South African Class K 4-6-4T

Class K no. 352, c. 1920

Type and origin
Power type	Steam
Designer	North British Locomotive Company
Builder	North British Locomotive Company
Serial number	20854-20860
Model	Class K
Build date	1914
Total produced	7

Specifications
Configuration	4-6-4T (Baltic)
Driver	2nd coupled axle
Gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge
Leading dia.	31 ¹⁄₂ in (800 mm)
Coupled dia.	48 in (1,219 mm)
Trailing dia.	31 ¹⁄₂ in (800 mm)
Wheelbase	32 ft 10 ¹⁄₂ in (10,020 mm)
• Leading	5 ft (1,524 mm)
• Coupled	12 ft 3 in (3,734 mm)
• Trailing	5 ft (1,524 mm)
Wheel spacing (Assymetrical)	1-2: 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) 2-3: 7 ft (2,134 mm)
Length:
• Over couplers	41 ft 7 ¹⁄₂ in (12,687 mm)
Height	12 ft 6 in (3,810 mm)
Frame type	Plate
Axle load	12 LT (12,190 kg)
• Leading	15 LT 14 cwt (15,950 kg)
• Coupled	12 LT (12,190 kg)
• Trailing	19 LT 4 cwt (19,510 kg)
Adhesive weight	36 LT (36,580 kg)
Loco weight	70 LT 18 cwt (72,040 kg)
Fuel type	Coal
Fuel capacity	4 LT (4.1 t)
Water cap	2,350 imp gal (10,700 l)
Firebox type	Round-top
• Firegrate area	18.4 sq ft (1.71 m²)
Boiler:
• Pitch	7 ft 3 in (2,210 mm)
• Diameter	4 ft 1 ¹⁄₂ in (1,257 mm)
• Tube plates	12 ft (3,658 mm)
• Small tubes	85: 1 ⁷⁄₈ in (48 mm)
• Large tubes	21: 5 ¹⁄₄ in (133 mm)
Boiler pressure	160 psi (1,103 kPa)
Safety valve	Pop
Heating surface	962 sq ft (89.4 m²)
• Tubes	844 sq ft (78.4 m²)
• Firebox	118 sq ft (11.0 m²)
Superheater:
• Heating area	257 sq ft (23.9 m²)
Cylinders	Two
Cylinder size	17 in (432 mm) bore 24 in (610 mm) stroke
Valve gear	Walschaerts
Valve type	Piston
Couplers	Bell link-and-pin

Performance figures
Tractive effort	17,340 lbf (77.1 kN) @ 75%

Career
Operators	South African Railways
Class	Class K
Number in class	7
Numbers	347-353
Nicknames	Manila
Delivered	1917
First run	1917
Withdrawn	1938

The South African Railways Class K 4-6-4T of 1917 was a steam locomotive.

In 1917, the South African Railways placed seven Class K tank steam locomotives with a 4-6-4T Baltic type wheel arrangement in service. They had been built for the Philippines, but could not be delivered due to wartime disruption.^[1]^[2]

Manufacturer

Seven 4-6-4T side-tank steam locomotives were built for the Manila Railway Company in the Philippine Islands by the North British Locomotive Company (NBL) in 1914. Because of difficulties experienced in delivering them to the Philippines during the First World War as well as a critical wartime shortage of locomotives on the South African Railways (SAR), the NBL eventually offered the seven locomotives for sale to the SAR. They were purchased and delivered in 1917, designated Class K and numbered in the range from 347 to 353.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

Characteristics

The locomotives had inclined cylinders, arranged outside the plate frames. The piston valves were actuated by Walschaerts valve gear, while the reversing gear was controlled by a combination of hand and steam mechanism. The locomotives were superheated and their smokeboxes were equipped with Stone's Patent louvre spark arrestors. Their coupled wheel axleboxes were provided with mechanical force-feed lubrication. They were the first locomotives in South Africa to be equipped with exhaust steam injectors, which were of the Davies and Metcalfe pattern.^[1]^[2]^[3]

The only modifications required to these locomotives for them to be put to work on the SAR, were to the buffing and drawgear. As built, they had 12 inches (305 millimetres) "bull's eyes" acetylene gas headlamps, supplied from a generator affixed to the running board on the right hand side adjoining the smokebox. The same medium was used for the cab lighting, but these lights were removed and SAR headlamps were installed.^[1]^[2]

The original works photographs showed a hand-operated bell on top of the boiler, but there is no record that the bells were still on the engines when they reached South Africa.^[1]^[2]

Service

The locomotives proved to be extremely useful. They were placed in service on the Reef's suburban services, shedded at Braamfontein and working between Randfontein and Springs. They were well suited for suburban service, since they were free-steaming, had rapid acceleration and were capable of relatively high speeds, even though they lacked power and speed compared with the Class 16. They remained in this service until the last of them were withdrawn and scrapped in 1938.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Illustration

A Class K on the up suburban between Maraisburg and Florida, c. 1930

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 Holland, D.F. (1972). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways, Volume 2: 1910-1955 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. p. 33-34. ISBN 978-0-7153-5427-8.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Espitalier, T.J.; Day, W.A.J. (1945). The Locomotive in South Africa - A Brief History of Railway Development. Chapter VII - South African Railways (Continued). South African Railways and Harbours Magazine, August 1945. p. 596.
1 2 3 Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. p. 33. ISBN 0869772112.
↑ North British Locomotive Company works list, compiled by Austrian locomotive historian Bernhard Schmeiser

Wikimedia Commons has media related to South African Class K (4-6-4T).

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 13 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

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 Joy 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 1st SAR Class 14C 2nd SAR Class 14C 3rd SAR Class 14C 4th 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 SAR Katanga

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 Cape Copper Condenser Cape Copper Scotia 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 Dutton 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

Gas-electric

Gas-electric

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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