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South African locomotive history

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In South Africa, as elsewhere in the world, the railways played a huge part in development and growth on nearly all terrains in the country. Conversely, events in South Africa and its neighbours over the years had a huge influence on the development of railways.

When the articles on the locomotives of South Africa are read sequentially in the order of their years of entering railway service, much of the history of the country becomes apparent between the lines. At the same time, the development of steam locomotives can be followed from the basic 0-4-0 to the mighty 4-8-4 wheel arrangements, and articulated steam locomotives from the Fairlies and the Kitson-Meyer to the Mallets and ultimately to the Garratts. Likewise with the development of modern traction such as electric, gas-electric, diesel-hydraulic, electro-diesel and diesel-electric locomotives.

This article consists of links to articles on South African locomotives, arranged in the order of their years of entering service, with the links embedded in the applicable pictures. In addition, the opening dates of new railway lines are shown.

Railway construction

Cape Town Railway & Dock 0-4-2T Blackie
Cape Town Railway & Dock 0-4-2
Natal Railway 0-4-0WT Natal
Cape Town Railway & Dock 2-4-0T
(A mule train is depicted)
CGR 0-4-0ST
East London Harbour 0-4-0VB

In South Africa and South West Africa, where the South African Railways operated, all early mainline railway construction took place working inland from harbours and ports. Construction on these lines began in the years from 1859 to 1887 in South Africa and from 1897 to 1908 in South West Africa.

1850s

1859

  • On 8 September the first railway locomotive arrives in South Africa.

1860s

1860

  • New lines opened:[4]
    • Natal – Durban to Point on 26 June.

1862

  • New lines opened:
  • The first 7 ft (2,134 mm) gauge locomotive arrives in South Africa when the Table Bay Harbour Board acquires a single broad gauge locomotive, builder or appearance unknown, for excavation and breakwater construction work.[6]

1863

1864

1867

1869

1870s

1870

1871

  • New lines opened:[2]
    • Namaqualand – Port Nolloth to Muishondfontein on 18 February.
  • The first 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge locomotives arrive in South Africa.

1872

1873

  • New lines opened:
  • The first 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge locomotives arrive in South Africa.

1874

1875

1876

1877

1878

  • New lines opened:
    • Cape Eastern – Kei Road to Döhne on 15 August.
    • Cape Midland – Glenconnor to Mount Stewart on 1 August.
    • Cape Western – Kleinstraat to Koup on 4 November.
    • Natal – Umgeni to Avoca on 25 May and Durban to Pinetown on 4 September.

1879

1880s

1880

1881

1882

1883

1884

1885

1886

1887

1889

1890s

1890

1891

1892

1893

1894

  • New lines opened:

1895

1896

1897

1898

1899

1900s

1900

1901

1902

1903

1904

1905

1906

1907

1908

1909

1910s

1910

  • New lines opened:[17]
    • Eastern Cape – By the Natal Government Railways from Riverside to Malenge in the Eastern Cape on 21 March.
    • Natal – Utrecht Junction to Utrecht on 27 April.
    • Transvaal – Belfast to Lydenburg on 29 April, Komatipoort to Newington on 15 May and Dunswart to Cranbourne on 4 July.

1911

1912

1913

1914

1915

1916

1917

1918

  • New lines opened:[23]
    • Cape – Kootjieskolk to Calvinia on 2 February and to Sakrivier on 16 September.

1919

  • New lines opened:[23]
    • Natal – Deviation from Umlaas Road to Pentrich on 9 January.

1920s

1921

1922

1923

  • New lines opened:[23]
    • Cape – Kamfersdam to Winter's Rush on 6 August and Belmont to Douglas on 9 August.
    • Transvaal – Settlers to Tuinplaas on 30 October.

1924

1925

1926

1927

1928

1929

1930s

1930

1931

1934

1935

  • New lines opened:[26]
    • Transvaal – Springs to Kaydale on 19 October.

1936

  • New lines opened:[26]
    • Cape – Palingpan to Manganore on 15 June and Postmasburg to Lohatla on 30 June.
    • Natal – Point to Congella on 1 May.

