South African Class 14C 4-8-2

South African Class 14C 4-8-2,
South African Class 14CR 4-8-2,
South African Class 14CB 4-8-2,
South African Class 14CRB 4-8-2,
South African Class 14CM 4-8-2
& South African Class 14CRM 4-8-2

Class 14CRB no. 2004 at Robertson, Western Cape, 11 November 1979
Type and origin
Power type Steam
Designer South African Railways
Montreal Locomotive Works
Builder Montreal Locomotive Works
Serial number 58637-58656 (1761-1780)
60255-60274 (1881-1900)
60546-60565 (1991-2010)
63075-63087 (2036-2038 & 2026-2035) [1]
Model Class 14C
Build date 1918-1922
Total produced 73
Specifications
Configuration 4-8-2 "Mountain"
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		 33 in (838 mm)
Wheelbase Total: 59 ft 0.25 in (17.990 m)
Engine:
6 ft 2 in (1.880 m) bogie
12 ft 9 in (3.886 m) coupled
30 ft 8 in (9.347 m) total
Tender:
4 ft 7 in (1.397 m) bogie
17 ft 11 in (5.461 m) total
Length 66 ft 10.125 in (20.374 m)
Height 12 ft 9.375 in (3.896 m) as built
13 ft 0.75 in (3.981 m) reboilered
Frame Bar frame
Axle load Engine: See table 2
Tender: 12.725 long tons (12.9 t)
Weight on drivers See table 2
Locomotive weight See table 2
Tender weight 49,116 lb (22.3 t) empty
50.9 long tons (51.7 t) w/o
Tender type LP
* 2 axle bogies
* 34 in (864 mm) wheels
* Length 27 ft .25 in (8.236 m)
Fuel type Coal
Fuel capacity 10 long tons (10.2 t)
Water capacity 4,250 imp gal (19,300 l)
Boiler As built:
5 ft 7.5 in (1.715 m) inside diameter
19 ft 0.375 in (5.801 m) inside length
7 ft 7 in (2.311 m) pitch
Reboilered:
5 ft 7.5 in (1.715 m) inside diameter
19 ft 4 in (5.893 m) inside length, steel firebox
19 ft 3.625 in (5.883 m) inside length, copper firebox
8 ft 1.5 in (2.477 m) pitch
Boiler pressure 180 psi (1,240 kPa) 1st batch as built
190 psi (1,310 kPa) others as built
180 psi (1,240 kPa) 14CB
183 psi (1,260 kPa) 14CRB
195 psi (1,340 kPa) 14C, 14CR & 14CRM with 21.75 in (552 mm) bore cylinders
Firegrate area 37 sq ft (3.437 m2)
Heating surface:
– Tubes		 As built:
139 tubes 2.25 in (57.1 mm) diameter
24 tubes 5.5 in (140 mm) diameter
2,212 sq ft (205.502 m2)
Reboilered:
87 tubes 2.5 in (63.5 mm) diameter
30 tubes 5.5 in (140 mm) diameter
1,933 sq ft (179.582 m2)
– Firebox 138 sq ft (12.821 m2) as built
142 sq ft (13.192 m2) reboilered
– Total 2,350 sq ft (218.322 m2) as built
2,075 sq ft (192.774 m2) reboilered
Superheater area 526 sq ft (48.867 m2) as built
492 sq ft (45.708 m2) reboilered
Cylinders Two
Cylinder size 22 in (559 mm) bore as built
21.75 in (552 mm) bore, bushed 14C, 14CR, 14CRB & 14CRM
26 in (660 mm) stroke
Valve gear Walschaerts
Performance figures
Tractive effort At 75% boiler pressure:
37,360 lbf (166.2 kN) as built
37,480 lbf (166.7 kN) bushed 14C & 14CR
37,090 lbf (165.0 kN) bushed 14CRM
35,400 lbf (157.5 kN) 14CB
35,980 lbf (160.0 kN) bushed 14CRB
Career
Operator(s) South African Railways [2]
Class Class 14C, Class 14CR
Class 14CM, Class 14CRM
Class 14CB, Class 14CRB
Number in class 73
Number(s) 1761-1780, 1881-1900, 1991-2010, 2026-2038
Delivered 1918-1922
First run 1918

The South African Class 14C 4-8-2 of 1918 is a South African steam locomotive from the South African Railways era.

