South African Class 15 4-8-2

South African Class 15 & 15AR 4-8-2

No. 1566, reboilered and reclassified to Class 15AR, Port Elizabeth, 3 April 1978

Type and origin
♠ Class 15 as built with a Belpaire firebox ♥ Class 15AR rebuilt with a Watson Standard boiler ♣ Steel firebox - ♦ Copper firebox
Power type	Steam
Designer	South African Railways (D.A. Hendrie)
Builder	North British Locomotive Company
Serial number	20364-20373
Model	Class 15
Build date	1914
Total produced	10

Specifications
Configuration:
• Whyte	4-8-2 (Mountain)
• UIC	2'D1'h2
Driver	2nd coupled axle
Gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge
Leading dia.	28 ¹⁄₂ in (724 mm)
Coupled dia.	57 in (1,448 mm)
Trailing dia.	33 in (838 mm)
Tender wheels	34 in (864 mm)
Wheelbase	60 ft 6 in (18,440 mm)
• Engine	33 ft 8 in (10,262 mm)
• Leading	6 ft 2 in (1,880 mm)
• Coupled	15 ft (4,572 mm)
• Tender	16 ft 9 in (5,105 mm)
• Tender bogie	4 ft 7 in (1,397 mm)
Length:
• Over couplers	68 ft 10 ³⁄₄ in (20,999 mm)
Height	♠ 12 ft 10 in (3,912 mm) ♥ 12 ft 11 ³⁄₄ in (3,956 mm)
Frame type	Plate
Axle load	♠♥♣ 16 LT 11 cwt (16,820 kg) ♥♦ 16 LT 14 cwt (16,970 kg)
• Leading	♠ 15 LT 14 cwt (15,950 kg) ♥♣ 16 LT 1 cwt (16,310 kg) ♥♦ 16 LT 6 cwt (16,560 kg)
• 1st coupled	♠♥♣ 16 LT 10 cwt (16,760 kg) ♥♦ 16 LT 13 cwt (16,920 kg)
• 2nd coupled	♠ 16 LT 10 cwt (16,760 kg) ♥♣ 16 LT 9 cwt (16,710 kg) ♥♦ 16 LT 6 cwt (16,560 kg)
• 3rd coupled	♠♥♣ 16 LT 11 cwt (16,820 kg) ♥♦ 16 LT 14 cwt (16,970 kg)
• 4th coupled	♠♥♣ 16 LT 9 cwt (16,710 kg) ♥♦ 16 LT 11 cwt (16,820 kg)
• Trailing	♠♥♣ 12 LT 6 cwt (12,500 kg) ♥♦ 12 LT 7 cwt (12,550 kg)
• Tender bogie	Bogie 1: 27 LT 10 cwt (27,940 kg) Bogie 2: 23 LT 11 cwt (23,930 kg)
• Tender axle	13 LT 15 cwt (13,970 kg)
Adhesive weight	♠ 66 LT (67,060 kg) ♥♣ 65 LT 19 cwt (67,010 kg) ♥♦ 66 LT 4 cwt (67,260 kg)
Loco weight	♠ 94 LT (95,510 kg) ♥♣ 94 LT 6 cwt (95,810 kg) ♥♦ 94 LT 17 cwt (96,370 kg)
Tender weight	51 LT 1 cwt (51,870 kg)
Total weight	♠ 145 LT 1 cwt (147,400 kg) ♥♣ 145 LT 7 cwt (147,700 kg) ♥♦ 145 LT 18 cwt (148,200 kg)
Tender type	MP1 (2-axle bogies) MP, MP1, MR, MS, MT, MT1, MT2, MX, MY, MY1 permitted
Fuel type	Coal
Fuel capacity	10 LT (10.2 t)
Water cap	4,250 imp gal (19,300 l)
Firebox type	♠ Belpaire - ♥ Round-top
• Firegrate area	♠ 40 sq ft (3.7 m²) ♥ 37 sq ft (3.4 m²)
Boiler:
• Model	Watson Standard no. 2A
• Pitch	♠ 7 ft 9 in (2,362 mm) ♥ 8 ft ¹⁄₂ in (2,451 mm)
• Diameter	♠ 5 ft 4 ⁵⁄₈ in (1,641 mm) ♥ 5 ft 7 ¹⁄₂ in (1,714 mm)
• Tube plates	♠ 21 ft 9 in (6,629 mm) ♥♣ 21 ft 8 in (6,604 mm) ♥♦ 21 ft 7 ⁵⁄₈ in (6,594 mm)
• Small tubes	♠ 131: 2 ¹⁄₄ in (57 mm) ♥ 87: 2 ¹⁄₂ in (64 mm)
• Large tubes	♠ 24: 5 ¹⁄₂ in (140 mm) ♥ 30: 5 ¹⁄₂ in (140 mm)
Boiler pressure	♠ 185 psi (1,276 kPa) ♥ 190 psi (1,310 kPa)
Safety valve	♠ Ramsbottom - ♥ Pop
Heating surface	♠ 2,578 sq ft (239.5 m²) ♥ 2,313 sq ft (214.9 m²)
• Tubes	♠ 2,423 sq ft (225.1 m²) ♥ 2,171 sq ft (201.7 m²)
• Firebox	♠ 155 sq ft (14.4 m²) ♥ 142 sq ft (13.2 m²)
Superheater:
• Heating area	♠ 601 sq ft (55.8 m²) ♥ 537 sq ft (49.9 m²)
Cylinders	Two
Cylinder size	22 in (559 mm) bore 28 in (711 mm) stroke
Valve gear	Walschaerts
Valve type	Piston
Couplers	Johnston link-and-pin AAR knuckle (1930s)

