South African Class E 4-6-4T

NGR Class F 4-6-4T South African Class E 4-6-4T
Natal Government Railways Class F no. 1 SAR Class E no. 87
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Natal Government Railways Builder Neilson, Reid and Company Serial number 6158-6167 Build date 1902 Total produced 10
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-6-4T "Baltic" Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge Leading dia. 25+3⁄4 in (654 mm) Driver dia. 39 in (991 mm) Trailing dia. 25+3⁄4 in (654 mm) Wheelbase 25 ft 7+1⁄4 in (7.804 m) total 5 ft (1.524 m) leading 7 ft 9 in (2.362 m) coupled 5 ft (1.524 m) trailing Length 32 ft 3+1⁄4 in (9.836 m) Height 11 ft 6 in (3.505 m) Axle load 9 long tons (9.1 t) on 2nd driver Adhesive weight 25.6 long tons (26.0 t) Loco weight 39.15 long tons (39.8 t) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 2+1⁄4 long tons (2.3 t) Water cap. 1,080 imp gal (4,900 L) Firebox: ​  • Grate area 12.7 sq ft (1.180 m2) Boiler 3 ft 8+1⁄8 in (1.121 m) inside diameter 10 ft 3 in (3.124 m) inside length 6 ft 3 in (1.905 m) pitch Boiler pressure 175 psi (1,210 kPa) Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 70 sq ft (6.503 m2)  • Tubes 171 tubes 1+3⁄4 in (44.4 mm) diameter 803 sq ft (74.601 m2)  • Total surface 873 sq ft (81.104 m2) Cylinders Two Cylinder size 15 in (381 mm) bore 22 in (559 mm) stroke Valve gear Stephenson
Performance figures Tractive effort 16,650 lbf (74.1 kN) at 75% pressure
Career Operators Natal Government Railways South African Railways Class NGR Class F SAR Class E Number in class 10 Numbers NGR 1-10, SAR 87-96 Delivered 1902 First run 1902 Withdrawn 1937

The South African Railways Class E 4-6-4T of 1902 is a steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Natal Colony.

In 1902 the Natal Government Railways placed ten Class F 4-6-4 Baltic type tank steam locomotives in service. In 1912, when these locomotives were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified as Class E.

Manufacturer

The last locomotive to be designed for the Natal Government Railways (NGR) by Locomotive Superintendent G.W. Reid before he relinquished his appointment in 1902 was a 4-6-4 Baltic tank locomotive, the first known locomotive in the world to be designed and built as a 4-6-4T Baltic type. It was built for the NGR by Neilson, Reid and Company, who delivered ten of them in 1902, numbered in the range from 1 to 10. In NGR service they were known as the Neilson, Reid locomotives until a classification system was introduced at some stage between 1904 and 1908 and they were designated the NGR Class F.

The Class F was a larger version of the rebuilt NGR Class H Stephenson-built 4-6-4T locomotive that later became the sole Class C2 on the South African Railways (SAR), and many of the main dimensions were identical. They had plate frames, Stephenson valve gear and used saturated steam.

South African Railways

The Union of South Africa was established on 31 May 1910, in terms of the South Africa Act. One of the clauses in the Act required that the three Colonial Government railways, the Cape Government Railways, the NGR and the Central South African Railways, also be united under one single administration to control and administer the railways, ports and harbours of the Union. While the SAR 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.

In 1912, these locomotives were designated Class E by the SAR and renumbered in the range from 87 to 96.

Service

The locomotives were built specifically for use on the Natal South Coast and the Richmond branch where reverse running was required due to the absence of turning facilities such as turntables or triangles. In SAR service the Class E was mainly used for shunting. They were later transferred to the Cape Midland System, where they remained until they were withdrawn from service in 1937.