Between 1918 and 1922 the South African Railways placed seventy-three Class 14C steam locomotives with a 4-8-2 Mountain type wheel arrangement in service. Through reboilerings and rebalancings during its service life this single class eventually ended up as six different locomotive classes.[2][3]

Manufacturer

As a result of wartime disruption in Europe and Britain, the fourth version of the Class 14 locomotive was ordered from the Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW) in Canada in 1918. It was designated Class 14C and was delivered between 1918 and 1922. The original order had been for twenty locomotives and was followed by three further orders from the same manufacturer between 1919 and 1922.[1]

The first delivery was in 1918 and early in 1919, with the locomotives numbered in the range from 1761 to 1780. The second and third orders were both delivered in 1919, with the locomotives numbered in the ranges from 1881 to 1900 and 1991 to 2010. The final order of thirteen locomotives arrived in 1922, numbered in the range from 2026 to 2038.[1]

All four batches differed in terms of maximum axle loading, weight on driving wheels and engine weight, as set out in Table 2 below. In addition, the first twenty locomotives had their boiler operating pressure set at 180 pounds per square inch (1,240 kilopascals), while the subsequent batches had their boiler operating pressure set at 190 pounds per square inch (1,310 kilopascals).[1][2]

Characteristics

While these locomotives were built to the specifications of D.A. Hendrie, then the Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the South African Railways (SAR), they were designed by the Canadian manufacturer and the result was a locomotive with some typical North American characteristics. They had large cabs, bar frames, Walschaerts valve gear, Belpaire fireboxes and were superheated.[1][3][4]

A prominent visual distinction from the earlier Class 14, Class 14A and Class 14B locomotives was the American style high running boards. It had an even better cylinder design than the Class 14, with larger and straighter ports that resulted in a very sharp, free exhaust.[1][3][4]

The Class 14C proved to be good locomotives, even though they initially suffered from some rather bad teething troubles. Once these were rectified, they went on to become fine performers that were associated with hard work all through their service lives.[1][3]

Modifications and reclassifications

Watson Standard boilers

During the 1930s many serving locomotives were reboilered with a standard boiler type designed by A.G. Watson, CME of the SAR from 1929 to 1936, as part of his standardisation policy. Such Watson Standard reboilered locomotives were reclassified by adding an "R" suffix to their classification.[2][3]

Six Class 14C locomotives, numbers 1762 to 1764, 1894, 1898 and 2035, were reboilered with Watson Standard no. 2 boilers and reclassified to Class 14CR. In the process they were also equipped with Watson cabs, with their distinctive slanted fronts compared to the conventional vertical fronts of their original cabs, while some were equipped with steel and others with copper fireboxes.[2]

An obvious visual difference between an original and a Watson Standard reboilered locomotive is usually a rectangular regulator cover just to the rear of the chimney on the reboilered locomotive. In the case of the Class 14C two even more obvious visual differences are the Watson cab and the absence of the Belpaire firebox hump between the cab and boiler on the reboilered locomotives.[2]

Rebalancing

At an empty weight of between 166,000 and 168,000 pounds (75.3 and 76.2 tonnes), the first sixty locomotives in the number ranges from 1761 to 1780, 1881 to 1900 and 1991 to 2010 were considerably lighter than the final thirteen in the number range from 2026 to 2038, which had weights attached to the frames to increase adhesion, which gave them an empty weight of 183,000 pounds (83.0 tonnes).[2]

