The Garratt Locomotive 2026 Summary
2026 Garratt survey.
Readers who are not familiar with the locomotives mentioned below might like to consult the survivng Beyer Garratt loocomotives list which has not been updated to reflect any changes which are reported below.
Readers will note that right now (December 2025) there is not a single large Garratt (over 2’6” gauge) in service anywhere in the World.
However, Australia could see four Garratt's in operation in 2026 - the same as Wales and possibly South Africa (albeit briefly in April).
Argentina.
The 2 FCAF Garratt's in Ushuaia are in daily service with record numbers of passengers arriving off cruise ships.
Australia.
ASG G33 at Queenscliff in Victoria continues to make solid progress towards a first steaming with a successful hydro in late 2024. Work continued apace on a long punch list of items to be addressed in 2025. A first steaming is expected in the first half of 2026
AD60 6029 now part of the NSWGR collection based at Thirlmere only operates in the Australian winter months as during the Australian summers, due to it being coal fired, there is a significant line-side fire setting risk. During 2025 it has received a new front water tank, new superheater flues and superheater elements and some stay bolt work. It is expected to operate in 2026 for about 10 days. Which is the plan per year for the foreseeable future.
NG/G16 129 after some time in the workshop, has been in regular use on the Puffing Billy Railway, usually on the heavily loaded Saturday lunch time train.
G42 is usually resident in the Menzies Creek Museum. However, it is expected to operate during 2026, the one hundredth anniversary of its construction.
NG/G16 127 the last steam locomotive to operate on the Alfred County Railway in South Africa was sold and delivered to the Puffing Billy Railway in March 2012. It is currently displayed inside the same Menzies Creek Museum awaiting a decision on funding for a rebuild to operate on 2’6” gauge. It has however, received a recent coat of original color black paint to replace the sun faded green applied in South Africa.
England.
The prototype Garratt K1 is now based at the Statfold Barn Railway near Tamworth in central England. It can be found there or on the Welsh Highland Railway when moved “home” for special events. It appears however, to have spent the whole of 2025 on the Welsh Highland, most of it in store.
India.
Broad gauge N class 81, restored in 2006 and again in 2018 (at a cost of 400,000 USD), It was last recorded in steam on September 22nd 2019 at the Kharagpur locomotive works in Bengal. Operating authority for all steam locomotives now rests with the catering arm of India Railways. There are no plans and no current funding for it or any other steam locomotives to operate on the Indian Railways broad gauge system.
Kenya.
The 59th 5918 remains stored under cover in the main works in Nairobi. It has not run since 2011 when it blew a superheater element. Kenya Railways has from time to time received enquiries for its operation. Kenya Railways now charges a fee to quote the cost of repairs and operation to discourage the “dreamers”. 5930 was moved from the museum to the Uhuru Gardens in great secrecy with no image’s forthcoming. It is displayed; visitors can view it and other equipment. This leaves the museum without a 59th class. There are however, three other Garratt’s in the museum including the modern 60th 6006.
New Zealand.
RR 14A 509 at the Main Line Steam depot in Plimmerton is looking very tidy, stored under cover in a combination of black top coat and grey primer and is basically complete. No major work has been done to for over three years save fitting of all the number and builders’ plates plus a few other smaller items. This is due to other projects but mainly involving the refurbishment and official inspection of a passenger car fleet for main line operation which has become a ten-year project in itself. It is unlikely after the news that the regulators are calling for more inspections, that 509 will be made ready for main line operation. There is still the remote possibility that it will be steamed in the yard at Plimmerton if the air brake and oil firing conversion work is completed.
The GMA/M 4083 has been moved to Mercer south of Auckland where the trackwork has been modified to give main line access while site clearance, filling and leveling continues for a new museum proceeds. Last steamed in an Auckland yard in 1997, there is no possibility of 4083 operating on the main lines of New Zealand due to its size.
