Garratt - Preservation

Preservation

Around 250 Garratts exist today. While many are stored or dumped in various stages of disrepair, more than 100 are preserved in museum collections or on heritage railways. Operating Garratt locomotives can be found in Europe, Africa, India and Australia. In Spain, a 2-8-2+2-8-2 number 282F-0421, nicknamed "Garrafeta", occasionally runs in the Lleida area. An enormous 4-6-2+2-6-4, number 462F-0401, is under restoration. Both locomotives are managed by ARMF, a non-profit organisation which also holds the only main line repair workshop for historical railway vehicles on broad gauge network.

A single Hanomag-built narrow gauge example exists in the USA located in Texas.

The first Garratt locomotive, the K class of the North-East Dundas Tramway, has been preserved. After the line closed in 1929 the locomotives were put up for sale. K1 was purchased by Beyer, Peacock in 1947 for their museum. The preserved loco has parts from both original engines, including the boiler from K2. When Beyer, Peacock ceased trading, the locomotive was sold to the Ffestiniog Railway, who initially proposed to cut it down to meet their loading gauge. For a number of years it was on loan to the National Railway Museum and was exhibited in York. In 1995 it was removed from York to commence restoration in Birmingham. It was returned to Wales in 2000 where restoration was continued at the Ffestiniog Railway workshops at Boston Lodge. It was fitted with a new boiler and restored to full running order on the Welsh Highland Railway in September 2006. The Welsh Highland Railway owns several former South African SAR NGG 16 Class Garratts, and operates both the first and last Garratts constructed by Beyer, Peacock.

Several Australian Garratts have been restored to operating condition. G 42, formerly used on the narrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways, used to work regularly on the Puffing Billy Railway in the Dandenong Ranges outside Melbourne currently it is full operation. The Queensland Railways removed 1009, its sole remaining 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratt, from an open air museum and fully restored it to working order. It was out of service in December 2007, awaiting a new boiler which Queensland Rail plans to fabricate itself. In late 2007 work commenced to overhaul NSWGR AD60 6029 to operating condition in Canberra.

In Kenya, East African Railways 59 class 5918 was maintained in operating condition. Likewise in Zimbabwe 20th class 730 and 740 were held in operating condition. They have not run since 2004 when 730 was briefly used on Bulawayo commuter services. None are likely to operate again without external funding for major repairs as the only work available for them are excursion trains for foreign tourists / rail enthusiasts.

In South Africa, a restored main-line 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge GMAM class Garratt 4079 operates as a tourist attraction and was used in 2006 on a special Rovos Rail tour. At Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal a 610 mm (2 ft) gauge Garratt is operational on a short tourist line.

In December 2007, Zimbabwe class 14A Garratt number 509, overhauled in Bulawayo was offloaded in New Zealand for operational preservation by the Mainline Steam trust. In early 2011 Zimbabwe 15th class 398 was also delivered to New Zealand for restoration to operating condition by Steam Inc.

As of February 2011 there are only two places in the world where one can with reasonable confidence view a Beyer-Garratt in daily operating service. Bulawayo/Hwange, Zimbabwe and Ushuaia, Argentina whilst Dinas in North Wales offers the sight of daily operation for about 10 months of the year.