Going loco for Garratts

Readers letters

I was interested in your article on Garratt locomotives. There are three examples in daily operation in the UK

I was interested in your article on Garratt locomotives "Spanning the World" (PE May) but quite surprised that Rhonda Grantham finished the story by saying Garratts can be seen in Argentina, when a far closer location to see three examples in daily operation (with 3 further on the way) is the Welsh Highland Railway (which she only mentioned in passing earlier) running between Porthmadog and Caernarfon through the heart of Snowdonia.

This line has been rebuilt in stages over the last 2 decades by the Ffestiniog Railway (with which it links to form, at 40 miles, by far the longest heritage line in GB) and challenges the ex- South African Railways ngG16 class loco's (the larger 2ft. gauge steam loco's even built) with 5 miles of continuous 1 in 40 grades over repeated hairpin bends. (See www.festrail.co.uk/main.shtml)

I was also interested that the Beyer Peacock advertising poster you printed was captioned "Exotic locations..." as the class it shows was actually those built for the LMS railway in Britain and were not that company's greatest successes, suffering through the LMS insisting that its own standard parts be incorporated, including such critical components as the axleboxes.

Bob Rainbow, Porthmadog, Gwynedd