South African Class GO 4-8-2+2-8-4

No. 2592 standing out of service at De Aar loco depot, 14 November 1979

Type and origin
Power type	Steam
Designer	South African Railways
Builder	Henschel and Son
Serial number	Henschel 28705-28729
Model	Class GO
Build date	1953
Total produced	25

Specifications
Configuration	4-8-2+2-8-4 "Double Mountain" Garratt
Gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge
Leading dia	30 in (762 mm)
Driver diameter	54 in (1,372 mm)
Trailing dia	30 in (762 mm)
Minimum curve	275 ft (84 m)
Wheelbase	Total: 86 ft 4 in (26,314 mm) Engines: 6 ft 10 in (2,083 mm) bogie 14 ft 5 in (4,394 mm) coupled 30 ft 4 in (9,246 mm) total
Length	93 ft 10 in (28,600 mm)
Height	13 ft (3,962 mm)
Frame	Cast frame, 45 ft (13,716 mm) between pivot centres
Axle load	13.4 long tons (13.6 t) on 7th & 8th drivers
Adhesive weight	106.8 long tons (108.5 t)
Loco weight	326,600 lb (148.1 t) empty 172.1 long tons (174.9 t) w/o
Fuel type	Coal
Fuel capacity	11 long tons (11.2 t)
Water cap	1,660 imp gal (7,500 l) front 6,750 imp gal (30,700 l) in Type X-20 auxiliary tank wagon
Firebox: • Firegrate area	56.6 sq ft (5.258 m²)
Boiler	6 ft 2.75 in (1,899 mm) inside diameter at 1st ring 6 ft 4.125 in (1,934 mm) inside diameter at firebox 13 ft 6.5 in (4,128 mm) inside length 6 ft 9.5 in (2,070 mm) pitch
Boiler pressure	200 psi (1,380 kPa)
Heating surface	2,625 sq ft (243.870 m²)
• Tubes	241 tubes 2 in (51 mm) diameter 36 tubes 5.5 in (140 mm) diameter 2,399 sq ft (222.874 m²)
• Flues	26 sq ft (2.415 m²)
• Firebox	200 sq ft (18.581 m²)
Superheater: • Heating area	546 sq ft (50.725 m²)
Cylinders	Four
Cylinder size	18.5 in (470 mm) bore 26 in (660 mm) stroke
Valve gear	Walschaerts

Performance figures
Tractive effort	49,430 lbf (220 kN) at 75% pressure

Career
Operators	South African Railways
Class	Class GO
Number in class	25
Numbers	2572-2596
Delivered	1954
First run	1954
Withdrawn	1977

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The South African Railways Class GO 4-8-2+2-8-4 of 1954 is an articulated steam locomotive.

In 1954 the South African Railways placed twenty-five Class GO light branchline Garratt articulated steam locomotives with a 4-8-2+2-8-4 Double Mountain type wheel arrangement in service. It was the last new steam locomotive type to be acquired by the Railways.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Manufacturer

The Class GO 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratt locomotive was designed to operate on lighter rails. The designs were prepared in 1952 under the supervision of L.C. Grubb, the Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the SAR from 1949 to 1954, and an order for twenty-five of these locomotives was placed with Henschel and Son in Germany, immediately following on the order for the first batch of the Class GMA Garratt that was built by the same manufacturer. They were built in 1953 and were delivered and placed in service in 1954, numbered in the range from 2572 to 2596.^[1]^[4]^[5]

The Class GO turned out to be the last new steam locomotive type to be acquired by the Railways before full scale electrification and dieselisation commenced. The Class 5E mainline electric locomotive entered service a year after the Class GO, and the Class 31-000 diesel-electric locomotive in 1958.^[3]

Characteristics

In design and general appearance the Class GO was very similar to the Class GMA, with an identical one piece "Commonwealth" cast steel frame and roller bearing axle boxes on all wheels, but not on the crankpins. It had cannon boxes on all axles except those of the inner pony trucks, which had outside bearings. Many parts were, in fact, interchangeable. The chief differences were aimed at reducing weight, such as a smaller boiler with a reduced diameter, a smaller firebox and grate area and a half ton smaller capacity coal bunker.^[1]^[3]^[6]^[7]

