The EAR 59 class was a class of oil-fired 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3?8 in) gauge Garratt-type articulated steam locomotives. The 34 members of the class were built by Beyer, Peacock & Co. in Manchester, England, for the East African Railways (EAR). They entered service in 1955–56, and were the largest, heaviest and most powerful steam locomotives to operate on any metre gauge railway in the world. They were designed to haul 1,200-ton trains on 1.5% gradients and were the mainstay of freight services on the 330-mile run from Mombasa to Nairobi until the late 1970s. The 59 series was withdrawn between 1973 and 1980. The 4-8-2+2-8-4 # 5918 "MOUNT GELAI" of the Nairobi Railway Museum is manoevering for a Geoff's Train/Tanago charter. The next day in the late afternoon, the locomotive suffered a superheater failure outside of Nairobi and as far as I now, she never was steamed up since then! In the meantime, the 1 meter gauge railway line on which she was allowed to run from Nairobi to Mombasa was discontinued and demolished, replaced by the new standard gauge line (SGR).
Trains don't run themselves--they're ultimately run by people. This album showcases the hardworking folks that make railroads work, as well as emphasizing the size of these great machines in comparison to their masters. All photos must include a visible h
