South African Class C 4-6-0T

South African Class C 4-6-0T
ex NGR Class G 4-6-0T
ex NGR Kitson 2-6-0T

NGR Class G no. 26
Type and origin
Power type Steam
Designer Kitson and Company
Builder Kitson and Company
Robert Stephenson and Company
Serial number Kitson: 2254-2258, 2269-2270, 2358-2360, 2504-2508, 2898-2900
Stephenson: 2484-2490, 2519-2520, 2571-2580
Model NGR Class G
Build date 1879-1885
Total produced 37
Specifications
Configuration 2-6-0T "Mogul"
4-6-0T "Ten-wheeler" (USA)
Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge
Leading wheel
diameter		 24 in (610 mm)
Driver diameter 38 in (965 mm)
Wheelbase 2-6-0:
14 ft 1 in (4.293 m) total
7 ft 9 in (2.362 m) coupled
4-6-0:
16 ft 8 3⁄4 in (5.099 m) total
5 ft (1.524 m) bogie
7 ft 9 in (2.362 m) coupled
Length 2-6-0: 21 ft 9 5⁄8 in (6.645 m) buffer beams
4-6-0: 23 ft 10 3⁄8 in (7.274 m) buffer beams
Height 11 ft 7 1⁄4 in (3.537 m)
Frame Plate frame
Axle load 8.2 long tons (8.3 t) on 2nd driver
Weight on drivers 23.2 long tons (23.6 t)
Locomotive weight 29.1 long tons (29.6 t)
Fuel type Coal
Fuel capacity 1.25 long tons (1.3 t)
Water capacity 700 imp gal (3,200 l)
Boiler 3 ft 2 1⁄8 in (0.968 m) inside diameter
10 ft 3 1⁄2 in (3.137 m) inside length
5 ft 7 in (1.702 m) pitch
Boiler pressure 2-6-0: 140 psi (965 kPa)
4-6-0: 175 psi (1,210 kPa)
Firegrate area 11 sq ft (1.022 m2)
Heating surface:
– Tubes		 130 tubes 1 3⁄4 in (44.4 mm) diameter
611 sq ft (56.764 m2)
– Firebox 58 sq ft (5.388 m2)
– Total 669 sq ft (62.152 m2)
Cylinders Two
Cylinder size 14 in (356 mm) bore
21 in (533 mm) stroke
Valve gear Stephenson
Performance figures
Tractive effort At 75% boiler pressure:[1][2]
140 psi: 11,080 lbf (49.3 kN)
175 psi: 13,850 lbf (61.6 kN)
Career
Operator(s) Natal Government Railways
South African Railways
Eskom
Class NGR Class G, SAR Class C
Number in class NGR 37, SAR 15
Number(s) NGR 8-14, 16-26, 29-47
SAR 62-76 [3]
Delivered 1879-1885
First run 1879
Withdrawn 1940 [4]

The South African Class C 4-6-0T of 1879 is a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Natal Colony.

Between 1879 and 1885 the Natal Government Railways placed thirty-seven 4-6-0 tank steam locomotives in service. Of these, the first seven were built as 2-6-0T Mogul type locomotives and were subsequently modified to a 4-6-0T wheel arrangement. They were designated Class G and in 1912, when fifteen of them were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class C.[2][3][4]

Origins

When the Natal Government took over all the assets of the Natal Railway Company in 1875 and formed the Natal Government Railways (NGR), two important decisions were made. The first was to extend the tracks inland from Durban to Pietermaritzburg in order to open up the line into the interior, and to Verulam on the North Coast and Isipingo on the South Coast to serve the growing farming communities up and down the coast from Durban. The second was to convert the railway from Standard gauge to Cape gauge to conform to the gauge used by the Cape Government Railways. This decision to regauge was most likely brought about by the terrain that confronted the new railway in the Natal interior, that would demand heavy grades and tight curves.[1]

The first Cape gauge locomotives of the NGR were seven Class K 2-6-0T locomotives that had been ordered from Beyer, Peacock and Company in 1877 to meet the expected traffic demands on these new lines. They were built to the same specifications as the engines Durban and Pietermaritzburg, a pair of 2-6-0T locomotives built by Kitson and Company for Wythes and Jackson, the contractors who built the line between Durban and Pietermaritzburg.[1]

Manufacturers

The NGR Class G was a development of those first Cape gauge Class K 2-6-0 tank locomotives. The locomotives were initially often referred to as the K&S Class after their builders, Kitson and Stephenson, until a classification system was introduced by the NGR at some stage between 1904 and 1908 and they were designated the NGR Class G. Altogether thirty-seven were built by these two manufacturers in six batches between 1879 and 1885.[1][4][5]

1879
Works picture of NGR Class G no. 8

The first seven of these locomotives were delivered from Kitson in 1879, with works numbers in the range from 2254 to 2258, 2269 and 2270. They were numbered in the range from 8 to 14. Like their predecessor Class K, these seven locomotives were built with a 2-6-0T Mogul type wheel arrangement. They were all rebuilt to a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement, probably beginning in 1882 since mention is made in the NGR Annual Report for 1883 of five locomotives of the 1879 order having been rebuilt in this manner during the year covered in the report. In the process the locomotive frame had to be extended forward by 24 3⁄4 inches (629 millimetres) to accommodate the four-wheeled bogie.[1][2][6]

1880
Works picture, NGR Class G no. 16

Three more locomotives, also built by Kitson, followed in 1880 with works numbers in the range from 2358 to 2360 and numbered in the range from 16 to 18. These three, as well as all those that followed, were built with a 4-6-0 Tenwheeler wheel arrangement. In order to accommodate the bogie, these and the following locomotives were all 23 feet 10 3⁄8 inches (7.274 metres) long over their buffer beams, compared to the 21 feet 9 5⁄8 inches (6.645 metres) length of the locomotives of 1879.[1][2][6]

