John - Nice photograph. She sure has an intersting look to her (compared to steam locomotives in the USA). Thanks for sharing this photo.
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Garratt type steam locomotives are articulated locomotives like American articulated locomotives, but with a rearrangement of the pieces. A Union Pacific "Big Boy" has a long boiler with two sets of mechanisms, the front of which swivels under the boiler. The "Big Boy" carries it's coal or fuel oil and it's water in a trailing tender. A Garratt locomotive has two mechanisms (engines) which serve to support each end of the center section which contains the boiler and the operators cab. the front mechanism also carries the water supply. While the rear mechanism carries the coal or fuel oil, so no additional tender is needed. Note some Garretts did pull an extra tank car of water, in areas where water was scarce. But fuel oil fired "Big Boys" pulled extra fuel oil tenders where fuel oil facilities were far apart. The "Big Boy's long boiler did overhang on curved track which was not a problem with Union Pacific's large radius curves. The Garrett design did not have the overhang problem, and these locomotives were in fact developed for narrow gauge railways like those in South Africa, etc. Steam locomotive designers state the Garretts were more stable and in both directions, thus did not need turning where such facilities were not available.
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