South African Class 5B 4-6-2

The South African Class 5B 4-6-2 of 1904 is a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape Colony.

In 1904 the Cape Government Railways placed four Karoo Class 4-6-2 Pacific type passenger steam locomotives in service. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and classified as Class 5B.^[2][4][6]

Manufacturer

Following on the success of the first two Karoo Class locomotives of the Cape Government Railways (CGR), a further four were ordered from Beyer, Peacock and Company in 1904 and delivered in that same year. They were modified slightly in view of the experience gained with the original two Karoo locomotives.^[2][3]

They were numbered in the range from 905 to 908 and, like the previous two locomotives, they were also not allocated class numbers by the CGR. Instead they were also known as the Karoo Class, from the region of the Western System where they were designed to work.^[2]

Class 5 sub-classes

The Union of South Africa was established on 31 May 1910, in terms of the South Africa Act, enacted by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. 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.^[7]

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]

In 1912 these four locomotives were renumbered in the range from 723 to 726 and reclassified to Class 5B on the SAR. The rest of the CGR’s Karoo Class locomotives were grouped into two more sub-classes by the SAR.^[3][4][5]

Modifications

Watson Standard boilers

In the 1930s many serving locomotives were reboilered with a standard boiler type designed by then Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) A.G. Watson as part of his standardisation policy. Such Watson Standard reboilered locomotives were reclassified by adding an "R" suffix to their classification.^[3][6]

Only one of the Class 5B locomotives, number 725, was eventually reboilered with a Watson Standard no. 1 boiler and reclassified to Class 5BR.^[3][6]

Piston valves

Watson also equipped the Class 5B and Class 5BR with superheating and piston valve cylinders. The Class 5BR was equipped with superheating at the time that it was reboilered with a Watson Standard boiler and reclassified, but the remaining Class 5B locomotives were not reclassified after this modification.^[3][6]

At the same time their running boards were raised clear of the coupled wheels. This modification made the as-built wheel fairings on the running boards unnecessary and resulted in a locomotive with a North American rather than a British appearance.

Service

In service the Class 5B locomotives performed excellently. CGR Chief Locomotive Superintendent H.M. Beatty’s annual report for 1905 stated that they collectively ran 171,000 miles (275,000 kilometres) without a failure of any description.^[2]

They spent a large part of their working lives in the Karoo working between Beaufort West and De Aar, until they were displaced by larger locomotives and assigned to the Paardeneiland shed in Cape Town. Some remained in service around Cape Town for many years and became familiar sights on the Strand and Stellenbosch suburban trains, until the last locomotive of this Class was withdrawn by 1969.^[6]

Upon withdrawal no. 723 was plinthed at Strand station. It was subsequently first moved to De Aar, where it was observed in April 1980 as part of the well-known and well-maintained collection of preserved locomotives. No. 723 as well as most of the other locomotives in the De Aar collection were subsequently relocated to Millsite near Krugersdorp.

Modifications illustrated

The main picture shows no. 723 while it was still plinthed at Strand station, with running boards that had been raised clear of the coupled wheels.

The first of the following pictures shows the Class 5B in the CGR's green livery, with polished brass dome covers and with its original low running boards with wheel fairings or splashers, depicted here on a colourised CGR post card that also shows the CGR's crest. The second shows it in the later all black livery of the SAR and after being equipped with superheating, piston valve cylinders, raised running boards and raised tender sides to increase the coal capacity.

• 

  CGR Karoo Class no. 905, SAR Class 5B no. 723

• 

  Class 5B no. 724, ex CGR Karoo Class no. 906, circa 1930

See also

• List of South African locomotive classes
• South African Class 5 4-6-2
• South African Class 5A 4-6-2
• South African Class Exp 1 4-6-2
• South African locomotive history
• Tender locomotive numbering and classification
• The 4-6-2 "Pacific"
• Watson Standard boilers

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: South African Class 5B (4-6-2)

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