BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE

Not to dispute any of the numbers thrown out, but the theory of leaving water in the water bunker for ballast might be a plausable theory if in fact all the Garratts were run chimney first. The two times I was there basically they ran Coal-Bunker first(1977 and 1984). Sometime before that the Railway decided to do it that way. I am not sure why they did that, but I heard a couple of theories, one being for tunnels, and the other just to keep smoke from getting in the cab and obscuring vision.
Now going along with this discussion I would surely think the coal to be heavier than the water bunker(which is small), so perhaps the reason they turned them around the last 10 or so years was to have the coal bunker up front for more traction.
Now one of the last Garratts on mainline trains in 1984 was a ballast working out of Waterval Boven. It ran to Springs coal bunker first, but did not turn there, returning chimney first the old way as God intended.
They also did not take water in Springs cause they disliked their water.
They had two water bottles with them instead. This is not something I read, but something I saw in regular service action, not a fantrip.
As Michael stated I never really saw any slippery Garratts, not even on the long-distance train from Capetown over Montague Pass in 1977. My brother got doubleheaded Garratts in the early 70's!!! Here is a REGM(Randfontein Estates Gold Mine Railway former SAR GMAM in Blue Livery. This was 1984, and they had a good stable of these.
Greg Scholl


Passenger train Image on Montague Pass(Capetown to Port Elizabeth) was still steam and Garratt powered in July 1977. This was a hike in shot
up the grade from George climbing from ocean level. This was a nice show and there were a couple of freights as well with Garratts(GMAM).
[www.gregschollvideo.com]