Re: Dbl Farlie

The boiler is one long barrel but there are two fire boxes back to back at the middle. The firebox doors are in what I guess would be the side of a conventional firebox but the only difference so far as I know is the clearance in the cab. There really is no width in there to swing a shovel! so that’s why the shovel on a double engine will have a very short handle. The fireman will also pick his moments to shovel coal as the line side clearance is down to six inches in places and he doesn’t want to lose the shovel on a cutting wall or signal post!

Incidentally, the long boiler wasn’t a problem on the Ffestiniog Railway where the line climbs on a continuous and relatively gentle grade, but could be problematic on undulating track which explains why you don’t often see old photos of them running on the Welsh Highland Railway. I wonder if this problem contributed to the short life of Mountaineer on the D&RG.



They really are a neat solution, at least to the Ffestiniog Railway’s needs and as the first locomotive with two articulated power bogies (trucks) I guess they are they grand daddy of all modern diesel and electric locomotives.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/13/2020 11:21PM by Cymro.