Sligo, Leitrim & Northern Counties Rly Beyer Garratt drawing.

[Irishswissernie]

My son Alan has emailed me a scan of a Drawing prepared By Beyer Peacock dated 24 March 1924 for a 2-6-2-2-6-2 Garratt  for the SLNCR . Loco had a tractive effort of 30850 lb , total weight 112 tons and max axle load of 12 tons.

The railway had made enquiries in the 1920's for new loco (s) from Beyer Peacock but had been put off by the prices and eventually settled for Second hand purchases or hire of locos from the GNRI. I think the drawing was probably a sales pitch by Beyer Peacock to

promote a Garratt in response to requests from the SLNCR for quotes for less 'exotic' power. I'm not sure of the source/copyright of the drawing so won't put it on the Forum at present.

LATER. Had a reply from Alan, he says it came from Dave Holman so it won't be a startling piece of news for SLNC aficiando's on IRM!

 

 

Edited May 3, 2020 by Irishswissernie

[Angus]

Hi Irishwissernie,

I would love a copy of the drawing and would happily pay any out of pocket expenses.

Would it be possible to get a scan, obviously after the current restrictions are lifted?

Thanks

Angus

[Gavin Hamilton]

Hi,

I joined this forum for other reasons but I would be very interested to see the SLNCR Garratt drawing as I maintain the Garratt Locomotive website (http://www.beyergarrattlocos.co.uk/) and am still finding or being informed about Garratt proposals.

Gavin

[Irishswissernie]

Digging deeper there is an article in New Irish Lines Nov 2016 giving more information:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fppdhvdav7vjvos/New Irish Lines Vol. 7 No. 6 - 2016 November.pdf?dl=0

Together with a 7mm scale model.

Angus/Gavin please  pm me if you you would like a scan. Its not a GA drawing just a general outline with proposed weighs/ measurement etc

Ernie 

[Mayner]

Harry Mulhollands O Gauge Garratt is certainly an impressive loco.

I think the Garratt was mentioned in Neil Spinks book, the theory appears to have been to reduce train mileage  with one Garratt hauled train in each direction handling all the goods traffic rather than usual two loco hauled trains daily. The SLNCR did not have the money to buy new locos and had to make do and mend with second hand GNR(I) locos for the best part of 30 years until the supply of suitable locos dried up in the late 1940s. Lough Erne and Lough Melvin appeared to have been ordered without the SLNCR having the money to pay for them and were eventually delivered on hire-purchase with the Northern Ireland Government as guarantor.

How a Garratt would have fared on a  typical "soft Irish day" on the steeply graded and twisty SLNCR is an interesting question as they have a reputation of being slippery in damp conditions with each engine unit slipping in turn as it took up the load. How would the drawgear on the wooden framed  Irish Standard wagons used in GNR(I) & SLNCR wagons have stood up to Garratt haulage.

The NZRs trio of Garratt locomotives were rapidly converted to 4-6-2 tender engines as a result of problems with slipping and pulling the drawgear out of wagons on the steeply graded twisting central section of New Zealands North Island Trunk Line.

[David Holman]

Do indeed have a copy of the Garrett drawing, so by all means pm me and I will scan it for you. Forget who gave it to me, but do remember it was sourced from the late Desmond Coakham's stuff. Get the impression it was almost a promotional affair which could have been built using standard parts. Briefly considered building one till I realised that, not only would it not fit in the headshunt, but it would have only left room for a train of three wagons in the fiddle yard...