In 1903 the Cape Government Railways

Cape Government Railways

The Cape Government Railways was the government-owned railway operator in the Cape Colony from 1874 until the creation of the South African Railways in 1910.-Private railways:...

 placed two Class 6 steam locomotive

Steam locomotive

A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...

s with a 2-6-2

2-6-2

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels, six coupled driving wheels and two trailing wheels.Other equivalent classifications are:...

 Prairie wheel arrangement in service. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 6Y.

Manufacture

The Cape Class 6 2-6-2 Prairie type locomotive was designed at the Salt River works of the Cape Government Railways (CGR) and was a further development of the Class 6 2-6-4

2-6-4

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, a 2-6-4 locomotive has two leading wheels, six coupled driving wheels and four trailing wheels...

 Adriatic type. The 2-6-4 itself came about as an experimental development of the very successful Class 6 4-6-0

4-6-0

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This wheel arrangement became the second-most popular...

 locomotive, initially with a 2-6-2 wheel arrangement and eventually with a 2-6-4 wheel arrangement.

Development

Good though the Class 6 4-6-0 locomotives were, the requirement grew for larger and more powerful locomotives. It was becoming increasingly apparent at the time that such locomotives would require boilers with larger grate areas, which was not possible with the existing type of frame.

To overcome this problem, CGR Chief Locomotive Superintendent H.M. Beatty prepared designs for a new locomotive with a 2-6-2 Prairie wheel arrangement, in which the frame terminated in front of the firebox, where it connected to a casting termed the "bridle casting". This casting extended out on either side and had wider spaced frames attached to it, which allowed a wider and deeper firebox. Because of the widened frames, trailing carrier wheels were incorporated to take the weight of the firebox. The driving wheels were also located further forward to accommodate the deeper firebox and as a result the leading bogie was replaced by a single axle bissel truck.

The first four locomotives of this design, later to be designated Class 6Z

South African Class 6Z 2-6-4

In 1901 the Cape Government Railways placed four Class 6 steam locomotives with a 2-6-2 Prairie wheel arrangement in service, that were soon modified to a 2-6-4 Adriatic wheel arrangement. In 1902 another four locomotives were placed in service, built with the 2-6-4 wheel arrangement. These latter...

 by the South African Railways (SAR), were placed in service in 1901, but displayed a tendency to be unsteady at speed. The design was therefore modified to a 2-6-4 Adriatic wheel arrangement and another four locomotives incorporating this improvement were ordered in 1902, while the first four locomotives were modified accordingly.

Redesign

With an improved design of bissel truck, these two locomotives that were ordered from Kitson and Company in 1903 were once again built with a 2-6-2 Prairie wheel arrangement. They had larger boilers as well as larger 60 inches (1,524 mm) driving wheels, compared to the 54 inches (1,371.6 mm) of all other Class 6 locomotives. Numbered 901 and 902 for the Western System of the CGR, these two did not display the tendency to sway at speed and therefore retained their 2-6-2 wheel arrangement.

Class 6 sub-classes

In spite of their totally different appearance and wheel arrangement, the CGR designated them as Class 6 as well, possibly because they were intended as an "Improved Class 6". When these two locomotives were assimilated into the newly established SAR in 1912, they were renumbered 711 and 712 and reclassified to Class 6Y.

The rest of the CGR’s Class 6 locomotives, together with the Central South African Railways (CSAR) Classes 6-L1 to 6-L3 locomotives that had been inherited from the Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwermentspoorwegen (OVGS) via the Imperial Military Railways (IMR), were grouped into thirteen more sub-classes by the SAR. The 4-6-0 locomotives became SAR Classes 6, 6A to 6H and 6J to 6L, and the eight 2-6-4 locomotives became Class 6Z.

Service

In service these two locomotives proved to be very successful, being fast, powerful, and good steamers. It was the experience gained with these two locomotives which led to the introduction of the "Karoo" Class

South African Class 5A 4-6-2

In 1903 the Cape Government Railways placed two Karoo Class steam locomotives with a 4-6-2 Pacific wheel arrangement in passenger service. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 5A....

 later in 1903. They spent practically their entire working lives on the Cape main line in the Karoo

Karoo

The Karoo is a semi-desert region of South Africa. It has two main sub-regions - the Great Karoo in the north and the Little Karoo in the south. The 'High' Karoo is one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger South African Platform division.-Great Karoo:The Great Karoo has an area of...

 region, until they were withdrawn and scrapped in 1934.

