South African Class 16DA 4-6-2
Encyclopedia
In 1928 the South African Railways placed six Class 16DA steam locomotives with a 4-6-2
Pacific wheel arrangement in passenger train service. Eight more were placed in service in 1929, and another six in 1930.
type 4-6-2 Pacific locomotives for the South African Railways (SAR) were placed in 1928, but with the design modified by the Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME), Colonel F.R. Collins, along the same lines as that of the Class 15CA
. This involved a frame that was shortened to the front of the firebox, with a bridle casting to permit the frame to be widened below the firebox and the cab to gain more ashpan room.
by Hohenzollern Locomotive Works
and delivered in 1928. Another eight locomotives, numbers 843 to 850, were built in the United States
by Baldwin Locomotive Works
and delivered in 1929.
Basically, the Hohenzollern and Baldwin built Class 16DA locomotives differed from the predecessor Class 16D only by virtue of its shortened frame, the Class 16D having had a frame extending all the way from the front buffer beam to the rear dragbox.
type with a grate area of 60 ft2 in an attempt to improve the steaming properties of these locomotives. The boiler itself was of the same dimensions as that of the earlier locomotives in terms of girth and length between tube plates, the only difference being in the tube arrangement.
The enlarged firebox, however, had a firegrate area that was 15 ft2 larger than the 45 ft2 of the earlier Hohenzollern and Baldwin built locomotives. It was of comparable proportions to those installed on the later Class 15E
and Class 23
, and it was installed on the final six Class 16DA locomotives, numbers 874 to 879, that were built in Germany by Henschel and Son
and delivered in 1930.
Compared to the earlier Hohenzollern and Baldwin built locomotives, the steaming ability of the six Henschel built locomotives was phenomenal and led to the adoption of wide fireboxes without combustion chambers as the standard on all subsequent main line locomotives.
The Henschel built Class 16DA locomotives with their much wider fireboxes, their correspondingly larger grate areas and slightly larger diameter trailing wheels were sufficiently different from the Baldwin and Hohenzollern builts to justify a separate classification such as Class 16DB, but this did not happen and they ended up being known as the Class 16DA (Wide Firebox).
for test purposes. This valve gear was given a fair trial but was found to be unsuitable for conditions in South Africa and was eventually replaced with the standard Walschaerts valve gear in 1940.
Ten of the Class 16DA locomotives from all three builder groups were later equipped with 63 inches (1,600.2 mm) tyres on their driving wheels. At the same time their operating boiler pressure was raised to 205 pound per square inches (1,413.4 kPa) in order to not have their tractive effort reduced by the larger drivers. All of the modified locomotives remained classified as Class 16DA in spite of the modification.
The table shows the Class 16DA running numbers, builders, years built, works numbers and variations in firebox and driving wheel sizes.
and Kimberley
, where they regularly hauled trains like the Union Express, that became the Blue Train
after World War II
, and the Union Limited.
The wide firebox version, the Henschel built numbers 874 to 879, were placed in service at Kimberley and worked the Union Limited and Union Express south to Beaufort West and north to Johannesburg. They were never stationed at Braamfontein Loco in Johannesburg, but were serviced there in the process of working between Kimberley and Johannesburg.
When the Class 16E
arrived in 1935, the wide firebox Class 16DA remained in service on the express trains in company with the new Class 16E, which were also stationed at
Kimberley and also worked north to Johannesburg and south to Beaufort West.
In 1939-1940, when new air-conditioned rolling stock was placed in service on the Union Limited and Union Express services between Cape Town and Johannesburg, all the Class 16DA and Class 16E locomotives were transferred to Bloemfontein
in the Free State
. From here they continued to work passenger trains north and south, including the Orange Express, until the Class 15F
replaced them and they were relegated to suburban and local passenger train work. They were retired in 1973.
and later to Umgala Colliery. Numbers 845, 847 and 848 went to Wankie Colliery in Rhodesia
where they became numbers 5 to 7 in reverse order, finally being retired in 1982. One of these three was later plinthed alongside the main North road at Hwange
.
in the Free State
. Of the Class 16DA (Wide Firebox) Henschel built locomotives, number 876 was the last to be kept in working order, being operated as part of the Transnet Heritage Collection and shedded at the Bloemfontein locomotive depot. Number 878 is plinthed at the Transnet Rail Engineering (TRE) shops in Bloemfontein and is in excellent condition since its location inside the works premises affords protection against South Africa’s scrap metal scavengers.
