Steam to Mombasa - English • Great Railways
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- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
- A dramatic steam safari through the East African bush by film maker NICK LERA, hauled by the most powerful meter gauge steam locomotive in the world, the massive Beyer-Garratt articulated ‘Mount Gelai’. The unique 330 mile adventure both trackside and on tbe loco footplate with legendary driver Kirpal Singh Sandhu ends with the famous spiral descent into Mombasa on the coast. Plus an historical introduction and rare archive footage.
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My father Mr Ajmer singh Sandhu used to drive 5925 on Mombasa Nairobi route till 1972. These Garrett locomotives were magnificent. This brought back fond memories.
From where you yaar
Sikhs, one of the most patriotic and bravest of all Indian people, for generations not only have protceted motherland from enemies but also contributing to India and the world to make it a better place to live with their seer hard work and service to humanity, as taught by Gurus. We are proud of our NRI brothren. Now the world recognise India more by two class of people from the same spritual lineage, Sikhs and Hindus. My regards to your father and Kirpal Singh Sandhu for their splendid work. 🙏
I thank your Dad for His dedication to Kenya. May His soul be forever blessed.
영국사우스 샘프;@;@
Thank you. I worked at Athi River cement factory for ten months in 1976. I used to travel to Mombassa on the overnight sleeper, it was not steam, but I used to dine in that beautiful carriage. Also, one lunch time I got on the footplate of a Garret that was delivering fuel oil to the factory. The driver let me "drive" it foward a few meters! Very happy memories, Kenya is heaven on earth.
Thank you for your kind comment about Kenya. Indeed a beautiful land.
@@alfredkiranga1237 oh Alfred, there you go, being so typically polite and modest like a real Kenyan. I was only in Kenya for ten months, in 1977, I was 25. I worked at Athi River, and for a couple of months at Kabini Hill. It was a wonderful year, I learned to fly at Wilson Airport, a lifetime dream! BUT the most wonderful thing I took from that year was the memories of Kenya. Beautiful landscapes, amazing wildlife, superb weather, fantastic food, and the people!!! I felt loved by total strangers! The old lady in the village shop, the duka, reminded me of my own grandmother, because I would turn up on my motorbike, and she would say "hello my dear". At Kabini Hill, some evenings I would spend a few hours drinking millet beer with some massai warriors. They spoke no English, and I spoke no Massai, but we communicated!
My PC home screen is a very blurred photo of my friends at Kabini Hill.
Years later, I cried when I learned of the atrocities carried out by the British during the Mau May.
Now I am angry that climate change is hurting Africa, and the west is refusing to take sufficient action. Also the world exploits Africa, she must be the richest continent on earth in terms of natural resources, but the poorest in the world run by the rich.
So thank YOU for your comment Alfred, and thank your whole country for the very happy time I had.
Thank you for your story,greate memories.😊💨🇭🇺🇨🇦
0:12 @@alfredkiranga1237
Thanks for the upload, my grandfather was the driver of this loco.
He seems like a wonderful person and a great driver!
@@kikivoorburg yes he was.
Prabhnik ji is shree gurpal ji in video your grandpa ? ..i hope he is doing well
Thank you 🎉❤😊.
I remember when I was in Mombasa in 1978 and visited the engine sheds where they had retired steam in storage. First time I've ever seen a Beyer Garrett locomotive!
The Bayer Garrats are a beautiful and smart railway engineering concept for the day, thank you for posting
Thanks , great watch . 3 generations in East Africa from both my grand fathers who worked on the line from Mombasa, fighting disease and wild animals and put up with the most atrocious living conditions and settling there , raised families and eventually to lose everything they built up. After 3 generations kicked out because of Africanisation . My dad was a fireman on steam engines and I remember magnificent journeys to Kampala and Mombasa . But I feel really sad how these brave men were treated, not even a mention.
😮
Sorry to hear about your bitter experience in Kenya. There are many such illtreatments meted out to Asian aliens , sad but very true...
