South African Class GD 2-6-2+2-6-2

South African Class GD 2-6-2+2-6-2
Class GD Garratt, circa 1965
Type and origin
Power type	Steam
Designer	Beyer, Peacock and Company
Builder	Beyer, Peacock and Company
Serial number	6263-6266, 6281-6290 ^[1]^[2]
Model	Class GD
Build date	1925-1926
Total produced	14
Specifications
Configuration	2-6-2+2-6-2 "Double Prairie" Garratt
Gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge
Leading wheel diameter	28.5 in (724 mm)
Driver diameter	46 in (1,170 mm)
Trailing wheel diameter	28.5 in (724 mm)
Wheelbase	Total: 58 ft 4 in (17.780 m) Engines: 8 ft 6 in (2.591 m) coupled 18 ft 9 in (5.715 m) total
Length	65 ft 0.75 in (19.831 m)
Height	12 ft 10.25 in (3.918 m)
Frame	Plate frame, 30 ft 6 in (9.296 m) between pivot centres
Axle load	12.75 long tons (13.0 t) on 6th driver
Weight on drivers	75.35 long tons (76.6 t)
Locomotive weight	198,900 lb (90.2 t) empty 114.05 long tons (115.9 t) w/o
Fuel type	Coal
Fuel capacity	5 long tons (5.1 t) as built 9 long tons (9.1 t) no. 2220
Water capacity	2,300 imp gal (10,000 l) front 1,500 imp gal (6,800 l) rear
Boiler	6 ft (1.829 m) inside diameter 10 ft 7.875 in (3.248 m) inside length 7 ft 9.25 in (2.369 m) pitch
Boiler pressure	180 psi (1,240 kPa)
Firegrate area	40 sq ft (3.716 m²)
Heating surface: – Tubes	184 tubes 2 in (50.8 mm) diameter 32 tubes 5.5 in (140 mm) diameter 1,517 sq ft (140.934 m²)
– Firebox	172 sq ft (15.979 m²)
– Total	1,689 sq ft (156.913 m²)
Superheater area	370 sq ft (34.374 m²)
Cylinders	Four
Cylinder size	15 in (381 mm) bore 24 in (610 mm) stroke ^[3]
Valve gear	Walschaerts ^[4]
Performance figures
Tractive effort	31,690 lbf (141 kN) at 75% pressure
Career
Operator(s)	South African Railways
Class	Class GD
Number in class	14
Number(s)	2220-2223, 2228-2237
Delivered	1925-1926
First run	1925
Withdrawn	1967

The South African Class GD 2-6-2+2-6-2 of 1925 is a South African steam locomotive from the South African Railways era.

In 1925 the South African Railways placed four Class GD Garratt articulated locomotives with a 2-6-2+2-6-2 Double Prairie type wheel arrangement in branchline service. Another ten of these locomotives were delivered in 1926.^[1]^[3]^[4]

Manufacturer

The Class GD 2-6-2+2-6-2 Double Prairie type Garratt locomotive was marginally larger and more powerful than its predecessor Class GC, with a higher axle loading but also intended for branchline work. Four locomotives were delivered by Beyer, Peacock and Company in 1925, numbered in the range from 2220 to 2223. These were followed in 1926 by ten more from the same manufacturer, seven of them built in 1925 and numbered in the range from 2228 to 2234, and the last three built in 1926 and numbered in the range from 2235 to 2237.^[1]^[3]^[4]

They were superheated and had plate frames, Belpaire fireboxes and Walschaerts valve gear.^[3]^[4]

Service

They were placed in service on the North Coast and the Pietermaritzburg to Franklin lines in Natal and on the line from Cape Town across Sir Lowry’s Pass to Caledon in the Overberg. The Class GD proved itself as handy and trouble-free locomotives and gave good service for more than forty years.^[1]

They were later allocated to the Cape Midland system to work across the Montagu Pass between George and Oudtshoorn for many years, until they were finally all allocated to the Port Alfred branch, where they remained until they were withdrawn from service in 1967.^[4]

Sides illustrated

The main picture and the following photograph offer views of both sides of the Class GD locomotive.

Class GD no. 2222 on the down Caledon goods from Cape Town, circa 1940

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

South African Class GD (2-6-2+2-6-2)

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Holland, D.F. (1972). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways, Volume 2: 1910-1955 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. pp. 47–48. ISBN 978-0-7153-5427-8.
↑ Hamilton, Gavin N., The Garratt Locomotive - Garratt Locomotives produced by Beyer, Peacock, retrieved 10 November 2012
↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 South African Railways and Harbours Locomotive Diagram Book, 2’0” & 3’6” Gauge Steam Locomotives, 15 August 1941, as amended
↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. p. 90. ISBN 0869772112.

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

South African Class GD 2-6-2+2-6-2

Manufacturer

Service

Sides illustrated

See also

References