South African Class 8Y 2-8-0

South African Class 8Y 2-8-0
ex CGR 8th Class 2-8-0

Ex CGR 8th Class no. 820, SAR Class 8Y no. 899
Type and origin
Power type Steam
Designer Cape Government Railways
Builder Kitson and Company
Serial number 4198-4201
Model CGR 8th Class (2-8-0)
Build date 1903 [1]
Total produced 4
Specifications
Configuration 2-8-0 "Consolidation"
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)
Wheelbase Engine:
14 ft 6 in (4.420 m) coupled
21 ft 8 in (6.604 m) total
Tender:
4 ft 7 in (1.397 m) bogie
14 ft 7 in (4.445 m) total
Total: 46 ft 10.5 in (14.288 m)
Length 54 ft 9 in (16.688 m)
Height 12 ft 10 in (3.912 m)
Frame Bar frame
Axle load 12.4 long tons (12.6 t) per driver
Weight on drivers 49.6 long tons (50.4 t)
Locomotive weight 56 long tons (56.9 t)
Tender weight 42,234 lb (19.2 t) empty
41.6 long tons (42.3 t) w/o
Locomotive and tender
combined weight		 92.8 long tons (94.3 t)
Tender type XE1
* 2 axle bogies
* 34 in (864 mm) wheels
* Length 22 ft 1.625 in (6.747 m)
Fuel type Coal
Fuel capacity 6 long tons (6.1 t)
Water capacity 2,855 imp gal (12,980 l)
Boiler 4 ft 10.375 in (1.483 m) inside diameter
12 ft 7.375 in (3.845 m) inside length
7 ft 3 in (2.210 m) pitch
Boiler pressure 180 psi (1,240 kPa)
Firegrate area 30.9 sq ft (2.871 m2)
Heating surface:
– Tubes		 196 tubes 2 in (50.8 mm) diameter
1,311.5 sq ft (121.842 m2)
– Firebox 105 sq ft (9.755 m2)
– Total 1,416.5 sq ft (131.597 m2)
Cylinders Two
Cylinder size 18.5 in (470 mm) bore
24 in (610 mm) stroke
Valve gear Stephenson
Performance figures
Tractive effort 23,110 lbf (103 kN) at 75% pressure
Career
Operator(s) Cape Government Railways
South African Railways
Class CGR 8th Class (2-8-0)
SAR Class 8Y [1]
Number in class 4
Number(s) CGR 817-820, SAR 896-899 [2]
Delivered 1903
First run 1903
Withdrawn 1938 [3]

The South African Class 8Y 2-8-0 of 1903 is a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape Colony.

In 1903 the Cape Government Railways placed four more Cape 8th Class 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 8Y.[1][2]

Manufacturer

The first locomotive in the Cape Government Railways (CGR) 2-8-0 Consolidation type 8th Class, later to become the South African Railways (SAR) Class 8X, was designed by H.M. Beatty, the CGR’s Chief Locomotive Superintendent from 1896 to 1910. This second batch of four was ordered in 1903 from Kitson and Company of Hunslet in Leeds, West Yorkshire. All four were allocated to the CGR’s Western System and numbered in the range from 817 to 820.[1]

They were very similar to the earlier Schenectady and ALCO built Consolidations, but with the boiler centre line raised two inches. Coupled with a shallow firebox, this enabled the grate to be extended out sideways over the fourth set of coupled wheels which resulted in a grate area of 30.9 square feet (2.871 square metres) compared to the 20 square feet (1.858 square metres) of the previous model. They also used saturated steam and cylinders with overhead slide valves actuated by inside Stephenson valve gear.[1][3]

Class 8 sub-classes

In spite of the difference in wheel arrangement, the CGR grouped its 2-8-0 Consolidation and post Class 7 4-8-0 Mastodon locomotives together as the 8th Class.[1][3]

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.[2][4]

In 1912 these locomotives were reclassified to Class 8Y on the SAR and renumbered in the range from 896 to 899. All these CGR 2-8-0 and 4-8-0 locomotives, together with the Class 8-L1 to Class 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.[1][2][3][5]

Service

In SAR service, the 2-8-0 Class 8Y was used mainly in the Northern Cape until they were withdrawn by 1938.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Holland, D.F. (1971). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways, Volume 1: 1859-1910 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. pp. 64–65. ISBN 978-0-7153-5382-0.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Classification of S.A.R. Engines with Renumbering Lists, issued by the Chief Mechanical Engineer’s Office, Pretoria, January 1912, pp. 9, 12, 15, 36 (Reprinted in April 1987 by SATS Museum, R.3125-6/9/11-1000)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. p. 50. ISBN 0869772112.
  4. ↑ The South African Railways - Historical Survey. Editor George Hart, Publisher Bill Hart, Sponsored by Dorbyl Ltd., Published c. 1978, p. 25.
  5. ↑ South African Railways and Harbours Locomotive Diagram Book, 2’0” & 3’6” Gauge Steam Locomotives, 15 August 1941, as amended