Jump to content

South African Class 15F 4-8-2

From Alfawiki
South African Railways
IndustryRailway transport
Founded1910
Headquarters
South Africa

South African Railways Class 15F 4-8-2

The South African Railways Class 15F 4-8-2 steam locomotive was introduced in 1938.

As the most prolific steam engine class operated by South African Railways, the Class 15F saw a total production of 255 units constructed between 1938 and 1948. These locomotives featured a 4-8-2 Mountain wheel configuration and were widely deployed throughout the SAR network.

Manufacturers

File:Reefsteamers Class 15F 2914 (14060797557).jpg
Preserved hand-fired Henschel-built no. 2914 Spikkels of Reefsteamers with a Type JT tender, 22 May 2014
File:SAR Class 15F 2928 (4-8-2).JPG
Pre-war NBL-built no. 2928 with a Type EW tender, Bloemfontein, Free State, 14 October 2009
File:Steam locomotive 3007 in George Square.jpg
Post-war NBL-built no. 3007 with a Type ET tender arriving at George Square in Glasgow, 25 August 2007
File:SAR Class 15F 3040 Clocolan 090799.jpg
Post-war NBL-built no. 3040 with an ex Class 23 Type EW tender at Clocolan, Free State Province, 9 July 1999
File:Class15F-3046-01.jpg
Post-war NBL-built no. 3046 with a Type EW tender at Magaliesburg, Gauteng, 30 October 2010

The Class 15F steam locomotive, featuring a 4-8-2 Mountain wheel arrangement, was conceived by W.A.J. Day during his tenure as Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the South African Railways (SAR) from 1936 to 1939. His design was an evolution of the Class 15E originally developed by his predecessor, Allan Griffiths Watson, and was subsequently refined by his successor, M.M. Loubser. Over a decade that encompassed the Second World War, this class was produced in five distinct series by four manufacturers located in both Germany and the United Kingdom.[1][2]

  • The initial batch of twenty-one units was constructed in Germany in 1938. Berliner Maschinenbau supplied seven locomotives numbered from 2902 to 2908, while Henschel & Son delivered fourteen units numbered between 2909 and 2922.[1][3]
  • In addition, the North British Locomotive Company (NBL) of Glasgow manufactured forty-four locomotives in 1938, which were handed over in 1939 bearing numbers from 2923 to 2966.[1][4]
  • Production was halted due to the outbreak of World War II, but owing to an acute shortage of motive power within South Africa during the conflict, manufacturing resumed before the war's conclusion. In 1944, thirty locomotives were produced by Beyer, Peacock & Company (BP), delivered later that year and assigned numbers ranging from 2967 to 2996.[1][5]
  • The following year, NBL completed and delivered sixty additional units numbered from 2997 to 3056.[4]
  • The final group of one hundred Class 15F locomotives was manufactured by NBL during the years 1946 and 1947 and delivered between those years and early 1948 with numbers spanning from 3057 to 3156.[4]

Lineage

The Class 15F marked the pinnacle of a thirty-year progression in locomotive design. The inaugural South African Class 15 tender engine with a 4-8-2 wheel configuration entered SAR service in 1914. This early model featured a grate area of 40 square feet (3.7 square metres), operated at a boiler pressure of 185 pounds per square inch (1,276 kilopascals), had a maximum axle load of 16 long tons 10 hundredweight (16,760 kilograms), and utilized coupled wheels measuring 57 inches (1,448 millimetres) in diameter. Successive iterations introduced significant enhancements until the arrival of the Class 15CA in 1926, which incorporated a larger grate area of 48 square feet (4.5 square metres), increased boiler pressure to 210 pounds per square inch (1,448 kilopascals), raised maximum axle load to 17 long tons 15 hundredweight (18,030 kilograms), and featured coupled wheels measuring 60 inches (1,524 millimetres) in diameter.[6]

Characteristics

The Class 15F locomotive bore resemblance to its forerunner, the Class 15E, but incorporated Walschaerts valve gear as per Day's specifications, who opposed the use of rotary cam poppet valve gear. These and other modifications resulted in the engines being classified as Class 15F. These locomotives featured Stone's electric lighting system, including a 150 watt Tonum E headlight, illumination in the cab with a light positioned above the reversing controls, a bunker light, and rear-facing headlights mounted on the tender. The design allowed the locomotive to negotiate curves with a radius as tight as 275 feet (84 metres), aided by gauge widening of 3⁄4 inch (19 millimetres).[1][2]

