| South African Class GEA 4-8-2+2-8-4 | |
|---|---|
| GEA 4023 taking water, Camfer, Western Cape, 2002 | |
| Power type | Steam |
| Designer | South African Railways |
| Builder | Beyer, Peacock and Company |
| Serial number | 7168-7217[1][2] |
| Model | Class GEA |
| Build date | 1945-1947 |
| Total produced | 50 |
| Configuration | 4-8-2+2-8-4 "Double Mountain" Garratt |
| Gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge |
| Leading wheel diameter |
28.5 in (724 mm) |
| Driver diameter | 48 in (1,220 mm) |
| Trailing wheel diameter |
34 in (864 mm) |
| Wheelbase | Total: 80 ft 10 in (24.638 m) Engines: 6 ft 4 in (1.930 m) pilot 13 ft 4.5 in (4.077 m) coupled 28 ft 4 in (8.636 m) total |
| Length | 88 ft 5 in (26.949 m) |
| Height | 13 ft (3.962 m) |
| Frame | Bar frame, 37 ft 9 in (11.506 m) between pivot centres |
| Axle load | 15 long tons (15.2 t) on 2nd, 3rd, 6th & 7th drivers as built 15 long tons (15.2 t) on 3rd driver with modified front tanks |
| Weight on drivers | 116 long tons (117.9 t) as built 112.8 long tons (114.6 t) with modified front tanks |
| Locomotive weight | 187 long tons (190.0 t) w/o as built 183.9 long tons (186.9 t) w/o with modified front tanks |
| Fuel type | Coal |
| Fuel capacity | 10 long tons (10.2 t) as built Capacity increased on 4036 & 4049 |
| Water capacity | 3,800 imp gal (17,000 l) front 1,800 imp gal (8,200 l) rear |
| Boiler | 6 ft 9 in (2.057 m) int dia 11 ft 8.625 in (3.572 m) int length 8 ft 6 in (2.591 m) pitch |
| Boiler pressure | 200 psi (1,380 kPa) |
| Firegrate area | 51.3 sq ft (4.766 m2) |
| Heating surface: Tubes |
282 tubes 2 in (50.8 mm) ext dia 36 tubes 5.5 in (140 mm) ext dia 2,328 sq ft (216.278 m2) |
| Heating surface: Flues |
27 sq ft (2.508 m2) |
| Heating surface: Firebox |
185 sq ft (17.187 m2) |
| Heating surface: Total |
2,540 sq ft (235.974 m2) |
| Superheater area | 470 sq ft (43.664 m2) |
| Cylinders | Four |
| Cylinder size | 18.5 in (470 mm) bore 26 in (660 mm) stroke[1][3] |
| Valve gear | Walschaerts[4] |
| Tractive effort | 55,620 lbf (247.4 kN) at 75% boiler pressure |
| Career | South African Railways |
| Class | Class GEA |
| Number in class | 50 |
| Number | 4001-4050 |
| Delivered | 1946-1947 |
| First run | 1946 |
| Withdrawn | 1976 |
| Disposition | Retired |
During 1946 and 1947 the South African Railways placed fifty Class GEA Garratt articulated steam locomotives with a 4-8-2+2-8-4 wheel arrangement in service.[1][3][4]
Contents |
The Class GEA 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratt locomotive was the first post-war locomotive to be introduced on the South African Railways (SAR). It was designed by Dr. M.M. Loubser, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the SAR from 1939 to 1949, and although it was a development of the Class GE 2-8-2+2-8-2 locomotive, it bore little resemblance to the older locomotive. It embodied the latest SAR practices, with a boiler that was designed to be interchangeable with that of the earlier Garratt model, but it had a bar frame as well as a round-topped firebox instead of the earlier Belpaire firebox. The Class GEA was the first South African Garratt to have streamlined water tanks and coal bunkers, and its engine units were radically different with an expanded wheel arrangement.[1][3][4][5]
An order for fifty locomotives was placed with Beyer, Peacock and Company (BP) in 1945, the largest single Garratt order ever placed with BP. When they were delivered during 1946 and 1947, they were erected at the Uitenhage shops and numbered 4001 to 4050.[1][3][4][5]
They were superheated and had Walschaerts valve gear and were not only the only post-war Garratts on the SAR to be without mechanical stokers, but also one of the largest designs of Garratt to be hand fired. They were designed for goods traffic on light 60 pounds per yard (30 kilograms per metre) rail on branch lines.[4][5]
Visible differences between locomotives within the class included three bunker variations. At least two locomotives, numbers 4036 and 4049, were modified circa 1952 by having their coal capacity increased. It does not appear as if these two locomotives were ever officially reclassified to identify them as main line locomotives, although they are referred to as Class GEAM in an annotation in the South African Railways and Harbours Locomotive Diagram Book. Number 4009 was at one time used as an experimental spark-arresting locomotive, nicknamed "Renoster".[3][5]
Some teething troubles were experienced when they were first placed in service, but these were solved and they proved themselves as fine performers. They started their service lives working goods traffic on the lines from Johannesburg to Zeerust in the Western Transvaal. In the Cape Province they worked from Voorbaai to Oudtshoorn across the Montagu Pass and, in the opposite direction, to Riversdale. Some were later transferred to Natal to work on the North Coast line, based at Stanger and Empangeni, and on the Eshowe and Nkwalini branches. They also worked on the Franklin branch and the Overberg line from Cape Town across Sir Lowry’s Pass to Caledon. They were withdrawn by 1976.[1][4][5]
During 1947 King George VI, as "King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the British dominions beyond the seas," accompanied by Queen Elizabeth and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, visited the British territories in Southern Africa, beginning in South Africa in February.[6]
Transport during the visit was aboard the Royal Train of the SAR, later to become the White Train for use by the Governor General of South Africa during the remaining years of the Union era, and by the State President in the Republican era. During the Royal Visit, only selected British built locomotives were used as motive power for the Royal Train. One of these was Class GEA number 4024.
Six Class GEA locomotives were sold into industrial service.[5]
The main picture shows GEA 4023 taking water at Camfer on the Montagu Pass in 2002.
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