4-6-2
4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics...
Pacific wheel arrangement in passenger train service. Eight more were placed in service in 1929, and another six in 1930.
Manufacturers
Further orders for Class 16DSouth African Class 16D 4-6-2
In 1925 the South African Railways placed two Class 16D locomotives with a 4-6-2 Pacific wheel arrangement in passenger train service. Five more were placed in service in 1926.-Manufacturer:...
type 4-6-2 Pacific locomotives for the South African Railways (SAR) were placed in 1928, but with the design modified by the Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME), Colonel F.R. Collins, along the same lines as that of the Class 15CA
South African Class 15CA 4-8-2
In 1926 the South African Railways placed twenty-three Class 15CA steam locomotives with a 4-8-2 Mountain wheel arrangement in service. Another sixty-one were ordered and delivered in 1929 and 1930.-Class 15C redesign:...
. This involved a frame that was shortened to the front of the firebox, with a bridle casting to permit the frame to be widened below the firebox and the cab to gain more ashpan room.
Narrow firebox
These locomotives became the Class 16DA and were built by three manufacturers between 1928 and 1930. The first six locomotives, numbers 868 to 873, were built in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
by Hohenzollern Locomotive Works
Hohenzollern Locomotive Works
The Hohenzollern Locomotive Works was a German locomotive-building company which operated from 1872 to 1929...
and delivered in 1928. Another eight locomotives, numbers 843 to 850, were built in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Baldwin Locomotive Works
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
and delivered in 1929.
Basically, the Hohenzollern and Baldwin built Class 16DA locomotives differed from the predecessor Class 16D only by virtue of its shortened frame, the Class 16D having had a frame extending all the way from the front buffer beam to the rear dragbox.
Wide firebox
At that stage Allan G. Watson, who had succeeded Collins as CME in 1929, designed a boiler with a very wide firebox of the WoottenWootten firebox
The Wootten firebox is a type of firebox used on steam locomotives. The firebox was very wide to allow combustion of anthracite coal waste, known as Culm. Its size necessitated unusual placement of the crew, examples being camelback locomotives...
type with a grate area of 60 ft2 in an attempt to improve the steaming properties of these locomotives. The boiler itself was of the same dimensions as that of the earlier locomotives in terms of girth and length between tube plates, the only difference being in the tube arrangement.
The enlarged firebox, however, had a firegrate area that was 15 ft2 larger than the 45 ft2 of the earlier Hohenzollern and Baldwin built locomotives. It was of comparable proportions to those installed on the later Class 15E
South African Class 15E 4-8-2
Between 1935 and 1937 the South African Railways placed forty-four Class 15E steam locomotives with a 4-8-2 Mountain wheel arrangement in service. -Manufacturers:...
and Class 23
South African Class 23 4-8-2
In 1938 and 1939 the South African Railways placed one hundred and thirty-six Class 23 steam locomotives in service. The Class 23 was the last and the largest 4-8-2 Mountain locomotive to be designed by the South African Railways.-Manufacturers:...
, and it was installed on the final six Class 16DA locomotives, numbers 874 to 879, that were built in Germany by Henschel and Son
Henschel & Son
Henschel & Son was a German company, situated in Kassel, best known during the 20th century as a maker of transportation equipment, including locomotives, trucks, buses and trolleybuses, and armoured fighting vehicles and weapons....
and delivered in 1930.
Compared to the earlier Hohenzollern and Baldwin built locomotives, the steaming ability of the six Henschel built locomotives was phenomenal and led to the adoption of wide fireboxes without combustion chambers as the standard on all subsequent main line locomotives.
The Henschel built Class 16DA locomotives with their much wider fireboxes, their correspondingly larger grate areas and slightly larger diameter trailing wheels were sufficiently different from the Baldwin and Hohenzollern builts to justify a separate classification such as Class 16DB, but this did not happen and they ended up being known as the Class 16DA (Wide Firebox).
