South African Class 15F 4-8-2

The Class 15F was the most numerous steam locomotive class in South African Railways service. Between 1938 and 1946 two hundred and fifty-five of these steam locomotives with a 4-8-2 Mountain wheel arrangement were placed in service.^[5][6]

Manufacturers

The Class 15F 4-8-2 steam locomotive was designed by W.A.J Day, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the South African Railways (SAR) from 1936 to 1939, and was built in four batches by four locomotive manufacturers in Germany and the United Kingdom over a period of eight years spanning World War II.^[7]

• The first twenty-one were built in Germany in 1938. Seven were delivered by Berliner Maschinenbau, numbered 2902 to 2908, and fourteen by Henschel and Son, numbered 2909 to 2922.^[3]
• Another forty-four were built by the North British Locomotive Company (NBL) of Glasgow in 1938. They were delivered in 1939, numbered 2923 to 2966.^[4]
• Locomotive building was interrupted by World War II, but because of a critical motive power shortage that developed in South Africa during the war, manufacturing of the Class 15F was resumed even before hostilities had ceased. In 1944 production started on thirty locomotives by Beyer, Peacock and Company (BP), delivered later that same year and numbered 2967 to 2996.^[1]
• In 1945 sixty were built and delivered by NBL, numbered 2997 to 3056.^[4]
• The final batch of one hundred Class 15Fs were built by NBL in 1946 and 1947 and delivered between 1946 and 1948, numbered 3057 to 3156.^[4]

The table shows the Class 15F running numbers, builders, years built and works numbers.^[1][3][4][6]

Lineage

The Class 15F represented the ultimate stage in a long history of development spanning thirty years. The first Class 15 4-8-2 tender locomotive entered SAR service in 1914, sporting a 40 square feet (3.716 square metres) grate, a boiler pressure of 185 pounds per square inch (1,280 kilopascals), a maximum axle load of 16.5 long tons (16.8 tonnes) and 57 inches (1,450 millimetres) driving wheels. Later orders incorporated major improvements in succession, until the Class 15CA was commissioned in 1926 with a 48 square feet (4.459 square metres) grate, a boiler pressure of 210 pounds per square inch (1,450 kilopascals), a maximum axle load of 17.75 long tons (18.0 tonnes) and 60 inches (1,520 millimetres) driving wheels.^[8][9]

Attributes

Valve gear

The locomotive was similar to its predecessor Class 15E, but built with Walschaerts valve gear as specified by CME W.A.J. Day, who was not a protagonist of RC Poppet valve gear. This and some other differences led to it being classified 15F.^[7]

Watson Standard boilers

The Class 15F was delivered with a Watson Standard no. 3B boiler and a Watson cab. During the 1930s Day’s predecessor as CME, A.G. 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 15F, were built with such boilers and cabs.^[5][7]

Pre-war models

The pre-war Class 15Fs were hand stoked and delivered without smoke deflectors. The original twenty-one Berliner and Henschel builts remained hand-fired for their full working lives. On the pre-war NBL-builts, on the other hand, provision was made in the design to later convert them to mechanical stoking. A mechanical stoker was tested on number 2923 before the remaining locomotives of that group were all fitted with stokers by the late 1940s. Their brake systems consisted of steam brakes on the engines and vacuum brakes on the tenders.^{[2][8][9][10]}

Post-war models

The post-war locomotives were built to the design and specifications of Doctor M.M. Loubser, who succeeded W.A.J. Day as CME in 1939. The specifications included mechanical stokers, smoke deflectors, vacuum brakes on the driving wheels as well as the tenders, with two 24 inches (610 millimetres) brake cylinders on the engine and two 21 inches (533 millimetres) cylinders on the tender.^{[2][8][9][10]}

The early post-war locomotives built by BP and NBL in 1944 and 1945, like the pre-war NBL-builts, were built without mechanical stokers, although provision was made for their subsequent conversion to mechanical stoking. They were all equipped with stokers post delivery. The locomotives in the final order from NBL, number 3057 and later, were delivered new complete with mechanical stokers.^[10]

Apart from these differences, the post-war locomotives were identical to the earlier ones. Smoke deflectors were later installed on the pre-war locomotives as well.^[7]

The use of vacuum braking instead of steam braking became standard practice on locomotives from 1944 onwards and was welcomed by SAR drivers, who were always reluctant to make use of steam brakes for fear of skidding the locomotive wheels. The trigger on the steam brake attachment, for isolating the proportional device that admitted steam to the brake cylinder automatically upon the application of the vacuum brake, was invariably wedged down with a wooden peg by drivers to eliminate the steam brake entirely.^[2]

Service

While the Class 15F was used predominantly in the Orange Free State and Western Transvaal, it also saw service in every system country wide, including Garratt territory in Natal, where they were used on the line from Newcastle to Utrecht. It also briefly served on the Cape Eastern system when it worked out of East London in the early 1960s.^[7]

Some briefly served outside South Africa’s borders. In 1978 six Class 15Fs were hired to Rhodesia Railways (RR), but they were returned nine months later and replaced by Class GMAM Garratts.^[6] When the Class 23 was retired, many Class 15F locomotives inherited their huge twelve wheel Type EW tenders which, apart from increasing their range with its larger fuel and water capacity, also greatly enhanced their appearance.^[6]

In later years, when the Class 15F was being relegated to heavy shunting and local work, many of the post-war locomotives had their mechanical stokers removed.^[6]

Preservation

As would be expected, given its usefulness and the large quantity placed in service with the SAR, quite a few of this type have survived into preservation.

