South African Class 8 4-8-0

The South African Class 8 4-8-0 of 1902 is a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape Colony.

In 1902 and 1903 the Cape Government Railways placed twenty-three 8th Class steam locomotives with a 4-8-0 Mastodon type wheel arrangement in service, three on the Cape Western System, eight on the Cape Midland System and twelve on the Cape Eastern System. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered but retained their Class 8 classification.^[1][4][6]

Manufacture

Evolution

The first 8th Class locomotives of the Cape Government Railways (CGR) were 2-8-0 Consolidation types designed by H.M. Beatty, the Chief Locomotive Superintendent of the CGR from 1896 to 1910. It was later to become the South African Railways (SAR) Class 8X.^[1]

While these first Schenectady and ALCO built 2-8-0 locomotives were being subjected to exhaustive testing on all types of traffic and under varying conditions, some trouble was experienced with the leading two-wheeled pony truck and, when designs were prepared at Salt River for a later order for more locomotives, the pony truck was replaced with a four-wheeled bogie.^[1][6]

These twenty-three locomotives were the first 8th Class locomotives of the CGR to be built with a 4-8-0 Mastodon type wheel arrangement. In spite of the difference in wheel arrangement, these Consolidations and Mastodons of the CGR were all grouped together into the 8th Class.^[1][6]

Manufacturer

The new 4-8-0 locomotives were built by Neilson, Reid and Company in 1901 and 1902 and delivered in three batches in 1902 and 1903. The first batch of three, numbered in the range from 801 to 803, went to the CGR’s Western System in 1902. Of the second batch of ten that arrived in 1902, eight were numbered in the range from 358 to 365 and allocated to the Midland System, while the other two became numbers 771 and 772, allocated to the Eastern System. The last batch of ten, numbered in the range from 773 to 782, arrived in 1903 and all went to the Eastern System.^[1]

They were conceived as mixed traffic locomotives, equally suitable for goods and passenger work. They had larger driving wheels than the Class 7, bar frames, used saturated steam and had Stephenson valve gear. In service it was found that the four wheeled bogies and the slightly shorter fixed wheelbase made them steadier and easier riding than their 2-8-0 predecessors.^[1][6]

Class 8 sub-classes

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 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][7]

When these twenty-three locomotives were assimilated into the SAR in 1912, they were renumbered in the range from 1069 to 1091, but they retained their Class 8 classification.^[4][5]

The rest of the 8th Class Consolidations and Mastodons of the CGR, together with the Class 8-L1 to 8-L3 4-8-0 Mastodon locomotives of the Central South African Railways, were grouped into nine more different sub-classes by the SAR. The other 4-8-0 locomotives became SAR Classes 8A to 8F and the 2-8-0 locomotives became Classes 8X to 8Z.^[3]

Modification

During A.G. Watson’s term as Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the SAR from 1929 to 1936, many of the Class 8 to Class 8F locomotives were equipped with superheated boilers, larger bore cylinders and either inside or outside admission piston valves. The outside admission locomotives had their cylinder bore increased from 18.5 inches (470 millimetres) to 19 inches (483 millimetres) and retained their existing SAR Class 8 classifications, while the inside admission locomotives had their cylinder bore increased to 20 inches (508 millimetres) and were reclassified by having a "W" suffix added to their existing SAR classifications.^[3][6]

Of the Class 8 locomotives, five were equipped with superheated boilers, 19 inches (483 millimetres) bore cylinders and outside admission piston valves, while retaining their Class 8 classification.^[3]

Four locomotives were equipped with superheated boilers, 20 inches (508 millimetres) bore cylinders and inside admission piston valves and reclassified to Class 8W.^[3]

The Class 8 and Class 8W works numbers, renumbering and superheating modifications are shown in the table.^[2][3][4]

Service

In SAR service, the 4-8-0 Class 8 family of locomotives served on every system in the country and in the 1920s became the mainstay of motive power on many branchlines. Their final days were spent in shunting service and by 1972 they were all withdrawn.^[6]

Modifications illustrated

The main picture shows Class 8 no. 1088, ex CGR no. 779, as built, at East London circa 1930. The following pictures serve to illustrate both sides of the Class 8 locomotive as well as the piston valve and superheating modification.

• 

  Ex CGR (Eastern System) no. 778, SAR no. 1087, as built without superheating, circa 1930

• 

  Superheated Class 8 with outside admission piston valves at Braamfontein, circa 1930

See also

• South African Class 8A 4-8-0
• South African Class 8B 4-8-0
• South African Class 8C 4-8-0
• South African Class 8D 4-8-0
• South African Class 8E 4-8-0
• South African Class 8F 4-8-0
• South African Class 8X 2-8-0
• South African Class 8Y 2-8-0
• South African Class 8Z 2-8-0
• The 4-8-0 "Mastodon"
• Tender locomotive numbering and classification
• South African locomotive history
• List of South African locomotive classes

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: South African Class 8 (4-8-0)

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