South African Class 8R 4-8-0

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South African Class 8R 4-8-0

Class 8R 4-8-0.jpg

Drawing of Class 8R no. 883
Type and origin
Power type Steam
Designer Cape Government Railways
(H.M. Beatty)
Builder American Locomotive Company
Serial number ALCO 25454
Model CGR 8th Class (2-8-0)
Build date 1902
Total produced 16
Rebuilder South African Railways
Rebuild date 1930
Number rebuilt 1
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 •  Whyte 4-8-0 (Mastodon)
 •  UIC 2'Dh2
Driver 2nd coupled axle
Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge
Leading dia. 28 1⁄2 in (724 mm)
Coupled dia. 48 in (1,219 mm)
Tender wheels33 1⁄2 in (851 mm) as built
34 in (864 mm) retyred
Wheelbase:
 • Coupled		 14 ft 6 in (4,420 mm)
 • Tender 14 ft 5 in (4,394 mm)
 • Tender bogie 5 ft (1,524 mm)
Wheel spacing
(Asymmetrical)		1-2: 4 ft 7 in (1,397 mm)
2-3: 4 ft 3 in (1,295 mm)
3-4: 5 ft 8 in (1,727 mm)
Frame type Bar
Axle load:
 • Tender axle		 9 LT 3 cwt 3 qtr (9,335 kg) average
Tender weight 36 LT 15 cwt (37,340 kg)
Tender type WG (2-axle bogies)
WE, WG permitted
Fuel type Coal
Fuel capacity 6 LT (6.1 t)
Water cap 3,080 imp gal (14,000 l)
Firebox type Round-top
Boiler:
​
 • Tube plates 15 ft 2 1⁄2 in (4,636 mm)
Safety valve Ramsbottom
Heating surface 1,318 sq ft (122.4 m2)
Cylinders Two
Cylinder size 18 1⁄2 in (470 mm) bore
24 in (610 mm) stroke
Valve gear Stephenson
Valve type Piston
Loco brake Steam brake
Train brakes Vacuum brake on tender
Couplers AAR knuckle
Career
Operators South African Railways
Class Class 8R
Number in class 1
Numbers 883
Delivered 1930
First run 1930
Withdrawn 1939

The South African Railways Class 8R 4-8-0 of 1930 was a steam locomotive.

Contents

In 1901 and 1902, the Cape Government Railways placed sixteen 8th Class 2-8-0 Consolidation type steam locomotives in service. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 8X. One of them was reboilered and converted to a 4-8-0 Mastodon type wheel arrangement in 1930 and reclassified to Class 8R. [1] [2] [3]

Cape Government Railways railway operator in the Cape Colony

The Cape Government Railways (CGR) was the government-owned railway operator in the Cape Colony from 1874 until the creation of the South African Railways (SAR) in 1910.

2-8-0 locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles and no trailing wheels. In the United States and elsewhere, this wheel arrangement is commonly known as a Consolidation, after the Lehigh and Mahanoy Railroad’s Consolidation, the name of the first 2-8-0.

South African Class 8X 2-8-0 class of 16 South African 2-8-0 locomotives

The South African Railways Class 8X 2-8-0 of 1901 was a steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape of Good Hope.

Manufacturers

H.M. Beatty H.M. Beatty.jpg
H.M. Beatty

The first 8th Class 2-8-0 Consolidation type locomotive of the Cape Government Railways (CGR) was designed by H.M. Beatty, the Chief Locomotive Superintendent of the CGR from 1896 to 1910. Fourteen of these engines were built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in 1902. [1] [4] [5]

American Locomotive Company company that designed, built and sold locomotives

The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO, ALCo or Alco, designed, built and sold steam locomotives, diesel-electric locomotives, diesel engines and generators, specialized forgings, high quality steel, armed tanks and automobiles and produced nuclear energy. The American Locomotive Company was formed in 1901 by the merger of Schenectady Locomotive Engine Manufactory of Schenectady, New York, with seven smaller locomotive manufacturers.