Performance figures
Tractive effort	♠ 32,990 lbf (146.7 kN) @ 75% ♥ 33,880 lbf (150.7 kN) @ 75%

Career
Operators	South African Railways Swaziland Railway
Class	Class 15 & 15AR
Number in class	10
Numbers	1561-1570
Delivered	1914
First run	1914
Withdrawn	1980s

The leading coupled axle had flangeless wheels

The South African Railways Class 15 4-8-2 of 1914 was a steam locomotive.

In 1914, the South African Railways placed ten Class 15 steam locomotives with a 4-8-2 Mountain type wheel arrangement in service.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Manufacturer

D.A. Hendrie, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the South African Railways (SAR), commenced with design work on the Class 15 in 1913. It was intended as a mixed-traffic locomotive for use in the Orange Free State, where gradients and curvature were less severe than on the coastal sections. The locomotive was similar in general layout to the Classes 12 and 14, but with larger 57 inches (1,448 millimetres) coupled wheels. Ten locomotives were built by the North British Locomotive Company (NBL) and delivered in February and March 1914, numbered in the range from 1561 to 1570.^[1]^[2]^[4]

Characteristics

The engines had plate frames, Walschaerts valve gear, Belpaire fireboxes without combustion chambers and were superheated. They were delivered with Type MP1 tenders which had a coal capacity of 10 long tons (10.2 tonnes) and a water capacity of 4,250 imperial gallons (19,300 litres).^[1]^[3]^[5]^[6]

D.A. Hendrie

To reduce the weight on the trailing wheels, steel fireboxes were originally used instead of copper since the water quality in the Free State was considered suitable for this metal. Some locomotives in Natal had been fitted with steel fireboxes years previously and the results were fairly good, but wherever water supplies were of poor quality, steel fireboxes gave a lot of trouble and necessitated the introduction of water treatment plants to prevent corrosion.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[7]

This reintroduction of steel fireboxes eventually led to its widespread use on all the larger locomotive types, but it also forced the SAR to adopt locomotive water treatment as a general policy. There was no settled policy on water treatment for some years, but engines with copper fireboxes were used mainly in areas where the water was not of good quality. Hendrie followed a conservative policy in this respect and steel fireboxes were only to be fitted in large numbers by his successor, Colonel F.R. Collins DSO.^[2]

