South Africa 4-6-2

1 south africa

1.1 cape gauge

1.1.1 natal government railways
1.1.2 cape government railways
1.1.3 central south african railways
1.1.4 south african railways


1.2 narrow gauge

south africa
cape gauge
natal government railways

havelock hairy mary, c. 1898

the first use of 4-6-2 wheel arrangement in south africa c. 1890. during 1887, designs 2-8-2 mikado type tank-and-tender locomotive prepared natal government railways (ngr). locomotive built in durban workshops , entered service in 1888, named havelock, rebuilt 4-6-2 pacific configuration. havelock first locomotive designed , built in south africa. during second boer war havelock saw action in service on armoured trains. unlike usual practice in such cases, engine not equipped armour plate protection, draped in strands of thick hemp rope earned apt nickname hairy mary amongst troops.

ex ngr class k&s, sar class c1

in 1901, ngr rebuilt 1 of class k&s 4-6-0 tank locomotives 4-6-2t locomotive extend range providing larger bunker. in 1912, when assimilated south african railways (sar), designated class c1. in same year, 4 more of these locomotives built surplus material in sar’s durban workshops.

no more tank locomotives pacific wheel arrangement saw use on 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) cape gauge in south africa. 2 class 2 variants introduced on ngr between 1905 , 1910.

ex ngr class hendrie a, sar class 2



in 1905, 2 class pacific tender locomotives entered service on ngr, designed locomotive superintendent d.a. hendrie , built nbl. had plate frames, used saturated steam , had stephenson valve gear. accommodate wide , deep firebox, hendrie used bridle casting similar introduced on cgr beatty class 6 2-6-2 prairie in 1903. method of widening frames firebox continued in south african locomotive design until 1927, when general adoption of bar frames rendered no longer necessary. in 1912, designated class 2 on sar.
in addition, 2 more class locomotives, known class hendrie c, built in ngr’s durban workshops in 1910. redesigned version of hendrie a, similar in general proportions, walschaerts valve gear, larger diameter coupled wheels, larger boiler , more enclosed cab offered better protection crew. in 1912, sar designated them class 2c.

cape government railways

the first locomotives pacific wheel arrangement in cape 2 tank locomotives entered service in 1896 on private metropolitan , suburban railway operated suburban passenger service between cape town , sea point. in 1901, both locomotives sold mashonaland railway.

three class 5 , 1 experimental karoo tender locomotive variants introduced on cape government railways (cgr) between 1903 , 1912.

ex cgr karoo class, sar class 5a



in 1903, first 2 karoo locomotives entered passenger service on cgr. development of cgr class 6 2-6-2 , designed chief locomotive superintendent h.m. beatty. locomotives, built kitson , company, acquired cope increasing weight of passenger trains on 1 in eighty ruling gradient between beaufort west , de aar in karoo, hence karoo class name. in 1912, when came onto sar roster, designated class 5a.
following on success of first 2 karoo class locomotives, further 4 ordered beyer, peacock , company in 1904. modified in view of experience gained original two. on sar, designated class 5b, until 1 later reboilered watson standard no. 1 boiler , reclassified class 5br. of them later equipped piston valve cylinders , superheaters.
in 1907, cgr placed single experimental three-cylinder compound pacific in service, based on second karoo class. built north british locomotive company (nbl), not classified , referred 3 cylinder compound. cylinders arranged in smith system of compounding, single high-pressure cylinder situated between 2 low-pressure cylinders. locomotive had bar frame, walschaerts valve gear , used saturated steam. compared simplex two-cylinder karoo, compound take heavy train long continuous grade @ higher speed, while experienced drivers found outperform karoo in terms of power fuel , water consumption. in 1912, sar classified class experimental 1.
the enlarged karoo, built vulcan foundry, 1 of locomotive types designed , ordered cgr before sar established , ended being delivered newly established national railways of union of south africa in 1912. larger , heavier version of class 5b, higher pitched boiler, belpaire firebox, larger diameter leading , coupled wheels , larger cylinders. 4 locomotives designated class 5. 1 of them later reboilered watson standard no. 1 boiler, equipped superheater , reclassified class 5r.

central south african railways

csar class 9 no. 600, sar no. 727

five class 9 pacific passenger locomotives, designed p.a. hyde, first chief locomotive superintendent of central south african railways (csar), delivered vulcan foundry in 1904. had bar frames, stephenson valve gear , used saturated steam, , proved useful passenger work moderate loads, working mail trains johannesburg durban far charlestown on transvaal-natal border many years. retained class 9 classification on sar.