On the coal bunker this basically involved altering the inverted "L" front end profile of the Class GMA bunker to a "\" profile on the Class GO bunker, as well as lowering the bunker height from more or less in line with the cab roof on the Class GMA to somewhat below the cab roofline on the Class GO. The engine units were identical, except that the cylinders had been lined and sleeved to reduce the bore from 20.5 to 18.5 inches (521 to 470 millimetres) to suit the smaller boiler. This resulted in a correspondingly reduced tractive effort, from 60,700 to 49,430 pounds-force (270 to 220 kilonewtons) at 75% boiler pressure.^[1]^[3]^[6]^[7]

In order not to overstress the rails, driving wheel balancing was arranged to limit the hammer blow effect to a maximum of one ton per wheel at 45 miles per hour (72 kilometres per hour). The end result was a locomotive with a maximum axle load of 13.4 long tons (14 tonnes) that could operate on 45 pounds per yard (22 kilograms per metre) rails. It was superheated, with a mechanical stoker and Walschaerts valve gear, and could negotiate curves of 275 feet (84 metres) radius with a gauge widening of not more than 0.75 inches (19 millimetres) and a superelevation of 4.5 inches (114 millimetres).^[1]^[3]^[6]^[7]

Type X-20 water tender

The most obvious visible differences between the Class GMA and Class GO were their coal bunker front ends, with the inverted "L" profile of the Class GMA and the "\" profile of the Class GO. On both locomotives their engines for their mechanical stokers were situated in the cutout on the front or cabside ends of their coal bunkers, but on the right or driver’s side on the Class GMA and on the left or fireman’s side on the Class GO.^[1]

The Class GO also had a slightly longer chimney as a result of the smaller diameter boiler. As was done with the Class GM and Class GMA, the Class GO carried water only in its front tank while the rear bunker carried only coal. The meagre water supply was therefore also augmented by semi-permanently coupling a purpose-built Type X-20 auxiliary tank wagon with a capacity of 6,750 imperial gallons (30,700 litres) to the locomotive.^[1]

Service

Upon delivery, they were briefly put to work on the line from Krugersdorp to Zeerust, after which they were relocated to the line from Belfast to Steelpoort in the Eastern Transvaal, stationed at Lydenburg. This is one of the toughest lines on the SAR with a ruling gradient of 1 in 33, that climbs in 95 miles (153 kilometres) from a nadir at 2,427 feet (740 metres) to the summit at Nederhorst at 6,875 feet (2,096 metres), the highest point on the SAR.^[3]^[7]

When the Steelpoort line was dieselised in 1972, they went to work on the branchline from Umtata to Amabele in Transkei and on the Greytown branchline out of Pietermaritzburg in Natal. They were unpopular in Transkei, however, being too small to replace two Class 14CRB locomotives, while their coupled wheelbase per engine unit was longer than that of the Class 14CRB and therefore took less kindly to the sharp curves at the Kei River crossing.^[7]

As a result, the Transkei locomotives were soon also relocated to Natal, where most of them ended up on the Natal North Coast line, stationed at Stanger, Empangeni and Gingindlovu. From Empangeni they also worked the line to Golela on the Swaziland border, and they also served briefly on the Eshowe and Nkwalini branchlines. They were soon withdrawn from the Eshowe branch, however, as a result of their tendency to start fires while climbing the 1 in 30 gradients through sugar cane fields.^[1]^[3]^[6]^[7]

Like the Class GMA, the Class GO was a successful locomotive that gave good service. However, after they were displaced by diesel-electric locomotives, the whole Class was relocated to De Aar in 1977, where the locomotives spent seven years standing idle before they were abruptly all written off in 1984, after only twenty-two years of actual revenue service. None were sold into industrial service.^[1]^[6]

Illustration

The main picture shows number 2592 after being withdrawn from service, staged at the De Aar loco depot, on 14 November 1979. The only preserved Class GO locomotive is no. 2575, which is on display at the Outeniqua Transport Museum in George.

