The AFR Garratt.. 

The Railway was looking for a large steam loco to haul coal and ore trains, after a trip to Aussie and visiting the Sandstone and Termite Railway,  I was hooked on the Idea of a garratt. 

Saw photos of the G class at Puffing Billy and well it was ideal for the AFR, so after getting a LGB Mallet delivered to the Railway the fitters went to work cutting and altering things to fit. The model is roughly based on the Aussie G Class but has had a few NZ alterations. We have given it the running number G43 (as there were only 2 ever built No’s 41 & 42) it has made itself at home on the Railway but has only been test run on trains on the old Railway and used on the odd work train building the new.

Above left; Dubs A towing mallet to the workshop for its conversion. Above Middle; Tanks & bunker taking shape as well as the boiler. Above right; Work comences on the smoke-box, boiler & cab. The sand boxes are in place. 

Below Left; Front unit completed and painted. Below middle; Westinghouse pump, funnel, check valves & smoke-box door has been  fitted. Below right; Back unit freshly finished & fitted to the loco.

Above left; Out on a test run with an ore train on the old Rly.  Above middle; Front view on the new Railway. Above right; Back view on the new Railway.  Below; Looking down on the loco after a load test on the bridge.