They were conceived as mixed traffic locomotives, equally suitable for goods and passenger work, and had bar frames, narrow fireboxes, used saturated steam and had cylinders with overhead slide valves which were actuated by inside Stephenson valve gear. The Type WG bogie tender entered service with these engines. [1] [3]

Stephenson valve gear

The Stephenson valve gear or Stephenson link or shifting link is a simple design of valve gear that was widely used throughout the world for all kinds of steam engines. It is named after Robert Stephenson but was invented by his employees.

South African type WG tender

The South African type WG tender was a steam locomotive tender from the pre-Union era in the Cape of Good Hope.

South African Railways

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. In 1912, these Consolidation types were designated Class 8X on the South African Railways (SAR). [2] [6]

Union of South Africa state in southern Africa from 1910 to 1961, predecessor to the Republic of South Africa

The Union of South Africa is the historical predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the Cape Colony, the Natal Colony, the Transvaal, and the Orange River Colony. It included the territories that were formerly a part of the South African Republic and the Orange Free State.

Natal Government Railways A government owned organization that managed the railway system in the Colony of Natal from 1875 to 1911

The Natal Government Railways (NGR) was formed in January 1877 in the Colony of Natal.

Central South African Railways railway operator in the Transvaal and Orange River Colonies from 1902 to 1910

The Central South African Railways (CSAR) was from 1902 to 1910 the operator of public railways in the Transvaal Colony and Orange River Colony in what is now South Africa. During the Anglo-Boer War, as British forces moved into the territory of the Orange Free State and the South African Republic, the Orange Free State Government Railways, the Netherlands-South African Railway Company and the Pretoria-Pietersburg Railway were taken over by the Imperial Military Railways under Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Percy Girouard. After the war had ended, the Imperial Military Railways became the Central South African Railways in July 1902, with Thomas Rees Price as General Manager. With the creation of the Union of South Africa in 1910, the CSAR was merged with the Cape Government Railways and the Natal Government Railways to form the South African Railways.

Wheel arrangement modification

In 1930, one of the Class 8X locomotives, SAR no. 883, was reboilered with a purpose-built boiler by SAR Chief Mechanical Engineer A.G. Watson. At the same time, it was equipped with superheating and piston-valve cylinders. The locomotive was converted to a 4-8-0 Mastodon type wheel arrangement by replacing the leading pony truck with a bogie in a belated attempt to rectify one of the shortcomings of the original Class 8 2-8-0 locomotive. To accommodate the four-wheeled bogie, the front of the bar frame was apparently modified to reposition the cylinders. [3] [7] [8]

The modified no. 883 was reclassified and became the sole Class 8R locomotive. No other such conversions were done, since the Class 8 family had already begun to be displaced by newer and more powerful locomotives and many would be withdrawn from service by the late 1930s. [7]

Service

Class 8R no. 883 was put to work in the Eastern Transvaal. Even though some did not consider the rebuilding a success, the engine remained in service for nine years until it was withdrawn from service in 1939. [3] [8]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Holland, D.F. (1971). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. 1: 1859–1910 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. pp. 61–63. ISBN   978-0-7153-5382-0.
  2. 1 2 Classification of S.A.R. Engines with Renumbering Lists, issued by the Chief Mechanical Engineer’s Office, Pretoria, January 1912, pp. 9, 12, 15, 35 (Reprinted in April 1987 by SATS Museum, R.3125-6/9/11-1000)
  3. 1 2 3 4 Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 50–51. ISBN   0869772112.
  4. ↑ Schenectady Consolidation for Cape Government Railways. Railway and Locomotive Engineering : A Practical Journal of Railway Motive Power and Rolling Stock. Volume XIV, No. 2, February 1901. 95 Liberty Street, New York. pp. 90-91. (Accessed on 13 December 2015)
  5. ↑ Espitalier, T.J.; Day, W.A.J. (1944). The Locomotive in South Africa - A Brief History of Railway Development. Chapter II - The Cape Government Railways (Continued). South African Railways and Harbours Magazine, January 1944. pp. 9-12.
  6. ↑ The South African Railways - Historical Survey. Editor George Hart, Publisher Bill Hart, Sponsored by Dorbyl Ltd., Published c. 1978, p. 25.
  7. 1 2 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. 95. ISBN   9 780620 512282.
  8. 1 2 Holland, D. F. (1972). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. 2: 1910-1955 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. p. 89. ISBN   978-0-7153-5427-8.
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