Re: N. American N.G. Steam Locomtive Design

But you failed to elaborate! The two 2-8-8-2T's were n't any old mallet. They were the last and largest Kitson Meyer locomotives built - assembled in 1935 by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns from parts supplied by Kitsons in Leeds who were on the point of closure. Outside framed, 205 p.s.i. working pressure, 66 ft 4 3/4 in O.L., weighing in at nearly 145 te in W.O. and developing 58,564 lbs T.E. (@85%)they must rank amongst the largest 3 ft gauge locomotives ever built. They were a development of a class of 4 very successful Type 3 2-6-6-2T Kitson Meyers built under the direction of P.C. Dewhirst for the Giradot section of Ferrocarriles Nacionales(Columbian National Railways)and were withdrawn in 1960-61 after being idle for several years. Whilst Donald Binns in his excellent book 'Kitson Meyer Articulated Locomotives' refers to them as "running with the precision of swiss watches", I suspect that Christopher Walker's comments in his equally excellent book 'Narrow Gauge in Columbia - Railways and Steam Locomotives' is closer to the mark when he refers to them as being "a design to far" - too big and too inflexible. Another glorious British failure though the Baldwin mallet suplied to the Giradot at the same time seems to have performed no better - are there any pictures of this machine extant? Any way, if any of the above encourages readers to look up the two books referred to above, I might have done a bit of good.
Charles.