They could never succeed without the patronage of Asian wisdom, specially from Indians who dedicated their lives to build up the railroads. Even today most of the African econmies survive with the contribution from Asian human resources and expertise... !
Nevertheless they too have become very smart in plundering and corruption with the influence of foreigners.... ! To be frank the average Kenyans are very sincere and good people except for weeknesses common to all human beings... but their problem is corrupt heirachy and politicians who keep a tght grip on their subjects in the name of democracy... !
The irony is such a beautiful vivid continent full of life and nature... and above all the natural resources they have been blessed with , being exploited by many foreign powers unscrouplously... making many african nations poorer and more poorer... !
Our Journey to Mombasa from Nairobi by train in 1991 was a wonderful and fantastic experience during the nights specilly under the starry sky and full moon through Tsave plains full of wildlife.... !
Brilliant film! Thank you very much for uploading it.
The drinks cabinet! Great sense of humour from Kirpal Singh Sandhu. I read that he died in 2010, and we can only hope that his famous house wall has been preserved for posterity.
It has been preserved in a new location 😊
@@prabniksandhu4648Any relation?
Most drivers of these magnificent locomotives were sikh and they kept their engines clean and polished all copper and brass . Ajmer singh Sandhu, Joga singh chohan were the team on 5925.
Sikhs in Kenya are best known for mechanical engineering
@@martino6205I am guessing the dukawalas are Patels, Murkhejees, or Mahatmas Gandhis.
@@b.3940 Gandhis are teachers and doctors. Shah sells everything.
My family travelled from Nairobi to Mombasa in 1962 on the way back to England - a memory deeply etched.
Fantastic film, wonderful people, beautiful railway, magnificently uplifting spiritually. Thank you to all involved.
As Schoolboy travelling this line, this way, some 70 years ago, your wonderful video showed me the parallels that steam railways has created over the years. There was little difference between all those attending there, and those attending the 50th Celebrations of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. It was inspiring to see. Thank you. Rmb
A beautiful record of this historic journey, with valuable background information; thank you.
BEYER - GARRATT'S
This method of balancing the cab boiler & smokebox on bridge girders, articulated between two "engines" (the two chassis' each with sets of wheels cylinders & motion) was Patented by an Australian named Garratt. He sold the Patent to the British locomotive manufacturer Beyer-Peacock (Manchester). The very first Garratt was built for use in Tasmania. It's now preserved in working order and operating on the Welsh Highland Railway (1ft 11.5inch gauge) in North Wales (UK).
The Double Articulated Garratt design is intended to spread the weight of the locomotive over a much greater length of track. So as to allow for very large powerful locomotives to be built with a low axle load compared to normal steam types. This allows such huge monsters to run over lightly laid track of maybe only 45lbs per yard, as typically found in many British Colonies.
The double articulation also allows these Monsters to negotiate very sharp curves, which would otherwise preclude such huge machines.
Garratt's were built in their HUNDREDS by Beyer-Peacock in Manchester. They were built for use on many different gauges in many British Empire Colonies,as well as Railways operated by British Companies in such places as Argentina & Brazil. They were therefore very common in many African Countries, including Kenya; Uganda; Tanganyika; Sudan; South Africa, Angola, Congo, Ghana, Ivory Coast; Nigeria & Both Northern & Southern Rhodesia. They were of course also found in Australia, & New Zealand, and even in Britain itself.
Further the French also built a batch of "Express" 4-6-2+4-6-2 (5ft 11in driving wheels) semi-streamlined, large Standard gauge Garratt's. 29 of which were built for use in Algeria between 1936-41, having paid "Garratt" for Patent useage. Supposedly they were capable of reaching 80mph (130kph) while blasting their way across bits of the Sahara Desert.
Even the Russians toyed with the Garratt design. One 5ft (broad) gauge monster weighing around 300tons was shipped from Manchester to Russia.
