| South African Class 6H 4-6-0 | |
|---|---|
| Ex CGR Class 6 607, renumbered CGR 547 and later SAR Class 6H 629, at Midlandia Loco, Noupoort | |
| Power type | Steam |
| Designer | Cape Government Railways |
| Builder | Neilson, Reid and Company |
| Serial number | 5871-5891 |
| Model | CGR Class 6 |
| Build date | 1901[1] |
| Total produced | 21 |
| Configuration | 4-6-0 "Ten-wheeler" (USA) |
| Gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge |
| Leading wheel diameter |
28.5 in (724 mm) |
| Driver diameter | 54 in (1,370 mm) |
| Wheelbase | Total: 45 ft 8.5 in (13.932 m) Engine: 5 ft 6 in (1.676 m) pilot 11 ft 4 in (3.454 m) coupled 20 ft 8 in (6.299 m) total Tender: 4 ft 7 in (1.397 m) bogie 14 ft 7 in (4.445 m) total |
| Length | 52 ft 11.75 in (16.148 m) |
| Height | 12 ft 10 in (3.912 m) |
| Frame | Plate frame |
| Axle load | 12.55 long tons (12.8 t) per driver |
| Weight on drivers | 37.65 long tons (38.3 t) |
| Locomotive weight | 48.35 long tons (49.1 t) |
| Tender weight | 44,032 lb (20.0 t) empty 43.05 long tons (43.7 t) w/o |
| Locomotive & tender combined weight |
99,909 lb (45.3 t) empty 91.4 long tons (92.9 t) w/o |
| Tender type | XF - XC, XC1, XD, XE, XE1, XF, XF1, XF2, XJ, XM, XM1, XN2, XM3, XM4, XP1, XS permitted * 2 axle bogies * Wheels 34 in (864 mm) dia * Length 22 ft 2.5 in (6.769 m) |
| Fuel type | Coal |
| Fuel capacity | 10 long tons (10.2 t) |
| Water capacity | 3,000 imp gal (14,000 l) |
| Boiler | 4 ft 6 in (1.372 m) int dia 11 ft 2 in (3.404 m) int length 6 ft 10 in (2.083 m) pitch |
| Boiler pressure | 180 psi (1,240 kPa) |
| Firegrate area | 18 sq ft (1.672 m2) |
| Heating surface: Tubes |
188 tubes 1.875 in (47.6 mm) ext dia 1,015 sq ft (94.297 m2) |
| Heating surface: Firebox |
115 sq ft (10.684 m2) |
| Heating surface: Total |
1,130 sq ft (104.980 m2) |
| Cylinders | Two |
| Cylinder size | 17 in (432 mm) bore 26 in (660 mm) stroke |
| Valve gear | Stephenson |
| Tractive effort | At 75% boiler pressure:[2] 18,780 lbf (83.5 kN) at 180 psi (1,240 kPa) 17,740 lbf (78.9 kN) at 170 psi (1,170 kPa) |
| Career | Cape Government Railways South African Railways |
| Class | CGR Class 6, SAR Class 6H |
| Number in class | 21 |
| Number | CGR 278-286 & 601-612, renumbered 541-552 SAR 614-634[1][3][4] |
| Delivered | 1901 |
| First run | 1901 |
| Withdrawn | 1973[5] |
| Disposition | Retired |
In 1901 twenty-one Class 6 4-6-0 steam locomotives were placed in service by the Cape Government Railways, built to the older Class 6 designs with plate frames. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 6H.[1][3][5]
Contents |
The Class 6 was designed at the Salt River works of the Cape Government Railways (CGR) at the same time as the Class 7. Whereas the Class 7 was conceived primarily as a goods locomotive, the Class 6 was intended to be its fast passenger service counterpart.[1]
These twenty-one Class 6 locomotives that were placed in service by the CGR in 1901 were built by Neilson, Reid and Company. With these locomotives, CGR Chief Locomotive Superintendent H.M. Beatty kept to the older plate frame design, but fitted the larger type of cab. These locomotives also reverted to the 17 inches (432 millimetres) diameter cylinders that were used on all previous Class 6 locomotives with the exception of the Class 6G. Another similarity to the early Class 6 locomotives was the visually obvious distinguishing feature of lower running boards with driving wheel fairings.[1][2]
Upon delivery, nine of them were numbered 278 to 286 and allocated to the Western System of the CGR. The other twelve were numbered 601 to 612 for the Midland System, but later renumbered 541 to 552.[1]