csar class 10 no. 656, sar no. 738

five class 10 variants introduced between 1904 , 1910.

also in 1904 , designed hyde, fifteen class 10 pacific locomotives delivered csar nbl. locomotives of extremely advanced design, superheated , highest boiler pitch yet in south africa, plate frames, wide belpaire fireboxes, outside admission piston valves , walschaerts valve gear. in 1912, when assimilated sar, retained class 10 classification.
ten heavy pacific passenger locomotives, designed csar chief mechanical engineer (cme) g.g. elliot based on hyde’s class 10 design, ordered nbl , delivered in 1910. had plate frames, belpaire fireboxes , walschaerts valve gear , delivered in 2 variants, 5 of them using saturated steam while rest superheated. while similar class 10, boilers arranged further forwards, firebox throats , plates sloped instead of being vertical, used inside admission piston valves , valve gear reversed means of vertical steam reversing engine mounted on right-hand running board. classified class 10-2 csar but, in 1912, sar designated saturated steam locomotives class 10a , superheated ones class 10b. further 5 superheated class 10b locomotives delivered sar beyer, peacock in 1912.
twelve light pacific locomotives placed in service csar in 1910, classified class 10-c. designed elliot , built nbl, similar class 10-2, smaller , smaller coupled wheels. used saturated steam , had belpaire fireboxes , walschaerts valve gear, reboilered , equipped superheaters. in 1912 designated class 10c sar.
one more pacific ordered csar alco in 1910. superheated , built same specifications of class 10-2 of same year, bar frame. more powerful class 10-2 , designated class 10 csar, along fifteen locomotives of 1904. in 1912, locomotive became sole class 10d on sar.

south african railways

seven class 16 variants introduced on south african railways (sar) between 1914 , 1935.

sar class 16 no. 800, c. 1930



the class 16 pacific designed hendrie, cme of sar 1910 1922, , built nbl, delivered twelve locomotives in 1914. design closely followed of class 15 4-8-2 mountain type introduced @ same time same builders, , many parts made interchangeable. had walschaerts valve gear, superheated , had belpaire fireboxes. @ time, considered large , powerful express locomotive, when compared british locomotives built run on 4 ft 8 ⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge. 60 inches (1,524 millimetres) coupled wheels, ratio of wheel diameter rail gauge same of standard gauge locomotive having 81 inches (2,057 millimetres) coupled wheels. tractive effort of 29,890 pounds-force (133.0 kilonewtons) @ 75% boiler pressure exceeded 27,800 pounds-force (123.7 kilonewtons) @ 85% boiler pressure of churchward’s great bear on great western railway , equalled, @ 85% boiler pressure, of gresley’s subsequent great northern pacifics. made class 16 powerful express passenger locomotive design yet have been built in britain @ time.
the class 16a four-cylinder simplex pacific of 1915 designed hendrie , built nbl. 2 locomotives delivered, identical in respects predecessor class 16 except had 4 cylinders instead of usual two. 4 cylinders arranged in line below smokebox , same size, outer cylinders driving centre coupled wheels while inner cylinders operated on cranked leading coupled wheel axle. result smooth running locomotive, capable of fast running, since available space on cape gauge locomotive prevented larger cylinders being fitted, four-cylinder design never repeated sar.


class 16b no. 805 restored as-delivered appearance



the class 16b pacific, designed hendrie, built nbl, delivered ten locomotives in november 1917. identical predecessor class 16 , successor class 16c in respects, except had wider cabs class 16, while class 16c had combustion chamber in firebox. ten reboilered watson standard no 2b boilers , watson cabs slanted fronts, , reclassified class 16cr.
ten class 16c locomotives, designed hendrie , built nbl, delivered in 1919 twenty following in 1922. identical predecessors class 16 , class 16b in respects except addition of combustion chamber, proved excellent free-steaming, fast , reliable locomotives reserve of power greater either of predecessors. thirty later reboilered watson standard no 2b boilers , reclassified class 16cr.