Valve gear
All these locomotives used Walschaerts valve gear except number 879, which was built with Caprotti valve gearCaprotti valve gear
The Caprotti valve gear is a type of steam engine valve gear invented in the early 1920's by Italian architect and engineer Arturo Caprotti. It uses camshafts and poppet valves rather than the piston valves used in other valve gear...
for test purposes. This valve gear was given a fair trial but was found to be unsuitable for conditions in South Africa and was eventually replaced with the standard Walschaerts valve gear in 1940.
Modification
The variety within the Class 16DA, with three locomotive builders plus standard and wide fireboxes, was complicated further through modifications that occurred during their service lives. They were all delivered with 60 inches (1,524 mm) diameter driving wheels and boiler operating pressures set at 195 pound per square inches (1,344.5 kPa).Ten of the Class 16DA locomotives from all three builder groups were later equipped with 63 inches (1,600.2 mm) tyres on their driving wheels. At the same time their operating boiler pressure was raised to 205 pound per square inches (1,413.4 kPa) in order to not have their tractive effort reduced by the larger drivers. All of the modified locomotives remained classified as Class 16DA in spite of the modification.
The table shows the Class 16DA running numbers, builders, years built, works numbers and variations in firebox and driving wheel sizes.
| SAR No. |
Builder |
Year |
Works No. |
Firebox |
Driver Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 843 | Baldwin | 1929 | 60820 | Narrow | 63"/1600mm |
| 844 | Baldwin | 1929 | 60821 | Narrow | 60"/1520mm |
| 845 | Baldwin | 1929 | 60822 | Narrow | 60"/1520mm |
| 846 | Baldwin | 1929 | 60823 | Narrow | 63"/1600mm |
| 847 | Baldwin | 1929 | 60824 | Narrow | 60"/1520mm |
| 848 | Baldwin | 1929 | 60825 | Narrow | 63"/1600mm |
| 849 | Baldwin | 1929 | 60826 | Narrow | 60"/1520mm |
| 850 | Baldwin | 1929 | 60827 | Narrow | 60"/1520mm |
| 868 | Hohenzollern | 1928 | 4653 | Narrow | 63"/1600mm |
| 869 | Hohenzollern | 1928 | 4654 | Narrow | 63"/1600mm |
| 870 | Hohenzollern | 1928 | 4655 | Narrow | 60"/1520mm |
| 871 | Hohenzollern | 1928 | 4656 | Narrow | 60"/1520mm |
| 872 | Hohenzollern | 1928 | 4657 | Narrow | 60"/1520mm |
| 873 | Hohenzollern | 1928 | 4658 | Narrow | 63"/1600mm |
| 874 | Henschel | 1930 | 21749 | Wide | 63"/1600mm |
| 875 | Henschel | 1930 | 21750 | Wide | 63"/1600mm |
| 876 | Henschel | 1930 | 21751 | Wide | 60"/1520mm |
| 877 | Henschel | 1930 | 21752 | Wide | 60"/1520mm |
| 878 | Henschel | 1930 | 21753 | Wide | 63"/1600mm |
| 879 | Henschel | 1930 | 21754 | Wide | 63"/1600mm |
South African Railways
The Class 16DA Pacifics were initially placed in passenger service between JohannesburgJohannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
and Kimberley
Kimberley, Northern Cape
Kimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War...
, where they regularly hauled trains like the Union Express, that became the Blue Train
Blue Train (South Africa)
The Blue Train travels an approximately journey in South Africa between Pretoria and Cape Town. It is one of the most luxurious train journeys in the world...
after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and the Union Limited.
The wide firebox version, the Henschel built numbers 874 to 879, were placed in service at Kimberley and worked the Union Limited and Union Express south to Beaufort West and north to Johannesburg. They were never stationed at Braamfontein Loco in Johannesburg, but were serviced there in the process of working between Kimberley and Johannesburg.
When the Class 16E
South African Class 16E 4-6-2
In 1935 the South African Railways placed six Class 16E steam locomotives with a Pacific wheel arrangement in passenger train service.-Manufacturer:...
arrived in 1935, the wide firebox Class 16DA remained in service on the express trains in company with the new Class 16E, which were also stationed at
Kimberley and also worked north to Johannesburg and south to Beaufort West.
