| South African Class 5 4-6-2 & South African Class 5R 4-6-2 |
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|---|---|
| CGR Enlarged Karoo Class, SAR Class 5 780 | |
| Power type | Steam |
| Designer | Cape Government Railways |
| Builder | Vulcan Foundry |
| Serial number | 2774-2777 |
| Model | CGR Karoo Class |
| Build date | 1912[1] |
| Total produced | 4 |
| Configuration | 4-6-2 "Pacific" |
| Gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge |
| Leading wheel diameter |
30.5 in (775 mm) |
| Driver diameter | 62 in (1,570 mm)[2] |
| Trailing wheel diameter |
34 in (864 mm) |
| Wheelbase | Total: 55 ft 10.25 in (17.024 m) Engine: 6 ft 2 in (1.880 m) pilot 10 ft 8 in (3.251 m) coupled 29 ft 5 in (8.966 m) total Tender: 4 ft 7 in (1.397 m) bogie 16 ft 9 in (5.105 m) total |
| Length | 64 ft 0.5 in (19.520 m) as built 64 ft 10.875 in (19.783 m) reboilered |
| Height | 12 ft 10 in (3.912 m) as built 12 ft 11 in (3.937 m) reboilered |
| Frame | Bar frame |
| Axle load | 15.75 long tons (16.0 t) on 3rd driver as built 16.45 long tons (16.7 t) on 2nd driver reboilered |
| Weight on drivers | 46.25 long tons (47.0 t) as built 46.95 long tons (47.7 t) reboilered |
| Locomotive weight | 68.25 long tons (69.3 t) as built 72.45 long tons (73.6 t) reboilered |
| Tender weight | 48,144 lb (21.8 t) empty 49.35 long tons (50.1 t) w/o |
| Locomotive & tender combined weight |
117.5 long tons (119.4 t) as built 121.8 long tons (123.8 t) reboilered |
| Tender type | XM2 - XC, XC1, XO, XE, XE1, XF, XF1, XF2, XJ, XM, XM1, XM2, XM3, XM4, XS permitted * 2 axle bogies * Wheels 34 in (864 mm) dia * Length 25 ft 11.625 in (7.915 m) |
| Fuel type | Coal |
| Fuel capacity | 10 long tons (10.2 t) |
| Water capacity | 4,000 imp gal (18,000 l) |
| Boiler | As Built: 5 ft (1.524 m) int dia 17 ft 9 in (5.410 m) int length 7 ft 5 in (2.261 m) pitch Reboilered: 5 ft (1.524 m) int dia 17 ft 9 in (5.410 m) int length, steel firebox 17 ft 8.625 in (5.401 m) int length, copper firebox 8 ft (2.438 m) pitch |
| Boiler pressure | 200 psi (1,380 kPa) as built 190 psi (1,310 kPa) reboilered |
| Firegrate area | 34.2 sq ft (3.177 m2) as built 36 sq ft (3.345 m2) reboilered |
| Heating surface: Tubes |
As Built: 184 tubes 2.25 in (57.2 mm) ext dia 1,924 sq ft (178.745 m2) Reboilered: 76 tubes 2.5 in (63.5 mm) ext dia 24 tubes 5.5 in (140 mm) ext dia 1,497 sq ft (139.076 m2) |
| Heating surface: Firebox |
142 sq ft (13.192 m2) as built 123 sq ft (11.427 m2) reboilered |
| Heating surface: Total |
2,066 sq ft (191.938 m2) as built 1,620 sq ft (150.503 m2) reboilered |
| Superheater area | Not superheated as built 366 sq ft (34.003 m2) reboilered |
| Cylinders | Two |
| Cylinder size | 19 in (483 mm) bore as Built 20 in (508 mm) bore reboilered 28 in (711 mm) stroke |
| Valve gear | Stephenson |
| Tractive effort | At 75% boiler pressure: 24,860 lbf (110.6 kN) as built[1] 25,750 lbf (114.5 kN) reboilered[2] |
| Career | South African Railways |
| Class | Class 5, Class 5R |
| Number in class | 4 |
| Number | 780-783[1][3] |
| Nicknames | Karoo |
| Delivered | 1912 |
| First run | 1912 |
| Withdrawn | 1969 |
| Disposition | Retired |
In 1912 four Enlarged Karoo Class 4-6-2 Pacific passenger steam locomotives that had been ordered by the Cape Government Railways the year before, were placed in service by the newly established South African Railways. The locomotives were therefore numbered directly onto the South African Railways roster and classified as Class 5.[1][3][4]
Contents |
The Cape Government Railways (CGR), Natal Government Railways (NGR) and Central South African Railways (CSAR) had all prepared designs and placed orders for new locomotives shortly prior to 1912, when they were all amalgamated into the South African Railways (SAR). The CGR’s Enlarged Karoo, built by Vulcan Foundry, was one of the locomotive types that were designed and ordered before the SAR was established and that ended up being delivered to the newly established national railways of the Union of South Africa, becoming the SAR Class 5 and numbered 780 to 783.[1][3]
The Class 5 was a larger and heavier version of the Class 5B, with a higher pitched boiler, Belpaire firebox, larger diameter pilot and driving wheels and larger cylinders.[4]
In the 1930s many serving locomotives were reboilered with a standard boiler type designed by then Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) A.G. Watson as part of his standardisation policy. Such Watson Standard reboilered locomotives were reclassified by adding an "R" suffix to their classification.[2][4]
Only one of the Class 5 locomotives, number 781, was reboilered with a Watson Standard no. 1 boiler and reclassified to Class 5R. In the process it was also equipped with a superheater. The most obvious visual difference between the Class 5 and Class 5R is the absence of the Belpaire firebox hump between the cab and boiler on the reboilered locomotive.[2][4]
They were placed in service on main line passenger service between Cape Town and Touws River, where they remained until the loads became too heavy for them. From about 1928 they were used on secondary services, chiefly hauling suburban passenger trains from Cape Town to the Strand and Stellenbosch.[1]
The three Class 5 locomotives were withdrawn from service by 1942, but the sole Class 5R remained in suburban service in Cape Town, where it gained fame for the unusual achievement of being an individual locomotive that worked the same train, the Strand Express, for more than thirty years. It was only withdrawn on occasion for maintenance in the locomotive depot or for heavy repairs in the shops. During this time it regularly attained a speed of 60 miles per hour (97 kilometres per hour) while en route between Cape Town and Bellville. It was sub-shedded at Sir Lowry's Pass and always had regular drivers.[5]
When the Strand line was electrified in the mid 1960s, 781 was transferred to the Eastern Transvaal System as a shunter at Nylstroom, and later to Capital Park in Pretoria. From there it was transferred to the Western Transvaal System and was briefly stationed at Springs, and then spent its last years in service as station pilot at Germiston until it was retired in 1969.[4][5]
After withdrawal from service, it was returned to the Salt River Shops in Cape Town for use in the training of apprentice fitters, until it was moved to De Aar for preservation.[5]
The main picture shows Class 5 780 as delivered, circa 1912.
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