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South African Class S1 0-8-0

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South African Class S1 0-8-0
No. 3814 in Germiston yard, August 1973
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerSouth African Railways
BuilderSouth African Railways (374-385)
North British Locomotive (3801-3825)
Serial numberSAR none
NBL 27261-27285
ModelClass S1
Build date1947-1952
Total produced37
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte0-8-0 "Eight-coupled"
Gauge3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge
Driver dia.48 in (1,219 mm)
Minimum curve165 ft (50,292 mm)
WheelbaseTotal: 49 ft 0.0625 in (14,937 mm)
Engine: 14 ft 9 in (4,496 mm)
Tender:
6 ft 2 in (1,880 mm) bogie
20 ft 5 in (6,223 mm) total
Length64 ft 6.1875 in (19,664 mm)
Height12 ft 11.875 in (3,959 mm)
Axle load19.9 long tons (20.2 t) on 2nd driver
Adhesive weight74.4 long tons (75.6 t)
Loco weight74.4 long tons (75.6 t)
Tender weight62,416 lb (28.3 t) empty
65.65 long tons (66.7 t) w/o
Total weight149,240 lb (67.7 t) empty
140.05 long tons (142.3 t) w/o
Tender typeJT1
* 2 axle bogies
* 34 in (864 mm) wheels
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity11 long tons (11.2 t)
Water cap.6,000 imp gal (27,000 L)
Firebox:​
 • Grate area42 sq ft (3.902 m2)
Boiler5 ft 10.5 in (1,791 mm) inside diameter
13 ft 2.5 in (4,026 mm) inside length
9 ft 2 in (2,794 mm) pitch
Boiler pressure180 psi (1,240 kPa)
Heating surface:​
 • Firebox168 sq ft (15.608 m2)
 • Tubes151 tubes 2 in (51 mm) diameter
30 tubes 5.5 in (140 mm) diameter
1,600 sq ft (148.645 m2)
 • Flues52 sq ft (4.831 m2)
 • Total surface1,820 sq ft (169.084 m2)
Superheater:
​
 • Heating area428 sq ft (39.763 m2)
CylindersTwo
Cylinder size23.25 in (591 mm) bore
25 in (635 mm) stroke
Valve gearWalschaerts
Performance figures
Tractive effort38,000 lbf (169 kN) at 75% pressure
Career
OperatorsSouth African Railways
ClassClass S1
Number in class37
Numbers374-385 (SAR built)
3801-3825 (NBL built)
Delivered1947-1954
First run1947

The South African Railways Class S1 0-8-0 of 1947 is a steam locomotive.

In 1947 the South African Railways placed twelve Class S1 shunting steam locomotives with a 0-8-0 wheel arrangement in service, built in the Salt River workshops in Cape Town. A further twenty-five, built in Scotland, were placed in service in 1954.[1][2]

Manufacturers

A huge increase in traffic over the pre-World War II years led to the available dedicated shunting locomotives of the South African Railways (SAR) being very much over-taxed, to the extent that they had to be supplemented by mainline locomotives. During 1943 the requirement for more specialised shunting locomotives was identified by the SAR, but since the war was still in progress, it was not viable to obtain locomotives from the usual overseas suppliers.[1][2]

Dr M.M. Loubser, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the SAR from 1939 to 1949, therefore prepared designs for a larger version of the Class S locomotive that had been introduced in 1929, that could be built in the SAR’s own workshops. The result was the Class S1 0-8-0 shunting locomotive, of which the first of twelve was delivered from the Salt River workshops in Cape Town in October 1947.[1][2]

The first locomotive was formally handed over to the Operating Department by the senior member of the Railway Board, Mr F.T. Bates. In honour of the occasion it was named "Voortrekker".[1][2]

The twelve locomotives were numbered in the range from 374 to 385. The Class S1 was the first steam locomotive to be designed and built by the SAR in quantity, although not the first to be designed and built in South Africa. The Natal Government Railways 2-8-2TT tank-tender locomotive Havelock had already taken that honour in 1888.[2][3][4]

After the war a further twenty-five Class S1 locomotives were ordered from the North British Locomotive Company (NBL) in Glasgow. They were built in 1952 and delivered in 1953 and 1954, numbered in the range from 3801 to 3825.[1][5]

Characteristics

The locomotives had bar frames, Walschaerts valve gear and were superheated. While their cylinders, driving wheel diameter, chassis and many other features were similar to that of the existing Class S shunting locomotives, their boilers were much larger, being a shortened version of the specially designed boiler that was used on the Class 12AR.[2][6]

Since shunting locomotives are designed to operate at low speeds in tightly curved shunting yards, there was no need for the leading or trailing wheels that are necessary on mainline locomotives to improve high speed stability. In addition it is desirable to have as large a proportion of the locomotive weight as possible carried on the coupled wheels to obtain the maximum adhesion. As on that of the Class S, the top sides of its Type JT1 tender’s coal bunker were set inwards to improve the crew’s rearward vision.[1][7][6]

The Class S1 was noted for its efficient and economical working. They were the SAR’s largest and finest shunting locomotives with quite an enormous shifting and accelerating ability, and could cope with block loads of up to 2,000 long tons (2,000 tonnes).[6]

Service

The Class S1 was initially placed in service in the yards in Cape Town, but they ended up being used mainly in marshalling yards on the Transvaal Western System and on occasion also on the Cape Northern System, employed at Bloemfontein and Kimberley. By the 1970s they were distributed between Beaconsfield in Kimberley, Bloemfontein, Germiston, Kaserne, Springs and Witbank.[2][6]

By 1982 they were all stationed at Germiston and its sub-depot at Kaserne, after which they began to be withdrawn from service. The withdrawal was probably expedited by the closure of the Koedoespoort works in Pretoria to steam repairs, since it was impractical to let them do long distance running to the next nearest steam locomotive works at Bloemfontein.[6]

None of them were sold into industrial service.[6]

Works numbers

The builders, works numbers, year built and SAR locomotive numbers of the Class S1 are listed in the table.[1][5]

Illustration

The main picture and the following photographs illustrate SAR and NBL built Class S1 locomotives and also show the special shape of the tender's coal bunker.

  • SAR-built no. 380 with enough water at Kaserne, 19 March 1983
    SAR-built no. 380 with enough water at Kaserne, 19 March 1983
  • SAR-built no. 381 at Germiston Loco, 23 April 1979
    SAR-built no. 381 at Germiston Loco, 23 April 1979
  • NBL-built no. 3819 at Germiston Loco, 26 June 1963
    NBL-built no. 3819 at Germiston Loco, 26 June 1963

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Holland, D. F. (1972). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. Vol. 2: 1910-1955 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, England: David & Charles. pp. 103–104. ISBN 978-0-7153-5427-8.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 80–81. ISBN 0869772112.
  3. ^ Holland, D.F. (1971). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. Vol. 1: 1859–1910 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, England: David & Charles. pp. 90–91. ISBN 978-0-7153-5382-0.
  4. ^ South African Railways and Harbours Locomotive Diagram Book, 2’0” & 3’6” Gauge Steam Locomotives, 15 August 1941, as amended
  5. ^ a b North British Locomotive Company works list, compiled by Austrian locomotive historian Bernhard Schmeiser
  6. ^ a b c d e f Durrant, AE (1989). Twilight of South African Steam (1st ed.). Newton Abbott: David & Charles. p. 121. ISBN 0715386387.
  7. ^ SAR, PR Department (1947). The South African Railways - History, Scope and Organisation (1st, June 1947 ed.). Johannesburg: SAR Public Relations Department. p. 97.
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