1882

Twelve more followed in 1882, of which five were built by Kitson with works numbers in the range from 2504 to 2508 and numbered in the range from 22 to 26. The rest were built by Robert Stephenson and Company with works numbers in the range from 2484 to 2490, but their known numbers (table below) indicate that they were not numbered in chronological order and that some of them were allocated numbers from earlier locomotives that may have been withdrawn or renumbered.[1][6]

1883

Two locomotives were delivered in 1883, built by Stephenson with works numbers 2519 and 2520. Their known numbers also indicate renumbering and gap-filling on the locomotive numbering roster.[1][6]

1884

Ten locomotives were delivered in 1884, built by Stephenson with works numbers in the range from 2571 to 2580 and numbered in the range from 32 to 41.[1][6]

1885

The last three were built by Kitson with works numbers in the range from 2898 to 2900 and numbered in the range from 42 to 44.[1][6]

Modifications

Two of these locomotives were rebuilt by G.W. Reid, who was appointed as Locomotive Superintendent of the NGR on 1 July 1893. Number 21 was rebuilt to a 4-6-4T Baltic type wheel arrangement in 1896, for use on the South Coast line. At the time there was no turning facility at the end of this line and the modification was made to enable the locomotive to run equally well in either direction. The locomotive was later renumbered 39.[1][7]

In 1901 number 25 was rebuilt to a 4-6-2T Pacific type wheel arrangement. The locomotive was later renumbered 38. Both these rebuilt locomotives were designated Class H when a classification system was introduced on the NGR.[1][5]

Several other modifications were done to many of these locomotives during their years in service. This led to differences between locomotives in one or more of several aspects.[2]

Service

Natal Government Railways

In NGR service the Class G replaced the slightly smaller Beyer, Peacock-built Class K 2-6-0 tank locomotives on mainline trains out of Durban. They were occasionally equipped with small four-wheeled tenders to increase their fuel carrying capacity when they were required to work long distances.[4]

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 Cape Government Railways, the NGR 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.[3][8]

In 1912 fifteen survivors of the Class G became the SAR’s Class C and were renumbered in the range from 62 to 76. These were the oldest locomotives to be reclassified and renumbered onto the SAR roster. All older and some newer locomotives that were in service at the time were considered obsolete and renumbered by having the numeral 0 prefixed to their existing numbers. In SAR service the Class C locomotives were used as shunting engines until the last one was withdrawn from service in 1940.[1][3][4]

Electricity Supply Commission

In post-SAR service one of the ex 2-6-0 rebuilt locomotives, Kitson works number 2269 of 1879, remained in service with the Electricity Supply Commission (Eskom) until the mid-1980s, by which time it had rendered more than one hundred and five years of service. While in Eskom's service it was named "Kitty" after its builder, Kitson. It was declared a heritage object in 1983. The relevant gazette of the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), number 8682 of 29 April 1983, describes it as the oldest working steam locomotive in South Africa and the first to have completed a century of service.[4][9][10]

Renumbering

The early locomotive numbering practices followed on the NGR still remain to be deciphered. It would appear that locomotives that were taken out of mainline service were renumbered into the 500 number range. Number slots that became vacant in this manner or as a result of locomotive withdrawal, sale or scrapping were then re-used, either by being allocated to new locomotives or by wholesale renumbering. The published number lists all appear to be snapshots at a point in time and none appear to present the complete picture. The numbers as listed in the table are from two sources, those presented by D.F. Holland in his publication of 1971 and those presented by R.V. Conyngham in his booklet of 1995. The two sources are indicated in the table headings below by H or C respectively, with the differences between the two sources shaded yellow.[1][2][3][6][11]

On two of the three SAR numbers where the Holland and Conyngham lists disagree, the official "Classification of S.A.R. Engines with Renumbering Lists issued by the Chief Mechanical Engineer’s Office, Pretoria, January 1912" seems to prove Holland correct, as shown shaded green in the Notes column in the table. This official document shows old and new numbers but not builder's works numbers.[3]

On the third disagreement historic records show two locomotives that bore the number 47. Here Conyngham is presumed to be correct since the locomotive Kitty is known to have been built by Kitson, not Stephenson.[2]

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 Holland, D.F. (1971). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways, Volume 1: 1859-1910 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. pp. 87–89. ISBN 978-0-7153-5382-0.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 The “K&S” Class Locomotives of the Natal Government Railways. Conyngham, Ron V., RHG. Fish Hoek, 28 December 1995.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Classification of S.A.R. Engines with Renumbering Lists, issued by the Chief Mechanical Engineer’s Office, Pretoria, January 1912, pp. 7, 13, 19 (Reprinted in April 1987 by SATS Museum, R.3125-6/9/11-1000)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 10–11, 28. ISBN 0869772112.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Railway Report for year ending 31 Dec. 1908, Natal Government Railways, p. 39, par 14.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 NGR Class G numbering
  7. ↑ NGR appointment dates - W. Milne & G.W. Reid
  8. ↑ The South African Railways - Historical Survey. Editor George Hart, Publisher Bill Hart, Sponsored by Dorbyl Ltd., Published c. 1978, p. 25.
  9. ↑ Middleton, John N. (2002). Railways of Southern Africa Locomotive Guide - 2002 (as amended by Combined Amendment List 4, January 2009) (2nd, Dec 2002 ed.). Herts, England: Beyer-Garratt Publications. p. 15.
  10. ↑ "Kitty Steam Locomotive, SA National Railway and Steam Museum, Krugersdorp". South African Heritage Resource Agency. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  11. ↑ The Railway Report for year ending 31 Dec. 1880, Natal Government Railways, p. JJ72.