South African Class 6D 4-6-0

Class of 33 South African 4-6-0 locomotives

28+1⁄2 in (724 mm)Coupled dia.54 in (1,372 mm)Tender wheels37 in (940 mm)Wheelbase42 ft 8+5⁄8 in (13,021 mm) • Axle spacing
(Asymmetrical)1-2: 4 ft 9 in (1,448 mm)
2-3: 6 ft 7 in (2,007 mm) • Engine20 ft 7+3⁄4 in (6,293 mm) • Leading5 ft 5+1⁄2 in (1,664 mm) • Coupled11 ft 4 in (3,454 mm) • Tender10 ft (3,048 mm)Length:
• Over couplers51 ft 11+5⁄8 in (15,840 mm)Height12 ft 10 in (3,912 mm)Frame typePlateAxle load12 LT 10 cwt (12,700 kg) • Leading11 LT 4 cwt (11,380 kg) • 1st coupled11 LT 19 cwt (12,140 kg) • 2nd coupled12 LT 10 cwt (12,700 kg) • 3rd coupled12 LT 10 cwt (12,700 kg) • Tender axle10 LT 8 cwt (10,570 kg) averageAdhesive weight36 LT 19 cwt (37,540 kg)Loco weight48 LT 3 cwt (48,920 kg)Tender weight31 LT 4 cwt (31,700 kg)Total weight79 LT 7 cwt (80,620 kg)Tender typeYC (3-axle)
YB, YC, YE, YE1 permittedFuel typeCoalFuel capacity5 LT 10 cwt (5.6 t)Water cap.2,590 imp gal (11,770 L)Firebox: • TypeRound-top • Grate area18 sq ft (1.7 m²)Boiler:
• Pitch6 ft 8 in (2,032 mm) • Diameter4 ft 4 in (1,321 mm) • Tube plates11 ft 2+1⁄8 in (3,407 mm) • Small tubes185: 1+7⁄8 in (48 mm)Boiler pressure♠ 160 psi (1,103 kPa)
♥ 180 psi (1,241 kPa)Safety valveRamsbottomHeating surface: • Firebox107 sq ft (9.9 m²) • Tubes1,015 sq ft (94.3 m²) • Total surface1,122 sq ft (104.2 m²)CylindersTwoCylinder size17 in (432 mm) bore
26 in (660 mm) strokeValve gearStephensonCouplersJohnston link-and-pin
AAR knuckle (1930s)

Performance figures
Tractive effort	♠ 16,690 lbf (74.2 kN) @ 75% ♥ 18,780 lbf (83.5 kN) @ 75%

Career
Operators	Cape Government Railways South African Railways Sudan Railways
Class	CGR 6th Class, SAR Class 6D
Number in class	33
Numbers	CGR 234-259, 585, 586 & 594, 665-668 SAR 565-597 Sudan M714-M715
Delivered	1898
First run	1898
Withdrawn	1973

The South African Railways Class 6D 4-6-0 of 1898 was a steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape of Good Hope.

In 1898, a fourth batch of 33 6th Class 4-6-0 steam locomotives were placed in service by the Cape Government Railways. In 1912, when these locomotives were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and designated Class 6D.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Manufacturer

The original 6th Class 4-6-0 passenger steam locomotive was designed at the Salt River works of the Cape Government Railways (CGR) in 1893, at the same time as the 7th Class and both according to the specifications of Michael Stephens, at the time Chief Locomotive Superintendent of the CGR, and under the supervision of H.M. Beatty, at the time Locomotive Superintendent of the Western System.^[1]

The 33 locomotives in this fourth group of the CGR 6th Class were built in 1898 by Neilson, Reid and Company. Of these engines, 26 went to the CGR's Western System, numbered in the range from 234 to 259, three to the Midland System, numbered 585, 586 and 594, and four to the Eastern System, numbered in the range from 665 to 668.^[1]^[4]

These locomotives represented a further advance on earlier 6th Class locomotives, with a greater heating surface and a larger firegrate area. They did, however, revert to the same Type YC six-wheeled tenders which were earlier used with the second group of 6th Class locomotives, later the Class 6A.^[1]

Class 6 sub-classes

When the Union of South Africa was established on 31 May 1910, the three Colonial government railways (CGR, Natal Government Railways and Central South African Railways) were united under a single administration to control and administer the railways, ports and harbours of the Union. Although the South African Railways and Harbours came into existence in 1910, the actual classification and renumbering of all the rolling stock of the three constituent railways were only implemented with effect from 1 January 1912.^[2]^[5]

