In 1900 two redesigned Class 6 4-6-0

4-6-0

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This wheel arrangement became the second-most popular...

 steam locomotive

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 were placed in service by the Cape Government Railways

Cape Government Railways

The Cape Government Railways was the government-owned railway operator in the Cape Colony from 1874 until the creation of the South African Railways in 1910.-Private railways:...

. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 6F.

Manufacturers

The Class 6 was designed at the Salt River works of the Cape Government Railways (CGR) at the same time as the 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...

, both according to the specifications of Michael Stephens, then the Chief Locomotive Superintendent of the CGR’s Western System, and under the supervision of CGR Locomotive Superintendent H.M. Beatty. While the Class 7 was conceived primarily as a goods locomotive, the Class 6 was intended to be its fast passenger service counterpart.

The two Class 6 locomotives that were placed in service by the CGR in 1900 were built by Sharp, Stewart and Company, numbered 260 and 261 and allocated to the Western System. They reflected the decision of H.M. Beatty, who had succeeded Michael Stephens as Chief Locomotive Superintendent in 1895, to adopt bar frames for future CGR locomotives.

They were also equipped with the large commodious cabs which were to become standard in all subsequent designs. They had larger heating surfaces and grate areas than any of the previous Class 6 locomotives, with the boiler pressure increased to 180 pound per square inches (1,241.1 kPa) and with larger tenders riding on bogies. In visual appearance they differed from all previous Class 6 locomotives by having higher mounted running boards without driving wheel fairings.

Class 6 sub-classes

When these two locomotives were assimilated into the newly established South African Railways (SAR) in 1912, they were renumbered 604 and 605 and reclassified to Class 6F.

The rest of the CGR’s Class 6 locomotives, together with Class 6 locomotives that were inherited from the Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwermentspoorwegen (OVGS) via the Imperial Military Railways (IMR) and the Central South African Railways (CSAR), were grouped into thirteen more sub-classes by the SAR. The 4-6-0 locomotives became SAR Classes 6, 6A to 6E, 6G, 6H and 6J to 6L, the 2-6-2 locomotives became Class 6Y and the 2-6-4 locomotives became Class 6Z.

Service

The Class 6 series of locomotives were introduced primarily as passenger locomotives, but when the class became displaced by larger and more powerful locomotive classes, it literally became a "Jack-of-all-trades" that proved itself as one of the most useful and successful locomotive classes ever to be designed at the Salt River shops. It went on to see service in all parts of the country except Natal and was used on all types of traffic.

These two Class 6F locomotives were placed in service on the Cape main line. Compared to most of the rest of the Class 6 family, they had a relatively short life span of less than thirty years and were withdrawn from service by 1929.

See also

• South African Class 6 4-6-0
  South 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...
  
  
• South African Class 6A 4-6-0
  South African Class 6A 4-6-0
  In 1896 and 1897 the Cape Government Railways placed a second batch of fifty Class 6 4-6-0 steam locomotives in service, forty-one on its Western System, six on its Midland System and three on its Eastern System. During the Second Freedom War four were transferred to the Imperial Military Railways...
  
  
• South African Class 6B 4-6-0
  South African Class 6B 4-6-0
  In 1897 and 1898 the Cape Government Railways placed a third batch of fifty-five Class 6 4-6-0 steam locomotives in service, thirty-two on its Western System, twenty-one on its Midland System and two on its Eastern System. During the Second Freedom War seven were transferred to the Imperial...
  
  
• South African Class 6C 4-6-0
  South African Class 6C 4-6-0
  Between 1896 and 1898 the Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwermentspoorwegen placed twenty-four new Cape Class 6 steam locomotives with a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement in service...
  
  
• South African Class 6D 4-6-0
  South African Class 6D 4-6-0
  In 1898 a fourth batch of thirty-three Class 6 4-6-0 steam locomotives were placed in service by the Cape Government Railways. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 6D....
  
  
• South African Class 6E 4-6-0
  South African Class 6E 4-6-0
  In 1898 the Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwermentspoorwegen ordered its final six new Cape Class 6 locomotives. When British forces invaded the Orange Free State during the Second Freedom War, these locomotives were taken over by the Imperial Military Railways and after the war they were renumbered into the...
  
  
• South African Class 6G 4-6-0
  South African Class 6G 4-6-0
  In 1901 eight redesigned Class 6 4-6-0 steam locomotives were placed in service by the Cape Government Railways. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 6G.-Manufacturer:...
  
  
• South African Class 6H 4-6-0
  South African Class 6H 4-6-0
  In 1901 twenty-one Class 6 4-6-0 steam locomotives were placed in service by the Cape Government Railways, built to the older Class 6 designs with plate frames...
  
  
• South African Class 6J 4-6-0
  South African Class 6J 4-6-0
  In 1902 fourteen Class 6 bar framed steam locomotives with a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement were placed in service by the Cape Government Railways. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 6J....
  
  
• South African Class 6K 4-6-0
  South African Class 6K 4-6-0
  In 1901 ten American built Class 6 bar framed steam locomotives with a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement were placed in service by the Cape Government Railways. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 6K.-Manufacturer:The Class 6 was...
  
  
• South African Class 6L 4-6-0
  South African Class 6L 4-6-0
  In 1904 the Cape Government Railways placed its last two Class 6 4-6-0 bar framed steam locomotives in service. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 6L.-Manufacturer:...
  
  
• South African Class 6Y 2-6-2
  South African Class 6Y 2-6-2
  In 1903 the Cape Government Railways placed two Class 6 steam locomotives with a 2-6-2 Prairie wheel arrangement in service. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 6Y.-Manufacture:...
  
  
• South African Class 6Z 2-6-4
  South African Class 6Z 2-6-4
  In 1901 the Cape Government Railways placed four Class 6 steam locomotives with a 2-6-2 Prairie wheel arrangement in service, that were soon modified to a 2-6-4 Adriatic wheel arrangement. In 1902 another four locomotives were placed in service, built with the 2-6-4 wheel arrangement. These latter...
  
  
• Tender locomotive numbering and classification
• The 4-6-0 "Ten-wheeler"
• List of South African locomotive classes