I am delighted to see Kenya keeping their steam giants rolling. They are part of Kenya's history. I rode many thousands of miles behind a Garrett engine going back and forth to boarding school in Kijabe, Kenya. The Sikhs were masters of the art of taking a double header up grade. They used the whistle, both engineers tooting the whistle in unison, and they would add steam in each engine on the beat of the tooting so that the drive wheels would not spin out. The railway went just above our school, and we often stood and watched them go by. My pal and I once pulled a nasty trick on a couple of Sikh engineers. We buttered the track so that the drive wheels spun out on the up grade train. They had to wipe the butter off the wheels and track in order to proceed. We also put ten cent coins on the track to flatten them. I recall the dining car being my favorite place because I might get curry for lunch. At Miwani station, we would get stalks of sugar cane from the plantation train sitting nearby and chew on it as we traveled. So, keep the moshi of the gari ya moshi in the air for future kids to see what steam is all about.
I really wish they were keeping their steam giants going, and it is not for want of trying by me and other dedicated enthusiasts in the UK and elsewhere, and specialist tour organisers like Enthusiast Holidays - but I fear that these scenes will never be repeated. Since that trip in 2001, there have been a handful of smaller journeys; and as late as 2013/14 a major tour was promoted through the "Railway Magazine". It would have required an upfront investment by me of several thousand pounds to put the Garratt into full working order; and to a lesser extent, 3020 and 2409; however the tour attracted just short of 100 participants, which would have made it economically viable. Unfortunately, however, a combination of apathy and corruption and sheer incompetence in high places, made it impossible to conclude a satisfactory contract, and in the end matters were taken out of our hands by a Foreign Office travel directive advising against all travel to Kenya because of terrorist activity and political unrest. So that trip never ran. Now the Kenyans have been persuaded by the Chinese to accept a new standard gauge railway, running alongside the old metre gauge track, and which is now operating although it will probably take Kenya many years to pay for it. The metre gauge line will presumably be abandoned leaving the mighty Garratt and the other steam locomotives nowhere to go. Oh for the British Empire!
Steve From Taxes . There is no more old railway running all is gone to ruins .As new railway rail has been laid by Chinese and it started last year 2017. From Embakasi to Mombasa all new stations, now it takes 6 hours from Nairobi to Mombasa where as it use to take about 12 hours .I did that journey this years in January 2018, it's worth it. I Was pleased with their cleanliness and punctuality . Those old day will NEVER come. They are memories of gone by years
![NSWGR 6029 Beyer Peacock Garratt steam locomotive [AH016]](/img/1.gif)
I am delighted to see Kenya keeping their steam giants rolling. They are part of Kenya's history. I rode many thousands of miles behind a Garrett engine going back and forth to boarding school in Kijabe, Kenya. The Sikhs were masters of the art of taking a double header up grade. They used the whistle, both engineers tooting the whistle in unison, and they would add steam in each engine on the beat of the tooting so that the drive wheels would not spin out. The railway went just above our school, and we often stood and watched them go by. My pal and I once pulled a nasty trick on a couple of Sikh engineers. We buttered the track so that the drive wheels spun out on the up grade train. They had to wipe the butter off the wheels and track in order to proceed. We also put ten cent coins on the track to flatten them. I recall the dining car being my favorite place because I might get curry for lunch. At Miwani station, we would get stalks of sugar cane from the plantation train sitting nearby and chew on it as we traveled. So, keep the moshi of the gari ya moshi in the air for future kids to see what steam is all about.
I really wish they were keeping their steam giants going, and it is not for want of trying by me and other dedicated enthusiasts in the UK and elsewhere, and specialist tour organisers like Enthusiast Holidays - but I fear that these scenes will never be repeated. Since that trip in 2001, there have been a handful of smaller journeys; and as late as 2013/14 a major tour was promoted through the "Railway Magazine". It would have required an upfront investment by me of several thousand pounds to put the Garratt into full working order; and to a lesser extent, 3020 and 2409; however the tour attracted just short of 100 participants, which would have made it economically viable.
Unfortunately, however, a combination of apathy and corruption and sheer incompetence in high places, made it impossible to conclude a satisfactory contract, and in the end matters were taken out of our hands by a Foreign Office travel directive advising against all travel to Kenya because of terrorist activity and political unrest. So that trip never ran.
Now the Kenyans have been persuaded by the Chinese to accept a new standard gauge railway, running alongside the old metre gauge track, and which is now operating although it will probably take Kenya many years to pay for it. The metre gauge line will presumably be abandoned leaving the mighty Garratt and the other steam locomotives nowhere to go.
Oh for the British Empire!
Steve From Taxes . There is no more old railway running all is gone to ruins .As new railway rail has been laid by Chinese and it started last year 2017. From Embakasi to Mombasa all new stations, now it takes 6 hours from Nairobi to Mombasa where as it use to take about 12 hours .I did that journey this years in January 2018, it's worth it. I Was pleased with their cleanliness and punctuality . Those old day will NEVER come. They are memories of gone by years
I love your thought it's good to keep it moving love from mombasa kenya
My father late Ajmer singh Sandhu was a driver on 5924 and 5925 Mombasa Nairobi line till 1972.
Wow!
And the old Token rackets at 2:10 seconds.
Just what I was going to say! I remember seeing them as a boy.
Typical Garratt-sound!