South African Class C 4-6-0T
Encyclopedia
Between 1879 and 1885 the Natal Government Railways
placed thirty-seven 4-6-0T tank steam locomotive
s in service. In 1912, when fifteen of these locomotives were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class C.
in 1875 and formed the Natal Government Railways (NGR), two important decisions were made. The first was to extend the tracks inland from Durban to Pietermaritzburg in order to open up the line into the interior, and to Verulam on the North Coast and Isipingo on the South Coast to serve the growing farming communities up and down the coast from Durban. The second was to convert the railway from Standard gauge
to Cape gauge
to conform to the gauge used by the Cape Government railways. This decision to regauge was most likely brought about by the terrain that confronted the new railway in the Natal interior, that would demand heavy grades and tight curves.
The first Cape gauge locomotives of the NGR were a pair of 2-6-0T tank locomotives, built by Kitson and Company, that were taken over from Wythes and Jackson Limited, the contractors who were appointed in 1876 to build the line between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. These two locomotives were followed by seven similar locomotives that were ordered from Beyer, Peacock and Company
in 1877 to meet the expected traffic demands on these new lines.
, who delivered altogether thirty-seven of them between 1879 and 1884.
The first fifteen were built by Kitson and were delivered in four batches between 1879 and 1882. The next nineteen were built by Stephenson and were delivered in three batches between 1882 and 1884. In 1885 the last three were delivered by Kitson. Their builders, years built and works numbers are set out in the table below.
wheel arrangement in 1896, for use on the South Coast line. At the time there were no turntables available on this line and the modification was made to enable the locomotive to run equally well in either direction.
In 1901 number 25 was rebuilt to a 4-6-2T
wheel arrangement. The NGR renumbered these two locomotives 39 and 38 respectively.
built 2-6-0T tank locomotives on main line trains out of Durban. They were occasionally equipped with small four wheeled tenders to increase their fuel carrying capacity when they were required to work long distances. In SAR service they were used as shunters until the last one was withdrawn from service in 1940.
In post SAR service one of them, ex SAR number 62, remained in service with the Electricity Supply Commission (Eskom) until the mid 1980s, by which time it had rendered more than one hundred and five years of service. While in Eskom service it was named "Kitty" (after its builder, Kitson), and it was declared a national monument in 1983. The relevant Gazette of the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), number 8682 of 29 April 1983, describes it as the oldest working steam locomotive in South Africa and the first to complete a century of service.
Natal government railways
The Natal Government Railways was formed in January 1877 in the Colony of Natal.In 1877 the Natal Government Railways acquired the Natal Railway Company for the sum of £40,000, gaining the line from the Point to Durban and from Durban to Umgeni...
placed thirty-seven 4-6-0T tank 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 in service. In 1912, when fifteen of these locomotives were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class C.
Origin
When the Natal Government took over all the assets of the Natal Railway CompanyNatal Railway Company
The Natal Railway Company was formed in January 1859 for the construction of a railway in Durban.Unlike later railways in South Africa, the Natal Railway Company made use of Standard gauge of rather than Cape gauge of ....
in 1875 and formed the Natal Government Railways (NGR), two important decisions were made. The first was to extend the tracks inland from Durban to Pietermaritzburg in order to open up the line into the interior, and to Verulam on the North Coast and Isipingo on the South Coast to serve the growing farming communities up and down the coast from Durban. The second was to convert the railway from Standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
to Cape gauge
Cape gauge
Cape gauge is a track gauge of between the inside of the rail heads and is classified as narrow gauge. It has installations of around .The gauge was first used by Norwegian engineer Carl Abraham Pihl and the first line was opened in 1862.- Nomenclature :...
to conform to the gauge used by the Cape Government railways. This decision to regauge was most likely brought about by the terrain that confronted the new railway in the Natal interior, that would demand heavy grades and tight curves.