No. 2575 on an excursion trip, George, 30 May 2005
No. 2575 at the Outeniqua Transport Museum, 15 April 2013
No. 2583 at Germiston Shed, 16 September 1973

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Holland, D.F. (1972). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways, Volume 2: 1910-1955 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. pp. 113–114. ISBN 978-0-7153-5427-8.
↑ South African Railways and Harbours Locomotive Diagram Book, 2’0” & 3’6” Gauge Steam Locomotives, 15 August 1941, as amended
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. p. 96. ISBN 0869772112.
↑ Hamilton, Gavin N., The Garratt Locomotive - Garratt Locomotives from Other Builders, retrieved 10 November 2012
↑ Henschel-Lieferliste (Henschel & Son works list), compiled by Dietmar Stresow
1 2 3 4 5 Durrant, A E (1989). Twilight of South African Steam (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, London: David & Charles. p. 118. ISBN 0715386387.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Durrant, A.E. (1981). Garratt Locomotives of the World. David & Charles. pp. 132-136. ISBN 0-7153-7641-1.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to South African Class GO (4-8-2+2-8-4).

Locomotives of South Africa

Steam

7' ¼" gauge	East London Harbour 0-4-0 Table Bay Harbour 0-4-0ST Table Bay Harbour 0-4-0T Table Bay Harbour 0-4-0WT

4' 8½" gauge	Cape 0-4-0T Blackie Cape 0-4-2 Cape 2-4-0T CGR 0-4-0ST Aid Natal 0-4-0ST Durban Natal 0-4-0WT Natal Natal 4-4-0T Perseverance

3' 6" gauge Tank engines	CGR 0-4-0ST 1873 CGR 0-4-0ST 1874 CGR 0-4-0ST 1881 Coffee Pot CGR 0-6-0ST 1902 CGR 0-6-0T 1876 Back-to-Back CGR 2-6-0ST 1900 CGR 2-6-0ST 1902 CGR 1st Class 0-4-0ST 1875 CGR 1st Class 0-4-0ST 1876 CGR 1st Class 2-6-0ST 1876 CGR 1st Class 4-4-0T 1875 CGR 2nd Class 4-4-0T 1882 CGR 3rd Class 2-6-0T CGR Railmotor CSAR Class C CSAR Class E CSAR Rack CSAR Railmotor DSWA Eight-Coupled Tank 2-8-0T Durban's Congella Durban's Edward Innes Durban's John Milne Durban's Sir Albert Port Elizabeth Harbour 0-4-0ST Kowie Railway 0-6-0T Kowie Railway 4-4-0T Metropolitan & Suburban 4-6-2T NGR 2-6-0T Durban & Pietermaritzburg NGR Class I 2-6-2T NGR Class K 0-4-0ST NGR Class K 0-6-0ST NGR Class K 2-6-0T NZASM 10 Tonner NZASM 14 Tonner NZASM 18 Tonner NZASM 19 Tonner NZASM 32 Tonner NZASM 40 Tonner PPR 26 Tonner PPR 35 Tonner Portuguese SAR 0-4-0ST 1903 SAR 0-4-0T no. 69 SAR Class A SAR Class B SAR Class C SAR Class C1 SAR Class C2 SAR Class D SAR Class E SAR Class F SAR Class G SAR Class H SAR Class H1 SAR Class H2 SAR Class J SAR Class K SAR Clayton Railmotor