Initially, the Class 15F was equipped with the Watson Standard no. 3B boiler along with a Watson cab. During the 1930s, A.G. Watson, who preceded Day as CME, developed a standard boiler design under his standardisation initiative. Numerous existing locomotives were retrofitted with these Watson Standard boilers and typically received Watson cabs featuring their characteristic sloped fronts, differing from the original vertical-fronted cabs. Locomotives procured during and after Watson's tenure, including the Class 15F, were constructed with these boilers and cabs from the outset.[1][2][7][8]

To comply with loading gauge restrictions, the Watson Standard no. 3B boiler was designed without a dome. The locomotive’s maximum height measured 12 feet 11+1⁄2 inches (3,950 millimetres), width was 10 feet (3,048 millimetres), and overall length over coupler faces was 73 ft 5+15⁄16 in (22,401 mm).[9][7][8][6]

Before World War II, these locomotives were fitted with two large inclined Ross-pop safety valves located on the upper sides of the boiler just ahead of the firebox and oriented approximately 80 degrees apart. When these valves released steam beneath station canopies, onlookers were often doused with a spray of wet soot. Post-war modifications replaced these with four smaller Ross-pop valves positioned at the boiler’s highest point that discharged steam vertically upwards.[10][11][12]

The cylinder barrels contained cast iron liners for durability. Lubrication for components such as valve gear, brake gear, and coupled wheel hubs utilized soft grease nipples; meanwhile, hard grease lubrication was applied to bronze axle boxes along with connecting and coupling rods. Roller bearings supported both leading and trailing wheels. The axle boxes and motion components resembled those found on the Classes 15CA and 23, often allowing interchangeability between them. Each side of the engine had reciprocating parts weighing 1,273 pounds (577 kilograms), with approximately one-fifth balanced to limit hammer blow per wheel to no more than 1 long ton 12 hundredweight (1.6 tonnes) at speeds up to 55 miles per hour (89 kilometres per hour), distributing overbalance evenly across all coupled wheels.[1]

Pre-war models

The Class 15F locomotives produced before the war were initially operated with manual firing and lacked smoke deflectors upon delivery. The original 21 units constructed by Berliner and Henschel remained hand-fired throughout their service life. Conversely, the pre-war engines built by NBL were designed with the capability to be retrofitted for mechanical stoking at a later stage. A mechanical stoker was trialed on locomotive no. 2923, after which the entire group was equipped with such devices by the late 1940s. Their braking systems comprised steam brakes on the locomotives themselves and vacuum brakes on the tenders.[9][1][6]

Among the Henschel batch, locomotive no. 2916 is noted for having a lighter overall weight and differing axle loads compared to its counterparts, despite possessing an adhesive weight exceeding theirs by more than one ton. Although documentation does not clarify the cause of these variations, it is established that this particular engine was oil-fired, though it remains uncertain whether it was originally delivered as such or converted later.[9][7][8]

Post-war models

Following the war, the locomotives were constructed according to the specifications set forth by Dr. M.M. Loubser, who took over as CME in 1939 after Day. His design included mechanical stokers and vacuum brakes applied to both the coupled wheels and tenders, featuring two 24 inches (610 millimetres) diameter brake cylinders mounted on the locomotive and two 21 inches (533 millimetres) diameter cylinders on the tender. Additionally, these models incorporated elephant-ear style smoke deflectors in place of smokebox handrails.[9][1][6][13]

The vacuum brake cylinders were positioned externally beneath the running boards on each side of the engine, located between the second and third coupled wheelsets. Activation of the vacuum brake occurred automatically whenever train brakes were engaged. From 1944 onward, vacuum braking became standard on new locomotives, replacing steam brakes—a change welcomed by SAR engineers who preferred to avoid steam brakes due to concerns over wheel slip. In practice, drivers often disabled the steam brake’s proportional valve by wedging it open with a wooden block to prevent steam from entering the brake cylinders during vacuum brake application.[9][1]