When these locomotives were assimilated into the South African Railways (SAR) in 1912, they were renumbered in the range from 565 to 597 and designated Class 6D. The rest of the CGR's 6th Class locomotives, together with the Class 6-L1 to 6L3 locomotives which had been inherited by the Central South African Railways from the Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwerment-Spoorwegen via the Imperial Military Railways, were grouped into thirteen more sub-classes by the SAR. The 4-6-0 locomotives became SAR Classes 6, 6A to 6C, 6E to 6H and 6J to 6L, the 2-6-2 locomotives became Class 6Y and the 2-6-4 locomotives became Class 6Z.^[2]^[6]^[7]

Service

South Africa

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 which 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.^[1]

After the Simon's Town line in Cape Town was electrified in 1928, Class 6D engines that used to haul commuters on this line became dock shunting engines in Table Bay Harbour. This continued until they were gradually replaced by new Class S2 0-8-0 shunting engines from 1952.^[8]

Sudan

During the Second World War, sixteen locomotives of the Classes 6 to 6D were transferred to the Middle East to assist with the war effort during the North African Campaign. The two Class 6D locomotives in this group were numbers 572 and 587. They did not return to South Africa after the war and were sold to the Sudan Railways Corporation in 1942. Sudan Railways renumbered them M714 and M715, in the same order as their former SAR engine numbers.^[1]^[3]^[9]

Renumbering

The Class 6D works numbers, system allocation and renumbering are listed in the table.^[1]^[2]^[7]

Class 6D 4-6-0
Works numbers and renumbering
Works no.	CGR no.	CGR system	SAR no.	Sudan no.
5240	234	Western	565
5241	235	Western	566
5242	236	Western	567
5245	237	Western	568
5246	238	Western	569
5247	239	Western	570
5249	240	Western	571
5250	241	Western	572	M714
5251	242	Western	573
5252	243	Western	574
5257	244	Western	575
5258	245	Western	576
5259	246	Western	577
5260	247	Western	578
5261	248	Western	579
5262	249	Western	580
5263	250	Western	581
5264	251	Western	582
5265	252	Western	583
5266	253	Western	584
5267	254	Western	585
5268	255	Western	586
5269	256	Western	587	M715
5270	257	Western	588
5271	258	Western	589
5272	259	Western	590
5248	585	Midland	591
5253	586	Midland	592
5255	594	Midland	593
5243	665	Eastern	594
5244	666	Eastern	595
5254	667	Eastern	596
5256	668	Eastern	597

Preservation

Only one of these locomotives survives. No. 579 is plinthed at King William's Town Station Forecourt.^[10]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to South African Class 6D 4-6-0.

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Holland, D.F. (1971). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. Vol. 1: 1859–1910 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, England: David & Charles. pp. 47, 56–57. ISBN 978-0-7153-5382-0.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Classification of S.A.R. Engines with Renumbering Lists, issued by the Chief Mechanical Engineer's Office, Pretoria, January 1912, pp. 8, 12, 14, 31-32 (Reprinted in April 1987 by SATS Museum, R.3125-6/9/11-1000)
^ ^a ^b Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 41–44. ISBN 0869772112.
^ Neilson, Reid works list, compiled by Austrian locomotive historian Bernhard Schmeiser
^ The South African Railways - Historical Survey. Editor George Hart, Publisher Bill Hart, Sponsored by Dorbyl Ltd., Published c. 1978, p. 25.
^ South African Railways and Harbours Locomotive Diagram Book, 2'0" & 3'6" Gauge Steam Locomotives, 15 August 1941, as amended
^ ^a ^b Holland, D. F. (1972). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. Vol. 2: 1910-1955 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, England: David & Charles. pp. 137–138. ISBN 978-0-7153-5427-8.
^ Soul of A Railway, System 1, Part 16: Table Bay Harbour © Les Pivnic. Caption 109. (Accessed on 30 June 2017)
^ Class 6 to 6D sold to Sudan Railways during the WWII North African Campaign, list compiled by Austrian locomotive historian Reimar Holzinger
^ - No 579 at King Williams Town Station - 7 April 2012. (Accessed on 6 December 2017)

