From: jishnu@nospam.verizon.net   
      
   On 5/15/2014 4:19 AM, rcp27g@gmail.com wrote:   
   > On Thursday, 15 May 2014 06:20:03 UTC+2, Larry Sheldon  wrote:   
   >> On 5/14/2014 10:56 PM, Glen Labah wrote:   
   >>   
   >>> The other interesting thing is that if you look at some of the photos of   
   >>> the yards   
   >>> http://www.noarail.com/members2/v/John+ll/Working+Steam/EAR02.jpg.html   
   >>> the track spacing seems somewhat wider than necessary.  Maybe someone   
   >>> had the idea that someday conversion to standard gauge might happen?   
   >>   
   >> For the terminally uninformed--what is in the structure in front of the   
   >> boiler in that picture?  I do not believe I have ever seen such a thing.   
   >   
   > It's a relatively conventional Beyer-Garratt locomotive.  The concept is   
   that the boiler   
   >is suspended between two engine-units, the "rear" engine unit carries   
   the fuel and some   
   >water, the "front" engine unit has a water tank (to supply the boiler,   
   I say front and   
   >rear in quotes because the locomotives are designed to be used equally   
   well in either   
   >direction), and there is no separate tender.  Ohe benefit is that the   
   boiler has no   
   >wheels or running gear beneath it, so it can be of large diameter, and   
   can sit lower   
   >than would be possible with driving wheels beneath it, which is useful   
   for stability   
   >on narrow gauge track.  In general it provides for a large and powerful   
   locomotive on   
   >a light axle loading that can cope with narrow gauge track with tight   
   curvature.   
   >   
   > Robin   
   >   
      
   Indian Railways had these enormous Broad Gauge N Class Garratts on BNR   
   (Bengal Nagpur Railway, now South Eastern Railway) which hauled coal   
   trains before electrification. One is preserved at the New Delhi   
   National Railway Museum, and another one is preserved in the erstwhile   
   home shed of the class.   
      
   --- SoupGate/W32 v1.03   
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