# Unusual locomotives



## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

A very unusual locomotive is an articulated Beyer-Garratt I process some, here are some videos of a 4-8-4+4-8-4 MWGX class on my layout. 
in actual service:
Tractive effort of: 63,490 lbf 
Weight on drivers of: 282,000 lb 

Video: http://www.indiarails.net/video---beyer-garratt-in-operation.html


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

They were also used in the UK for hauling coal trains. Nice layout.


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## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

Cycleops said:


> They were also used in the UK for hauling coal trains. Nice layout.


Hi,
Yes they were used in UK, but a majority were used in Africa, India Australia and New Zeland. I belive soem were used in Spain and in Russia. 
I do have a LMS Garratt 2-6-0+0-6-2. this does not have a decoder in it which I plan to add.

Thanks,

Vik.


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## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

*Not a true locomotive but still motive power*


An old Morris car on rails. this is still stored at the Maharaja of Mysore state Place museum. and to the best of my knowledge is still in operating condition


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## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

*Picture*

Sorry forgot the picture.


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

Sorry Vikram, doesn't look like any Morris I've ever seen. Couldn't suggest what it is but interesting though. Maybe the A gives a clue, likely of course to have been British.


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## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

HI,

It is a Morris Austin, as you know the Austin Motor Company was merged with Morris Motors Ltd in 1952 (before my time) I think the 'A' stands for Austin. I remember them plying on roads in India in my youth; being referred to Morris Austin (I know my dad had one.)

Thanks,


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## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

*Steam Monorail*

The Maharaja of Patalia state in 1907 build a very unique steam monorail; rail-guided, partially road-borne railways system very unique as it was the only operational locomotive-hauled railway system built using the Ewing System.


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

Weird! Flanged heels were already in use, wonder why he chose this system?


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

Looks like we're the only ones inhabiting this thread Vikram!


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## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

Cycleops said:


> Weird! Flanged heels were already in use, wonder why he chose this system?


HI,

The reason was as stated in an article in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patiala_State_Monorail_Trainways

"
*Advantage of using Ewing System*

The railways based on the Ewing System are basically monorails using a balancing wheel for balancing the train. The main load (almost 95%) is borne by the single rail while the rest is borne by the balancing wheel which runs on the ground. Further, in normal train systems, the rails have to be at almost exact level of other rail, failing which the train may go off the tracks. By using Ewing system, this problem is solved as the balancing wheel does not need exact level to maintain the balance of monorail. In addition the cost of laying tracks also goes down considerably since only one rail is used. Another benefit of using Ewing System was that the balancing wheel could run on existing tarred roads as well as the macadam roads thus further reducing cost to lay down tracks.
Using one rail also means that the turning circle is far less than the standard trains. PSMT had to pass through some very congested areas. Since the space need to lay the tracks was less and balancing wheel could run on existing roads, PSMT succeeded in running through the congested urban areas of Patiala. The balancing wheel of PSMT ran on the roads and did not interfere with normal traffic.
PSMT could have been forerunner of mass transit system in urban areas in India. Its model still holds good for introducing mass transit system in congested urban areas where laying of train or tram tracks is not possible due to space constraint."


I agree it is only both of us, maybe others will catch on. I would love to see other unusual locomotive.


Regards,


Vik.


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## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

Another one, a Rail car


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## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

*Diesel powered shay*


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## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

Chet,
Boy that is unusual. Great find. Is it Preserved?

Vik.


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## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

vikramgoel said:


> Chet,
> Boy that is unusual. Great find. Is it Preserved?
> 
> Vik.


I haven't a clue. Just stumbled across the photo while trying to get some logging ideas. I would be nice if they did.


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## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

Chet said:


> I haven't a clue. Just stumbled across the photo while trying to get some logging ideas. I would be nice if they did.



Chet,

What did you use for the Caboose ride video?

Great layout.

Vik.


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## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

Here's my camera car. Just a full size camcorder on a flat car. The only problem I have with it is that all of my flat cars have sprung trucks and with super elevated curves, if the camera isn't balance perfectly, it will roll down a hill and wipe out a herd of 1/87 cattle. 










This is used for the cab ride, On the caboose ride, the flat car is just tacked onto the end of a train. The caboose ride is an older video and a lot of scenery has been added since.


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## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

Chet,

Looks good, have you tried (or know some body) one of those spy WiFi cameras, that possibly can be mounted inside a wagon. I am trying to decide how to get this to work.

Thanks,

Vik.


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## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

I just used the camera I had. I have seen the smaller cameras, but can't see spending the money. This camera is too large to fit through tunnel portals, but the only thing that would be seen is some hidden staging tracks.


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## EMD_GP9 (Jun 19, 2012)

> Looks like we're the only ones inhabiting this thread Vikram!