Locomotives of the Cape of Good Hope

7' ¼" gauge

East London 0-4-0VB

4' 8½" gauge

CGR 0-4-0ST Aid

3' 6" gauge

Metropolitan & Suburban 4-6-2T

Port Elizabeth 0-4-0ST

2' 6" gauge

Cape Copper 0-6-0T
Cape Copper Britannia
Cape Copper Caledonia
Cape Copper Clara
Cape Copper Condenser
Cape Copper Scotia

Namaqua Copper Pioneer

Walvis Bay Hope

2' gauge

Locomotives of South Africa

Steam

7' ¼" gauge	East London 0-4-0VB Table Bay 0-4-0ST Table Bay 0-4-0T Table Bay 0-4-0WT
Standard gauge	Cape 0-4-0T Blackie Cape 0-4-2 Cape 2-4-0T CGR 0-4-0ST Aid Natal 0-4-0ST Durban Natal 0-4-0WT Natal Natal 4-4-0T Perseverance
Cape gauge Tank engines	CGR 0-4-0ST 1873 CGR 0-4-0ST 1874 CGR 0-4-0ST 1881 CGR 0-4-0ST 1881 Coffee Pot CGR 0-6-0ST CGR 0-6-0T CGR 2-6-0ST 1900 CGR 2-6-0ST 1902 CGR 1st Class 0-4-0ST 1875 CGR 1st Class 0-4-0ST 1876 CGR 1st Class 2-6-0ST CGR 1st Class 4-4-0T CGR 2nd Class 4-4-0T CGR 3rd Class 2-6-0T CGR Railmotor CSAR Class C CSAR Class E CSAR Rack 4-6-4RT CSAR Railmotor Durban's Congella Durban's Edward Innes Durban's John Milne Durban's Sir Albert Port Elizabeth 0-4-0ST Kowie Railway 0-6-0T Kowie Railway 4-4-0T Metropolitan & Suburban 4-6-2T NGR 2-6-0T Durban & Pietermaritzburg NGR Class I 2-6-2T NGR Class K 0-4-0ST NGR Class K 0-6-0ST NGR Class K 2-6-0T NZASM 10 Tonner NZASM 13 Tonner NZASM 14 Tonner NZASM 18 Tonner NZASM 19 Tonner NZASM 32 Tonner NZASM 40 Tonner PPR 26 Tonner PPR 35 Tonner Portuguese SAR Class A SAR Class B SAR Class C SAR Class C1 SAR Class C2 SAR Class D SAR Class E SAR Class F SAR Class G SAR Class H SAR Class H1 SAR Class H2 SAR Class J SAR Class K SAR Railmotor SAR Dock 0-4-0ST SAR Dock 0-4-0T SWA 2-8-0T
Cape gauge Tender engines	CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1876 BP CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1876 Kitson CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1879 CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1891 CGR 1st Class 4-4-0 CGR 1st Class 4-4-0TT CGR 2nd Class 2-6-2TT CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1883 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1884 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1889 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1898 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1901 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1903 CGR 4th Class 4-4-2 CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1880 CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1882 CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1882 Joy CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1884 CGR 5th Class 4-6-0 1890 CGR 5th Class 4-6-0 1891 NGR Havelock NGR Class I SAR Class Exp 1 SAR Class Exp 2 SAR Class Exp 3 SAR Class Exp 4 SAR Class Exp 5 SAR Class Exp 6 SAR Class S SAR Class S1 SAR Class S2 SAR Class 1 SAR Class 1A SAR Class 1B SAR Class 2 SAR Class 2C SAR Class 3 SAR Class 3A SAR Class 3B SAR Class 4 SAR Class 4A SAR Class 5 SAR Class 5A SAR Class 5B SAR Class 6 SAR Class 6A SAR Class 6B SAR Class 6C SAR Class 6D SAR Class 6E SAR Class 6F SAR Class 6G SAR Class 6H SAR Class 6J SAR Class 6K SAR Class 6L SAR Class 6Y SAR Class 6Z SAR Class 7 SAR Class 7A SAR Class 7B SAR Class 7C SAR Class 7D SAR Class 7E SAR Class 7F SAR Class 8 SAR Class 8A SAR Class 8B SAR Class 8C SAR Class 8D SAR Class 8E SAR Class 8F SAR Class 8R SAR Class 8X SAR Class 8Y SAR Class 8Z SAR Class 9 SAR Class 10 SAR Class 10A SAR Class 10B SAR Class 10C SAR Class 10D SAR Class 11 SAR Class 12 SAR Class 12A SAR Class 12B SAR Class 13 SAR Class 14 SAR Class 14A SAR Class 14B SAR Class 14C 1st SAR Class 14C 2nd SAR Class 14C 3rd SAR Class 14C 4th SAR Class 15 SAR Class 15A SAR Class 15B SAR Class 15C SAR Class 15CA SAR Class 15E SAR Class 15F SAR Class 16 SAR Class 16A SAR Class 16B SAR Class 16C SAR Class 16D SAR Class 16DA 1928 SAR Class 16DA 1930 SAR Class 16E SAR Class 17 SAR Class 18 SAR Class 19 SAR Class 19A SAR Class 19B SAR Class 19C SAR Class 19D SAR Class 20 SAR Class 21 SAR Class 23 SAR Class 24 SAR Class 25 SAR Class 25NC SAR Class 26 SAR Katanga SWA 2-8-0
Cape gauge Articulated engines	CGR Fairlie CGR Kitson-Meyer SAR Class FC SAR Class FD SAR Class GA SAR Class GB SAR Class GC SAR Class GCA SAR Class GD SAR Class GDA SAR Class GE SAR Class GEA SAR Class GF SAR Class GG SAR Class GH SAR Class GK SAR Class GL SAR Class GM SAR Class GMA SAR Class GO SAR Class HF SAR Class KM SAR Class MA SAR Class MB SAR Class MC SAR Class MC1 SAR Class MD SAR Class ME SAR Class MF SAR Class MG SAR Class MH SAR Class MJ SAR Class MJ1 SAR Class U
2' 6" gauge	Cape Copper John King & Miner Cape Copper Britannia Cape Copper Caledonia Cape Copper Clara Cape Copper Condenser Cape Copper Scotia Namaqua Copper Pioneer Walvis Bay 2-4-2T Hope
2' & 600mm gauges	ACR Class NG-G16A CGR NG 0-4-0T CGR NG 0-6-0T CGR NG 4-6-2T CGR Type A 2-6-4T CGR Type C 0-4-0T NGR Class N 4-6-2T SAR Dutton SAR NG 0-4-0T SAR Class NG1 SAR Class NG2 SAR Class NG3 SAR Class NG4 SAR Class NG5 SAR Class NG6 SAR Class NG7 SAR Class NG8 SAR Class NG9 SAR Class NG10 SAR Class NG-G11 SAR Class NG-G12 SAR Class NG-G13 SAR Class NG-G14 SAR Class NG15 SAR Class NG-G16 SWA Class Ha SWA Class Hb SWA Class Hc SWA Class Hd SWA Jung SWA Zwillinge

