South African Class 24 2-8-4
Encyclopedia
In 1949 and 1950 the South African Railways placed one hundred Class 24 branch line steam locomotive
s with a 2-8-4
Berkshire wheel arrangement in service.
(NBL) of Glasgow, who delivered one hundred of them in 1949 and 1950, numbered 3601 to 3700. The cast engine main frames and the Buckeye bogies for the tenders were supplied by General Steel Castings
of Eddystone
, Pennsylvania
.
, after the famous Portuguese navigator who discovered the Cape of Good Hope in May 1488 and named it the "Cape of Storms" (Cabo das Tormentas). The ceremony was attended by the South African Minister of Transport and heads of departments of the SAR, as well as by the chairman and managing director of NBL.
, Class 7
and Class 8
locomotives in branch line service on light 45 lb/yd rail. When introduced, an elaborate programme was drawn up showing on which systems and on what sections they were to be employed.
Most of them went to South West Africa
(now Namibia
), where fifty-five of them would be in operation until strengthening of the track and the introduction of diesel traction made them available to be employed elsewhere. Some eventually also worked on the Selati line past Skukuza
in the Kruger National Park
and in 1969 and 1970, during the last years of their service life, also briefly on the Hutchinson
to Calvinia
line in the Karoo
.
Other branch lines served by the Class 24 included Breyten
to Lothair, Nylstroom to Vaalwater
and Port Elizabeth to Alexandra. As a relatively powerful locomotive, they were also useful as suburban locomotives, a role they served in on the Springs
-Nigel commuter line until electrification. Heavy overhauls were done at Bloemfontein. The only province where they were unknown was KwaZulu-Natal
.
tourist line between Knysna
and Mosselbaai
until the operation was ceased in 2010, and number 3655 that is still based at Monument station in Cape Town
and is regularly being run by volunteers of the Friends of Atlantic Rail. In Gauteng, number 3664, "Jo-Anna" is still being operated by the Friends of the Rail.
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s with a 2-8-4
2-8-4
In the Whyte notation, a 2-8-4 is a railroad steam locomotive that has one unpowered leading axle followed by four powered driving axles and two unpowered trailing axles. This locomotive type is most often referred to as a Berkshire, though the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway used the name Kanawha for...
Berkshire wheel arrangement in service.
Design
The Class 24 2-8-4 Berkshire branch line steam locomotive was designed by Dr. M.M. Loubser, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the South African Railways (SAR) from 1939 to 1949. The locomotives were built by North British Locomotive CompanyNorth British Locomotive Company
The North British Locomotive Company was created in 1903 through the merger of three Glasgow locomotive manufacturing companies; Sharp Stewart and Company , Neilson, Reid and Company and Dübs and Company , creating the largest locomotive manufacturing company in Europe.Its main factories were...
(NBL) of Glasgow, who delivered one hundred of them in 1949 and 1950, numbered 3601 to 3700. The cast engine main frames and the Buckeye bogies for the tenders were supplied by General Steel Castings
General Steel Castings
The General Steel Castings Corporation was a steel casting corporation in the United States established in 1928by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, American Locomotive Company, and American Steel Foundries....
of Eddystone
Eddystone, Pennsylvania
Eddystone is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,442 at the 2000 census.-Early history:The area at the mouth of Ridley Creek was first called "Tequirassy" by Native Americans. The land was owned by Olof Persson Stille, one of the early settlers from New...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
NBL milestone
One of them, Class 24 number 3675, was the two thousandth locomotive to be built by NBL for the SAR and, to commemorate this, a ceremony was conducted in Cape Town to name the locomotive Bartolomeu DiasBartolomeu Dias
Bartolomeu Dias , a nobleman of the Portuguese royal household, was a Portuguese explorer who sailed around the southernmost tip of Africa in 1488, the first European known to have done so.-Purposes of the Dias expedition:...
, after the famous Portuguese navigator who discovered the Cape of Good Hope in May 1488 and named it the "Cape of Storms" (Cabo das Tormentas). The ceremony was attended by the South African Minister of Transport and heads of departments of the SAR, as well as by the chairman and managing director of NBL.
Characteristics
The Class 24 had a one piece steel main frame cast integrally with the cylinders, including the cylinder hind covers, smokebox support frame, stays and various brackets, all of which would normally be separate items riveted or bolted onto the frames. Advantages of this arrangement are reduced maintenance and less time spent in shops. It was the first South African steam locomotive to be built using this technique. They were built with Watson Standard no. 1 boilers and they used Vanderbilt type tenders that ran on three axle Buckeye bogies.Service
The Class 24 was built to replace the old Class 6South African Class 6 4-6-0
In 1893 and 1894 the Cape Government Railways placed forty Class 6 4-6-0 steam locomotives in service, twenty-two on its Western System and eighteen on its Midland System. In 1897 ten of them were sold to the Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwermentspoorwegen. At the end of the Second Boer War in 1901, these...
, Class 7
South African Class 7 4-8-0
In 1892 the Cape Government Railways placed six Class 7 steam locomotives with a 4-8-0 Mastodon wheel arrangement in service and between 1892 and 1893 another thirty-two were acquired. They were initially placed in service on the Cape Midland System, but were later distributed between the Cape...
and Class 8
South African Class 8 4-8-0
In 1902 and 1903 the Cape Government Railways placed twenty-three Class 8 steam locomotives with a 4-8-0 Mastodon wheel arrangement in service, three on the Cape Western System, eight on the Cape Midland System and twelve on the Cape Eastern System...
locomotives in branch line service on light 45 lb/yd rail. When introduced, an elaborate programme was drawn up showing on which systems and on what sections they were to be employed.
