South African Class H2 4-8-2T
Encyclopedia
Between 1899 and 1903 the Natal Government Railways
placed one hundred and one 4-10-2T tank steam locomotives
in service. By 1910 five of them had been converted to a 4-8-2T wheel arrangement and in 1912, with the establishment of the South African Railways, these five were designated Class H2.
locomotive on the main line of the Natal Government Railways
(NGR) resulted in the design of a 4-10-2T tank locomotive by NGR Locomotive Superintendent G.W. Reid. Altogether one hundred and one of these locomotives were built by Dübs and Company
and North British Locomotive Company
, delivered between 1899 and 1903 and numbered 149 to 249. On the NGR the locomotive type became known as the "Reid Tenwheeler".
Of the remaining ninety-six unmodified 4-10-2T Reid Tenwheeler locomotives, three had already been scrapped by 1912. The rest were classified as Class H
and were renumbered 232 to 324 on the SAR roster.
After 1912 these Class H locomotives were gradually also modified to a 4-8-2T wheel arrangement. The first three to be modified after being rostered in SAR service, numbers 240, 294 and 305, were reclassified to Class H2 as well and were renumbered once again, to 329, 330 and 331 respectively. The rest retained their Class H numbers even after modification. The builders, works numbers and renumbering of these eight Class H2 locomotives are set out in the table.
. Because of their light axle loading, the last ones to remain in service were retained for use on the Bluff
in Durban
until 1977.
Natal government railways
The Natal Government Railways was formed in January 1877 in the Colony of Natal.In 1877 the Natal Government Railways acquired the Natal Railway Company for the sum of £40,000, gaining the line from the Point to Durban and from Durban to Umgeni...
placed one hundred and one 4-10-2T tank steam locomotives
Tank locomotive
A tank locomotive or tank engine is a steam locomotive that carries its water in one or more on-board water tanks, instead of pulling it behind it in a tender. It will most likely also have some kind of bunker to hold the fuel. There are several different types of tank locomotive dependent upon...
in service. By 1910 five of them had been converted to a 4-8-2T wheel arrangement and in 1912, with the establishment of the South African Railways, these five were designated Class H2.
Origin
The requirement for a tank locomotive that could haul at least one and a half times as much as a Dübs A 4-8-2TSouth African Class A 4-8-2T
In 1888 the Natal Government Railways placed the first five of its eventual one hundred Class Dübs A 4-8-2T tank steam locomotives in service. The last of the one hundred was delivered in 1899. In 1912, when these locomotives were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered...
locomotive on the main line of the Natal Government Railways
Natal government railways
The Natal Government Railways was formed in January 1877 in the Colony of Natal.In 1877 the Natal Government Railways acquired the Natal Railway Company for the sum of £40,000, gaining the line from the Point to Durban and from Durban to Umgeni...
(NGR) resulted in the design of a 4-10-2T tank locomotive by NGR Locomotive Superintendent G.W. Reid. Altogether one hundred and one of these locomotives were built by Dübs and Company
Dûbs and Company
Dübs & Co. was a locomotive works in Glasgow, Scotland, founded by Henry Dübs in 1863 and based at the Queens Park Works in Polmadie. In 1903 it became part of the North British Locomotive Company.-Preserved locomotives:...
and North British Locomotive Company
North 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...
, delivered between 1899 and 1903 and numbered 149 to 249. On the NGR the locomotive type became known as the "Reid Tenwheeler".
Modification
When the Reid Tenwheelers began to be withdrawn from main line service and put in branch line and shunting service where smaller radius curves were encountered, it was found that the ten-coupled wheelbase was prone to derailment in many goods yards. These locomotives were therefore gradually converted to a 4-8-2T wheel arrangement by removing the fifth set of drivers and blanking off the resulting opening in the frame.South African Railways
By the time the South African Railways (SAR) was established in 1912 and the locomotives of the three component colonial railways were renumbered and reclassified onto the SAR roster, five locomotives were already modified to a 4-8-2T wheel arrangement. These were NGR numbers 170, 173, 175, 217 and 240, all built by Dübs between 1901 and 1903. They were classified as Class H2 and were renumbered 227 to 231 on the SAR roster.Of the remaining ninety-six unmodified 4-10-2T Reid Tenwheeler locomotives, three had already been scrapped by 1912. The rest were classified as Class H
South African Class H 4-10-2T
Between 1899 and 1903 the Natal Government Railways placed one hundred and one tank steam locomotives with a 4-10-2T wheel arrangement in service. In 1912, with the establishment of the South African Railways, the ninety-three "Reid Tenwheelers" that survived unmodified were designated Class...
and were renumbered 232 to 324 on the SAR roster.
After 1912 these Class H locomotives were gradually also modified to a 4-8-2T wheel arrangement. The first three to be modified after being rostered in SAR service, numbers 240, 294 and 305, were reclassified to Class H2 as well and were renumbered once again, to 329, 330 and 331 respectively. The rest retained their Class H numbers even after modification. The builders, works numbers and renumbering of these eight Class H2 locomotives are set out in the table.
| Year |
Builder |
Works no. |
NGR no. |
Class H no. |
Class H2 no. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | Dübs | 4060 | 170 | 227 | |
| 1901 | Dübs | 4063 | 173 | 228 | |
| 1902 | Dübs | 4117 | 175 | 229 | |
| 1902 | Dübs | 4271 | 217 | 230 | |
| 1903 | Dübs | 4323 | 240 | 231 | |
| 1901 | Dübs | 4047 | 157 | 240 | 329 |
| 1902 | Dübs | 4273 | 219 | 294 | 330 |
| 1903 | Dübs | 4315 | 230 | 305 | 331 |
Service
The Class H2 was employed extensively in shunting service in many parts of the country, together with the Class H1South African Class H1 4-8-2T
In 1902, towards the end of the Second Freedom War, the Imperial Military Railways placed thirty-five 4-10-2T tank locomotives in service, built to the specifications of the "Reid tenwheeler" of the Natal Government Railways. At the end of the war, these locomotives were transferred to the Central...
. Because of their light axle loading, the last ones to remain in service were retained for use on the Bluff
Bluff, KwaZulu-Natal
Bluff or The Bluff is a residential suburb of Durban, eThekwini metropolitan municipality, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. One of five such suburbs in the South Durban Basin, the community is situated on a promontory that is one of the main enclosing elements of Durban Harbour from the...
in Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
until 1977.
Gallery
The main picture shows the retired Class H2 329, ex NGR 157, one of the first three Reid Tenwheelers to be modified to a 4-8-2T Class H2 after having originally being taken onto the SAR roster as an unmodified 4-10-2T Class H, number 240. It was earmarked for preservation and photographed on 29 March 1979, staged at Masons Mill in Pietermaritzburg.See also
- South African Class H 4-10-2TSouth African Class H 4-10-2TBetween 1899 and 1903 the Natal Government Railways placed one hundred and one tank steam locomotives with a 4-10-2T wheel arrangement in service. In 1912, with the establishment of the South African Railways, the ninety-three "Reid Tenwheelers" that survived unmodified were designated Class...
- South African Class H1 4-8-2TSouth African Class H1 4-8-2TIn 1902, towards the end of the Second Freedom War, the Imperial Military Railways placed thirty-five 4-10-2T tank locomotives in service, built to the specifications of the "Reid tenwheeler" of the Natal Government Railways. At the end of the war, these locomotives were transferred to the Central...
- The 4-8-2 "Mountain"
- List of South African locomotive classes