class 16d no. 860



seven class 16d pacific locomotives built sar baldwin locomotive works in 1925 , 1926. class designed working union limited , union express fast passenger trains, forerunners of blue train, between johannesburg , cape town. builders conformed sar requirements, incorporated latest american railway engineering practices , introduced several new features sar, such top feeds boiler, self-cleaning smokeboxes, sellar’s drifting valves, grease lubrication , arch tubes support brick arch , improve circulation. had bar frame extending front buffer beam rear dragbox, while size earned nickname big bertha. in 1926, no. 860 made locomotive history hauling union limited on 956 miles (1,539 kilometres) johannesburg cape town in 29 hours.
when orders more pacific locomotives placed in 1928, class 16d design modified cme, colonel f.r. collins dso, shortened frame end @ front of firebox , added bridle casting. resulted in wider frame below firebox , cab , consequently more ashpan room. fourteen class 16da locomotives built design, 6 hohenzollern locomotive works in 1928 , 8 baldwin in 1929. hohenzollern , baldwin locomotives differed class 16d virtue of shortened frame.


henschel-built class 16da of 1930



when a.g. watson succeeded collins cme in 1929, designed boiler wide firebox of wootten type, grate area of 60 square feet (5.574 square metres) improve steaming properties of these locomotives. grate 15 square feet (1.394 square metres) larger of hohenzollern , baldwin locomotives , these boilers installed on final 6 class 16da locomotives, built henschel in 1930. these locomotives sufficiently different baldwin , hohenzollern-builts justify separate classification such class 16db, did not happen. steaming ability of these six, known class 16da wide firebox, phenomenal , led adoption of wide fireboxes without combustion chambers standard on subsequent sar mainline locomotives.


class 16e no. 858



the class 16e pacific designed watson , built henschel, delivered 6 locomotives in 1935. 72 inches (1,829 millimetres) diameter coupled wheels, considered remarkable cape gauge express passenger locomotive ever built. coupled wheels largest ever used on less 4 ft 8 ⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge locomotive, , had all-up weight , tractive effort equal or exceeding of pacifics outside north america. used rotary cam poppet valve gear driven outside rotary shafts, resulted in extremely free-running characteristics. boasted largest fire grate on pacific outside north america. class 16e had watson standard no. 3a boiler and, @ 9 feet 3 inches (2.819 metres) above rail level, boiler centre-line highest-pitched on sar. , limitations of loading gauge made impossible install normal steam dome , place taken inspection man-hole. steam collected through numerous small feeder pipes fixed 2 collector pipes, arranged high possible above water surface. collector pipes joined form main steam pipe, 7 inches (177.8 millimetres) in diameter, led superheater header , multiple valve regulator, situated in smokebox.

narrow gauge

in 1906, 2 small 4-6-2 side-tank locomotives, designed hendrie , built hunslet, entered service on 2 ft (610 mm) estcourt-weenen narrow gauge railway of ngr. had outside plate frames , used walschaerts valve gear. commonly known hunslet side tanks since narrow gauge locomotives on ngr designated class n. although came onto sar roster in 1912, never classified since sold moçâmedes railway in portuguese west africa in 1915, long before system of grouping narrow gauge locomotives classes introduced sar somewhere between 1928 , 1930.

ngr hawthorn leslie, sar class ng3

in 1907, ngr placed 6 4-6-2t tank locomotives in service, designed hendrie based on hunslet side tank. built hawthorn leslie , company, had outside plate frames , used walschaerts valve gear. commonly known hawthorn leslie side tanks , acquired new narrow gauge donnybrook-esperanza railway in natal. came onto sar roster in 1912 , later classified class ng3.

in 1908, 2 pacific tank locomotives bar frames , walschaerts valve gear, built bagnall, entered service on narrow gauge walmer branch of cgr in port elizabeth. came onto sar roster in 1912 , remained in service until walmer branch closed in 1929.

in 1911, shortly before being amalgamated sar, ngr placed first 2 of 7 4-6-2t narrow gauge locomotives in service, built kerr, stuart , company using hawthorn leslie drawings class ng3. 2 more followed in 1913 , 3 in 1914, kerr, stuart. while virtually identical hawthorn leslie side tanks, boiler pitch had been raised 3 inches (76 millimetres) make larger firebox possible. had higher side tanks , less ornate sand boxes on top of boiler. between 1928 , 1930 classified class ng4.

sar class ng10 no. ng62, c. 1930

in 1916, sar ordered 6 narrow gauge pacific tender locomotives baldwin locomotive works. had outside bar frames , walschaerts valve gear , became popularly known sixties, based on engine number range. typically american in appearance, ornate chimney cap , steam dome separate engine number on disk on front of smokebox door, narrow gauge pacific tender locomotives see service on sar. later designated class ng10, placed in service on langkloof line between port elizabeth , avontuur in eastern cape, spent of working lives. in 1948, 2 of them transferred south west africa (swa). 6 withdrawn service 1962 direct result of widening of narrow gauge lines in swa 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) cape gauge.