3' 6" gauge Tender engines	CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1876 Beyer, Peacock CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1876 Kitson CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1879 CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1891 CGR 1st Class 4-4-0 1879 CGR 1st Class 4-4-0TT 1881 CGR 2nd Class 2-6-2TT 1875 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1883 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1884 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1889 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1898 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1901 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1903 CGR 4th Class 4-4-2 CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1880 CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1882 CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1884 CGR 5th Class 4-6-0 1890 CGR 5th Class 4-6-0 1891 DSWA Eight-Coupled Tender 2-8-0 NGR Havelock NGR Class I SAR Class Exp 1 SAR Class Exp 2 SAR Class Exp 3 SAR Class Exp 4 SAR Class Exp 5 SAR Class Exp 6 SAR Class S SAR Class S1 SAR Class S2 SAR Class 1 SAR Class 1A SAR Class 1B SAR Class 2 SAR Class 2C SAR Class 3 SAR Class 3A SAR Class 3B SAR Class 4 SAR Class 4A SAR Class 5 SAR Class 5A SAR Class 5B SAR Class 6 SAR Class 6A SAR Class 6B SAR Class 6C SAR Class 6D SAR Class 6E SAR Class 6F SAR Class 6G SAR Class 6H SAR Class 6J SAR Class 6K SAR Class 6L SAR Class 6Y SAR Class 6Z SAR Class 7 SAR Class 7A SAR Class 7B SAR Class 7C SAR Class 7D SAR Class 7E SAR Class 7F SAR Class 8 SAR Class 8A SAR Class 8B SAR Class 8C SAR Class 8D SAR Class 8E SAR Class 8F SAR Class 8R SAR Class 8X SAR Class 8Y SAR Class 8Z SAR Class 9 SAR Class 10 SAR Class 10A SAR Class 10B SAR Class 10C SAR Class 10D SAR Class 11 SAR Class 12 SAR Class 12A SAR Class 12B SAR Class 13 SAR Class 14 SAR Class 14A SAR Class 14B SAR Class 14C SAR Class 15 SAR Class 15A SAR Class 15B SAR Class 15C SAR Class 15CA SAR Class 15E SAR Class 15F SAR Class 16 SAR Class 16A SAR Class 16B SAR Class 16C SAR Class 16D SAR Class 16DA SAR Class 16E SAR Class 17 SAR Class 18 SAR Class 19 SAR Class 19A SAR Class 19B SAR Class 19C SAR Class 19D SAR Class 20 SAR Class 21 SAR Class 23 SAR Class 24 SAR Class 25 SAR Class 25NC SAR Class 26 Red Devil

3' 6" gauge Articulated engines	CGR Fairlie CGR Kitson-Meyer SAR Class FC SAR Class FD SAR Class GA SAR Class GB SAR Class GC SAR Class GCA SAR Class GD SAR Class GDA SAR Class GE SAR Class GEA SAR Class GF SAR Class GG SAR Class GH SAR Class GK SAR Class GL SAR Class GM SAR Class GMA SAR Class GO SAR Class HF SAR Class KM SAR Class MA SAR Class MB SAR Class MC SAR Class MC1 SAR Class MD SAR Class ME SAR Class MF SAR Class MG SAR Class MH SAR Class MJ SAR Class MJ1 SAR Class U

2' 6" gauge	Cape Copper 0-6-0T 1871 Cape Copper Britannia Cape Copper Caledonia Cape Copper Clara Class Cape Copper Condenser Cape Copper Scotia Class Namaqua Copper Pioneer

2' & 600mm gauges	ACR Class NG-G16A CGR NG 0-6-0T CGR NG 4-6-2T CGR Type A 2-6-4T CGR Type C 0-4-0T DSWA Class Ha DSWA Class Hb DSWA Class Hc DSWA Class Hd DSWA Jung DSWA Zwillinge NGR Class N 4-6-2T SAR NG 0-4-0T 1899 SAR Class NG1 SAR Class NG2 SAR Class NG3 SAR Class NG4 SAR Class NG5 SAR Class NG6 SAR Class NG7 SAR Class NG8 SAR Class NG9 SAR Class NG10 SAR Class NG-G11 SAR Class NG-G12 SAR Class NG-G13 SAR Class NG-G14 SAR Class NG15 SAR Class NG-G16

Electric

Amcoal Class E38

Diesel

3' 6" gauge Diesel-electric	PRASA Class Afro 4000 SAR Class DS SAR Class DS1 SAR Class 31-000 SAR Class 32-000 SAR Class 32-200 SAR Class 33-000 SAR Class 33-200 SAR Class 33-400 SAR Class 34-000 SAR Class 34-200 SAR Class 34-400 SAR Class 34-500 SAR Class 34-600 SAR Class 34-800 SAR Class 34-900 SAR Class 35-000 SAR Class 35-200 SAR Class 35-400 SAR Class 35-600 SAR Class 36-000 SAR Class 36-200 SAR Class 37-000 Spoornet Class 39-000 TFR Class 35-800 TFR Class 39-200 TFR Class 43-000 TFR Class 44-000

2' gauge Diesel-electric	SAR Class 91-000

3' 6" gauge Diesel-hydraulic	SAR Class 61-000

3' 6" gauge Electro-diesel	Spoornet Class 38-000

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