In the case of the Class 15, it was still early days for water treatment and enough trouble was experienced to result in their steel fireboxes being replaced with copper fireboxes. The locomotive's one flaw was excessively long fire tubes. On later models like the Class 15A, Hendrie improved the boiler by adding a combustion chamber, which shortened the distance between tube plates from 21 feet 9 inches (6,629 millimetres) to 19 feet (5,791 millimetres).^[1]^[2]

Watson Standard boilers

During the 1930s, many serving locomotives were reboilered with a standard boiler type designed by A.G. Watson, CME of the SAR from 1929 to 1936, as part of his standardisation policy. Such Watson Standard reboilered locomotives were reclassified by adding an "R" suffix to their classification.^[3]^[5]^[6]

When all ten Class 15 locomotives were reboilered with Watson Standard no. 2A boilers, they were reclassified to Class 15AR since the only differences between the as-delivered Class 15 and the Class 15A lay in the length of their boilers and whether they were built with or without combustion chambers. In the process, the locomotives were also equipped with Watson cabs with their distinctive slanted fronts, compared to the conventional vertical fronts of their original cabs. During reboilering, some were equipped with steel and others with copper fireboxes.^[2]^[3]

Their original Belpaire boilers were fitted with Ramsbottom safety valves, while the Watson Standard boiler was fitted with Pop safety valves. Another obvious difference between an original and a Watson Standard reboilered locomotive is usually a rectangular regulator cover, just to the rear of the chimney on the reboilered locomotive. In the case of the Classes 15 and 15AR, two even more obvious differences are the Watson cab and the absence of the Belpaire firebox hump between the cab and boiler on the reboilered locomotives.^[5]^[6]

Service

The Class 15 was placed in service in the Orange Free State, shedded at Bloemfontein. After reboilering and reclassification, they became part of the much larger Class 15AR fleet and saw service widely throughout the country, getting used in every kind of role from dock shunting to mainline passenger work.^[1]^[3]

The Cape Northern examples were scattered between De Aar, Kimberley and Klerksdorp. The Cape Midland was a major user of the Class, with locomotives shedded at Sydenham in Port Elizabeth, Klipplaat, Graaff Reinet and Noupoort. The Class 15AR also worked the suburban services between Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage until they were replaced by diesel power.^[7]

Near the end of their service lives in the early 1980s, they were all relegated to shunting work at centres all around the country, except for some which were hired out to Swaziland and which were still employed in mainline service on the Swaziland Railway until they were also eventually replaced by diesel traction and retired.^[7]

Illustration

The main picture, showing the reboilered and reclassified Class 15AR no. 1566 at Port Elizabeth, and the following illustrate the Class before and after modification.

Class 15AR No. 1568 with a modified Type MP1 tender, Midlandia, 1979
No. 1561 as built, with an as-delivered Type MP1 tender and Belpaire firebox, c. 1914

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to South African Class 15 4-8-2.

1 2 3 4 5 6 Holland, D. F. (1972). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. 2: 1910-1955 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. p. 26. ISBN 978-0-7153-5427-8.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Espitalier, T.J.; Day, W.A.J. (1945). The Locomotive in South Africa - A Brief History of Railway Development. Chapter VII - South African Railways (Continued). South African Railways and Harbours Magazine, July 1945. p. 516.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 10–11, 59–60. ISBN 0869772112.
↑ North British Locomotive Company works list, compiled by Austrian locomotive historian Bernhard Schmeiser
1 2 3 South African Railways & Harbours/Suid Afrikaanse Spoorweë en Hawens (15 Aug 1941). Locomotive Diagram Book/Lokomotiefdiagramboek, 3'6" Gauge/Spoorwydte. SAR/SAS Mechanical Department/Werktuigkundige Dept. Drawing Office/Tekenkantoor, Pretoria. p. 43.
1 2 3 South African Railways & Harbours/Suid Afrikaanse Spoorweë en Hawens (15 Aug 1941). Locomotive Diagram Book/Lokomotiefdiagramboek, 2'0" & 3'6" Gauge/Spoorwydte, Steam Locomotives/Stoomlokomotiewe. SAR/SAS Mechanical Department/Werktuigkundige Dept. Drawing Office/Tekenkantoor, Pretoria. pp. 6a-7a, 41, 43.
1 2 3 Durrant, A. E. (1989). Twilight of South African Steam (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, London: David & Charles. pp. 83–84. ISBN 0715386387.