The first Cape gauge locomotives of the NGR were a pair of 2-6-0T tank locomotives, built by Kitson and Company, that were taken over from Wythes and Jackson Limited, the contractors who were appointed in 1876 to build the line between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. These two locomotives were followed by seven similar locomotives that were ordered from Beyer, Peacock and Company
Beyer, Peacock and Company
Beyer, Peacock and Company was an English railway Locomotive manufacturer with a factory in Gorton, Manchester. Founded by Charles Beyer and Richard Peacock, it traded from 1854 until 1966...
in 1877 to meet the expected traffic demands on these new lines.
Manufacturers
The NGR Class K&S 4-6-0T tank locomotive was a development of those first NGR Cape gauge 2-6-0T tank locomotives. They were known as the Class K&S after their builders, Kitson and Robert Stephenson and CompanyRobert Stephenson and Company
Robert Stephenson and Company was a locomotive manufacturing company founded in 1823. It was the first company set up specifically to build railway engines.- Foundation and early success :...
, who delivered altogether thirty-seven of them between 1879 and 1884.
The first fifteen were built by Kitson and were delivered in four batches between 1879 and 1882. The next nineteen were built by Stephenson and were delivered in three batches between 1882 and 1884. In 1885 the last three were delivered by Kitson. Their builders, years built and works numbers are set out in the table below.
Modifications
Two of these locomotives were modified by W. Milne, who was appointed as Locomotive Superintendent of the NGR in 1877. Number 21 was rebuilt to a 4-6-4TSouth African Class C2 4-6-4T
Between 1879 and 1885 the Natal Government Railways placed thirty-seven 4-6-0T tank steam locomotives in service. In 1896 one of them was rebuilt to a 4-6-4T locomotive and in 1912, when it was assimilated into the South African Railways, this locomotive was renumbered and reclassified to the sole...
wheel arrangement in 1896, for use on the South Coast line. At the time there were no turntables available on this line and the modification was made to enable the locomotive to run equally well in either direction.
In 1901 number 25 was rebuilt to a 4-6-2T
South African Class C1 4-6-2T
Between 1879 and 1885 the Natal Government Railways placed thirty-seven 4-6-0T tank steam locomotives in service. In 1901 one of them was rebuilt to a 4-6-2T locomotive and in 1912, when it was assimilated into the South African Railways, it was renumbered and reclassified to Class C1...
wheel arrangement. The NGR renumbered these two locomotives 39 and 38 respectively.
Renumbering
Twelve of the remaining unmodified Class K&S locomotives were also renumbered by the NGR, as set out in the table below.Reclassification
When the various colonial railroads were amalgamated into the South African Railways (SAR) in 1912, the fifteen unmodified survivors of the 4-6-0T Class K&S locomotives became the SAR’s Class C and were renumbered 62 to 76.| Builder |
Works no. |
Year built |
NGR no. |
NGR new no. |
Rebuilt to |
SAR no. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitson | 2254 | 1879 | 8 | 508 | 63 | |
| Kitson | 2255 | 1879 | 9 | 509 | 71 | |
| Kitson | 2256 | 1879 | 10 | 20 | ||
| Kitson | 2257 | 1879 | 11 | 513 | 64 | |
| Kitson | 2258 | 1879 | 12 | 514 | 65 | |
| Kitson | 2269 | 1879 | 13 | 47 | ||
| Kitson | 2270 | 1879 | 14 | |||
| Stephenson | 2489 | 1882 | 16 | 44 | 69 | |
| Kitson | 2358 | 1880 | 17 | 48 | 66 | |
| Kitson | 2359 | 1880 | 18 | 506 | 67 | |
| Kitson | 2360 | 1880 | 19 | |||
| Stephenson | 2486 | 1882 | 20 | |||
| Stephenson | 2487 | 1882 | 21 | 39 | Class C2 South African Class C2 4-6-4T Between 1879 and 1885 the Natal Government Railways placed thirty-seven 4-6-0T tank steam locomotives in service. In 1896 one of them was rebuilt to a 4-6-4T locomotive and in 1912, when it was assimilated into the South African Railways, this locomotive was renumbered and reclassified to the sole... |