Loubser also redesigned the leading bogie to incorporate swing links with a three-point suspension system, eliminating the side control springs found on earlier models. This redesigned bogie was compatible as a replacement unit with those used on previous versions as well as on Class 15E and Class 23 locomotives. The leading bogie allowed for 8 inches (203 millimetres) of lateral movement, while the trailing Bissel truck permitted 9+3⁄8 inches (238 millimetres) of side play.[1][6]

The Beyer, Peacock-built post-war engines reflected wartime austerity measures: their boiler lagging was made from plain steel rather than planished steel, and decorative elements such as stainless steel bands, chrome handrails, and rounded firebox lagging corners were omitted or replaced with plain alternatives. While pre-war boilers featured nickel steel barrels, these austerity models utilized carbon steel plates that were 1⁄16 inch (2 millimetres) thicker. Later assessments deemed this thickness unnecessary; consequently, subsequent orders employed carbon steel plates at 13⁄16 inch (21 millimetres) thickness—matching earlier nickel steel dimensions—resulting in reduced axle loads.[1]

Similar to their pre-war NBL counterparts, early post-war locomotives constructed by BP and NBL during 1944–45 were delivered with Type JT tenders, which carried 14 long tons (14.2 tonnes) of coal and held 6,000 imperial gallons (27,300 litres) of water. Initially designed for manual firing, these tenders included provisions for later conversion to mechanical stokers. All such locomotives were subsequently retrofitted with mechanical stokers after delivery.[1]

The final series of 100 locomotives supplied by NBL in 1947 and 1948—numbered from 3057 to 3156—were delivered fully equipped with mechanical stokers from new. These units came with Type ET tenders, which maintained the same 14 long tons (14.2 tonnes) coal capacity but featured a reduced water capacity of 5,620 imperial gallons (25,500 litres) to accommodate the mechanical stoking apparatus. The empty weight of these tenders increased by 1,232 pounds (559 kilograms) due to this equipment. Aside from these distinctions, Types JT and ET tenders were otherwise similar. Post-war locomotives shared identical features with earlier models except for these tender differences; smoke deflectors resembling elephant ears were also later fitted onto pre-war engines.[2]

Locomotive naming

The tradition of assigning names to locomotives in South Africa can be traced back to the Cape Town Railway & Dock 0-4-2 engines introduced on 20 March 1860 and the Natal Railway's 0-4-0WT Natal from 13 May 1860, although this practice was uncommon. In 1945, the then Minister of Transport, the Honourable F. C. Sturrock MP, directed that several Class 15F and Class 23 locomotives be christened after various South African towns and cities, with nameplates displaying inscriptions in both official languages. These ornamental plates were affixed either to the sides of the smokebox or onto the elephant ear smoke deflectors where fitted. A total of twelve Class 15F engines received such names:

Over time, some of these names were transferred to locomotives of different classes, with several ultimately appearing on Classes 23 and 25NC engines.

In the 1970s, W R Collyer constructed a highly detailed working model of a Class 15F locomotive at a scale of 1:1.44, named Kloof. This model ranks among the largest operational scale replicas of the Class 15F and is currently preserved in the United Kingdom.

Service

Although primarily deployed in the Orange Free State and Western Transvaal regions, the Class 15F operated extensively across all South African railway systems, including areas dominated by Garratt locomotives such as Natal, where it served on the Newcastle to Utrecht route.

In 1947, King George VI, accompanied by Queen Elizabeth and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, embarked on a Royal Visit to British territories in Southern Africa. Commencing on 17 February in Cape Town, the Royal Train utilized selected British-built SAR locomotives for transportation. Notably, Class 15F number 3030 hauled the Royal Train during its initial journey departing from Duncan Dock at Table Bay Harbour on 21 February. This same engine also managed the final leg two months later, completing a round trip covering approximately 10,000 miles (16,093 kilometres) back to Duncan Dock.

Within the Western Transvaal System, particularly around Germiston, the Class 15F served as a mainstay for mainline steam operations for many years, running routes to Witbank, Volksrust, and Kroonstad. In 1956, thirty Class GMA Garratts were temporarily assigned to operate between Witbank and Germiston during the transition from steam to electric traction. This redeployment freed an equal number of Class 15Fs for reassignment: thirteen were allocated to meet growing demand in the Orange Free State while seventeen replaced Class 23 units on the Cape Northern System due to increased traffic.

