South African Class 8X 2-8-0

Between 1901 and 1902 the Cape Government Railways placed sixteen Class 8 2-8-0 Consolidation type steam locomotives in service. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 8X. One of them was later converted to a 4-8-0 Mastodon type wheel arrangement and reclassified to Class 8R.^[1][3]

Manufacturers

The first locomotive in the Cape Government Railways (CGR) 2-8-0 Consolidation type Class 8 was designed by H.M. Beatty, the Chief Locomotive Superintendent of the CGR from 1896 to 1910, and sixteen were ordered from the Schenectady Locomotive Works in the United States. While they were being built, in 1901, Schenectady merged with seven other locomotive builders to form the American Locomotive Company (ALCO).^[1]

As a result the first two locomotives, numbered 749 and 750, were built by Schenectady in 1901, while ALCO built the rest in 1902. Of those, the first seven were numbered 351 to 357 and were allocated to the CGR’s Midland System, while the last seven were numbered 751 tot 757 and joined the two Schenectady builts on the CGR’s Western System.^[1]

They were conceived as mixed traffic locomotives equally suitable for goods and passenger work and had bar frames, narrow fireboxes, used saturated steam and had cylinders with overhead slide valves actuated by inside Stephenson valve gear.^[1][4]

Class 8 sub-classes

These sixteen 2-8-0 locomotives were followed by several more orders, placed with various manufacturers, for similar locomotives for the CGR between 1902 and 1904. While subjecting these first sixteen locomotives to exhaustive testing on all types of traffic and under varying conditions, some trouble was experienced with the leading pony truck and it was dropped in favour of a four wheeled bogie in later orders for more locomotives. Most of the later locomotives were therefore built with a 4-8-0 Mastodon type wheel arrangement, but in spite of the difference they were all grouped together into Class 8 by the CGR.^[1][4]

In 1912, when these Consolidations were assimilated into the newly established SAR and renumbered, they were reclassified to Class 8X^[2][3]

These locomotives, together with the rest of the CGR’s Class 8 2-8-0 Consolidations and Class 8 4-8-0 Mastodons, plus the Class 8-L1 to 8-L3 4-8-0 Mastodon locomotives from the Central South African Railways (CSAR), were grouped into ten different sub-classes by the SAR. The 4-8-0 locomotives became SAR Classes 8 and 8A to 8F and the 2-8-0 locomotives became Classes 8X to 8Z.^[2]

The table displays the locomotive builders, works numbers and the CGR to SAR renumbering for the Class 8X locomotives.^[1][3]

Wheel arrangement modification

In 1930 one of the Class 8X locomotives, SAR 883, was reboilered with a purpose built boiler. At the same time it was superheated and converted to a 4-8-0 Mastodon type wheel arrangement by replacing the leading pony truck with a bogie. Because of the modification it was reclassified and became the sole Class 8R.^[4]

Service

In SAR service, the 2-8-0 Class 8X was used mainly on the Cape Midlands. The majority of the class were withdrawn by 1937, with a lone locomotive, SAR 894, surviving to 1950 before being scrapped. The sole Class 8R 4-8-0 was put to work in the Eastern Transvaal until it was withdrawn in 1939.^[4]

Gallery

The main picture shows the last survivor of the class, ex CGR Class 8 356 (2-8-0), reclassified and renumbered to SAR Class 8X 894, circa 1950.^[3]

See also

• South African Class Exp 2 2-8-0
• South African Class Exp 3 2-8-0
• South African Class Exp 4 2-8-2
• South African Class Exp 5 2-8-2
• South African Class 8Y 2-8-0
• South African Class 8Z 2-8-0
• South African Class 8 4-8-0
• South African Class 8A 4-8-0
• South African Class 8B 4-8-0
• South African Class 8C 4-8-0
• South African Class 8D 4-8-0
• South African Class 8E 4-8-0
• South African Class 8F 4-8-0
• Tender locomotive numbering and classification
• The 2-8-0 "Consolidation"
• The 4-8-0 "Mastodon"
• List of South African locomotive classes

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Holland, D.F. (1971). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways, Volume 1: 1859-1910 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. pp. 61-63. ISBN 0715353829. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} South African Railways and Harbours Locomotive Diagram Book, 2’0” & 3’6” Gauge Steam Locomotives, p11, 15 August 1941, as amended
3. ^ ^{a b c d e} Classification of S.A.R. Engines with Renumbering Lists, issued by the Chief Mechanical Engineer’s Office, Pretoria, January 1912, pp. 9, 12, 15, 35 (Reprinted in April 1987 by SATS Museum, R.3125-6/9/11-1000)
4. ^ ^{a b c d e} Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. p. 50. ISBN 0869772112.