Hi all. I just found this thread so I will join in if you don't mind .
I remember the LMS Garratts ( or British Railways when I saw them) when I was very young at Tamworth U.K. where they crossed a viaduct after crossing over the West Coast main line.
As a coincidence I came past Toton yard near Nottingham a couple of weeks ago and this is 
where the garratts worked from !
There was also an 0-4-4-0 Garratt at Baddesley Colliery near Atherstone which I saw later and in fact I worked for a while with it's driver who had left the colliery by then.
This loco still exists in Norfolk U.K. and is called "William Francis" 
I ride behind Garratts most years but they are 2ft gauge ex-South African locos on the rebuilt Welsh Highland Railway in North Wales.
They are only 2ft gauge but are huge locos for such a narrow gauge.
There is a Garratt about 1.5 miles from me but this is 7.1/4" gauge and sometimes runs on a 
line about 10 miles away where sometimes a much larger Garratt runs.
If you are interested in unusual locomotives then try this site 

http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/locoloco.htm

It may have been posted on the site before but it is probably the best site for the unusual.

Regards, Colin.


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## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

Colin,
Welcome, you found a Great site, a mother-lode of information; I had no clue what a range of unusual locomotives existed.
I model in HO and have 4 of the Garratts. Garratts were used in India and were very successful, there is a preserved Garratt which is operational. One of these days I need to get up and take a trip to Australia (or UK) and ride in one of these locos.

Regards,

Vik.


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## broox (Apr 13, 2012)

vikramgoel said:


> Hi,
> Yes they were used in UK, but a majority were used in Africa, India Australia and New Zeland. I belive soem were used in Spain and in Russia.
> I do have a LMS Garratt 2-6-0+0-6-2. this does not have a decoder in it which I plan to add.
> 
> ...


Yep, they were in Australia 

Pretty sure the local train museum (National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide. http://www.natrailmuseum.org.au/ ) has a Garratt on display. they are huge.

I'll see if I have pics from one of our visits, or I'll take new ones next time we go down.


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

EMD_GP9 said:


> If you are interested in unusual locomotives then try this site
> 
> http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/locoloco.htm
> Regards, Colin.


Wow, that is one fantastic site. I've barely started looking at all the links. Gotta bookmark that one!! Thanks a bunch for posting it. :appl:

Anybody want to try kit bashing a Big Boy into one of those quintuplexes??


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## fcwilt (Sep 27, 2013)

The Beyer-Garratt is one of my favorite engines.

I have several from this company:

http://eurekamodels.com.au/garratt.html


I also am a fan of these:

http://www.american-rails.com/triplex.html

Models of this by MTH are currently available.


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

No need to go that far Vikram, I think you have one right there in Texas: 

NG50

Hanomag 10598/1928

South African Railways

At Hempstead & Northern RR, Texas

Source: http://www.beyergarrattlocos.co.uk/survivors.html


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## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

broox said:


> Yep, they were in Australia
> 
> Pretty sure the local train museum (National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide. http://www.natrailmuseum.org.au/ ) has a Garratt on display. they are huge.
> 
> I'll see if I have pics from one of our visits, or I'll take new ones next time we go down.


Would love to see a picture. Please post when you get a chance

Vik


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## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

fcwilt said:


> The Beyer-Garratt is one of my favorite engines.
> 
> I have several from this company:
> 
> ...



I also have the Eureka models AD60. Not sure of the Tripllex as I do not believe any was ever on the Indian Railways. The Triplex is definately a unique locomotive.

Thanks,

Vik


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## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

Cycleops said:


> No need to go that far Vikram, I think you have one right there in Texas:
> 
> NG50
> 
> ...


I need to get to Texas one day. Is it operational?
Regards,

Vik.


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## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

Here is a unique shunter with a vertical boiler and a roller chain.










"boiler was vertical with two vertical cylinders - one on each side. These were connected by a common crankshaft with camshafts which set the cut-off. Roller chains then transmitted power from sprockets on the crankshaft to sprockets on each of the two axle"

This picture is from the National Rail museum in New Delhi India

Vik.


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## EMD_GP9 (Jun 19, 2012)

Hi all.
Glad you like the unusual loco site.
The vertical boiler loco is a "Sentinel" made in Shrewsbury England.
There are two listed in the Delhi transport museum - No. 8135 of 1929 and 6723 of 1926.
There are about 40 of them existing worldwide many of them in working condition.
I have just bought and read a book on the history of the Sentinel company.
I already had the book 1930 to 1980 but found a copy of the earlier book up to 1929 which completed the history !
Further to the subject of Beyer Garratts I don't have any examples as I model Union Pacific and Swiss railways in H0 scale, neither of which used garratts but I have U.P. and other articulated locos and also a couple of Swiss "Crocodiles" which could be called the electric version of the Garratt.
I do however have a "Shay" which is a fascinating loco to see working.
Regards, Colin


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## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

EMD_GP9 said:


> Hi all.
> Glad you like the unusual loco site.
> The vertical boiler loco is a "Sentinel" made in Shrewsbury England.
> There are two listed in the Delhi transport museum - No. 8135 of 1929 and 6723 of 1926.
> ...


Colin,

I do have an HO model of the Crocodile. They were used in India on the Western Ghats around Bombay. Here si a picture of one, and the model I have.










Here is my model


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## broox (Apr 13, 2012)

Incoming spam. Click for bigger.

From train shows




From Train Museum








From a Birthday Present


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## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

Good find


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## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

Here is a modified trolly (Handcart).


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## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

Here is an unusual electric locomotive page is at: http://electric-edwardians.blogspot.com/2012/09/aeg-electric-locomotive-1913.html


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## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

*Steam RAilcar*

Steam operated Railcars were very rare. Here is one from Sri Lanka, which still operates tourist runs:


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