South West African Class Hb
| Industry | Locomotive manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1810 in Kassel, Germany |
| Products | Steam locomotives |
South West African Class Hb 0-6-2T Narrow Gauge Locomotives
The Class Hb 0-6-2T steam locomotives were narrow gauge engines introduced in 1905 during the period of German South West Africa.
From 1905 through 1908, the German colonial administration in German South West Africa procured a total of fifteen Class Hb 0-6-2T locomotives. These units were primarily leased to the Otavi Mining and Railway Company. After the conclusion of the First World War, six of these locomotives were incorporated into the South African Railways' fleet.
Manufacturer
By 1905, the ongoing expansion of the Otavi Railway demanded locomotives with greater power and weight capacity. From 1905 to 1908, a total of fifteen narrow gauge 600 mm 0-6-2T tank and tank-and-tender steam locomotives were produced in Germany by Henschel and Son for the German Administration in German South West Africa (GSWA). These engines were classified as Class Hb and assigned numbers ranging from 51 to 65.
The locomotives were leased to the Otavi Mining and Railway Company, which operated the narrow gauge Otavi Railway under construction across the Namib Desert, connecting Swakopmund and Tsumeb, to supplement their existing mainline locomotive fleet.
Characteristics
These locomotives featured Allan valve gear and were designed with dust covers to shield their motion components from the pervasive sand carried by winds in the Namib Desert. The "Hb" designation indicated this was the second type of locomotive supplied to GSWA by Henschel. Deliveries occurred in four distinct batches:
- In 1905, three tank locomotives arrived with works numbers between 7298 and 7300, numbered 51 through 53.
- Four additional units were delivered in 1906, bearing works numbers from 7623 to 7626 and numbered 54 to 57.
- Two more arrived in 1907, with works numbers 8610 and 8611, assigned numbers 64 and 65.
- The final six locomotives came in 1908, carrying works numbers from 7740 to 7745 and numbered between 58 and 63; these last six were built as tank-and-tender engines equipped with optional coal and water tenders.
Service
Photographs indicate that several of these locomotives underwent permanent conversion to tender-only configurations by removing their side tanks.
Following the outbreak of World War I, the former German colony fell under South African administration, placing GSWA railways under the control of the Union Defence Forces. On 1 August 1915, operational control of all railways in South West Africa transitioned from military authorities to the Director of Railways based in Windhoek. Subsequently, on 1 April 1922, all railway lines and rolling stock within the territory were incorporated into the South African Railways.
Six locomotives—numbers 51, 54, 56, 61, 62, and 65—remained operational into the SAR period. They retained their original German Colonial Hb classification and numbering while serving under SAR. Except for one unit, all were dismantled following withdrawal from service in 1942. Locomotive number 56 has been preserved and is displayed coupled to a short period train at the Alte Feste museum located in Windhoek.
Illustration
The primary image displays engine number 61 featuring its original side tanks along with an optional coal and water tender.
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No. 56 lacking side tanks, circa 1925
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Class Hb shown without side tanks and equipped with a tender, circa 1925
