NGR Class K 0-4-0ST

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

NGR Class K 0-4-0ST PPR 0-4-0ST Natal South African 0-4-0ST 1891
NGR no. 89, c. 1891
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Neilson and Company Builder Neilson and Company Serial number 4481–4485 Build date 1891 Total produced 5
Specifications Configuration: ​  •  Whyte 0-4-0 ST  •  UIC Bn2t Driver 2nd coupled axle Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge Coupled dia. 38 in (965 mm) Wheelbase 5 ft (1,524 mm) Length: ​  • Over couplers 20 ft 4 in (6,198 mm) Height 10 ft (3,048 mm) Adhesive weight 18 LT 17 cwt (19,150 kg) Loco weight 18 LT 17 cwt (19,150 kg) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 15 long hundredweight (0.76 t) Water cap. 500 imp gal (2,270 L) Firebox: ​  • Type Round-top  • Grate area 5.75 sq ft (0.534 m2) Boiler: ​  • Pitch 5 ft (1,524 mm)  • Diameter 2 ft 10 in (864 mm) outside  • Tube plates 8 ft 3+1⁄4 in (2,521 mm)  • Small tubes 110:1+1⁄2 in (38 mm) Boiler pressure 140 psi (965 kPa) Safety valve Salter Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 32.25 sq ft (2.996 m2)  • Tubes 357.25 sq ft (33.190 m2)  • Total surface 389.5 sq ft (36.19 m2) Cylinders Two Cylinder size 10 in (254 mm) bore 20 in (508 mm) stroke Valve gear Stephenson Valve type Slide Loco brake Vacuum Train brakes Vacuum Couplers Johnston link-and-pin
Performance figures Tractive effort 5,526 lbf (24.58 kN) @ 75%
Career Operators Natal Government Railways Harbour Board of Natal Pretoria-Pietersburg Railway Imperial Military Railways Central South African Railways South African Railways Number in class 5 Numbers NGR 89-93, NGR 510-511, SAR 0511 Delivered 1891 First run 1891

The Natal Government Railways Class K 0-4-0ST of 1891 was a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Colony of Natal.

In 1891, the Natal Government Railways placed five 0-4-0 ST locomotives in service as shunting engines. One was later sold to the Pretoria-Pietersburg Railway, while two more went to the Harbour Board of Natal. In 1905 or 1906, the remaining two of these locomotives became part of the Natal Class K. By 1912, four of these locomotives survived to come onto the roster of the South African Railways as unclassified obsolete locomotives. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

Manufacturer

Five 0-4-0 ST shunting locomotives were delivered to the Natal Government Railways (NGR) from Neilson and Company in 1891, numbered in the range from 89 to 93. ^[1]

Characteristics

The locomotive's cylinders were arranged outside the frame, while the slide valves were arranged between the frames and actuated by Stephenson valve gear link motion through rocker shafts. The boiler dome was arranged above the firebox, with two Salter safety valves which were adjusted to blow off at 140 pounds per square inch (965 kilopascals). The locomotive was equipped with a No. 40 combination ejector and two vacuum brake cylinders, each 15 inches (381 millimetres) in diameter. ^[4]

Service

Harbour Board of Natal

In c. 1896, two of the locomotives were either sold or leased to the Harbour Board of Natal for use as harbour shunters at Durban Harbour, where they were named Andy and Dick King . ^{[2] [5] [6] [7]}

Pretoria-Pietersburg Railway

In c. 1897, another one of the locomotives, no. 90, was sold to the Pretoria-Pietersburg Railway (PPR), where it was named Natal and employed as a shunting engine. By 1912, when the South African Railways (SAR) classification and renumbering program was executed, this locomotive had also seen service with the Nederlandsche-Zuid-Afrikaansche Spoorweg-Maatschappij (NZASM) and the Imperial Military Railways (IMR) and was still in service on the Central South African Railways (CSAR), who used it as a shop engine in the Pretoria railway workshops. ^{[1] [2] [5] [6] [7]}

Natal Government Railways

On the Princess Christian Hospital Train at Durban, c. 1900

The other two locomotives remained in service on the NGR, where they were later renumbered to 510 and 511. By the turn of the 20th Century they were used on light duties like the testing of the vacuum brakes of passenger trains at Durban Station, such as the depicted Princess Christian Hospital Train which was used to attend wounded soldiers during the Second Boer War. ^{[3] [8] [9] [10] [11]}

At some stage in 1905 or 1906, a locomotive classification system was introduced on the NGR and they became part of the Natal Class K, which consisted of a potpourri of different tank locomotive types, including an 0-6-0 ST and four 2-6-0 T engines. Both locomotives were still in service in 1905, but by the end of 1906, no. 510 had disappeared from the books. ^{[3] [9] [10] [11]}

South African Railways

When the Union of South Africa was established on 31 May 1910, the three Colonial government railways (Cape Government Railways, NGR and CSAR) 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 was only implemented with effect from 1 January 1912. ^{[5] [12]}

In 1912, Andy, Dick King, no. 511 and the Pretoria shop locomotive Natal came onto the roster of the SAR as unclassified obsolete locomotives. The named engines retained their names on the SAR, while no. 511 was renumbered 0511. ^{[2] [5] [6] [7]}

Works numbers

The locomotive numbers, works numbers, names and SAR renumber information are listed in the table. The three unspecified names can all be any one of Andy, Dick King or no. 510. ^{[1] [2] [5] [6] [7]}

NGR Class K 0-4-0ST

Loco no.	Works no.	Names & renumber	SAR no.
89	4481	510, Andy or Dick King	510, Andy or Dick King
90	4482	Natal	Natal
91	4483	511	0511
92	4484	510, Andy or Dick King	510, Andy or Dick King
93	4485	510, Andy or Dick King	510, Andy or Dick King

References

1. Holland, D. F. (1972). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. Vol. 2: 1910-1955 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, England: David & Charles. pp. 115, 126–127. ISBN   978-0-7153-5427-8.
2. Holland, D.F. (1971). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. Vol. 1: 1859–1910 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, England: David & Charles. pp. 119–120. ISBN   978-0-7153-5382-0.
3. The Railway Report for year ending 31 Dec. 1906, Natal Government Railways.
4. Espitalier, T.J.; Day, W.A.J. (1944). The Locomotive in South Africa – A Brief History of Railway Development. Chapter III – Natal Government Railways (Continued). South African Railways and Harbours Magazine, September 1944. p. 670.
5. Classification of S.A.R. Engines with Renumbering Lists, issued by the Chief Mechanical Engineer's Office, Pretoria, January 1912, pp. 2, 11, 13, 17. (Reprinted in April 1987 by SATS Museum, R.3125-6/9/11-1000)
6. Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. p. 21. ISBN   0869772112.
7. Dulez, Jean A. (2012). Railways of Southern Africa 150 Years (Commemorating One Hundred and Fifty Years of Railways on the Sub-Continent – Complete Motive Power Classifications and Famous Trains – 1860–2011) (1st ed.). Garden View, Johannesburg, South Africa: Vidrail Productions. p. 26. ISBN   9 780620 512282.
8. Soul of A Railway, System 6, Part 1: Durban Old Station. Caption 2. Archived 24 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 8 March 2017)
9. The Railway Report for year ending 31 Dec. 1908, Natal Government Railways, p. 39, par 14.
10. The Railway Report for year ending 31 Dec. 1904, Natal Government Railways, Annexure B, Durban, January 1905.
11. NGR Class K 0-4-0ST of 1891
12. The South African Railways – Historical Survey. Editor George Hart, Publisher Bill Hart, Sponsored by Dorbyl Ltd., Published c. 1978, p. 25.