page_title: South African Class FC 2-6-2+2-6-2
section_title: Double Fairlie
hierarchical_section_title: South African Class FC 2-6-2+2-6-2 / The Fairlie locomotive / Double Fairlie
caption_attribution_description: English: Cape Government Railways Fairlie no. E34 (0-6-0+0-6-0), the second Cape Fairlie by Avonside in 1878
context_page_description: The South African Railways Class FC 2-6-2+2-6-2 of 1925 was an articulated steam locomotive.
  In 1925, the South African Railways placed a single experimental Class FC Modified Fairlie articulated steam locomotive with a 2-6-2+2-6-2 Double Prairie type wheel arrangement in service.
context_section_description: The first Fairlie locomotives later became known as Double Fairlies. In general appearance, most of them were reminiscent of the German-built Zwillinge which saw service on the narrow gauge lines in German South West Africa and other German territories. However, while the Zwillinge were pairs of individual locomotives which were semi-permanently coupled back-to-back, the Double Fairlie was a single locomotive with either a double-ended boiler or two separate boilers with smokeboxes at each end, a central firebox and a central cab, all mounted on one rigid frame. It ran on two swiveling engine units or powered bogies similar to those of a Garratt locomotive, with the cylinders on each engine unit at the respective locomotive ends. Couplers, buffers and, where they were in use, cowcatchers were mounted on the engine units so that they could more accurately follow the curvature of the track.
caption: Cape Government Railways Double Fairlie, c. 1888
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