The Pretoria-based steam heritage club Friends of the Rail (FOTR) possesses two locomotives of this class, numbers 3094 and 3117.^[11]

• Number 3094 was in service with FOTR until its withdrawal in 2007 due to failing flexible stays surrounding the firebox. This locomotive now awaits its turn to be overhauled.^[12]
• Number 3117 was restored by FOTR and returned to service in December 2008, after 17 years of standing idle. This locomotive was derailed near Cullinan due to sleeper theft in July 2009. It too was awaiting repairs by November 2011.^[13][14][15]

The Germiston-based Reefsteamers has three Class 15F locomotives in its stable, numbers 2914 "Spikkels", a hand-fired version, 3016 "Gerda" and 3046 "Janine". The latter was the club's only operational 15F as at November 2011.^[16].

Number 3007 was one of many built by NBL. In 2006 this locomotive was returned to its builder's home city, Glasgow in Scotland, where it has been put on static display in George Square by the North Britsh Locomotive Preservation Group.^[17]

Commemoration

A 40c postage stamp depicting a Class 15F locomotive was one of a set of four commemorative postage stamps that were issued by the South African Post Office on 27 April 1983, to commemorate the steam locomotives of South Africa that were rapidly being withdrawn from service at the time. The artwork and stamp design was by the noted stamp designer and artist Hein Botha.^[18]

The particular locomotive depicted was NBL built Class 15F 2954. The outline of a traditional SAR locomotive number plate was used as a commemorative cancellation for De Aar on the date of release.^[18]

Gallery

The main picture shows pre-war NBL built 2940 "Lynette", with an ex Class 23 Type EW tender, at speed near Princess station on the Johannesburg-Magaliesburg line on 6 April 1992.

See also

• South African Class 15 4-8-2
• South African Class 15A 4-8-2
• South African Class 15B 4-8-2
• South African Class 15C 4-8-2
• South African Class 15CA 4-8-2
• South African Class 15E 4-8-2
• South African Class 23 4-8-2
• Tender locomotive numbering and classification
• Watson Standard boilers
• The 4-8-2 "Mountain"
• List of South African locomotive classes

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Beyer, Peacock and Company production list, excluding Garratts, Customer List V1 04.08.02
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Holland, D.F. (1972). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways, Volume 2: 1910-1955 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. pp. 97-98. ISBN 0715354272. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} Henschel-Lieferliste (Henschel & Son works list), compiled by Dietmar Stresow
4. ^ ^{a b c d e} North British Locomotive Company works list, compiled by Austrian locomotive historian Bernhard Schmeiser
5. ^ ^{a b c} South African Railways and Harbours Locomotive Diagram Book, 2’0” & 3’6” Gauge Steam Locomotives, 15 August 1941, pp21 & 21A, as amended
6. ^ ^{a b c d e} Durrant, A E (1989). Twilight of South African Steam (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, London: David & Charles. pp. 90-91. ISBN 0715386387. 
7. ^ ^{a b c d e} Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 10-11, 63-64. ISBN 0869772112. 
8. ^ ^{a b c} 4-8-2 Class "15F" Locomotives for the South African Railways, reprinted from "The Railway Gazette" of September 20, 1946
9. ^ ^{a b c} Kleinplasie Farming Museum, Worcester
10. ^ ^{a b c} Additional information received from Les Pivnic
11. ^ "Steam Locomotives - FOTR Class 15Fs". Friends of the Rail. http://www.friendsoftherail.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53:class-15f-nos-3094-and-3117&catid=36:steam-locomotives&Itemid=84. 
12. ^ "Steam Locomotives - FOTR Class 15F, No 3094 - FOTR Forum". Friends of the Rail. http://www.friendsoftherail.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=205. 
13. ^ "Steam Locomotives - FOTR Class 15F No. 3117, FOTR Forum". Friends of the Rail. http://www.friendsoftherail.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=85. 
14. ^ "Steam Locomotives - FOTR Class 15F No. 3117, FOTR Forum, inauguration". Friends of the Rail. http://www.friendsoftherail.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=259. 
15. ^ "Steam Locomotives - FOTR Class 15F No. 3117, FOTR Forum, accident". Friends of the Rail. http://www.friendsoftherail.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=330. 
16. ^ "Steam Locomotives - Reefsteamers Class 15Fs, Reefsteamers website". Reesteamers. http://www.reefsteamers.com/Rolling%20Stock.html. 
17. ^ "Steam Locomotives - North British Loco Class 15F, 3007". NBLPG. http://www.nbloco.net. 
18. ^ ^{a b} Philatelic Bulletin 176, issued by Philatelic Services and INTERSAPA, 1983

External links