
Valve GearWalschaert
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)24.50
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)24,416 / 11,075
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)187,600 / 85,094
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)309,792 / 140,519
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)5910 / 22.39
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) 6.60
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)39 / 19.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)43 / 1092
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)170 / 1170
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)16.5" x 22" / 419x559 (4)
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)40,255 / 18259.38
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 4.66
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)194 / 18.03
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)43.60 / 4.05
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)2062 / 191.64
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)380 / 35.32
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)2442 / 226.96
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume189.36
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation7412
Same as above plus superheater percentage8598
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area38,257
Power L17219
Power MT678.68

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