Gallery

The main picture shows a Class 6Y locomotive working a suburban train, circa 1930.

See also

• South African Class 6 4-6-0
  South African Class 6 4-6-0
  In 1893 and 1894 the Cape Government Railways placed forty Class 6 4-6-0 steam locomotives in service, twenty-two on its Western System and eighteen on its Midland System. In 1897 ten of them were sold to the Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwermentspoorwegen. At the end of the Second Boer War in 1901, these...
  
  
• South African Class 6A 4-6-0
  South African Class 6A 4-6-0
  In 1896 and 1897 the Cape Government Railways placed a second batch of fifty Class 6 4-6-0 steam locomotives in service, forty-one on its Western System, six on its Midland System and three on its Eastern System. During the Second Freedom War four were transferred to the Imperial Military Railways...
  
  
• South African Class 6B 4-6-0
  South African Class 6B 4-6-0
  In 1897 and 1898 the Cape Government Railways placed a third batch of fifty-five Class 6 4-6-0 steam locomotives in service, thirty-two on its Western System, twenty-one on its Midland System and two on its Eastern System. During the Second Freedom War seven were transferred to the Imperial...
  
  
• South African Class 6C 4-6-0
  South African Class 6C 4-6-0
  Between 1896 and 1898 the Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwermentspoorwegen placed twenty-four new Cape Class 6 steam locomotives with a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement in service...
  
  
• South African Class 6D 4-6-0
  South African Class 6D 4-6-0
  In 1898 a fourth batch of thirty-three Class 6 4-6-0 steam locomotives were placed in service by the Cape Government Railways. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 6D....
  
  
• South African Class 6E 4-6-0
  South African Class 6E 4-6-0
  In 1898 the Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwermentspoorwegen ordered its final six new Cape Class 6 locomotives. When British forces invaded the Orange Free State during the Second Freedom War, these locomotives were taken over by the Imperial Military Railways and after the war they were renumbered into the...
  
  
• South African Class 6F 4-6-0
  South African Class 6F 4-6-0
  In 1900 two redesigned Class 6 4-6-0 steam locomotives were placed in service by the Cape Government Railways. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 6F.-Manufacturers:...
  
  
• South African Class 6G 4-6-0
  South African Class 6G 4-6-0
  In 1901 eight redesigned Class 6 4-6-0 steam locomotives were placed in service by the Cape Government Railways. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 6G.-Manufacturer:...
  
  
• South African Class 6H 4-6-0
  South African Class 6H 4-6-0
  In 1901 twenty-one Class 6 4-6-0 steam locomotives were placed in service by the Cape Government Railways, built to the older Class 6 designs with plate frames...
  
  
• South African Class 6J 4-6-0
  South African Class 6J 4-6-0
  In 1902 fourteen Class 6 bar framed steam locomotives with a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement were placed in service by the Cape Government Railways. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 6J....
  
  
• South African Class 6K 4-6-0
  South African Class 6K 4-6-0
  In 1901 ten American built Class 6 bar framed steam locomotives with a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement were placed in service by the Cape Government Railways. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 6K.-Manufacturer:The Class 6 was...
  
  
• South African Class 6L 4-6-0
  South African Class 6L 4-6-0
  In 1904 the Cape Government Railways placed its last two Class 6 4-6-0 bar framed steam locomotives in service. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 6L.-Manufacturer:...
  
  
• South African Class 6Z 2-6-4
  South African Class 6Z 2-6-4
  In 1901 the Cape Government Railways placed four Class 6 steam locomotives with a 2-6-2 Prairie wheel arrangement in service, that were soon modified to a 2-6-4 Adriatic wheel arrangement. In 1902 another four locomotives were placed in service, built with the 2-6-4 wheel arrangement. These latter...
  
  
• Tender locomotive numbering and classification
• The 2-6-2 "Prairie"
  2-6-2
  Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels, six coupled driving wheels and two trailing wheels.Other equivalent classifications are:...
  
  
• List of South African locomotive classes