Electric

Amcoal Class E38

Gas-electric

SAR Gas-electric

Diesel

Cape gauge Diesel-electric	PRASA Class Afro 4000 SAR Class DS SAR Class DS1 SAR Class 31-000 SAR Class 32-000 SAR Class 32-200 SAR Class 33-000 SAR Class 33-200 SAR Class 33-400 SAR Class 34-000 SAR Class 34-200 SAR Class 34-400 SAR Class 34-500 SAR Class 34-600 SAR Class 34-800 SAR Class 34-900 SAR Class 35-000 SAR Class 35-200 SAR Class 35-400 SAR Class 35-600 TFR Class 35-800 SAR Class 36-000 SAR Class 36-200 SAR Class 37-000 Spoornet Class 39-000 TFR Class 39-200 TFR Class 43-000 TFR Class 44-000 TFR Class 45-000
2' gauge Diesel-electric	SAR Class 91-000
Cape gauge Diesel-hydraulic	SAR Class 61-000
Cape gauge Electro-diesel	Spoornet Class 38-000

v t e South African steam locomotive tenders
Cape gauge	Type CL Type CZ Type ET Type ET1 Type EW Type EW1 Type EW2 Type FT Type GT Type HT Type JT Type JT1 Type JV Type KT Type LP Type MP Type MP1 Type MR Type MS Type MT Type MT1 Type MT2 Type MX Type MY Type MY1 Type SH Type SK Type TJ Type TL Type TM Type WE Type WG Type X-17 Type X-20 Type XC Type XC1 Type XD Type XE Type XE1 Type XF Type XF1 Type XF2 Type XJ Type XM Type XM1 Type XM2 Type XM3 Type XM4 Type XP1 Type XS Type YB Type YC Type YE Type YE1 Type ZA Type ZB Type ZC Type ZE
List of South African locomotive classes South African locomotive history