CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1882

The CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT of 1882 is a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape Colony.

In 1882 and 1883 the Cape Government Railways placed sixty-eight 4th Class 4-6-0 tank-and-tender locomotives in mainline service on all three systems. It was an improved version of the 4th Class locomotives of 1880. Twenty-six of these locomotives were still in service when the South African Railways was established in 1912.^[1][2]

Manufacturers

The 4th Class 4-6-0 tank-and-tender locomotive was designed by Michael Stephens, at that stage the Locomotive Superintendent of the Western System of the Cape Government Railways (CGR) in Cape Town. An improved version of the original batch of 1880 and 1881 was delivered to the CGR in 1882 and 1883, with the contracts for their construction divided between Robert Stephenson and Company and Neilson and Company.^[1][2]

Of these, thirty locomotives went to the Western System operating out of Cape Town and were numbered in the range from W47 to W76, twenty-four went to the Midland System operating out of Port Elizabeth and were numbered in the range from M58 to M79, M84 and M85, while fourteen went to the Eastern System operating out of East London and were numbered in the range from E35 to E48.^[1][2]

Characteristics

The locomotives all had larger coupled wheels than the locomotives of 1880, of 42 inches (1,070 millimetres) diameter compared to the 38 inches (965 millimetres) coupled wheels of the earlier locomotives. Those built by Stephenson were delivered with Stephenson valve gear, like their predecessors of 1880 ans 1881.^[1]

Neilson-built with Joy valve gear

The locomotives built by Neilson, however, were delivered with Joy valve gear. They could be distinguished from the Stephenson-built locomotives by the semi­circular cut-out on the bottom of the side-tanks that allowed access to part of the Joy valve gear mechanism that protruded above the frame.^[1][3]

They were also delivered with optional tenders and, depending on the task at hand and the distance involved, they could be used in either the tank engine or the tank-and-tender configuration. To facilitate easy uncoupling from the tender and coupling to rolling stock while working as a tank engine, the engine-to-tender couplings were the standard bell couplers that were in use at the time.^[1]

Modifications

On the Eastern System problems were experienced with the low-grade local coal from the Cyphergat and Molteno collieries in the Stormberg. It had a high content of non-combustable material that often caused delays, since it required frequent stops to allow the fireman to clear the grate of clinker and ash, a tedious task that required the locomotive to be stationary.^[1]

Eastern System Locomotive Superintendent J.D. Tilney carried out many experiments in an attempt to overcome the coal problem. Some of these involved modifying some of the 4th Class locomotives in order to install oscillating firebars and larger fireboxes.^[1]

J.D. Tilney's spark arrester smokebox

Another modification by Tilney was an extended smokebox to make room for a very efficient spark arrester constructed of wire mesh. Several locomotives were altered to incorporate these spark arresters, as shown in the photograph alongside of a 4th Class Converted Joy tender locomotive with an extended smokebox.^[1]

4th Class Converted Joy in the Hex River railpass

While the locomotives proved to be good all-purpose engines, the Joy valve gear was not considered entirely satisfactory. After Michael Stephens retired and H.M. Beatty took over as Chief Locomotive Superintendent of the CGR in 1896, all the Neilson-built locomotives were converted to Stephenson valve gear and also had their side-tanks removed. These modified tender locomotives became known as the "Converted Joys". Two of the Stephenson locomotives were also converted to tender-only locomotives by removing their side-tanks.^[1]

Service

Cape Government Railways

At the time these 4th Class locomotives entered service, the Eastern System lines were open to King William's Town and approaching Sterkstroom respectively. Those of the Midland System were completed to Graaff Reinet and approaching Cradock respectively, while the Western System mainline was open to Beaufort West.^[4]

All these locomotives were renumbered more than once during their service lives on the CGR. By 1886 the system prefixes were done away with and the Midland System's locomotives were all renumbered by replacing the letter prefix M with the numeral 1. Some of the Western System locomotives retained their numbers while others were allocated new numbers altogether, in the 100 range. By 1888 the Eastern System locomotives were renumbered into the 600 number range. Some of the Midland System locomotives were renumbered twice more, into the 200 number range by 1890 and into the 400 number range by 1899, while others were renumbered to two-digit numbers by 1890. All these renumberings are shown in the table below.^[1][2]

Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwerment-Spoorwegen

In early 1897 six of these locomotives were sold to the Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwerment-Spoorwegen (OVGS), where they were designated 4th Class G.^[1]

Beira and Mashonaland Railway

In 1898 two of these locomotives, numbers 59 and 71, were sold to Pauling and Company who used them during the construction of the Beira and Mashonaland Railway and renumbered them 2 and 1 respectively.^[1]

Kowie Railway

At some stage after 1904 three of these locomotives, numbers 470, 471 and 477, were sold to the Kowie Railway Company who operated a line between Port Alfred and Grahamstown. They were renumbered 1, 3 and 2 respectively.^[1]

South African Railways

The Union of South Africa was established on 31 May 1910, in terms of the South Africa Act. One of the clauses in the Act required that the three Colonial Government railways, the CGR, the Natal Government Railways and the Central South African Railways, also be united under one single administration to control and administer the railways, ports and harbours of the Union. While the South African Railways (SAR) came into existence in 1910, the actual classification and renumbering of all the rolling stock of the three constituent railways required careful planning and was only implemented with effect from 1 January 1912.^[4][5]

By 1912 twenty-six locomotives survived. They were considered obsolete by the SAR, designated Class 04 and renumbered by having the numeral 0 prefixed to their existing numbers. Despite being considered obsolete, eleven survived until after 1931 and were still being employed as shunting locomotives in Port Elizabeth in 1932. The rest were scrapped by 1918.^[1][5]

Works numbers

The works numbers, year built, original numbers, renumberings and disposal of the Cape 4th Class of 1882 are set out in the table.^[1][2][5]

Converted Joy illustrated

The main picture shows no. M65, renumbered to 265, still in its as-built unmodified state. The following pictures illustrate some of the Converted Joy locomotives. All of them had forfeited their "front porch" railings in the process of modification.

• 

  No. 55 of the Midland System with her driver, cleaner and fireman, c. 1900

• 

  No. 64 of the Western System, c. 1900

• 

  No. 73 of the Cape Western System with her crew, c. 1900

• 

  Ladies enjoying the front porch

See also

• CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1880
• CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1884
• List of South African locomotive classes
• South African locomotive history
• The 4-6-0 wheel arrangement