One of these twenty-one locomotives, the Western System’s number 286, was an experimental locomotive equipped with Drummond water tubes in the firebox and a very large panelled cab. Drummond tubes involved the installation of cross-water tubes in the firebox, as featured on the London and South Western Railway’s T9 Class and L11 Class, in an attempt to increase the heat surface area of the water, albeit at the cost of increased boiler complexity. On the as built CGR 286 visual exterior evidence of the presence of Drummond tubes was rectangular covers attached to the sides of the boiler just ahead of the cab.[1]
In service, it was found that the tubes did not affect the steaming capacity of the boiler to any significant extent. Instead, the tubes were inclined to leak and were difficult to maintain. It was therefore not long before the tubes were removed, and at the same time the cab was changed to the standard type employed on the other twenty locomotives.[1]
When these locomotives were assimilated into the newly established South African Railways (SAR) in 1912, they were renumbered 614 to 634 and reclassified to Class 6H.[2][3][4]
The rest of the CGR’s Class 6 locomotives, together with the Central South African Railways (CSAR) Classes 6-L1 to 6-L3 locomotives that were inherited from the Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwermentspoorwegen (OVGS) via the Imperial Military Railways (IMR), were grouped into thirteen more sub-classes by the SAR. The 4-6-0 locomotives became SAR Classes 6, 6A to 6G and 6J to 6L, the 2-6-2 locomotives became Class 6Y and the 2-6-4 locomotives became Class 6Z.[2][3][4]
The Class 6 series of locomotives were introduced primarily as passenger locomotives, but when the class became displaced by larger and more powerful locomotive classes, it literally became a "Jack-of-all-trades" that proved itself as one of the most useful and successful locomotive classes ever to be designed at the Salt River shops. It went on to see service in all parts of the country except Natal and was used on all types of traffic.[1]
In Cape Town they held a monopoly over the suburban services until electrification arrived in 1928, and on the Reef they also worked these services between Randfontein and Springs until the loads became too heavy for them. They were employed on branch lines all over the country, Natal excluded, and practically every big station and many smaller ones had its quota of these locomotives to work the local passenger, goods and shunting services.[1]
Like the Class 7, the Class 6 family gave good service for many years. By the time the last ones were retired in 1973, the Class 6 series had achieved a service life of eighty years, a performance that can be matched by few, if any, other locomotive classes world wide.[1]
The table shows the Class 6H works numbers and renumberings.[1][3][4]
Works no. |
CGR no. |
CGR Renumber |
SAR no. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5883 | 278 | 614 | |
| 5884 | 279 | 615 | |
| 5885 | 280 | 616 | |
| 5886 | 281 | 617 | |
| 5887 | 282 | 618 | |
| 5888 | 283 | 619 | |
| 5889 | 284 | 620 | |
| 5891 | 285 | 621 | |
| 5890 | 286 | 622 | |
| 5871 | 601 | 541 | 623 |
| 5872 | 602 | 542 | 624 |
| 5873 | 603 | 543 | 625 |
| 5874 | 604 | 544 | 626 |
| 5875 | 605 | 545 | 627 |
| 5876 | 606 | 546 | 628 |
| 5877 | 607 | 547 | 629 |
| 5878 | 608 | 548 | 630 |
| 5879 | 609 | 549 | 631 |
| 5880 | 610 | 550 | 632 |
| 5881 | 611 | 551 | 633 |
| 5882 | 612 | 552 | 634 |
A 25c postage stamp depicting a Class 6H 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.[6]
The particular locomotive depicted was ex CGR (Midland System) Class 6 605, renumbered to CGR 545 and later SAR Class 6H 627, that was withdrawn from service in 1971 and plinthed at the Mafikeng Museum in 1972. The outline of a traditional SAR locomotive number plate was used as a commemorative cancellation for De Aar on the date of release.[6][7]
The main picture shows ex CGR (Midland System) Class 6 607, renumbered to CGR 547 and later SAR Class 6H 629, at Midlandia locomotive depot at Noupoort on 1 May 1967.
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