South West African Zwillinge

South West African Zwillinge 0-6-0T ex DSWA Zwillinge 0-6-0T
Krauss factory picture of Zwillinge no. 73 B & A, circa 1899
Type and origin
Power type	Steam
Builder	Krauss & Company Henschel and Son L. Schwartzkopff Egestorf MBA Breslau Arnold Jung
Model	Zwillinge
Build date	1899-1905 [1]
Total produced	182 pairs [2] (See notes)
Specifications
Configuration	0-6-0T
Gauge	600 mm (1 ft 11 5⁄8 in) narrow gauge
Driver diameter	580 mm (22.8 in)
Wheelbase	1.3 m (4 ft 3 in)
Length	3.51 m (11 ft 6 in) unit over frame 7.2 m (23 ft 7 in) pair over frames 8.2 m (26 ft 11 in) pair between couplers
Width	1.6 m (5 ft 3 in)
Height	2.7 m (8 ft 10 in)
Locomotive weight	7,000 kg (6.9 long tons) empty 8,500 kg (8.4 long tons) w/o
Fuel type	Coal
Fuel capacity	250 kg (550 lb)
Water capacity	830 l (180 imp gal)
Boiler pressure	220 psi (1,520 kPa)
Firegrate area	0.3 m2 (3.2 sq ft)
Heating surface: – Tubes	14.29 m2 (153.8 sq ft)
Cylinders	Two
Cylinder size	180 mm (7.1 in) bore 240 mm (9.4 in) stroke
Valve gear	Outside Stephenson
Performance figures
Maximum speed	20 km/h (12 mph)
Power output	60 hp (45 kW)
Tractive effort	12.2 kN (2,743 lbf) at 60% pressure
Career
Operator(s)	Swakopmund-Windhuk Staatsbahn South African Railways
Class	Class Zwillinge
Number in class	50+ pairs
Nicknames	Zwillinge or Illinge
Delivered	1898-1905
First run	1898
Preserved	Illinge No. 154A [2]
1. Data are for single locomotives unless indicated otherwise. 2. The total production of 182 pairs includes those built for use in other parts of the world.

The South West African Zwillinge 0-6-0T of 1898 was a South West African steam locomotive from the Deutsch-Südwest-Afrika era.

Between 1898 and 1905 more than fifty pairs of Zwillinge twin tank steam locomotives with a 0-6-0 wheel arrangement were acquired by the Swakopmund-Windhuk Staatsbahn (Swakopmund-Windhoek State Railway) in Deutsch-Südwest-Afrika (German South West Africa). By 1922 only two of these locomotives survived to be absorbed onto the roster of the South African Railways.^[1]

Narrow gauge railway

The first members of the German Feldbahn-Baukommando (field railway construction commando) arrived in Swakopmund in German South West Africa (DSWA, now Namibia) on 11 September 1897 to build a narrow gauge railway across the Namib Desert from Swakopmund to Windhoek. The Swakopmund-Windhuk Staatsbahn was officially opened to traffic nearly five years later, on 1 July 1902.^[3]

Manufacturers

Zwillinge locomotives were a class of small 600 millimetres (23.6 inches) "Schmalspur" (narrow gauge) paired 0-6-0 tank steam locomotives that were built in Germany in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The first large consignment of Zwillinge locomotives arrived in Swakopmund between 1898 and 1899. Eventually, by 1905, more than fifty new or used pairs had been acquired by the Swakopmund-Windhuk Staatsbahn in DSWA.^[1]

They were built by six manufacturers, those being Krauss and Company, Henschel and Son, L. Schwartzkopff, Egestorf, MBA Breslau and Arnold Jung. These so-called "Feldbahn" locomotives, built for the military, were also used in other German colonies and several came to DSWA second hand.^[1][4]

Twins

As indicated by their name "Zwillinge" (twins), they were actually two separate locomotives that were designed to be semi-permanently coupled back-to-back at the cabs, allowing a single footplate crew to fire and control both locomotives. The pairs of locomotives shared a common manufacturer’s works number and engine number, with the units being designated as A and B.^[5][6]

The A locomotives had higher cabin roofs than the B locomotives so that the roofs could overlap while coupled, to provide better protection for the crew. They were designed so that they could also be used separately and each had a complete set of controls. When they were run in single mode they were commonly referred to as Illinge.^[2][4][5][6]

