NGG16 Details

Hi Guys,

I hope one of experts will be able to help on here I am trying to find the widest part of an NGG16, I have 7ft across the front plate of the bogie but I was thinking what is the width outside of the cylinders are they narrower than the Buffer beam?

As they stand they would be to wide to build new 2ft gauge 2-6-2T on, but in light of the new build LYN I just wanted to check the dimensions of these locos, it would be a great way to build two modern tank locos and the NGG16 boiler could be sold on as a spare to help fund the project.

Colin R

 

Do you know,

I was thinking exactly the same thing earlier and have been hunting about on the internet for drawings......

Chris

 

Width is according to the drawing I'm looking at 7ft, that includes the cylinders. Buffer beam varies from 6ft 7ins to 7ft

It's been done somewhere, remember reading about it, probably on one of the now defunct forums.

edit amended messed up typing!

 

Hi Colin

are you thinking of a specific NGG16 that could be adapted? I've lost track of the various ones around, their location and condition...?

 

New Zealand Govt Railways (3'-6" gauge) did something similar with their 1928 vintage "double pacific" Garrats. As usual when some stray CME thought they knew about articulated locos better than Beyer Peacock, they were a dogs breakfast, whose 3-cyl conjugated valve gear (why?!) engine units had appallingly unsuitable axle loads on non-driving wheels, carried insufficient fuel due to meddling raising the overall weight and were withdrawn after just three years.

The rebuild into pacific form took place a few years later, but were little better than the articulated locos. None of the rebuilds lasted 20 years. Not exactly one of the greatest examples of the Garratt breed, or of NZGR loco policy!

The NGG16 is a different story, but whether a knackered boiler and cradle unit would justify knocking up a couple of 2-6-2t's from the remains, I couldn't begin to guess.

 

Or indeed a 2-6-2 or 2-6-0 tender locomotive.

Chris

 

I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that the Festiniog did such an evaluation many, many years ago, with a view to producing two 2-6-2T's in the style of the ALCO. I think Hunslets ( who had made a pair of Fairlie boilers) were involved at some stage, but the idea was dropped as the chassis/cylinders were too wide for the FR's loading gauge in those days....

 

Hi Felix,

Not at the moment I don't have one in mind, I will try and make contact with Pete Best after the weekend and ask his advice the magic number as far as the L&B is concerned is 77 inches (or 6ft 5ins) there is a list of where all the NGG16's are at the bottom of this page.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Class_NG_G16_2-6-2+2-6-2

I know in the past I may have sounded very pessimistic about such a conversion, but that was due to the information I had to hand at the time, I have checked in measured and drawn to see if there is any elbow room most bridges have a clearance of 11ft (width wise), of course the problem will be what height you have for the cab but I am sure this can be worked out as well.

 

I think thatthere's one left at Exmoort that has two good power bogies but a knackered boiler. You might need to be quick, though, as the one of the WHR working examples has power unit issues and this might be an option for solving that problem.

 

Noting the striking similarities between the L&B MW locos and the SAR NGG13/16 I did a little cut-and-paste several years ago.
In spite of the similar wheel base and wheel diameters, it is obvious how different the old and modern designs are, not a very good match. Takes some redesign, larger boiler diameter and higher pitch would be better.

The best NGG16 drawing I have seen on the net is this:
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d2/bd/b4/d2bdb468e76b16f7a64dfff01e5656a4.jpg
as stated above, max width over running boards (and cylinders) 7 ft.

 

That actually doesn't look as horrendous as I imagined it would!