NGG11 - Garratt

In 1914 an order for 3 Garratt’s where placed with Messrs. Beyer Peacock, because of the Great War (World War 1, 1914-18) the loco’s where only delivered 1920. Two placed in service on the Stuartstown line in Natal and the other on the Avontuur line in the March of that year. They have the honour of being the first Garratts to enter service on the SAR which then turned out to be a long and very successful relationship, the SAR being the most prolific users of the Garratt type loco both on the two foot gauge and Cape Gauge. When I started my apprenticeship as a fitter on the SAR in Salt River Works,1980, the GMAM’s where undergoing what turned out to be their last major re-fit. The two foot gauged Garratts where classed NGG11 and numbered 51, 52 and 53 with a wheel arrangement of 2-6-6-2. The coupled wheel diameter was 2’6”. They have a full working weight of 44tons 15cwt. The front tank water capacity of 970 gallon s and the rear tank of 380 gallons and two and half tons of coal. The boilers where of the saturated steam type. The loco’s had ‘d’ type slide values. The tractive effort at 75% of boiler pressure was 15 876lbs. The overall length over the buffers was 44ft.71/2”. A further two where ordered in 1925 although this time with piston valves. They were numbered 54 and 55

A selection of NGG11 photo's from the Peter Blackham collection.