South African Class NG2 0-4-2T

The South African Class NG2 0-4-2T of 1897 is a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Transvaal.

Between 1897 and 1901 Arthur Koppel, acting as agent, imported a number of Dickson-built 0-4-2ST narrow gauge saddle tank steam locomotives to mines on the Witwatersrand. In 1915, when an urgent need arose for additional locomotives in German South West Africa during World War I, two of the 0-4-2ST locomotives were purchased second-hand by the South African Railways for use in that territory. They were later classified as Class NG2.^[2][3]

Manufacturer

Between 1897 and 1901 several narrow gauge 0-4-2 saddle tank steam locomotives, built by Dickson Manufacturing Company of Scranton in Pennsylvania shortly before it merged with seven other manufacturing firms to form the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in 1901, were delivered to various gold mines on the Witwatersrand by Arthur Koppel, acting as importing agents.^[2][3]

South African Railways purchase

In 1915, while the military campaign was being waged against German forces in Deutsch-Südwest-Afrika (DSWA) during World War I, an urgent need arose for additional locomotives for use on the narrow gauge lines in that territory. The South African Railways (SAR) therefore bought two of these Dickson-built 0-4-2ST locomotives second-hand, numbered them NG93 and NG94 and placed them in service in DSWA.^[3]

The identity of these locomotives is difficult to prove, but the SAR diagram book for the Class NG2 gives dimensions that limit the possibilities to only three of the known Koppel imports. Two of these, Dickson works numbers 978 of 1897 and 1019 of 1898, had been delivered to the Lancaster Gold Mine in Roodepoort. That mine closed in June 1913 and the company was wound up in early 1915. It therefore seems a good possibility that it were these two locomotives that the SAR bought for service in DSWA.^[1][2]

A third locomotive with the same dimensions for which no ownership history is known was Dickson works number 1102 of 1899. It is possible, but unproven, that this locomotive also went to Lancaster Gold Mine since it was of identical dimensions to the other two.^[2]

Gauge

Locomotive characteristics

The locomotives had bar frames and used Stephenson valve gear. Although they were eventually classified as two foot narrow gauge locomotives along with the rest of the South African narrow gauge locomotive fleet, they were actually constructed to a 600 millimetre gauge.^[4]

600 and 610 millimetre gauges

Historically, the actual two feet narrow gauge rail spacing depended on whether or not the track was laid by a metricised country. German-built narrow gauge lines in DSWA were therefore 600 mm (1 ft 11 ⁵⁄₈ in) gauge, while those in South Africa, built to Imperial standards, were 2 ft (610 mm) gauge.^[5]

In practice, however, the two gauges are still being treated as one and the same by the British Military. The same applied in South Africa as part of the British Commonwealth at the time. The ³⁄₈ inch (10 millimetres) difference was considered as insignificant and narrow gauge locomotives regularly migrated between the lines laid to German standards in South West Africa (SWA) and those laid to Imperial standards in South Africa.^[5]

Service

NG93 after rebuilding, without the saddle tanks

The two locomotives remained in SWA after the war. In 1920 they were both reboilered by the SAR, using boilers supplied by Henschel and Son, and in the process they lost their saddle tanks. Since this modification effectively converted them to tankless tank locomotives, they were equipped with timber bodied two axle tenders to carry their water and additional coal.^[2][3][4]

Classification

A system of grouping narrow gauge locomotives into classes was only introduced on the SAR somewhere between 1928 and 1930. At that point, the two locomotives were classified as Class NG2.^[1]

Disposal

The Class NG2 locomotives spent their last working years on the SAR working at the Usakos workshops in SWA, until they were withdrawn from service in 1936. Engine no. NG94 was sold to Igusi Timbers in Rhodesia and remained in service there until circa 1961. Engine no. NG93 was sold to the Zebediela citrus estates in northern Transvaal in 1937, where it was finally withdrawn from service by 1943.^[2][3]

See also

• List of South African locomotive classes
• Narrow Gauge locomotive numbering and classification
• South African locomotive history
• The 0-4-2 wheel arrangement
• Two foot gauge railways in South Africa

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: South African Class NG2 (0-4-2T)

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