- The Cape Western System, on the Saldanha-Kalbaskraal, Porterville-Hermon and Prince Alfred Hamlet-Wolseley sections.
- The Cape Midland System, on the Knysna-George, Alexandra-Barkly Bridge, Kirkwood-Addo and Somerset East-Cookhouse sections.
- The Orange Free State System, on the Dover-Vredefort, Wolwehoek-Arlington-Marquard, Theunissen-Winburg, Westleigh-Orkney and Vierfontein-Bultfontein sections.
- The Eastern Transvaal System, on the Zoekmekaar-Komatipoort, Barberton-Kaapmuiden, Middelburg-Stoffberg, Brits-Beestekraal and Zebedela-Naboomspruit sections.
- The South West Africa System, on the De Aar-Karasburg and Keetmanshoop-Windhoek sections.
Most of them went to South West Africa
South West Africa
South-West Africa was the name that was used for the modern day Republic of Namibia during the earlier eras when the territory was controlled by the German Empire and later by South Africa....
(now Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
), where fifty-five of them would be in operation until strengthening of the track and the introduction of diesel traction made them available to be employed elsewhere. Some eventually also worked on the Selati line past Skukuza
Skukuza
Skukuza is the main camp in the Kruger National Park. The name, adapted from Sikhukhuza , was a nickname for James Stevenson-Hamilton. It could be translated as 'a new broom', as Stevenson-Hamilton swept the area clean of poachers and outlaws....
in the Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers and extends from north to south and from east to west.To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is...
and in 1969 and 1970, during the last years of their service life, also briefly on the Hutchinson
Hutchinson, Northern Cape
Hutchinson is a village and former railway junction in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. It is located south-east of Victoria West, on the Cape Town–Kimberley railway line....
to Calvinia
Calvinia
Calvinia is a regional town in the Northern Cape province of South Africa named after the Swiss religious reformer John Calvin. The town belongs to the Hantam Local Municipality which forms part of the Namakwa District Municipality. The Calvinia district is part of the Great Karoo region of South...
line in the Karoo
Karoo
The Karoo is a semi-desert region of South Africa. It has two main sub-regions - the Great Karoo in the north and the Little Karoo in the south. The 'High' Karoo is one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger South African Platform division.-Great Karoo:The Great Karoo has an area of...
.
Other branch lines served by the Class 24 included Breyten
Breyten
Breyten is a small farming town in Mpumalanga, South Africa and is situated at the foot of Klipstapel, the highest point on the watershed between the westward flowing Vaal River system and the eastward flowing Olifants and Komati River systems...
to Lothair, Nylstroom to Vaalwater
Vaalwater
Vaalwater is a small town situated on the Mokolo River in the Limpopo province of South Africa.- Location :The town, unlike other towns in the Limpopo province, is not located on a national road, of which the nearest one is at Nylstroom/Modimolle. It does however lie halfway on a road streching...
and Port Elizabeth to Alexandra. As a relatively powerful locomotive, they were also useful as suburban locomotives, a role they served in on the Springs
Springs, Gauteng
Springs is a city on the East Rand in the Gauteng province of South Africa.It lies 50 km east of Johannesburg. The name of the city derives from the large number of springs in the area; it has a population of more than 200,000, and is situated at 5,340 ft a.s.l...
-Nigel commuter line until electrification. Heavy overhauls were done at Bloemfontein. The only province where they were unknown was KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
.
Preservation
They were withdrawn from service and retired in the mid 1980s. By 2010 preserved Class 24 locomotives included number 3668, which served on the Outeniqua Choo TjoeOuteniqua Choo Tjoe
The Outeniqua Choo Tjoe was the last remaining continually-operated passenger steam train in Africa, ending operation in June 2009. The railway was completed in 1928, and links the towns of George and Knysna in the Western Cape, South Africa. The 3 hour journey also stops in the towns of...
tourist line between Knysna
Knysna
Knysna is a town with 76,431 inhabitants in the Western Cape Province of South Africa and is part of the Garden Route. It lies 34 degrees south of the equator, and is 72 kilometres east from the town of George on the N2 highway, and 25 kilometres west of Plettenberg Bay on the same road.-History:A...
and Mosselbaai
Mossel Bay
Mossel Bay is a harbour town of about 130,000 people on the Southern Cape of South Africa. It is an important tourism and farming region of the Western Cape Province...
until the operation was ceased in 2010, and number 3655 that is still based at Monument station in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
and is regularly being run by volunteers of the Friends of Atlantic Rail. In Gauteng, number 3664, "Jo-Anna" is still being operated by the Friends of the Rail.
Gallery
The main picture shows number 3655, "City of Cape Town" leaving Monument station in Cape Town on 8 August 2010. This locomotive was rechristened "Jenny" in 2011, in honour of the late Jenny Pretorius, a much respected steam preservationist.See also
- Tender locomotive numbering and classification
- Watson Standard boilers
- The 2-8-4 "Berkshire"
- List of South African locomotive classes