South African Class Exp 2 2-8-0
South African Class Exp 2 2-8-0 ex CGR Tandem Compound 2-8-0 | |
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CGR Tandem Compound Consolidation no. 804 SAR Class Experimental 2 no. 908 | |
Type and origin | |
Power type | Steam |
Designer | Cape Government Railways |
Builder | American Locomotive Company |
Serial number | 26694 [1] |
Model | CGR Tandem Compound |
Build date | 1902 |
Total produced | 1 |
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 |
Total: 46 ft 5 in (14.148 m) Engine: 14 ft 6 in (4.420 m) coupled 22 ft 2 in (6.756 m) total Tender: 5 ft (1.524 m) bogie 14 ft 5 in (4.394 m) total |
Length | 53 ft 8 in (16.358 m) |
Height | 12 ft 10 in (3.912 m) |
Axle load | 14 long tons (14.2 t) on 1st driver |
Weight on drivers | 51.15 long tons (52.0 t) |
Locomotive weight | 57.8 long tons (58.7 t) |
Tender weight | 34 long tons (34.5 t) |
Locomotive and tender combined weight | 91.8 long tons (93.3 t) |
Tender type |
2 axle bogies Wheels 33.5 in (851 mm) diameter |
Fuel type | Coal |
Fuel capacity | 6 long tons (6.1 t) |
Water capacity | 3,080 imp gal (14,000 l) |
Boiler |
4 ft 11 in (1.499 m) inside diameter 12 ft 5.625 in (3.800 m) inside length 7 ft 1 in (2.159 m) pitch |
Boiler pressure | 200 psi (1,380 kPa) |
Firegrate area | 20 sq ft (1.858 m2) |
Heating surface: – Tubes |
196 tubes 2 in (50.8 mm) diameter 1,279.6 sq ft (118.879 m2) |
– Firebox | 129.8 sq ft (12.059 m2) |
– Total | 1,409.4 sq ft (130.938 m2) |
Cylinders | Four |
High-pressure cylinder size |
13 in (330 mm) bore 26 in (660 mm) stroke |
Low-pressure cylinder size |
23 in (584 mm) bore 26 in (660 mm) stroke |
Valve gear | Stephenson |
Performance figures | |
Tractive effort | 26,400 lbf (117 kN) at 75% pressure |
Career | |
Operator(s) |
Cape Government Railways South African Railways |
Class |
CGR Tandem Compound SAR Class Exp 2 [1] |
Number in class | 1 |
Number(s) | CGR 804, SAR 908 [2][3] |
Delivered | 1902 |
First run | 1902 |
Withdrawn | 1916 |
The South African Class Experimental 2 2-8-0 of 1902 was a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape Colony.
In 1902 the Cape Government Railways placed a single experimental 2-8-0 Consolidation type tandem compound steam locomotive in service, based on its Schenectady-built 8th Class of 1901. In 1912, when the locomotive was assimilated into the South African Railways, it was renumbered and classified as Class Experimental 2.[1][2][4]
Manufacturer
In the first few years of the twentieth century H.M. Beatty, Locomotive Superintendent of the Cape Government Railways (CGR), experimented with various forms of compound steam locomotives. The first of these locomotives was delivered by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in 1902. It was based on the CGR’s Schenectady-built 8th Class of the previous year, later the Class 8X, and was numbered 804. It was not classified by the CGR and was simply referred to as the Tandem Compound.[1][4]
Compound expansion
Compound locomotive
In a compound locomotive steam is expanded in phases. After being expanded in a high pressure cylinder and having then lost pressure and given up part of its heat, it is exhausted into a larger volume low pressure cylinder for secondary expansion, after which it is exhausted through the smokebox. By comparison, in the more usual arrangement of simple expansion (simplex), steam is expanded just once in any one cylinder before being exhausted through the smokebox.[5]
Tandem compound
The tandem compound locomotive first appeared on the American Erie Railroad in 1867. In a tandem compound engine each pair of high and low pressure cylinders drove a common crosshead, connecting rod and crank. The high pressure cylinders were bolted onto the fronts of the low pressure cylinders, which were each cast integrally with one half of the smokebox saddle. The hollow piston valves were mounted on the same valve spindle in a common steam chest, with the high pressure valves arranged for inside admission and the low pressure valves for outside admission.[1][4][6]
The high-pressure cylinders were 13 inches (330 millimetres) in diameter and the low-pressure cylinders 23 inches (584 millimetres), with a common stroke of 26 inches (660 millimetres). The steam was admitted to the same side of each piston simultaneously by means of an intricate system of crossed ports in the high pressure cylinder casting to convey its spent steam to the low pressure cylinder, from where it was then exhausted after use.[1][4]
Performance
Considerable trouble was experienced with the tandem arrangement, since the piston rod packing between the high and low pressure cylinders could not be inspected or serviced without removing the high pressure cylinders. In addition, as a result of high levels of condensation, the low pressure cylinders were inefficient since the drain cocks had to be opened frequently enough to detract from the locomotive’s otherwise good performance.[1]
Modification
Beatty was apparently not greatly impressed with the tandem compound and it was not long before he had the compound cylinders removed and the locomotive converted to a simple expansion engine.[1]
Service
The locomotive was placed in service on the lower section of the Cape mainline, where it was used with limited success until it was converted to simplex steaming.[4]
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][7]
In 1912 the locomotive was classified as Class Experimental 2 and renumbered to 908 on the SAR. It remained in SAR service only until 1916, when it was withdrawn.[2][4]
See also
- List of South African locomotive classes
- South African Class 8X 2-8-0
- South African Class Exp 1 4-6-2
- South African Class Exp 3 2-8-0
- South African Class Exp 4 2-8-2
- South African Class Exp 5 2-8-2
- South African Class Exp 6 4-8-0
- South African locomotive history
- The 2-8-0 "Consolidation"
References
|
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Holland, D.F. (1971). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways, Volume 1: 1859-1910 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. pp. 67–68. ISBN 978-0-7153-5382-0.
- ↑ 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)
- ↑ Holland, D.F. (1972). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways, Volume 2: 1910-1955 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. p. 140. ISBN 978-0-7153-5427-8.
- ↑ 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. p. 82. ISBN 0869772112.
- ↑ Compounding Steam Locomotives
- ↑ Tandem Compounding Locomotives
- ↑ The South African Railways - Historical Survey. Editor George Hart, Publisher Bill Hart, Sponsored by Dorbyl Ltd., Published c. 1978, p. 25.