South African Class 14 4-8-2
Encyclopedia
Between 1913 and 1915 the South African Railways placed forty-five Class 14 steam locomotive
s with a 4-8-2
Mountain wheel arrangement in service.
and was similar enough to it that many components were interchangeable. It was ordered from Robert Stephenson and Company
in 1913 and was delivered in three batches between 1913 and 1915, numbered 1701 to 1745.
Mountain with 45 inches (1,143 mm) drivers and the Class 12
Mountain with 51 inches (1,295.4 mm) drivers, but for the 300 feet (91.4 m) radius curves and 1 in 30 gradients of the Natal main line the Class 14 with 48 inches (1,219.2 mm) drivers was evolved as intermediate locomotive.
The Class 14 had Walschaerts valve gear and a Belpaire firebox
and was superheated. Apart from the differences in their driver diameters, the Class 14 was a better locomotive with a more modern cylinder design, having straighter ports and a larger steam chest volume than the other two classes. It was the first Hendrie design with these features.
All the Class 14 locomotives were eventually reboilered with Watson Standard no. 2 boilers and reclassified to Class 14R. In the process they were also equipped with Watson cabs, with their distinctive slanted fronts, compared to the conventional vertical fronts of their original cabs.
An obvious visual difference between an original and a Watson Standard reboilered locomotive is usually a rectangular regulator cover just to the rear of the chimney on the reboilered locomotive. In the case of the Class 14 locomotives two even more obvious visual differences are the Watson cab and the absence of the Belpaire firebox hump between the cab and boiler on the reboilered locomotives.
for shunting service. By 1983 they were all retired.
, Class 14R locomotives became the mainstay of locomotive power in Swaziland
, until they were replaced by Class 15AR
locomotives.
Similarly, while Zimbabwe
was rebuilding its Garratt
fleet, Class 14R locomotives were hired for shunting in order to release Garratts for main line work.
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 with a 4-8-2
4-8-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
Mountain wheel arrangement in service.
Manufacturer
The Class 14 locomotive was a development of the Class 12South African Class 12 4-8-2
Between April 1912 and 1922 the South African Railways placed altogether forty-six Class 12 steam locomotives with a 4-8-2 Mountain wheel arrangement in goods train service.-Manufacturers:...
and was similar enough to it that many components were interchangeable. It was ordered from Robert Stephenson and Company
Robert Stephenson and Company
Robert Stephenson and Company was a locomotive manufacturing company founded in 1823. It was the first company set up specifically to build railway engines.- Foundation and early success :...
in 1913 and was delivered in three batches between 1913 and 1915, numbered 1701 to 1745.
Characteristics
When the Class 14 was designed by D.A. Hendrie, then the Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the South African Railways (SAR), it was believed that small differences in wheel diameter had disproportionate effects on performance. The SAR already had the Class 3BSouth African Class 3B 4-8-2
In 1912 the South African Railways took delivery of ten Class 3B steam locomotives with a 4-8-2 Mountain wheel arrangement that had been ordered by the Natal Government Railways the year before.-Manufacturer:...
Mountain with 45 inches (1,143 mm) drivers and the Class 12
South African Class 12 4-8-2
Between April 1912 and 1922 the South African Railways placed altogether forty-six Class 12 steam locomotives with a 4-8-2 Mountain wheel arrangement in goods train service.-Manufacturers:...
Mountain with 51 inches (1,295.4 mm) drivers, but for the 300 feet (91.4 m) radius curves and 1 in 30 gradients of the Natal main line the Class 14 with 48 inches (1,219.2 mm) drivers was evolved as intermediate locomotive.
The Class 14 had Walschaerts valve gear and a Belpaire firebox
Belpaire firebox
The Belpaire firebox is a type of firebox used on steam locomotives. It was invented by Alfred Belpaire of Belgium. It has a greater surface area at the top of the firebox, improving heat transfer and steam production...
and was superheated. Apart from the differences in their driver diameters, the Class 14 was a better locomotive with a more modern cylinder design, having straighter ports and a larger steam chest volume than the other two classes. It was the first Hendrie design with these features.