Over time most of the Class 14C family of locomotives were "rebalanced", having their weight redistributed to either reduce or increase the axle loading and adhesion weight by altering the loads on the driving wheels, leading bogies and trailing pony trucks. Driving wheel axle loading adjustment was achieved by attaching steel boxes of about 18 cubic inches (290 cubic centimetres), filled with an appropriate amount of lead, over each axle between the frames.[4]

The lighter version of the rebalanced locomotives was reclassified to Class 14CB, with the "B" indicating branchline service. Fifty-three locomotives became Class 14CB and when they were subsequently reboilered with Watson Standard no. 2 boilers, they were once again reclassified, this time to Class 14CRB.[4][2]

The heavy version of the rebalanced locomotives was reclassified to Class 14CM, with the "M" indicating mainline service. Eleven locomotives became Class 14CM and when they were subsequently reboilered with Watson Standard no. 2 boilers, they were once again reclassified, this time to Class 14CRM.[2]

Reclassified Class 14C locomotives often did not receive new number plates. Instead, the previous Class number was milled out and a separate small plate inscribed with the new Class number and "R" suffix was attached to the number plate.

Cylinder bushing

Several of the Class 14C, 14CR, 14CRM and 14CRB locomotives had their cylinders bushed to reduce the bore from the as-built 22 to 21.75 inches (559 to 552 millimetres). At the same time the boiler pressure of the Class 14C, 14CR and 14CRM locomotives was adjusted upwards from 190 to 195 pounds per square inch (1,310 to 1,340 kilopascals), while that of the Class 14CRB locomotives was adjusted upwards from 180 to 183 pounds per square inch (1,240 to 1,260 kilopascals) in order to keep their tractive effort unaffected by the reduction in piston diameter. Table 1 shows their years built, running numbers and eventual classifications.[2]

Axle load and weight

Since all four batches of Class 14C, as built, already differed in terms of maximum axle loading, weight on driving wheels and engine weight, the variety in weights between them became even greater when they were reboilered and rebalanced, to such an extent that the Class 14C eventually ended up as six different locomotive classes. The variety in axle loading and weight is shown in Table 2.[2]

Service

South African Railways

The Class 14C was placed in service on the Cape Eastern system, working the Umtata branch into Transkei and on the mainline to Cookhouse. Some went to the Western Cape where they banked up the Hex River Pass from De Doorns and later worked with Class 19C locomotives across Sir Lowry's Pass to Caledon and Bredasdorp in the Overberg. A few were also used on the Cape Midland system, in Natal and the Eastern Transvaal.[3]

In their later years many of these locomotives remained on the Cape Western system, most being shedded at Paardeneiland in Cape Town and at Beaufort West, and one at De Aar, mostly being used as shunters and on short local pick-ups. A large number were also used on the Cape Eastern system, shedded at East London and used as shunters, on local pick-ups and also in suburban service. A few also served their last years in the Eastern Transvaal, shedded at Pietersburg and Witbank.[4]

Other operators

Between 1918 and 1921 the Rhodesia Railways (RR) purchased a slightly lighter version of the original Class 14C from MLW. These became the RR Class 11. A further batch was built in 1948, as RR Class 11A. Some of the RR Class 11s and all the RR Class 11As were eventually sold to Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique (CFM) and were utilised on the line between Mozambique and Swaziland.[4]

Versions illustrated

The main picture shows third batch Class 14CRB no. 2004 "Purdey" taking water at Robertson, Western Cape, on 11 November 1979.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Holland, D.F. (1972). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways, Volume 2: 1910-1955 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. p. 34. ISBN 978-0-7153-5427-8.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 South African Railways and Harbours Locomotive Diagram Book, 2’0” & 3’6” Gauge Steam Locomotives, 15 August 1941, as amended
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 10–11, 58–59. ISBN 0869772112.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Durrant, A E (1989). Twilight of South African Steam (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, London: David & Charles. pp. 81–82. ISBN 0715386387.