CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1882

This article is about one of several different Cape Government Railways locomotive types to be designated "4th Class". For other CGR 4th Class locomotives, see Cape Government Railways 4th Class locomotives.
CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1882
OVGS 4th Class G 4-6-0
Kowie 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1882
South African Class 04 4-6-0TT 1882

4th Class 4-6-0TT no. M65 (265) at Cradock, c. 1890
(Stephenson-built with Stephenson valve gear)
Type and origin
Power type Steam
Designer Cape Government Railways
(Michael Stephens)
Builder Robert Stephenson and Company
Neilson and Company
Serial number Stephenson 2451-2483
Neilson 2828-2848, 2951-2954, 2978-2987
Build date 1882-1883
Total produced 68
Specifications
Configuration 4-6-0 (Ten-wheeler)
Driver 2nd coupled axle
Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge
Leading dia. 27 1⁄2 in (698 mm)
Coupled dia. 42 in (1,067 mm)
Tender wheels 36 1⁄2 in (927 mm)
Wheelbase 35 ft 3⁄8 in (10,678 mm)
 • Engine 16 ft 10 in (5,131 mm)
 • Leading 5 ft (1,524 mm)
 • Coupled 8 ft (2,438 mm)
 • Tender 8 ft (2,438 mm)
Length:
 ​
 • Over couplers 43 ft 2 3⁄8 in (13,167 mm)
Height 12 ft (3,658 mm)
Axle load 7 LT 16 cwt (7,925 kg)
 • Leading 8 LT 16 cwt (8,941 kg)
 • 1st coupled 5 LT 17 cwt (5,944 kg)
 • 2nd coupled 7 LT 9 cwt (7,570 kg)
 • 3rd coupled 7 LT 16 cwt (7,925 kg)
Adhesive weight 21 LT 2 cwt (21,440 kg)
Loco weight 29 LT 18 cwt (30,380 kg) w/o
Tender weight 19 LT (19,300 kg) w/o
Loco & tender weight 48 LT 18 cwt (49,680 kg) w/o
Tender type 3 axle
Fuel type Coal
Fuel capacity 3 LT (3.0 t)
Water cap 600 imp gal (2,700 l) engine
1,700 imp gal (7,700 l) tender
Firebox type Round-top
 • Firegrate area 11.7 sq ft (1.09 m2)
Boiler:
 ​
 • Pitch 5 ft 9 in (1,753 mm)
 • Diameter 3 ft 6 3⁄8 in (1,076 mm)
 • Tube plates 10 ft 4 1⁄2 in (3,162 mm)
Boiler pressure 140 psi (965 kPa)
Safety valve Salter as built
Ramsbottom reboilered
Heating surface 751.6 sq ft (69.83 m2)
 • Tubes 690 sq ft (64 m2)
 • Firebox 61.6 sq ft (5.72 m2)
Cylinders Two
Cylinder size 15 in (381 mm) bore
20 in (508 mm) stroke
Valve gear Joy (Neilson-built)
Stephenson (Stephenson-built & Neilson converted)
Couplers Bell link-and-pin
Performance figures
Tractive effort 11,250 lbf (50.0 kN) @ 75%
Career
Operators Cape Government Railways
OVGS
Beira & Mashonaland Railway
Kowie Railway
South African Railways
Class CGR 4th Class, SAR Class 04
Number in class 68
Numbers W47-W76, M58-M79, M84-M85, E35-E48
Nicknames Joy & Converted Joy
Delivered 1882-1883
First run 1880

The Cape Government Railways 4th Class 4-6-0TT of 1882 is a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape of Good Hope.

In 1882 and 1883, the Cape Government Railways placed sixty-eight 4th Class 4-6-0 tank-and-tender locomotives in mainline service on all three its Systems. It was an improved version of the 4th Class locomotives of 1880 and 1881. Twenty-six of these locomotives were still in service when the South African Railways was established in 1912.[1][2]

Manufacturers

Michael Stephens

The 4th Class 4-6-0 tank-and-tender locomotive was designed by Michael Stephens, at that stage the Locomotive Superintendent of the Western System of the Cape Government Railways (CGR) in Cape Town. An improved version of the 4th Class 4-6-0TT of 1880 was delivered to the CGR in 1882 and 1883. The contracts for their construction were divided between Robert Stephenson and Company and Neilson and Company.[1][2][3]

Of these, thirty locomotives went to the Western System, operating out of Cape Town, and were numbered in the range from W47 to W76. Twenty-four went to the Midland System, operating out of Port Elizabeth, and were numbered in the range from M58 to M79, M84 and M85. Fourteen went to the Eastern System, operating out of East London, and were numbered in the range from E35 to E48.[1][2]

Characteristics

All these locomotives had 42 inches (1,067 millimetres) diameter coupled wheels, unlike the six locomotives which had been delivered to the Eastern System in 1880 and 1881, which had smaller 38 inches (965 millimetres) diameter coupled wheels. Those built by Stephenson, were delivered with Stephenson valve gear, like their predecessors of 1880 and 1881.[1][3]

Stephenson-built with Stephenson valve gear and extended firebox
Neilson-built with Joy valve gear, as built with short firebox

The locomotives built by Neilson, however, were delivered with Joy valve gear. They could be dis­tinguished from the Stephenson-built loco­mo­tives by the semi­circular cut-out on the bottom of the side-tanks, which allowed access to part of the Joy valve gear mechanism which protruded above the frame.[1][3][4]

Since these locomotives were delivered with permanently coupled tenders, their cabs did not need side entrances with double handrails, like their predecessors of 1880 and 1881 did. Access was by pairs of steps, mounted on the engine as well as on the tender, with one handrail attached to the engine and the other to the tender.