86 South African Class C2 4-6-4T Between 1879 and 1885 the Natal Government Railways placed thirty-seven 4-6-0T tank steam locomotives in service. In 1896 one of them was rebuilt to a 4-6-4T locomotive and in 1912, when it was assimilated into the South African Railways, this locomotive was renumbered and reclassified to the sole... |
| Kitson | 2504 | 1882 | 22 | |||
| Kitson | 2505 | 1882 | 23 | |||
| Kitson | 2506 | 1882 | 24 | |||
| Kitson | 2507 | 1882 | 25 | 38 | Class C1 South African Class C1 4-6-2T Between 1879 and 1885 the Natal Government Railways placed thirty-seven 4-6-0T tank steam locomotives in service. In 1901 one of them was rebuilt to a 4-6-2T locomotive and in 1912, when it was assimilated into the South African Railways, it was renumbered and reclassified to Class C1... |
77 South African Class C1 4-6-2T Between 1879 and 1885 the Natal Government Railways placed thirty-seven 4-6-0T tank steam locomotives in service. In 1901 one of them was rebuilt to a 4-6-2T locomotive and in 1912, when it was assimilated into the South African Railways, it was renumbered and reclassified to Class C1... |
| Kitson | 2508 | 1882 | 26 | |||
| Stephenson | 2488 | 1882 | 29 | 41 | 68 | |
| Stephenson | 2490 | 1882 | 30 | 42 | 72 | |
| Stephenson | 2519 | 1883 | 31 | |||
| Stephenson | 2571 | 1884 | 32 | |||
| Stephenson | 2572 | 1884 | 33 | |||
| Stephenson | 2573 | 1884 | 34 | |||
| Stephenson | 2574 | 1884 | 35 | |||
| Stephenson | 2575 | 1884 | 36 | |||
| Stephenson | 2576 | 1884 | 37 | |||
| Stephenson | 2577 | 1884 | 38 | |||
| Stephenson | 2578 | 1884 | 39 | |||
| Stephenson | 2579 | 1884 | 40 | 73 | ||
| Stephenson | 2580 | 1884 | 41 | |||
| Kitson | 2898 | 1885 | 42 | 510 | 75 | |
| Kitson | 2899 | 1885 | 43 | 74 | ||
| Kitson | 2900 | 1885 | 44 | 512 | 76 | |
| Stephenson | 2484 | 1882 | 45 | 70 | ||
| Stephenson | 2485 | 1882 | 46 | |||
| Stephenson | 2520 | 1883 | 47 | 62 | ||
Service
In NGR service the Class K&S replaced the slightly smaller Beyer, Peacock and CompanyBeyer, Peacock and Company
Beyer, Peacock and Company was an English railway Locomotive manufacturer with a factory in Gorton, Manchester. Founded by Charles Beyer and Richard Peacock, it traded from 1854 until 1966...
built 2-6-0T tank locomotives on main line trains out of Durban. They were occasionally equipped with small four wheeled tenders to increase their fuel carrying capacity when they were required to work long distances. In SAR service they were used as shunters until the last one was withdrawn from service in 1940.
In post SAR service one of them, ex SAR number 62, remained in service with the Electricity Supply Commission (Eskom) until the mid 1980s, by which time it had rendered more than one hundred and five years of service. While in Eskom service it was named "Kitty" (after its builder, Kitson), and it was declared a national monument in 1983. The relevant Gazette of the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), number 8682 of 29 April 1983, describes it as the oldest working steam locomotive in South Africa and the first to complete a century of service.
See also
- South African Class C1 4-6-2TSouth African Class C1 4-6-2TBetween 1879 and 1885 the Natal Government Railways placed thirty-seven 4-6-0T tank steam locomotives in service. In 1901 one of them was rebuilt to a 4-6-2T locomotive and in 1912, when it was assimilated into the South African Railways, it was renumbered and reclassified to Class C1...
- South African Class C2 4-6-4TSouth African Class C2 4-6-4TBetween 1879 and 1885 the Natal Government Railways placed thirty-seven 4-6-0T tank steam locomotives in service. In 1896 one of them was rebuilt to a 4-6-4T locomotive and in 1912, when it was assimilated into the South African Railways, this locomotive was renumbered and reclassified to the sole...
- Tank locomotive numbering and classification
- The 4-6-0 "Ten-wheeler"
- List of South African locomotive classes