Watson Standard boilers
During the 1930s many serving locomotives were reboilered with a standard boiler type designed by then CME A.G. Watson as part of his standardisation policy. Such Watson Standard reboilered locomotives were reclassified by adding an "R" suffix to their classification.All the Class 14 locomotives were eventually reboilered with Watson Standard no. 2 boilers and reclassified to Class 14R. In the process they were also equipped with Watson cabs, with their distinctive slanted fronts, compared to the conventional vertical fronts of their original cabs.
An obvious visual difference between an original and a Watson Standard reboilered locomotive is usually a rectangular regulator cover just to the rear of the chimney on the reboilered locomotive. In the case of the Class 14 locomotives two even more obvious visual differences are the Watson cab and the absence of the Belpaire firebox hump between the cab and boiler on the reboilered locomotives.
South African Railways
They were placed in service between Durban and Ladysmith in Natal. With the gradual electrification of the Natal main line they were eventually left to operate on the old main line via Botha’s Hill until that was also electrified. Most of them were then allocated to Empangeni in the north and Port Shepstone in the south, and in 1976 many were transferred to the WitwatersrandWitwatersrand
The Witwatersrand is a low, sedimentary range of hills, at an elevation of 1700–1800 metres above sea-level, which runs in an east-west direction through Gauteng in South Africa. The word in Afrikaans means "the ridge of white waters". Geologically it is complex, but the principal formations...
for shunting service. By 1983 they were all retired.
International
With the collapse of railways during the civil war in MozambiqueMozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, Class 14R locomotives became the mainstay of locomotive power in Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
, until they were replaced by Class 15AR
South African Class 15A 4-8-2
Between 1914 and 1925 the South African Railways placed one hundred and nineteen Class 15A steam locomotives with a 4-8-2 Mountain wheel arrangement in service, delivered in ten batches from three manufacturers.-Manufacturers:...
locomotives.
Similarly, while Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
was rebuilding its Garratt
Garratt
A Garratt is a type of steam locomotive that is articulated in three parts. Its boiler is mounted on the centre frame, and two steam engines are mounted on separate frames, one on each end of the boiler. Articulation permits larger locomotives to negotiate curves and lighter rails that might...
fleet, Class 14R locomotives were hired for shunting in order to release Garratts for main line work.
Industrial
Thirteen Class 14R locomotives were eventually sold into industrial service:- No 1701 became Apex Colliery number 5 at GreensideGreenside, GautengGreenside is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa.Greenside was initially a farm founded by the Geldenhuys brothers.Greenside's name is considered to be Scottish in origin, and refers to the adjacent Parkview Golf Course. Most of the roads in Greenside were named after golf courses or...
. - No 1705 and 1737 became Grootvlei Proprietary Mines number 5 "Joyce" and number 4 respectively. Number 4 was later renumbered to number 6 "Graham".
- No 1711, 1714, 1719, 1732 and 1735 went to Rustenburg Platinum Mines, retaining their SAR numbers.
- No 1723 and 1745 went to Natal Cambrian Colliery at Ballangeiech as numbers 1 and 2 respectively.
- No 1729 went to the Vaal Reefs Gold Mine.
- No 1730 became Randfontein Estates Gold Mine number 5.
- No 1740 went to Newcastle Platberg Colliery and later to Ballangeiech Colliery.
Gallery
The main picture shows the first built, 1701, at Millsite, Krugersdorp, Transvaal, on 23 April 1979.See also
- South African Class 14A 4-8-2South African Class 14A 4-8-2In 1914 and 1915 the South African Railways placed forty-one Class 14A steam locomotives with a 4-8-2 Mountain wheel arrangement in service.-Manufacturer:...
- South African Class 14B 4-8-2South African Class 14B 4-8-2In 1915 the South African Railways placed fifteen Class 14B steam locomotives with a 4-8-2 Mountain wheel arrangement in service.-Manufacturer:...
- South African Class 14C 4-8-2South African Class 14C 4-8-2Between 1918 and 1922 the South African Railways placed seventy-three Class 14C steam locomotives with a 4-8-2 Mountain wheel arrangement in service...
- Tender locomotive numbering and classification
- Watson Standard boilers
- The 4-8-2 "Mountain"
- List of South African locomotive classes