The Cape Midland System received its first two Class 15F locomotives in February 1957 when they were transferred from Paarden Eiland shed on the Cape Western System to Sydenham in Port Elizabeth. By July that year, nine units were stationed at Sydenham, three at Cradock, and one at Noupoort. For a short period, both systems operated Class 15Fs on their mainlines. From around 1960 onwards, several Midland-based locomotives were fitted with chimney cowls designed to alleviate smoke inhalation issues for crews passing through numerous tunnels; however, their effectiveness was questionable.

By late 1959, high-speed passenger trains bound for Natal were hauled from Germiston to Volksrust by diesel-electric Classes 31-000 or 32-000, while slower passenger services continued under Volksrust-based Class 15Fs. Following completion of electrification on the Natal mainline by mid-1965, these Volksrust locomotives were relocated back to Germiston.

The Class 15F also experienced brief deployment on the Cape Eastern system during the early 1960s operating out of East London.

Some units saw short-term service beyond South African borders; in 1978 six Class 15Fs (numbers 3000, 3031, 3066, 3072, 3094, and 3126) were leased to Rhodesia Railways but returned within nine months and were superseded by Class GMAM Garratts.

Following withdrawal of the Class 23, numerous Class 15F locomotives equipped with mechanical stokers inherited their large twelve-wheel Type EW tenders. These tenders not only extended operational range due to increased fuel and water capacity but also enhanced locomotive aesthetics. In later years when reallocated primarily for heavy shunting and local duties, many Class 15Fs had their mechanical stokers removed.

Commemoration

On 27 April 1983, the South African Post Office released a set of four commemorative postage stamps honoring the country's steam locomotives, which were being phased out rapidly at that time. Among these was a 40-cent stamp featuring a Class 15F engine. The stamp's artwork and design were created by the renowned artist and stamp designer Hein Botha. The locomotive illustrated was the NBL-built Class 15F number 2954. To mark the release date, a commemorative cancellation bearing the silhouette of a traditional SAR locomotive number plate was applied at De Aar.

Preservation

Due to their extensive deployment and operational value within the SAR, numerous preservation initiatives were undertaken as steam traction was retired. Approximately 60 Class 15F locomotives remained by the start of the 21st century, with most under the ownership of the Transnet Heritage Fund (THF)Template:As of?. However, since 2000, many have been dismantled, with further scrapping anticipatedTemplate:When, particularly among those stored at Millsite (Krugersdorp), where theft and vandalism have led to significant losses. Below is an inventory of surviving units as of January 2019.

Number (*23 class tender) Works number THF / Private Leaselend / Owner Current Location Outside South Africa Present Status
2902 Berliner 10820 THF Krugersdorp Locomotive Depot
2908 Berliner 10826 THF Krugersdorp Locomotive Depot Partially Dismantled
2909 Hensc 23932 THF Waterval-Boven Locomotive Depot
2910 Hensc 23933 Private Sandstone Estate Sandstone Estate
2913 Hensc 23936 THF Krugersdorp Locomotive Depot
2914 Hensc 23937 THF Germiston Locomotive Depot
2916 Hensc 23939 THF Cape Town Station
2929 NBL 24468 THF Krugersdorp Locomotive Depot Partially Dismantled
2934 NBL 24474 THF Krugersdorp Locomotive Depot
2936 NBL 24476 THF Krugersdorp Locomotive Depot
2940* NBL 24480 THF Krugersdorp Locomotive Depot
2958 NBL 24498 THF Kimberley Locomotive Depot
2976* BP7091 Private Ian Welch Bloemfontein Locomotive Depot
2985* BP7100 THF Waterval-Boven Locomotive Depot
2994 BP7109 THF Kleinplasie Museum Worcester (RSA)
3001 NBL25540 THF Krugersdorp Locomotive Depot
3007 NBL25546 Private North British Locomotive Preservation Riverside Museum Scotland
3016* NBL25555 THF Germiston Locomotive Depot
3040* NBL25579 THF Bloemfontein Locomotive Depot
3046* NBL25585 THF Germiston Locomotive Depot
3052* NBL25591 Private Sandstone Estate Sandstone Estate
3075 NBL25959 THF Krugersdorp Locomotive Depot
3079 NBL25964 THF Krugersdorp Locomotive Depot
3094* NBL25978 THF Wonder Steam Trains Hermanstad (Station)
3098* NBL25982 THF Krugersdorp Locomotive Depot
3103* NBL25987 THF Krugersdorp Locomotive Depot
3117 NBL26001 THF Wonder Steam Trains Hermanstad (station)
3135* NBL26019 THF Germiston Locomotive Depot
3149* NBL26033 Private Railway Society of South Africa (RSSA) Masons Mill Locomotive Depot
3153* NBL26040 Private Grant Bradley Epping mark (Cape Town)