PRESERVATION
A number of Garratts are preserved some in working order, in a number of countries. Probably the largest of those preserved are the four examples of Class AD60 of the Australian New South Wales Government Railways. These are Standard Gauge monsters with a 4-8-4+4-8-4 wheel arrangement. They weigh 264 tonnes with an adhesive weight of 144 tonnes, & boiler pressure of 200psi. Axle load is a maximum 18 tonnes, and these beasts develop a Tractive Effort of 63,490lbf .
However surpassing even the power of the standard Gauge Australian Class AD60. Were the East African Railways Class 59 4-8-2+2-8-4 type (as seen in the film) which ran on the 3ft 3in 3/8ths gauge. 34 of this type were built in 1955, & 1 is preserved. They weighed 252tons. Adhesive weight 157tons, Boiler 225psi & developed a staggering 83,350lbf. it should be noted that these locos had to climb over 7,000ft from the Kenya coast at Mombasa to reach the Uganda border on their way to Kampala, and still haul significant loads, up the 1.8% gradients.
Great overview comment - thankyou . . .
Very good summery Australian? Herbert Garratt was born in London 1864
The Garratt locomotive patented in 1908 and expired in 1928
@@nigelslade5276 Indeed, but as with a lot of famous figures in Australian history, He was born in the UK. Here's a brief Historic note about him:
www.eoas.info/biogs/P003552b.htm
Australians will lay claim to anybody, especially New Zealanders.. Errol Flynn was a Tasmanian - easy mistake to make. @@nigelslade5276
Incredible engineering. Thanks for the information.
Superb Documentary by Nick and Team. Kenya needs to use these infrastructure to develop even more. The KR Senior staff are still required for service & Training.....Their pensions must be paid monthly as they worked hard during their lifetime......Singh, am told he is no there anymore...RIP would be missed. The Living Team must also help the Government to make use of the New SGR Railway......
Magnificent! Many were designed and built just 4 miles from where I am sitting!
Absolutely love the living room. Wow, it's a work of art 😊
I love the reunion of engine and driver, it's just great.
Thank you for this wonderful upload. Viewing it brought back childhood memories of travel to and from Tororo, Uganda to Mombasa in 1962 - in those days it was a three-day journey, and for a young 10 year old an awe-inspiring journey!!
I was twelve, but this brougnt back some of the excitement of the old EAR&H days, for sure.
What a wonderful locomotive. I was born in 1940 and remember well the steam days of the Pennsylvania RR here in the US.
my dad was a driver in South Africa. 90 yrs old but the passion for these magnificent machines is still there
Re the old train driver, Imagine the thrill he must have got when he was asked to once again take control of this magnificent machine he drove for all those long years ago. 😊
No doubt, he must have been over joyed. But his wife look like she has seen it all before 😂
He came to watch like a spectator and ended up taking control of the beauty.
My dad was station master at Mombasa in the late 50's and I spent many an hour amusing myself as a 8 to 10 year old on the platforms. Travelled many times by train between Mombasa to Nairobi when flying back to UK for annual leave or the more enjoyable sea trip on the SS Uganda and Kenya. Great memories!
I think we also sailed on the Uganda, which way can’t remember, it gave us a bit of a holiday co the British government after six months leave in the UK. Much more fun than flying which we did several times, and myself alone when I was sent back to finish school in England.
My memories of the sea trips were the rough seas of the Bay of Biscay and the fancy dress parties for kids. I remember having either beef tea or ice cream on the deck in the afternoons depending on the weather. Happy memories mostly.@@ragbag46
Magnificent! I do remember this engine in Nairobi's railway museum, so large for metre gauge. At the time I visited (1986) the carriages were made by Metro-Camel 30 years earlier: these look to be the same? Thanks for putting together.
Well done!!! GREAT documentary!!
Good work, Beautiful presentation, what I am saying is an Excellent Documentory film, more then words.
Great history. The Garratt is a beast. Liked & Subscribed.
Excellent photography alongside easy to understand narrative and technical details simplified for lay public. Best wishes, keep it up !
What an excellent video and layout.
Fascinating, absolutely fascinating!
These famous Garrett engines were always very impressive for me, in the early 1960’s especially on the long 5,000 feet climb from Mombasa to Nairobi.