Modifications

On the Eastern System, problems were experienced with the low-grade local coal from the Cyphergat and Molteno collieries in the Stormberg. It had a high content of non-combustable material which often caused delays, since it required frequent stops to allow the fireman to clear the grate of clinker and ash, a tedious task which required the locomotive to be stationary.[1][3]

J.D. Tilney, the Eastern System Locomotive Superintendent, carried out many experiments in an attempt to overcome the coal problem. Some of these involved modifying some of the 4th Class locomotives in order to install oscillating firebars and larger fireboxes.[1]

J.D. Tilney's extended spark arrester smokebox

Another modification by Tilney was an extended smokebox, to make room for a very efficient spark arrester, which was constructed of wire mesh. Several locomotives were altered to incorporate these spark arresters, as shown in the photograph alongside of a 4th Class Converted Joy locomotive with an extended smokebox. The example shown may also have been reboilered, since its Salter safety valves have been replaced with the Ramsbottom type.[1][5]

Tilney's initiatives did not pass unnoticed. In 1881, the General Manager appointed Mr. Hawthorne R. Thornton as Chief Locomotive Superintendent for the whole of the Cape of Good Hope, in response to the "growing tendency on the part of the several Locomotive Superintendents to bring in modifications of designs in essential parts of the engines and rolling stock."[3]

4th Class Converted Joy in the Hex River railpass

While the locomotives proved to be good all-purpose engines, the Joy valve gear was not considered entirely satisfactory. After Michael Stephens retired and H.M. Beatty took over as Chief Locomotive Superintendent of the CGR in 1896, all the Neilson-built locomotives were converted to Stephenson valve gear and, in the process, also had their side-tanks removed. These modified tender locomotives became known as the "Converted Joys". The side-tanks of two of the Stephenson-built locomotives were also removed.[1]

Service

Cape Government Railways

At the time these 4th Class locomotives entered service, the two Eastern System mainlines were open to King William's Town and approaching Sterkstroom respectively. Those of the Midland System were completed to Graaff Reinet and approaching Cradock respectively, while the Western System mainline was open to Beaufort West.[6]

All these locomotives were renumbered more than once during their service lives on the CGR. By 1886, the system prefixes had been done away with and the Midland System's locomotives had all been renumbered, by replacing the letter prefix "M" with the numeral "1". Some of the Western System locomotives retained their numbers, while others were allocated new numbers in the 100 range. By 1888, the Eastern System locomotives had been renumbered into the 600 number range. Some of the Midland System locomotives were renumbered twice more, into the 200 number range by 1890 and into the 400 number range by 1899, while others had been renumbered to two-digit numbers by 1890. All these renumberings are listed in the table below.[1][2]

Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwerment-Spoorwegen

In early 1897, six of the Neilson-built Converted Joy locomotives were sold to the Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwerment-Spoorwegen (OVGS), where they were designated 4th Class G. These engines were all fitted with the Tilney-design extended type of smokebox with spark arresters and had been reboilered prior to entering service on the OVGS.[1][5]

Beira and Mashonaland Railway

In 1898, two of the Neilson-built Converted Joy locomotives, numbers 59 and 71, were sold to Pauling and Company, who used them during the construction of the Beira and Mashonaland Railway and renumbered them 2 and 1 respectively.[1]

Kowie Railway

At some stage after 1904, three of these locomotives, Stephenson-built numbers 470, 471 and 477, were sold to the Kowie Railway Company, which operated a line between Port Alfred and Grahamstown. They were renumbered 1, 3 and 2 respectively.[1]

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 required careful planning and was only implemented with effect from 1 January 1912.[6][7]

By 1912, twenty-six locomotives survived. They were considered obsolete by the SAR, designated Class 04 and renumbered by having the numeral "0" prefixed to their existing numbers. Despite being considered obsolete, eleven of them survived until after 1931. Some were still being employed as shunting locomotives in Port Elizabeth in 1932. The rest had been scrapped by 1918.[1][7]

Works numbers

The works numbers, year built, original numbers, renumberings and disposal of the Cape 4th Class of 1882 are set out in the table.[1][2][7]

Illustration

The main picture shows Stephenson-built no. M65, renumbered to 265, still in its as-built unmodified state. The following pictures illustrate some of the Converted Joy locomotives. Most of them had forfeited their "front porch" railings in the process of modification.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Holland, D.F. (1971). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways, Volume 1: 1859-1910 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. pp. 32–36, 81, 108. ISBN 978-0-7153-5382-0.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 C.G.R. Numbering Revised, Article by Dave Littley, SA Rail May–June 1993, pp. 94-95.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Espitalier, T.J.; Day, W.A.J. (1943). The Locomotive in South Africa - A Brief History of Railway Development. Chapter II - The Cape Government Railways (Continued). South African Railways and Harbours Magazine, October 1943. pp. 731-734.
  4. ↑ Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. ISBN 0869772112.
  5. 1 2 Espitalier, T.J.; Day, W.A.J. (1944). The Locomotive in South Africa - A Brief History of Railway Development. Chapter V - Other Transvaal and O.F.S. Railways. South African Railways and Harbours Magazine, December 1944. pp. 925, 928.
  6. 1 2 The South African Railways - Historical Survey. Editor George Hart, Publisher Bill Hart, Sponsored by Dorbyl Ltd., Published c. 1978, pp. 12-13, 25.
  7. 1 2 3 Classification of S.A.R. Engines with Renumbering Lists, issued by the Chief Mechanical Engineer’s Office, Pretoria, January 1912, pp. 26-27. (Reprinted in April 1987 by SATS Museum, R.3125-6/9/11-1000)
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