Locomotive no. 3052, known as Avril, previously owned by artist David ShepherdTemplate:Until when, is currently held by SandstoneTemplate:As of? and managed by Reefsteamers. It was loaned to Friends of the Rail (FOTR) but suffered a derailment near Cullinan, Gauteng on March 21, 2017, when approximately 250 meters of track were stolen.Template:Fix/category[citation needed] The damage was mostly limited to the cowcatcher being destroyed. Following this incident, the loan agreement ended, and the locomotive was returned to Reefsteamers' custody at Germiston before being transported by road back to Sandstone farm.Template:When

In a notable preservation effort in 2006, the North British-built locomotive no. 3007 was repatriated to Glasgow, its city of manufacture in Scotland. Initially exhibited statically in George Square, it served as a fundraising centerpiece for the North British Locomotive Preservation Group. The transfer from Bloemfontein locomotive depot to Glasgow was documented in Season Three of the television series Monster Moves in the year 2008. Originally planned for road transport to Durban by Moveright International, this proved unfeasible due to weight limitations of their equipment. Consequently, it was moved by rail over two days with assistance from ten flat wagons added to enhance braking capacity during transit. Today, this engine forms part of the Glasgow Museum of Transport's collection housed within the new Riverside Museum.

Works numbers

The following table details the Class 15F locomotive numbers, their manufacturers, production years, and corresponding works numbers.[14][3][4][5]


References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named SAR&H Feb 1947
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Paxton-Bourne
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Henschel-Lieferliste (Henschel & Son works list), compiled by Dietmar Stresow
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 North British Locomotive Company works list, compiled by Austrian locomotive historian Bernhard Schmeiser
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Beyer, Peacock & Company production list, excluding Garratts, Customer List V1 04.08.02
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 4-8-2 Class "15F" Locomotives for the South African Railways Railway Gazette 20 September 1946
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 South African Railways & Harbours/Suid Afrikaanse Spoorweë en Hawens (15 August 1941). Locomotive Diagram Book/Lokomotiefdiagramboek, 3'6" Gauge/Spoorwydte. SAR/SAS Mechanical Department/Werktuigkundige Dept. Drawing Office/Tekenkantoor, Pretoria. pp. VIII, 46.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 South African Railways & Harbours/Suid Afrikaanse Spoorweë en Hawens (15 August 1941). Locomotive Diagram Book/Lokomotiefdiagramboek, 2'0" & 3'6" Gauge/Spoorwydte, Steam Locomotives/Stoomlokomotiewe. SAR/SAS Mechanical Department/Werktuigkundige Dept. Drawing Office/Tekenkantoor, Pretoria. pp. VIII, 6a-7a, 21-21A, 46.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Holland 2
  10. ↑ Soul of A Railway, System 7, Western Transvaal, based in Johannesburg, Part 2. Johannesburg between the Home Signals, Part 2. Caption 19. Archived 9 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 21 March 2017)
  11. ↑ Soul of A Railway, System 7, Western Transvaal, based in Johannesburg, Part 10. South-Eastwards as far as Volksrust (3rd part) by Les Pivnic. Caption 15. (Retrieved 11 April 2017)
  12. ↑ Soul of A Railway, System 7, Western Transvaal, based in Johannesburg, Part 12. South-Eastwards as far as Volksrust (Part 5) by Les Pivnic. Captions 32 & 33. Archived 24 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 25 April 2017)
  13. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Soul of a Railway 7-6
  14. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Durrant

External links

File:Commons-logo.svg Media related to Lua error in Module:Commons_link at line 62: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). at Wikimedia Commons

Template:Locomotives of South Africa

Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=South_African_Class_15F_4-8-2&oldid=75944"