Wonderful footage of this beautiful Garratt on this spectacular trip to Mombassa, always a bucket list for me to do. Thank you for uploading this footage.
Wow! I wasnt aware of these superb locos. A worthy companion to the American artics.
I used to work on the Garrets in Southern Rhodesia in the 70's 16a & 20th Class the closest to these Monsters ( Not many like me around now days ! )
God bless you 🙏❤️.🇭🇺
What brilliant work these Kenyan railway enthusiasts have performed.
Thank you for this splendid film, it brought back my childhood memories, we used to go for holidays from Nairobi to Mombasa and the carriage seats would convert into comfortable beds.
Excellent shot, Like
Great film, i once did a safari to Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. Did see a class 60 at work in Doshi mid 80's. Sadly probably won't be able these days to go to Kenya still nice to see the 59 working.
Wow, the feelings, and respect from me. I think it's a valuable experience to drive a steam Loco!!!
Wonderful. I now feel that I know a little about this part of Africa.
Me too !!!
Brings back nostalgic memories of early morning 5am boarding the Kampala train at Eldoret station.Boiled eggs were offered for sale by locals even as the train started moving
I loved the typically British signal box early in the video.
😀😀 Travelled on this as a child........Happy days......Happy memories..........💗
Certainly the nost beatiful metric Garrats in the world.❤
BRITISH engineering at its finest.
I remember my dad exclaiming "look son, we have a Garrett pulling us now!" Eastern Cape - East London route, South Africa, about 1957 ... and being facinated by the strange looking loco. Terrific train journeys those days! Green leather and shiny wood and a Springbok sand blasted on the windows. Great memories!
The biggest Gaet i ever saw was in a shed in New South Wales 40 years ago. the Driving wheels wee over 6ft diameter.Queensland had Garrets of a similar size to the Kenyans. New Zealand tried three garrets but were considered too complex and too powerful
Thanks Nick!
First video ever seen to date: that I've seen Beyer Garratts pull decent size... to long trains without any help!
Too good
Just too good
Well done. I think the skills the railways gave those African workers should be encouraged more into similar projects. This video gave me more insight into Kenya than I ever have seen before. The enthusiasm I witnessed, put me, an Englishman to shame
Saw these locomotives in operation in 1967. I was in port in Mombasa twice that year for 3 months at a time. The early train used to make a lot of black smoke firing up. One siting was near Tsavo gate, could see it from miles away. Happy days
Hi Mrpath99
You mentioned "Tsavo gate".
I want to know, was there also a Tsavo river and a Tsavo rail bridge ?
Thanks to everyone who had anything to do with restoring ,running and documenting this magnificent Garratt Engine! Loved them since seeing and riding the Hwange Coal Haulers in 85 to88. Replaced with 2 Diesels for 1 Garratt for each coal train!
What a fantastic film. Thanks so much.
Wspanialy dokument,piekny gest. Brawo !!!
Truely wonderful thank you !
That guy puts my train collection to shame! An entire cab of a steam locomotive? Awesome! I just have some semaphore signals and some signs....
Very interesting factual video , I worked for Kenya Railways from 2001 to 2004 teaching modern trackworking technique and H&S safe working practice , I took a special tourist train hauled by a Bayer garrett steam in 2001 with my kids who came for holiday, we also had a trip from Vic falls to bulawayo in Rhodesia in 1998 having a short vacation when I was working in Mozambique for a 2 years
a great story too!😇
Beyer-Garratts always impressive. Thanks for posting.
wonderful memory of my 4 years in east Africa in late 60's early 70's interesting to see two tank cars now that services were no longer available.
Interesting that much of the steam infrastructure was still intact at the time of this filming, IE the water standpipes.
Many thanks for this wonderful video with an very impressive historical Garrat steam locomotive
If politics, politicians and a few others would have been not so stupid, arrogant and self centered, the railway - Cape to Cairo - ( never mind what one could or can not say about Cecil Rhodes) would have really been a great thing!