RR 15A 398 based with Steam Incorporated at Paekakariki. Too long for any New Zealand turntable, 398 was not a smart acquisition. A 14A would have made more sense and several were available at the time. 398 is being slowly worked on after the decision was made to return it to steam for use only in the yard at their depot. There is no published scope or timeline for this work, enquiries continue to draw a hostile response. The locomotive was, in theory, in operating condition when it arrived in New Zealand in 2011. A full boiler exam will be the minimum requirement from any insurance company, even for yard operation.
South Africa.
Creighton is now in theory under new management. GMA/M 4126, the only Cape Gauge Garratt in operating condition in the entire country has been cosmetically refurbished and a new boiler ticket was issued in 2023 but no notice of use has been seen.
Paton's Country Railway at Ixopo under the same new management as Creighton. The privately owned NG/G16 116 has not operated since completion of its boiler overhaul in March 2017. It is for sale. The NG/G11 52, owner by the THF, the boiler is off the cradle laying in the grass in three pieces.
Sandstone has operated on just two long weekends a year in recent times - unless a private charter was booked. They then cancelled all public services due to on-going shortage of skilled fitters to maintain their locomotives. The situation has improved recently with Lukas Nel being recalled in a supervisory capacity to solve some of their maintenance issues. The Winelands Railway workshop near Cape Town has been machining some components too. NG16 113 and 153 were then operated for a private event in November 2025. The Easter 2026 “Cherry Festival” now advertised is expected to run. 88 is now withdrawn after a boiler inspection, 16A 155 is still not yet sorted out and 16A 141 is still only partially assembled for display. Sandstone has also consolidated its Cape Gauge locomotive collection at the estate with GMA/M’s 4079 and 4114 on display (only) at the farm.
At Humewood Road, Port Elizabeth. The overhaul of NG/G16 131 still owned by the THF will be a decision for the winners of the perpetually open public tender to operate the railway to decide upon.
There was a major survey of all THF owned locomotives during 2023 -2024. All those not leased to third parties for preservation (with new rules on the condition they must be kept in) or not on the official preserved list such as those at George Museum or officially stored in Bloemfontein yard are expected to be auctioned off, potentially for scrap. This includes many Garratts and may total 100 steam locomotives in all, albeit mostly hulks today after theft of all non-ferrous metals including journal boxes which prevents movement from where they stand.
Spain
Garratt locomotives 282F-0421 and 462F-0401 were stored out of use for many years then evicted from their base in Lleida. They have now been transferred by rail about an hour south to the museum at Mora La Nova where it is hoped at least one will be put back into operating condition.
USA.
NG/G13 50 remains in operating condition and is used occasionally on it’s private railway at Hempstead in Texas. There are plans to increase the length of track it has to run on.
Wales.
At the Welsh Highland Railway NG/G16 87, 130 and 143 were in service all season in 2025. 138 is under full overhaul which is proceeding but not expected back in service for several years due to a desire to spread out the ten-year boiler ticket expiration dates. 140, the boiler and power units in particular, are a source of rotable spare parts for the other four locomotives. As far as is known the 140 boiler cradle has not been used in Wales, therefore, there has been no locomotive carrying the number 140 in Wales. Freshly overhauled NG15 134 entered service in 2025 and will, while providing variety, eliminate the certainty of finding a Garratt at the head of a regular Welsh Highland passenger train.
At the Vale of Rheidol Railway NG/G13 60 is in regular service during the busy summer months and for charters.
Zambia.
The Bushtracks dinner train operation is based in Livingstone. They maintain a train on both sides of the border but the locomotives are all based in Livingstone. The sole operational locomotive, RR14A 523 commutes to Victora Falls when needed. This meant 523 was in operation year-round up to five days a week.
On December 28th 2024 after working a Victoria Falls dinner train, the locomotive worked light engine back to Livingstone. When crossing the facing point at the Bushtracks dinner train siding about 1 km north of the Victoria Falls bridge, the locomotive’s rear power unit split the point, the locomotive derailed and the locomotive stopped. After stopping, the entire locomotive toppled over to the left. The crew jumped to the right and were not injured.
