South African Class 6D 4-6-0

The South African Railways Class 6D 4-6-0 of 1898 was a steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape of Good Hope.

This article is about one of several different Cape Government Railways locomotive types to be designated "6th Class". For the others, see Cape Government Railways 6th Class locomotives.

CGR 6th Class 4-6-0 1898
South African Class 6D 4-6-0
CGR Eastern System 6th Class no. 665, SAR Class 6D no. 594, Sydenham Loco, 29 December 1965
Type and origin
♠ Original locomotive, as built
♥ Reboilered locomotive
Power typeSteam
DesignerCape Government Railways
(H.M. Beatty)
BuilderNeilson, Reid and Company
Serial number5240-5272
ModelCGR 6th Class
Build date1898
Total produced33
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-6-0 (Tenwheeler)
 • UIC2'Cn2
Driver2nd coupled axle
Gauge3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge
Leading dia.28 1⁄2 in (724 mm)
Coupled dia.54 in (1,372 mm)
Tender wheels37 in (940 mm)
Wheelbase42 ft 8 5⁄8 in (13,021 mm)
 • Engine20 ft 7 3⁄4 in (6,293 mm)
 • Leading5 ft 5 1⁄2 in (1,664 mm)
 • Coupled11 ft 4 in (3,454 mm)
 • Tender10 ft (3,048 mm)
Wheel spacing
(Asymmetrical)		1-2: 4 ft 9 in (1,448 mm)
2-3: 6 ft 7 in (2,007 mm)
Length:
​
 • Over couplers51 ft 11 5⁄8 in (15,840 mm)
Height12 ft 10 in (3,912 mm)
Frame typePlate
Axle load12 LT 10 cwt (12,700 kg)
 • Leading11 LT 4 cwt (11,380 kg)
 • 1st coupled11 LT 19 cwt (12,140 kg)
 • 2nd coupled12 LT 10 cwt (12,700 kg)
 • 3rd coupled12 LT 10 cwt (12,700 kg)
 • Tender axle10 LT 8 cwt (10,570 kg) average
Adhesive weight36 LT 19 cwt (37,540 kg)
Loco weight48 LT 3 cwt (48,920 kg)
Tender weight31 LT 4 cwt (31,700 kg)
Total weight79 LT 7 cwt (80,620 kg)
Tender typeYC (3-axle)
YB, YC, YE, YE1 permitted
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity5 LT 10 cwt (5.6 t)
Water cap2,590 imp gal (11,770 l)
Firebox typeRound-top
 • Firegrate area18 sq ft (1.7 m2)
Boiler:
​
 • Pitch6 ft 8 in (2,032 mm)
 • Diameter4 ft 4 in (1,321 mm)
 • Tube plates11 ft 2 1⁄8 in (3,407 mm)
 • Small tubes185: 1 7⁄8 in (48 mm)
Boiler pressure♠ 160 psi (1,103 kPa)
♥ 180 psi (1,241 kPa)
Safety valveRamsbottom
Heating surface1,122 sq ft (104.2 m2)
 • Tubes1,015 sq ft (94.3 m2)
 • Firebox107 sq ft (9.9 m2)
CylindersTwo
Cylinder size17 in (432 mm) bore
26 in (660 mm) stroke
Valve gearStephenson
CouplersJohnston link-and-pin
AAR knuckle (1930s)
Performance figures
Tractive effort♠ 16,690 lbf (74.2 kN) @ 75%
♥ 18,780 lbf (83.5 kN) @ 75%
Career
OperatorsCape Government Railways
South African Railways
Sudan Railways
ClassCGR 6th Class, SAR Class 6D
Number in class33
NumbersCGR 234-259, 585, 586 & 594, 665-668
SAR 565-597
Sudan M714-M715
Delivered1898
First run1898
Withdrawn1973

In 1898, a fourth batch of 33 6th Class 4-6-0 steam locomotives were placed in service by the Cape Government Railways. In 1912, when these locomotives were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and designated Class 6D.[1][2][3]

Manufacturer

The original 6th Class 4-6-0 passenger steam locomotive was designed at the Salt River works of the Cape Government Railways (CGR) in 1893, at the same time as the 7th Class and both according to the specifications of Michael Stephens, at the time Chief Locomotive Superintendent of the CGR, and under the supervision of H.M. Beatty, at the time Locomotive Superintendent of the Western System.[1]

