Beyer-Garratt South African Railways Locomotive

Beyer-Garratt articulated steam locomotive, Class GL, made by Beyer, Peacock & Co. Ltd, Manchester, 1929 and used by South African Railways as locomotive no. 2352.

Built by Beyer, Peacock and Company in Manchester for South African Railways, 2352 was designed to pull heavy coal trains, weighing as much as 2,000 tons each, on lines running through hilly terrain. The engine was large and powerful, but its weight was spread over 14 sets of wheels so it could travel over lightly laid track, and the articulated design allowed it to bend around tight turns.

Until the fall of the racist Apartheid system in the 1990s, South African Railways imposed strict racial segregation on its trains. There were separate carriages for passengers of different races, with the best facilities reserved for white people. While smaller Garratts were used on passenger trains, the enormous 2352 spent its career mostly hauling coal.

2352 was acquired from South African Railways for the museum collection in 1984.