Zambia Railways slewed the track around the incident and sent their crew to help with recovery. It then transpired that there was no working rail mounted crane on the ZR network. Therefore, the two tanks were craned off to the nearby road using a truck mounted crane and returned to the yard. The two power units were then re-railed using hydraulic jacks and towed back to the yard by a third-party diesel. The boiler unit was stripped of all fittings, superheaters and the superheater header. All were returned to the yard by road. The available jacks were not strong enough to lift the boiler unit.
The boiler unit was finally recovered by February 8th when the South African luxury train operator Rovos sent their recovery crew and equipment to assist. The boiler unit was seen re-mounted on the power units in Livingstone yard. Little has been said about the repair of 523 but recently I’ve been told that when funds are available, it is the intention to start repairs, after 520 becomes operational.
At the yard, all hands turned to making RR14A 520 operational using new parts and some parts “borrowed” from 523 and possibly 512. This work was in progress as of January 25th 2025 against significant upcoming train reservations. Despite all the cost and time estimates, the locomotive had still not steamed by December 2025 due to late arriving parts from a foundry.
Latest news from Livingstone is a first steaming of 520 in 25 years is expected in February 2026.
Enquiries were made to rent a ZR diesel after the incident only to discover ZR diesels are now a very rare item with up to 50 third party diesels now in use in country. The company has two small industrial diesel shunters acquired from South Africa which it is assumed are being used on a reduced dinner train service.
Over the years there have been on and off discussions with Mrs. Bell said to be the owner of RR14A 512 and 516. There was already a handshake agreement that Bushtracks could use parts off 512 as needed provided they were replaced. 512 is still stored in a siding in Victoria Falls with a condemned boiler. After the 523 incident, the discussion became very urgent if Bushtracks is to salvage their dinner train business with available resources. This discussion was getting close to an agreement by January 15th 2025 but it was held up with the discovery that Mrs. Bell was not the sole owner of the two locomotives. No further news has been forthcoming.
516 has been stored in the Bulawayo Museum for 30 years. It saw little work on the NRZ after an overhaul then was sold. While it has been stripped of fittings, the basic power units and the boiler are believed to be in sound condition.
Zimbabwe.
The Bulawayo steam shed is now officially closed. All staff were dismissed. Security is employed around the P15 shop where RR15A 395 is kept and said to be serviceable if there was anyone to work on and operate it.
However, in late 2025, NRZ appointed a new general manager. She is keen to have one steam locomotive maintained in operating condition. She intends to justify this by using the locomotive on the west end shunt when needed. Maintaining the locomotive would be accomplished using recalled pensioners. It will be interesting to see if this project gets off the ground – 395 is in decent shape having been retubed and a replacement bogie fitted. It has not been not used since this work was completed around 2022.
The Bulawayo Museum exhibits are now in dire condition.
At Hwange, a boiler survey was conducted in late 2024 on RR15A 392 (Hwange 10) and the positive results passed to mine management with a view to receiving funding to put the locomotive back into operation. This approval was not received and by December 2025 the project was said to be “dead”. It is assumed now that the remaining steam locomotives at Hwange (all Garratts) will either be sold or scrapped.
The reason for the reason for the activity at Hwange was the increasing daily rental cost of a NRZ diesel to assemble coal trains and deliver them to Thomson Junction. The rental cost was said to be $500 USD a day (which some would say is a bargain, including Bush Tracks). A huge percentage of Hwange coal now leaves by road with long convoys of trucks seen heading north for the DRC at the Zambian border.
A mass scrapping of the more than 50 hulks laying around the old steam shed in Bulawayo can be expected at any time.
Steam activity in the Victoria Falls area (there was none in 2025) is listed under Zambia.
Compiled by Trevor Heath
December 2025.