By the outbreak of World War I a total of one hundred and eighty-two Zwillinge pairs had been produced for employment in several German territories. Production of new Zwillinge was terminated after the adoption of the larger 0-8-0 Brigadelok as the new standard military locomotive in 1901.^[2]

Service

Swakopmund-Windhuk Staatsbahn

Shortly after the first Zwillinge locomotives were placed in service, it was found that the tank locomotives’ fuel and water capacities were insufficient for the distances that had to be covered in the German colonies in Africa, especially in the harsh conditions presented by the Namib Desert that had to be crossed between Swakopmund and Windhoek.^[2][5]

To solve this, a four-axle water tender was developed that served the dual purpose of also providing seating for armed escorts. The bench atop the water tender as well as the water pipe between the locomotives and tender is visible in the picture alongside.^[4]

South African Railways

In 1922 the South African Railways (SAR) took control of all railway operations in South West Africa (SWA), but the SWA locomotives were never reclassified or renumbered and retained their former German identities until withdrawn from service. By then Illinge numbers 154A and 169B were the only survivors of the Zwillinge fleet to be taken onto the SAR roster.^[1][4][7]

Number 154A was employed in Windhoek as a non-revenue departmental locomotive and was finally withdrawn from service in 1939 after logging a total mileage of about 371,000 miles (597,067 kilometres).^[4][7]

Number 169B, built in 1904 by MBA Breslau, was shipped to Cape Town after World War I and placed in non-revenue service at the SAR’s Bellville quarry in the Tygerberg hill.^[1]

Preservation

The sole surviving Illinge locomotive, number 154A, is now plinthed under a shelter outside Windhoek Station. This particular locomotive was half of a pair built by Henschel in 1900, works number 5376. It only arrived in SWA second hand in 1904, being shown in the Henschel works lists as originally built new for the Deutsche Feldbahnen in 1900 as one half of seven locomotive pairs with engine numbers 148A&B to 154A&B and works numbers 5364 to 5377. It is not known where it was first placed in service.^{[2][4][6][7][8]}

It was originally plinted at the Railway College at Esselen Park in Kaalfontein, near Kempton Park in Transvaal, South Africa. During the late 1950s it was returned to SWA and plinthed in its present location in front of the station building in Windhoek.^[4]

Commemoration

A postage stamp depicting the Zwillinge was one of a set of four commemorative stamps that was issued on 2 August 1985 to commemorate the narrow gauge locomotives that pioneered railways in the territory. The stamp design was by the noted stamp designer and artist Koos van Ellinckhuijzen.^[3][9]

The particular locomotives depicted were the second DSWA pair, numbered 2A and 2B. The name of the station on the name board on the stamp, written in Fraktur script, is Otjimukoka. This station was renamed in 1903 to Johann Albrechtshöhe in honour of Duke John Albert of Mecklenburg, and again changed later to the shortened Albrechts. A head-on outline of an Illinge was used by the SWA postal authorities as a commemorative cancellation for Swakopmund on the date of issue. The stamp, the postmark and another painting of the Zwillinge appeared on the first day cover that marked the release of the four stamps.^[4][10]

See also

• List of South African locomotive classes
• South African locomotive history
• Trench Railways: German Equipment
• The 0-6-0 wheel arrangement

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: South African Zwillinge (0-6-0T)

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 SAR ES SAR ES1 Exp-AC SAR 1E SAR 2E SAR 3E SAR 4E SAR 5E-S1 SAR 5E-S2 SAR 5E-S3 SAR 5E1-S1 SAR 5E1-S2 SAR 5E1-S3 SAR 5E1-S4 SAR 5E1-S5 SAR 6E SAR 6E1-S1 SAR 6E1-S2 SAR 6E1-S3 SAR 6E1-S4 SAR 6E1-S5 SAR 6E1-S6 SAR 6E1-S7 SAR 6E1-S8 SAR 6E1-S9 SAR 6E1-S10 SAR 6E1-S11 SAR 7E SAR 7E1 SAR 7E2-S1 SAR 7E2-S2 SAR 7E3-S1 SAR 7E3-S2 SN 7E4 SAR 8E SAR 9E-S1 SAR 9E-S2 SAR 10E SAR 10E1-S1 SAR 10E1-S2 SAR 10E2 SAR 11E SAR 12E SN 14E SN 14E1 TFR 15E SN 16E SN 17E SN 18E-S1 TFR 18E-S2 TFR 19E TFR 20E TFR 21E E38 List of South African locomotive classes Rail transport in South Africa