H.M. Beatty

The 33 locomotives in this fourth group of the CGR 6th Class were built in 1898 by Neilson, Reid and Company. Of these engines, 26 went to the CGR's Western System, numbered in the range from 234 to 259, three to the Midland System, numbered 585, 586 and 594, and four to the Eastern System, numbered in the range from 665 to 668.[1][4]

These locomotives represented a further advance on earlier 6th Class locomotives, with a greater heating surface and a larger firegrate area. They did, however, revert to the same Type YC six-wheeled tenders which were earlier used with the second group of 6th Class locomotives, later the Class 6A.[1]

Class 6 sub-classes

When the Union of South Africa was established on 31 May 1910, the three Colonial government railways (CGR, Natal Government Railways and Central South African Railways) were united under a single administration to control and administer the railways, ports and harbours of the Union. Although the South African Railways and Harbours came into existence in 1910, the actual classification and renumbering of all the rolling stock of the three constituent railways were only implemented with effect from 1 January 1912.[2][5]

When these locomotives were assimilated into the South African Railways (SAR) in 1912, they were renumbered in the range from 565 to 597 and designated Class 6D. The rest of the CGR's 6th Class locomotives, together with the Class 6-L1 to 6L3 locomotives which had been inherited by the Central South African Railways from the Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwerment-Spoorwegen via the Imperial Military Railways, were grouped into thirteen more sub-classes by the SAR. The 4-6-0 locomotives became SAR Classes 6, 6A to 6C, 6E to 6H and 6J to 6L, the 2-6-2 locomotives became Class 6Y and the 2-6-4 locomotives became Class 6Z.[2][6][7]

Service

South Africa

The Class 6 series of locomotives were introduced primarily as passenger locomotives, but when the class became displaced by larger and more powerful locomotive classes, it literally became a Jack-of-all-trades which proved itself as one of the most useful and successful locomotive classes ever to be designed at the Salt River shops. It went on to see service in all parts of the country, except Natal, and was used on all types of traffic.[1]

After the Simon's Town line in Cape Town was electrified in 1928, Class 6D engines that used to haul commuters on this line became dock shunting engines in Table Bay Harbour. This continued until they were gradually replaced by new Class S2 0-8-0 shunting engines from 1952.[8]

Sudan

During the Second World War, sixteen locomotives of the Classes 6 to 6D were transferred to the Middle East to assist with the war effort during the North African Campaign. The two Class 6D locomotives in this group were numbers 572 and 587. They did not return to South Africa after the war and were sold to the Sudan Railways Corporation in 1942. Sudan Railways renumbered them M714 and M715, in the same order as their former SAR engine numbers.[1][3][9]

Renumbering

The Class 6D works numbers, system allocation and renumbering are listed in the table.[1][2][7]


Preservation

Only one of these locomotives survives. No. 579 is plinthed at King William's Town Station Forecourt.[10]

References
  1. Holland, D.F. (1971). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. 1: 1859–1910 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. pp. 47, 56–57. ISBN 978-0-7153-5382-0.
  2. Classification of S.A.R. Engines with Renumbering Lists, issued by the Chief Mechanical Engineer's Office, Pretoria, January 1912, pp. 8, 12, 14, 31-32 (Reprinted in April 1987 by SATS Museum, R.3125-6/9/11-1000)
  3. Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 41–44. ISBN 0869772112.
  4. Neilson, Reid works list, compiled by Austrian locomotive historian Bernhard Schmeiser
  5. The South African Railways - Historical Survey. Editor George Hart, Publisher Bill Hart, Sponsored by Dorbyl Ltd., Published c. 1978, p. 25.
  6. South African Railways and Harbours Locomotive Diagram Book, 2'0" & 3'6" Gauge Steam Locomotives, 15 August 1941, as amended
  7. Holland, D. F. (1972). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. 2: 1910-1955 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. pp. 137–138. ISBN 978-0-7153-5427-8.
  8. Soul of A Railway, System 1, Part 16: Table Bay Harbour © Les Pivnic. Caption 109. (Accessed on 30 June 2017)
  9. Class 6 to 6D sold to Sudan Railways during the WWII North African Campaign, list compiled by Austrian locomotive historian Reimar Holzinger
  10. - No 579 at King Williams Town Station - 7 April 2012. (Accessed on 6 December 2017)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.