Locomotives of South Africa

Steam

7' ¼" gauge	East London 0-4-0VB Table Bay 0-4-0ST Table Bay 0-4-0T Table Bay 0-4-0WT
4' 8½" gauge	Cape 0-4-0T Blackie Cape 0-4-2 Cape 2-4-0T CGR 0-4-0ST Aid Natal 0-4-0ST Durban Natal 0-4-0WT Natal Natal 4-4-0T Perseverance
3' 6" gauge Tank engines	CGR 0-4-0ST 1873 CGR 0-4-0ST 1874 CGR 0-4-0ST 1881 CGR 0-4-0ST 1881 Coffee Pot CGR 0-6-0ST CGR 0-6-0T CGR 2-6-0ST 1900 CGR 2-6-0ST 1902 CGR 1st Class 0-4-0ST 1875 CGR 1st Class 0-4-0ST 1876 CGR 1st Class 2-6-0ST CGR 1st Class 4-4-0T CGR 2nd Class 4-4-0T CGR 3rd Class 2-6-0T CGR Railmotor CSAR Class C CSAR Class E CSAR Rack 4-6-4RT CSAR Railmotor Durban's Congella Durban's Edward Innes Durban's John Milne Durban's Sir Albert Port Elizabeth 0-4-0ST Kowie Railway 0-6-0T Kowie Railway 4-4-0T Metropolitan & Suburban 4-6-2T NGR 2-6-0T Durban & Pietermaritzburg NGR Class I 2-6-2T NGR Class K 0-4-0ST NGR Class K 0-6-0ST NGR Class K 2-6-0T NZASM 10 Tonner NZASM 13 Tonner NZASM 14 Tonner NZASM 18 Tonner NZASM 19 Tonner NZASM 32 Tonner NZASM 40 Tonner PPR 26 Tonner PPR 35 Tonner Portuguese SAR Class A SAR Class B SAR Class C SAR Class C1 SAR Class C2 SAR Class D SAR Class E SAR Class F SAR Class G SAR Class H SAR Class H1 SAR Class H2 SAR Class J SAR Class K SAR Railmotor SAR Dock 0-4-0ST SAR Dock 0-4-0T SWA 2-8-0T
3' 6" gauge Tender engines	CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1876 BP CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1876 Kitson CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1879 CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1891 CGR 1st Class 4-4-0 CGR 1st Class 4-4-0TT CGR 2nd Class 2-6-2TT CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1883 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1884 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1889 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1898 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1901 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1903 CGR 4th Class 4-4-2 CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1880 CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1882 CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1882 Joy CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1884 CGR 5th Class 4-6-0 1890 CGR 5th Class 4-6-0 1891 NGR Havelock NGR Class I SAR Class Exp 1 SAR Class Exp 2 SAR Class Exp 3 SAR Class Exp 4 SAR Class Exp 5 SAR Class Exp 6 SAR Class S SAR Class S1 SAR Class S2 SAR Class 1 SAR Class 1A SAR Class 1B SAR Class 2 SAR Class 2C SAR Class 3 SAR Class 3A SAR Class 3B SAR Class 4 SAR Class 4A SAR Class 5 SAR Class 5A SAR Class 5B SAR Class 6 SAR Class 6A SAR Class 6B SAR Class 6C SAR Class 6D SAR Class 6E SAR Class 6F SAR Class 6G SAR Class 6H SAR Class 6J SAR Class 6K SAR Class 6L SAR Class 6Y SAR Class 6Z SAR Class 7 SAR Class 7A SAR Class 7B SAR Class 7C SAR Class 7D