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1882

Locomotives of South Africa Steam Brunel gauge HBEL 0-4-0 HBTB 0-4-0T HBTB 0-4-0WT HBTB 0-4-0ST Broad gauge CGR Aid CGR Blackie CGR 0-4-2 CGR 2-4-0T NRC Durban NRC Natal NRC Perseverance Cape gauge Tank CGR Coffee Pot CGR 040 1873 CGR 040 1874 CGR 060 1876 CGR 060 1902 CGR 260 1900 CGR 260 1902 CGR 1st 040 1875 CGR 1st 440 1875 CGR 1st 040 1876 CGR 1st 260 1876 CGR 2nd 1882 CGR 3rd 1900 CGR RM CSAR C CSAR E CSAR Rack CSAR RM Dbn Congella Dbn Edward Innes Dbn John Milne Dbn Sir Albert HBPE 040 Kowie 060 Kowie 440 M&S 462 NGR Dbn & Pmb NGR I 262 NGR K 040 NGR K 060 NGR K 260 NZASM 10T NZASM 14T NZASM 18T NZASM 19T NZASM 32T NZASM 40T PPR 26T PPR 35T SAR RM SAR 0-4-0ST SAR 040 69 SAR A SAR B SAR C SAR C1 SAR C2 SAR D SAR E SAR F SAR G SAR H SAR H1 SAR H2 SAR J SAR K SWA 2-8-0T Cape gauge Tender CGR 1st 260 1876 BP CGR 1st 260 1876 K CGR 1st 260 1879 CGR 1st 440 1879 CGR 1st 1881 CGR 1st 1891 CGR 2nd 1875 CGR 3rd 1883 CGR 3rd 1884 CGR 3rd 1889 CGR 3rd 1898 CGR 3rd 1901 CGR 3rd 1903 CGR 4th 1880 CGR 4th 1882 CGR 4th 1884 CGR 4th 1897 CGR 5th 1890 CGR 5th 1891 NGR Havelock NGR I 260 Exp-1 Exp-2 Exp-3 Exp-4 Exp-5 Exp-6 SAR S SAR S1 SAR S2 SAR 1 SAR 1A SAR 1B SAR 2 SAR 2C SAR 3 SAR 3A SAR 3B SAR 4 SAR 4A SAR 5 SAR 5A SAR 5B SAR 6 SAR 6A SAR 6B SAR 6C SAR 6D SAR 6E SAR 6F SAR 6G SAR 6H SAR 6J SAR 6K SAR 6L SAR 6Y SAR 6Z SAR 7 SAR 7A SAR 7B SAR 7C SAR 7D SAR 7E SAR 7F SAR 8 SAR 8A SAR 8B SAR 8C SAR 8D SAR 8E SAR 8F SAR 8X SAR 8Y SAR 8Z SAR 9 SAR 10 SAR 10A SAR 10B SAR 10C SAR 10D SAR 11 SAR 12 SAR 12A SAR 12B SAR 13 SAR 14 SAR 14A SAR 14B SAR 14C SAR 15 SAR 15A SAR 15B SAR 15C SAR 15CA SAR 15E SAR 15F SAR 16 SAR 16A SAR 16B SAR 16C SAR 16D SAR 16DA SAR 16E SAR 17 SAR 18 SAR 19 SAR 19A SAR 19B SAR 19C SAR 19D SAR 20 SAR 21 SAR 23 SAR 24 SAR 25 SAR 25NC SAR 26 SWA 2-8-0 Cape gauge Articulated CGR Fairlie CGR Kitson-Meyer SAR FC SAR FD SAR GA SAR GB SAR GC SAR GCA SAR GD SAR GDA SAR GE SAR GEA SAR GF SAR GG SAR GH SAR GK SAR GL SAR GM SAR GMA SAR GO SAR HF SAR KM SAR MA SAR MB SAR MC SAR MC1 SAR MD SAR ME SAR MF SAR MG SAR MH SAR MJ SAR MJ1 SAR U 2ft 6in gauge CCC 1871 CCC Britannia CCC Caledonia CCC Clara CCC Condenser CCC Scotia NCC Pioneer 2ft & 600mm gauges ACR NG-G16A CGR NG 060 CGR NG 462 CGR A CGR C NGR N SAR 040 1899 SAR NG1 SAR NG2 SAR NG3 SAR NG4 SAR NG5 SAR NG6 SAR NG7 SAR NG8 SAR NG9 SAR NG10 SAR NG-G11 SAR NG-G12 SAR NG-G13 SAR NG-G14 SAR NG15 SAR NG-G16 SWA Ha SWA Hb SWA Hc SWA Hd SWA Jung SWA Zwillinge Diesel -electric SAR DS SAR DS1 SAR 31-000 SAR 32-000 SAR 32-200 SAR 33-000 SAR 33-200 SAR 33-400 SAR 34-000 SAR 34-200 SAR 34-400 SAR 34-500 SAR 34-600 SAR 34-800 SAR 34-900 SAR 35-000 SAR 35-200 SAR 35-400 SAR 35-600 SAR 36-000 SAR 36-200 SAR 37-000 SN 39-000 TFR 39-200 TFR 43-000 SAR 91-000 Afro4000 -hydraulic SAR 61-000 Electro-diesel SN 38-000 Electric SAR ES SAR ES1 Exp-AC SAR 1E SAR 2E SAR 3E SAR 4E SAR 5E-S1 SAR 5E-S2 SAR 5E-S3 SAR 5E1-S1 SAR 5E1-S2 SAR 5E1-S3 SAR 5E1-S4 SAR 5E1-S5 SAR 6E SAR 6E1-S1 SAR 6E1-S2 SAR 6E1-S3 SAR 6E1-S4 SAR 6E1-S5 SAR 6E1-S6 SAR 6E1-S7 SAR 6E1-S8 SAR 6E1-S9 SAR 6E1-S10 SAR 6E1-S11 SAR 7E SAR 7E1 SAR 7E2-S1 SAR 7E2-S2 SAR 7E3-S1 SAR 7E3-S2 SN 7E4 SAR 8E SAR 9E-S1 SAR 9E-S2 SAR 10E SAR 10E1-S1 SAR 10E1-S2 SAR 10E2 SAR 11E SAR 12E SN 14E SN 14E1 TFR 15E SN 16E SN 17E SN 18E-S1 TFR 18E-S2 TFR 19E TFR 20E TFR 21E E38 List of South African locomotive classes Rail transport in South Africa