1938

  • New lines opened:[27]
    • Transvaal – Midway to Bank on 6 November.

1940s

1940

  • New lines opened:[27]
    • Transvaal – Crown to Langlaagte on 12 January and Germiston to Jupiter on 2 December.

1943

  • New lines opened:[27]
    • Transvaal – New Canada to Phomolong on 29 January and Hercules to Koedoespoort on 7 June.

1945

194

  • New lines opened:[27]
    • Transvaal – Ogies to Vandyksdrif on 1 June.

1948

1950s

1950

  • New lines opened:[27]
    • Transvaal – Vandyksdrif to Broodsnyersplaas on 2 October.

1951

  • New lines opened:[27]
    • Transvaal – Grootvlei to Redan on 13 June and Springs to Welgedag on 21 December.

1952

1953

1960s

1965

  • At least 150 are killed when a commuter train derails at the outskirts of Durban.

1970s

1974

1978

1990s

1990

1995

  • A locomotive falls into a mine shaft onto an ascending cage and both plunge to the bottom of the shaft, killing 104.[29][30]

2010s

2010

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l The South African Railways – Historical Survey. Editor George Hart, Publisher Bill Hart, Sponsored by Dorbyl Ltd., Published c. 1978.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Bagshawe, Peter (2012). Locomotives of the Namaqualand Railway and Copper Mines (1st ed.). Stenvalls. ISBN 978-91-7266-179-0.
  3. ^ Pioneer, Little Bess & Mliss
  4. ^ a b c d e Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 181, ref. no. 200954-13
  5. ^ a b Heritage Portal: The Port Alfred to Grahamstown Railway Archived 6 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ a b Table Bay Harbour construction locomotives
  7. ^ The Cape Argus of 19 July 1870.
  8. ^ Grace’s Guide: Henry Hughes and Company
  9. ^ Dating the opening of Hughes Works
  10. ^ a b c Holland, D.F. (1971). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. Vol. 1: 1859–1910 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, England: David & Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-5382-0.
  11. ^ a b c Report for year ending 31st 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 31 December 1909.
  12. ^ Lewis, Charles; Pivnic, Les. "Soul of A Railway". System 1, Part 3: Wellington to Touws River, pp. 31–32. (Retrieved on 3 September 2016)
  13. ^ a b c Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 182, ref. no. 200954-13
  14. ^ a b c Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 183, ref. no. 200954-13
  15. ^ Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 184, ref. no. 200954-13
  16. ^ a b c 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
  17. ^ a b c d e f Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 186, ref. no. 200954-13
  18. ^ The Port Alfred Kowie Railway 1883–1913
  19. ^ a b c d Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 187, ref. no. 200954-13
  20. ^ Classification of S.A.R. Engines with Renumbering Lists, issued by the Chief Mechanical Engineer's Office, Pretoria, January 1912. (Reprinted in April 1987 by SATS Museum, R.3125-6/9/11-1000)
  21. ^ Pattison, R.G. (1997). The Cape Seventh Class Locomotives (1st ed.). Kenilworth, Cape Town: The Railway History Group. ISBN 0958400946.
  22. ^ Railway Modelling Scene, South Africa, May/June 1985, article written by Neill Mardell
  23. ^ a b c d e f g Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 188, ref. no. 200954-13
  24. ^ a b c Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. ISBN 0869772112.
  25. ^ a b c d e f Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 189, ref. no. 200954-13
  26. ^ a b c d e Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 190, ref. no. 200954-13
  27. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 191, ref. no. 200954-13
  28. ^ Middleton, John N. (2002). Railways of Southern Africa Locomotive Guide - 2002 (as amended by Combined Amendment List 4, January 2009) (2nd, Dec 2002 ed.). Herts, England: Beyer-Garratt Publications. pp. 38–39, 41, 46.
  29. ^ "104 miners are crushed to death when an elevator carrying gold miners plunges to the bottom of a Vaal Reef mineshaft near Orkney". South African History Online. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  30. ^ "Locomotive crushes 105 gold miners". The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  31. ^ Fihlani, Pumza (8 June 2010). "Gautrain arrives in time for World Cup". BBC News. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
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