1904 in South Africa

	1904 in South Africa
1901 1902 1903 « 1904 » 1905 1906 1907
List of years in South Africa

Events

February

• Pneumonic plague breaks out in Johannesburg.

June

• 22 – The first of 62,000 Chinese labourers arrive in South Africa to relieve the shortage of unskilled mine workers.

Unknown date

• The Social Democratic Federation (SDF) is established in Cape Town.

Deaths

• 14 July – Paul Kruger, exiled president of the South African Republic, dies in Clarens, Switzerland at the age of 78.

Railways

Railway lines opened

• 1 February – Cape Western – Maitland to Ottery, 7 miles (11.3 kilometres).^[1]
• 1 March – Cape Midland – Le Roux to Oudtshoorn, 16 miles 41 chains (26.6 kilometres).^[2]
• 7 June – Cape Western – Paarl to Franschhoek, 17 miles 10 chains (27.6 kilometres).^[2]
• 15 June – Free State – Thaba 'Nchu to Modderpoort, 45 miles 73 chains (73.9 kilometres).^[1]
• 17 August – Cape Eastern – Indwe to Xalanga, 31 miles 3 chains (50.0 kilometres).^[2]
• 1 September – Free State – Hamilton to Tempe, 4 miles (6.4 kilometres).^[1]
• 7 September – Cape Eastern – Amabele to Komga, 27 miles (43.5 kilometres).^[2]
• 17 October – Cape Eastern – Middledrift to Adelaide, 56 miles 64 chains (91.4 kilometres).^[2]
• 3 November – Natal – Pietermaritzburg to Elandskop, 35 miles 39 chains (57.1 kilometres).^[1]
• December – Cape Western – Artois to Ceres Road, 4 miles 38 chains (7.2 kilometres).^[1]
• 15 December – Transvaal – Langlaagte to Vereeniging, 44 miles 56 chains (71.9 kilometres).^[1]

Locomotives

Cape

• Four new Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on the Cape Government Railways (CGR):
  • Two experimental superheated 6th Class 4-6-0 locomotives. In 1912 they will be designated Class 6L by the South African Railways (SAR).^{[3]:54, 56[4]:44}
  • Four Karoo Class 4-6-2 Pacific passenger steam locomotives. In 1912 they will be designated Class 5B by the SAR.^{[3]:71–72[4]:39}
  • The last eight 8th Class 2-8-0 Consolidation type locomotives. In 1912 they will be designated Class 8Z on the SAR.^{[3]:64–66[5]}
  • The final batch of ten 8th Class 4-8-0 Mastodon type locomotives. In 1912 they will be designated Class 8F on the SAR.^{[3]:67[4]:48–49}
• Six "Type B" 4-6-0 steam locomotives enter service on the Avontuur narrow gauge line in the Langkloof.^{[4]:104, 113}
• A single 0-4-2 inverted saddle-tank locomotive is placed in service by the Cape Copper Company as a shunting engine at O'okiep in the Cape Colony.^[6]

Natal

• Two new Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on the Natal Government Railways (NGR):
  • Twenty-five Class E 4-8-2 Mountain type tank locomotives. In 1912 they will become the Class G on the SAR.^[3]:99[7]
  • Fifty Class B 4-8-0 Mastodon type mainline steam locomotives. In 1912 they will be designated Class 1 on the SAR.^{[3]:99–101[4]:34–35}
• The Natal Harbours Department places a single 0-6-0 saddle-tank locomotive named Sir Albert in service as dock shunter in Durban Harbour.^{[8]:130–131}

Transvaal

• Five new Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on the Central South African Railways (CSAR):
  • Five Class 9 4-6-2 Pacific type locomotives.^[4]:51
  • Fifteen Class 10 4-6-2 Pacific passenger locomotives.^[4]:51–52
  • Thirty-six Class 11 2-8-2 Mikado type locomotives.^{[4]:10–11, 54}
  • Eight Class F 4-6-4T Baltic type tank locomotives in suburban service between Springs and Randfontein.^{[3]:127–129}
  • A single experimental 0-6-0+0-6-0 Class M Kitson-Meyer type articulated steam locomotive.^{[4]:84[8]:110, 140}

References

1. Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 185, ref. no. 200954-13
2. Report for year ending 31 December 1909, Cape Government Railways, Section VIII - Dates of Opening and the Length of the different Sections in the Cape Colony, from the Year 1873 to 31st December, 1909.
3. Holland, D.F. (1971). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways, Volume 1: 1859-1910 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-5382-0.
4. Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. ISBN 0869772112.
5. Classification of S.A.R. Engines with Renumbering Lists, issued by the Chief Mechanical Engineer’s Office, Pretoria, January 1912, pp. 9, 12, 15, 36 (Reprinted in April 1987 by SATS Museum, R.3125-6/9/11-1000)
6. Bagshawe, Peter (2012). Locomotives of the Namaqualand Railway and Copper Mines (1st ed.). Stenvalls. pp. 25–27, 40. ISBN 978-91-7266-179-0.
7. South African Railways and Harbours Locomotive Diagram Book, 2’0” & 3’6” Gauge Steam Locomotives, 15 August 1941, pp21 & 21A, as amended
8. Holland, D.F. (1972). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways, Volume 2: 1910-1955 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-5427-8.