Suppose one could say the same thing about the railway from Moscow to what is now Germany. The - Silk Road railway -....
One of the major side effects,of the Kenya- Uganda Railway was the elimination of the Slave Trade,which was still rampant! Not all the effects of the railroads was negative! Anyway,a small side note,on a bit of history! Thank you 😇 😊!
In Kenya there wasn't slavery......
By 19th century the swahili coast was in shambles. Slave trade was minimal.
My grand father worked with collies/Indians workers on these railways. He was Known as Asuman Muhwana. At the time, there were no uniforms for workers, they used to supply them with Jute/sisal threaded sucks once used to store grain. A cutting of arms and neck in these empty bags would be made and hand written with numbers to identify workers. My grandfather's mark on
His improvised uniform was number seven according to his story telling. Wonderful.😂
There are 4 of these engines presently running in North Wales on the Welsh Highland Railway on a two-foot gauge. They were bought from South African Railways where the two-foot gauge was common. In Wales they are painted in dark red, royal blue, racing gree and black.
I have had the opportunity of travelling by steam and diesel engine trains from Momvasa to Kasese on Uganda/Congo border
Superb ❤
Nice
Absolutely fascinating. This documentary dates to 2002, 22 years ago. What's the situation now?
Travelled from Kampala to mombasa a few times in the 60's on EAR trains with the Garret engines, great memories
Fabulous ! As a kid growing up in Kenya in the 1950s I have fond memories of seeing these giants, my favourite recollection was at night in our house in the highlands on the western side of the Rift Valley, hearing their whistles echoing up in the cold night air as they worked their loads up to Uganda.
Nice clip, very interesting. Were any of the Bayer Garrett’s every made in France . I was told the ones in Zimbabwe were made in France.
In 1952 the Franco-Belge company in Raismes (Valenciennes), France, constructed the last ten of the seventy four 15th Class Garratts of Rhodesian Railways, the main order being .
built in batches in previous years by the designers, Beyer-Peacock, in Manchester, England. In 1953 Franco-Belge built the first 12 of the 29 light 60 Class Garratts for the East African Railways. Number 6013 shown in this film on the Voi-Taveta line was the first of the remainder of the class built by the designers, Beyer-Peacock, in 1954.
@@NicholasLera-kd5tj thank you for your explanation. Very interesting history of the Garrett.
Why did America not use Garratt locomotives? Wonderful views! Thank you.
So nice to see rail history alive and breathing.
While it's sad how many railways were built by colonists for colonists, the railways themselves are just tools that are independent of those who wield the power they provide. It's nice to see people from all over come together in appreciation of the engineering of the railways and locomotives! Kirpal Singh Sandhu's demonstration of the loco's controls was nice to see too, 17 years with no accidents is amazing!
Please step down from the white shame soap box. It's tiring to hear the same pointless apologizing over the one consistent occurrence throughout history: Big fish eat little fish. If the Europeans had not mastered maritime technology nor had the industrial revolution virtually everyone who wasn't born noble would be a peasant or serf because the merchant and tradesman classes were very small also.
Colonization isn't fair (so what?) and neither was Pax Romana but progress isn't free or painless. SAPs (stone age primitives) cannot spontaneously rise from their SAP existence precisely because they are SAPs.
What a bizzare loco. I only knew about the Big Boys, Challengers and that what were they thinking Soviet non-articulated mistake.
And what a mess has been made after they left!
Let's leave out of it colonialism , it is still happening regardless of being European or not.
Britain in particular, left a huge legacy to these countries.
Look at India today, it's absolutely massive rail system was the brainchild of the British, the system is being improved all the time by India itself, they have a huge modern 25 KV electrified rail system and it is at the forefront of the Indian economy.
@@aussiepom Why is it that so many people vote for progressives / democrats / labour / liberals? Their policies are always to throw money and/or special privilege at some disadvantaged group who waste these benefits or run scams. How can anybody actually believe these policies are doing anything positive?
We get it - You hate aboriginals …
Bless yes Total Upgrade and Double Lines..
