South African Class 15E 4-8-2

South African Class 15E 4-8-2
Henschel built 2878 at Magaliesburg, Transvaal, 26 July 1992
Power type Steam
Designer South African Railways
Builder Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns
Henschel and Son
Berliner Maschinenbau
Serial number RSH 4090-4109[1]
Henschel 23000-23010, 23111-23115[2]
Berliner 10585-10592[1]
Model Class 15E
Build date 1935-1936
Total produced 44
Configuration 4-8-2 "Mountain"
Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge
Leading wheel
diameter		 30 in (762 mm)
Driver diameter 60 in (1,520 mm)
Trailing wheel
diameter		 34 in (864 mm)
Wheelbase Total: 65 ft 6.3125 in (19.972 m)
Engine:
6 ft 10 in (2.083 m) pilot
15 ft 9 in (4.801 m) coupled
35 ft 8 in (10.871 m) total
Tender:
6 ft 2 in (1.880 m) bogie
20 ft 5 in (6.223 m) total
Length 73 ft 5.9375 in (22.401 m)
Height 12 ft 11.5 in (3.950 m)
Axle load 18.6 long tons (18.9 t) on 2nd driver (2858-2877)
18.7 long tons (19.0 t) on 2nd driver (2878-2901)
Weight on drivers 73.4 long tons (74.6 t) (2858-2877)
72.15 long tons (73.3 t) (2878-2901)
Locomotive weight 109 long tons (110.7 t) (2858-2877)
108.25 long tons (110.0 t) (2878-2901)
Tender weight 66,416 lb (30.1 t) empty
69.4 long tons (70.5 t) w/o
Tender type JT - JT, JV permitted
* 2 axle bogies
* Wheels 34 in (864 mm) dia
* Length 30 ft 9.0625 in (9.374 m)
Fuel type Coal
Fuel capacity 14 long tons (14.2 t)
Water capacity 6,000 imp gal (27,000 l)
Boiler 6 ft 2.25 in (1.886 m) int dia
22 ft 6 in (6.858 m) int length
9 ft 2.5 in (2.807 m) pitch
Boiler pressure 210 psi (1,450 kPa)
Firegrate area 63 sq ft (5.853 m2)
Heating surface:
Tubes		 136 tubes 2.5 in (63.5 mm) ext dia
36 tubes 5.5 in (140 mm) ext dia
3,168 sq ft (294.317 m2)
Heating surface:
Flues		 26 sq ft (2.415 m2)
Heating surface:
Firebox		 206 sq ft (19.138 m2)
Heating surface:
Total		 3,400 sq ft (315.870 m2)
Superheater area 676 sq ft (62.802 m2)
Cylinders Two
Cylinder size 24 in (610 mm) bore
28 in (711 mm) stroke
Valve gear RC Poppet
Tractive effort 42,340 lbf (188.3 kN) at 75% boiler pressure[3]
Career South African Railways
Rhodesia Railways
Caminhos de Ferro de Mocambique
Class Class 15E
Number in class 44
Number 2858–2901
Delivered 1935-1937
First run 1935
Disposition Retired

Between 1935 and 1937 the South African Railways placed forty-four Class 15E steam locomotives with a 4-8-2 Mountain wheel arrangement in service. (The Class 15D classification was never used.)[3][4]

Contents

Manufacturers

The Class 15E 4-8-2 Mountain mixed traffic steam locomotive was a refinement of the Class 15C and Class 15CA. It was designed by A.G. Watson, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the South African Railways (SAR) from 1929 to 1936, and incorporated many of the improvements that had been developed by him, two of which were a vastly enlarged standardised boiler and a Watson cab.[1]

They were built by three manufacturers. In 1935 British locomotive builders Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns (RSH) delivered twenty locomotives, numbered 2858 to 2877. Henschel and Son of Germany built and delivered sixteen in two batches in 1936, numbered 2878 to 2893. In 1936 German locomotive builders Berliner Maschinenbau built another eight locomotives, which were delivered in 1937, numbered 2894 to 2901.[1][2][4]

Design

Valve gear

Because of the free running that was achieved with the Class 19C and Class 16E that were equipped with Rotary Cam Poppet valve gear, Watson decided to concentrate on this type of valve gear for all his future designs. The Class 15E was therefore built with poppet valve gear. Like the other classes with poppet valve gear, the Class 15E was fast, but some trouble was initially experienced with the gear in the reverse position. This was corrected by modifying the reversing cams and these, as well as new forward cams, were manufactured at the Salt River shops in Cape Town.[1]

Watson Standard boilers

The Class 15E was delivered with a Watson Standard no. 3B boiler and a Watson cab. In the 1930s Watson designed a standard boiler type as part of his standardisation policy. Many serving locomotives were reboilered with these Watson Standard boilers and in the process they were also equipped with Watson cabs, with their distinctive slanted fronts compared to the conventional vertical fronts of their original cabs. New locomotives that were acquired in the Watson era and later, such as the Class 15E, were built with such boilers and cabs.[3][4]

Service

South African Railways

The Class 15E was placed in service on the line between Cape Town and Beaufort West. Later, when the Class 15F and Class 23 were placed in service, the Class 15E locomotives were relocated further north to work between Beaufort West and De Aar. In the 1950s they were again relocated, this time to Bethlehem in the Orange Free State, from where they worked to Harrismith, Bloemfontein and Kroonstad. They were all withdrawn from regular service in 1973, except number 2878 which was retained in running order for excursion trains.[4]

Some of the locomotives that worked on sections with tunnels were equipped with smoke deflecting cowls around their chimneys.

Other operators

Eleven of the Class 15E locomotives were eventually sold to neighbouring countries or into industrial service. Six of them were sold to Rhodesia Railways (RR) in 1970, where they retained their 15E classification but were renumbered by omitting the first digit of their SAR numbers. The Rhodesian locomotives did not last long in RR service, however, and were scrapped in 1973.[5]

Three locomotives were sold to Caminhos de Ferro de Mocambique (CFM) in 1972, where they were renumbered 721, 722 and 723 respectively.[5]

Two locomotives were sold to Dunn’s Locomotive Works to be employed at Durban Navigation Collieries (Durnacol) at Dannhauser in Natal.[5]

The table shows the Class 15E running numbers, builders, years built, works numbers and post SAR owners.[5]

Gallery

The main picture shows preserved Henschel built number 2878 at Magaliesburg, Transvaal, on 26 July 1992.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Holland, D.F. (1972). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways, Volume 2: 1910-1955 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. pp. 72-73. ISBN 0715354272. 
  2. ^ a b Henschel-Lieferliste (Henschel & Son works list), compiled by Dietmar Stresow
  3. ^ a b c South African Railways and Harbours Locomotive Diagram Book, 2’0” & 3’6” Gauge Steam Locomotives, 15 August 1941, as amended
  4. ^ a b c d Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 10-11, 62-63. ISBN 0869772112. 
  5. ^ a b c d Durrant, A E (1989). Twilight of South African Steam (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, London: David & Charles. p. 89. ISBN 0715386387.