SAR Class 7E SAR Class 7F SAR Class 8 SAR Class 8A SAR Class 8B SAR Class 8C SAR Class 8D SAR Class 8E SAR Class 8F SAR Class 8R SAR Class 8X SAR Class 8Y SAR Class 8Z SAR Class 9 SAR Class 10 SAR Class 10A SAR Class 10B SAR Class 10C SAR Class 10D SAR Class 11 SAR Class 12 SAR Class 12A SAR Class 12B SAR Class 13 SAR Class 14 SAR Class 14A SAR Class 14B SAR Class 14C 1st SAR Class 14C 2nd SAR Class 14C 3rd SAR Class 14C 4th SAR Class 15 SAR Class 15A SAR Class 15B SAR Class 15C SAR Class 15CA SAR Class 15E SAR Class 15F SAR Class 16 SAR Class 16A SAR Class 16B SAR Class 16C SAR Class 16D SAR Class 16DA 1928 SAR Class 16DA 1930 SAR Class 16E SAR Class 17 SAR Class 18 SAR Class 19 SAR Class 19A SAR Class 19B SAR Class 19C SAR Class 19D SAR Class 20 SAR Class 21 SAR Class 23 SAR Class 24 SAR Class 25 SAR Class 25NC SAR Class 26 SAR Katanga SWA 2-8-0
3' 6" gauge Articulated engines	CGR Fairlie CGR Kitson-Meyer SAR Class FC SAR Class FD SAR Class GA SAR Class GB SAR Class GC SAR Class GCA SAR Class GD SAR Class GDA SAR Class GE SAR Class GEA SAR Class GF SAR Class GG SAR Class GH SAR Class GK SAR Class GL SAR Class GM SAR Class GMA SAR Class GO SAR Class HF SAR Class KM SAR Class MA SAR Class MB SAR Class MC SAR Class MC1 SAR Class MD SAR Class ME SAR Class MF SAR Class MG SAR Class MH SAR Class MJ SAR Class MJ1 SAR Class U
2' 6" gauge	Cape Copper John King & Miner Cape Copper Britannia Cape Copper Caledonia Cape Copper Clara Cape Copper Condenser Cape Copper Scotia Namaqua Copper Pioneer Walvis Bay 2-4-2T Hope
2' & 600mm gauges	ACR Class NG-G16A CGR NG 0-4-0T CGR NG 0-6-0T CGR NG 4-6-2T CGR Type A 2-6-4T CGR Type C 0-4-0T NGR Class N 4-6-2T SAR Dutton SAR NG 0-4-0T SAR Class NG1 SAR Class NG2 SAR Class NG3 SAR Class NG4 SAR Class NG5 SAR Class NG6 SAR Class NG7 SAR Class NG8 SAR Class NG9 SAR Class NG10 SAR Class NG-G11 SAR Class NG-G12 SAR Class NG-G13 SAR Class NG-G14 SAR Class NG15 SAR Class NG-G16 SWA Class Ha SWA Class Hb SWA Class Hc SWA Class Hd SWA Jung SWA Zwillinge

Electric

Amcoal Class E38

Gas-electric

SAR Gas-electric

Diesel

3' 6" gauge Diesel-electric	PRASA Class Afro 4000 SAR Class DS SAR Class DS1 SAR Class 31-000 SAR Class 32-000 SAR Class 32-200 SAR Class 33-000 SAR Class 33-200 SAR Class 33-400 SAR Class 34-000 SAR Class 34-200 SAR Class 34-400 SAR Class 34-500 SAR Class 34-600 SAR Class 34-800 SAR Class 34-900 SAR Class 35-000 SAR Class 35-200 SAR Class 35-400 SAR Class 35-600 TFR Class 35-800 SAR Class 36-000 SAR Class 36-200 SAR Class 37-000 Spoornet Class 39-000 TFR Class 39-200 TFR Class 43-000 TFR Class 44-000
2' gauge Diesel-electric	SAR Class 91-000
3' 6" gauge Diesel-hydraulic	SAR Class 61-000
3' 6" gauge Electro-diesel	Spoornet Class 38-000

South African steam locomotive tenders

Cape gauge

Type FT

Type GT

Type HT

Type KT

Type LP

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