What was the flame or fire that is visible near the track level on the right side of the boiler section at time 21 minutes? (Later, I noticed this fire again at time 36:55 in a nighttime shot.)
Sir, did you keep any reminders of your time as a driver at home?
Well there is this one little thing...
This is a good memory for the whole world to watch,greetings from Chicago,great video.😊❤😢
這些老而彌堅的機車，在第二春 受到操作手的愛護 照顧下仍然活力十足 真的是一條長龍！🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
Must be the only steam locomotive with cruise control ( the piece of wood to hold the regulator open). I once used the same technique on an old Ford D series truck going up the M42 at 4am.
My motorbike here in Thailand also has an equally primitive cruise control relying on friction of a lever attached to the accelerator grip then resting against the front brake lever, crude but effective. I am here because in 1960 me and my sister attended boarding school in up country Mbeya and we travelled half way by rail.
my grandma boarded it to mombasa way back
My only railroading trps during my life so far were mostly on the Kisumu to Nairobi trains, traveling by lake steamers from Mwanza to Kisumu overnight by way of Musoma, then by train in the afternoon overnight to Kijabe. I made the round-trip about six times during my school days. At Kijabe my dormitory was just a few hundred feet downhill of the escarpment grade, and when these Garratt engines would make that climb the whole building shook. My final EAR train journey was from Kijabe to Kampala in about 1965.
that was such a good video
If anyone has the information, how powerful was this locomotive ( in terms of horsepower )?
This loco has a speed of max 60 mph.
The most powerful Garratt locomotive ever built of any track gauge. Tractive effort just over 83,000 ft-lbs
All 59 class were fitted with Giesl ejector to get more power.
Is this an oil fired locomotive
Yes
I really, really enjoyed this. I got to see Kenya and also a wonderful locomotive. Awesome !!!
Aarre Peltomaa
The ghost in the darkness the only two male lion's to run together like that an I thank they are in the field museum in Chicago
My dad was a station master in Voi 1950.
A great video for a 77 years young train buff here in Queensland, Australia. Britain gave railways to the world in those golden years of
expanding means of travel. As a young lad I'd visit my Uncle who was a Station Master in New South Wales. I saw more of the state
than any of my school mates. Every holiday period I'd join him, my Aunt and cousins, as he was transferred to new stations quite
frequently. Hence my love of trains, rolling stock and stations grew. The sounds, sights and smells of the steam era are with me yet.
But is it safe and secure in 2023?
To Mombasa, the Isle of war…
Echo the other positive comments. Thank you.
Beautiful restored locomotive, the EAR with its Maroon Garratts never failed to impress.
In this film shot in 2001 the infrastructure seemed to be very well kept, although nothing was modernised yet as the old token system was still in use.
But now with the new standard gauge railway in operation it seems very unlikely that we ever can see one of the steam engines in use again, as most of the metre gauge network seems to be abandoned now or soon.
Nice video. His fire box is now a fire water box. Is there still such a train with restaurant driving there? Regards from Belgium
Nope SGR
I love this continent
The GL class Garrett is more powerful at 89,000 lbf only 10 were built and I believe two are preserved The 59 class of # A R is at 83,000 lbf
With respect, the South African GL Class Garratt ran on the 3ft 6inch gauge, the so-called Cape Gauge. The Kenya Railways were constructed on a gauge of 1 meter, approx 3ft 3inch. .
@@NicholasLera-kd5tj One meter is equal to 39 3 3/8 inches. Still about 3 inches under Cape Gauge.
I don't know where you got 89,000lbf from? GL Garratt was 78,650lbf EA 59 class 83,350lbf
Brings back happy memories of a visit for Uhuru in 1963. Mombasa - Nairobi - Nanuki .
This film dates from 2002. Great to see all these retired fellows, African and Indian, back at work for this occasion. The Chinese-built standard gauge railway from Mombasa to Nairobi was opened in 2017, which I guess has superseded the metre gauge railway.
Kenya was not the first choice of British settlers during colonial times! Many millions settled in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Inspirational excelent show.