In 1939-1940, when new air-conditioned rolling stock was placed in service on the Union Limited and Union Express services between Cape Town and Johannesburg, all the Class 16DA and Class 16E locomotives were transferred to Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
in the Free State
Free State
The Free State is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Orange Free State Boer republic and later Orange Free State Province. The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans...
. From here they continued to work passenger trains north and south, including the Orange Express, until the Class 15F
South African Class 15F 4-8-2
The Class 15F was the most numerous steam locomotive class in South African Railways service. Between 1938 and 1946 two hundred and fifty-five of these steam locomotives with a 4-8-2 Mountain wheel arrangement were placed in service.-Manufacturers:...
replaced them and they were relegated to suburban and local passenger train work. They were retired in 1973.
Industrial
Four of the Baldwin built locomotives were sold into industrial service. Number 844 went to Hlobane Colliery in NatalNatal Province
Natal, meaning "Christmas" in Portuguese, was a province of South Africa from 1910 until 1994. Its capital was Pietermaritzburg. The Natal Province included the bantustan of KwaZulu...
and later to Umgala Colliery. Numbers 845, 847 and 848 went to Wankie Colliery in Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
where they became numbers 5 to 7 in reverse order, finally being retired in 1982. One of these three was later plinthed alongside the main North road at Hwange
Hwange
Hwange is a town in western Zimbabwe, in the province of Matabeleland North. It is named after the chieftain of Zwange, who is now called Chief Hwange. The town was known as Wankie until 1982. According to the 1992 Population Census, the town had a population of 42,581...
.
Preservation
One of the standard firebox Baldwin built locomotives, number 850, is plinthed at TheunissenTheunissen
Theunissen is a small town that has the only wine estate, the Theunissen Wine Farm, in the Free State province of South Africa. It was founded by Boer War Commandant Helgaardt Theunissen...
in the Free State
Free State
The Free State is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Orange Free State Boer republic and later Orange Free State Province. The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans...
. Of the Class 16DA (Wide Firebox) Henschel built locomotives, number 876 was the last to be kept in working order, being operated as part of the Transnet Heritage Collection and shedded at the Bloemfontein locomotive depot. Number 878 is plinthed at the Transnet Rail Engineering (TRE) shops in Bloemfontein and is in excellent condition since its location inside the works premises affords protection against South Africa’s scrap metal scavengers.
Gallery
The main picture shows Class 16DA Henschel built number 876, taking water at Thaba Nchu in the Orange Free State on 4 July 1999.See also
- South African Class 16 4-6-2South African Class 16 4-6-2In 1914 the South African Railways placed twelve Class 16 steam locomotives with a 4-6-2 Pacific wheel arrangement in passenger train service.-Manufacturer:The Class 16 4-6-2 Pacific locomotive was designed by D.A...
- South African Class 16A 4-6-2South African Class 16A 4-6-2In 1915 the South African Railways placed two Class 16A four-cylinder simple steam locomotives with a 4-6-2 Pacific wheel arrangement in passenger train service.-Manufacturer:The Class 16A 4-6-2 Pacific locomotive was designed by D.A...
- South African Class 16B 4-6-2South African Class 16B 4-6-2In November 1917 the South African Railways placed ten Class 16B steam locomotives with a 4-6-2 Pacific wheel arrangement in passenger train service.-Manufacturer:The Class 16B 4-6-2 Pacific locomotive was designed by D.A...
- South African Class 16C 4-6-2South African Class 16C 4-6-2During 1919 the South African Railways placed ten Class 16C steam locomotives with a 4-6-2 Pacific wheel arrangement in passenger train service. Another twenty were placed in service in 1922.-Manufacturer:...
- South African Class 16D 4-6-2South African Class 16D 4-6-2In 1925 the South African Railways placed two Class 16D locomotives with a 4-6-2 Pacific wheel arrangement in passenger train service. Five more were placed in service in 1926.-Manufacturer:...
- South African Class 16E 4-6-2South African Class 16E 4-6-2In 1935 the South African Railways placed six Class 16E steam locomotives with a Pacific wheel arrangement in passenger train service.-Manufacturer:...
- Tender locomotive numbering and classification
- The 4-6-2 "Pacific"
- List of South African locomotive classes