South African Class 1 4-8-0
Encyclopedia
In 1904 the Natal Government Railways
placed fifty Class Hendrie B 4-8-0
Mastodon steam locomotives in service. Six of them were modified to a 4-8-2
Mountain wheel arrangement in 1906. In 1912, when the remaining forty-four 4-8-0 locomotives were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and classified as Class 1.
His resulting Hendrie B achieved this, being more powerful and with a longer range. When the designs were completed, Hendrie proposed that only five be ordered so that they may first be thoroughly tested in service before ordering more. The designs, however, were so well received that the NGR placed an immediate order for fifty with the North British Locomotive Company
(NBL).
Delivered in 1904, the Class Hendrie B 4-8-0 "Mastodon" type was the first tender locomotive to be placed in service by the NGR. Fifty were built, numbers 275 to 299 at the NBL Hyde Park works and numbers 300 to 324 at the NBL Queens Park works.
with "D" valves, Belpaire firebox
es and used saturated steam. While the boiler was not pitched very high, Hendrie had still managed to extend the firebox sideways over the trailing driving wheels, with the result that the grate was almost on a level with the bottom of the boiler shell. To prevent the fire from entering the lower row of tubes, Hendrie arranged a vertical firewall towards the front of the grate which also created a combustion chamber.
This dry combustion chamber
pre-dated the Gaines type, which was practically identical, by four years. The Gaines type was introduced in the United States in 1908 and became widely used on American locomotives.
The first Class Hendrie B locomotives were also the first to be equipped with an electric headlight, made by Pyle National, which proved so successful that this type of headlight gradually replaced the old oil lamps on all main line locomotives.
upon renumbering onto the SAR roster.
In 1907 another locomotive, NGR 280, was equipped with steam reversing gear, also to Hendrie’s design. It proved an unqualified success and was adopted as standard equipment on the rest of the Class. All Hendrie’s locomotives were also equipped with piston tail rods, but since they were difficult and costly to maintain when used in conjunction with superheated steam, they were removed in 1925.
and Pietermaritzburg
and were the first locomotives to accomplish a return working within a day. These locomotives opened up a new era on the NGR, where the tank locomotive was at last withdrawn
from main line working. Later, in SAR service, they were also used on main line workings out of Port Elizabeth.
In their later years they were relegated to shunting, particularly working in Natal but also in Cape Town
, Port Elizabeth, East London and in the Transvaal
. Although gradual withdrawal from service already commenced in 1935, half of the Class were still in capital stock by March 1972, the last one only being written off in 1975.
In industrial service, two of them survived even longer and were still in service in 1984.
Natal government railways
The Natal Government Railways was formed in January 1877 in the Colony of Natal.In 1877 the Natal Government Railways acquired the Natal Railway Company for the sum of £40,000, gaining the line from the Point to Durban and from Durban to Umgeni...
placed fifty Class Hendrie B 4-8-0
4-8-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels. The type was nicknamed the Mastodon or Twelve-wheeler in North America....
Mastodon steam locomotives in service. Six of them were modified to 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 1906. In 1912, when the remaining forty-four 4-8-0 locomotives were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and classified as Class 1.
Design
Because of the limited coal and water range of the existing fleet of Natal Government Railways (NGR) tank locomotives as well as the necessity to double and even triple head over the worst sections of the main line, NGR Locomotive Superintendent D.A. Hendrie was tasked to produce a locomotive of greater power and capable of longer distances without refuelling or rewatering, to work the main line’s steep 1 in 30 gradients.His resulting Hendrie B achieved this, being more powerful and with a longer range. When the designs were completed, Hendrie proposed that only five be ordered so that they may first be thoroughly tested in service before ordering more. The designs, however, were so well received that the NGR placed an immediate order for fifty with the North British Locomotive Company
North British Locomotive Company
The North British Locomotive Company was created in 1903 through the merger of three Glasgow locomotive manufacturing companies; Sharp Stewart and Company , Neilson, Reid and Company and Dübs and Company , creating the largest locomotive manufacturing company in Europe.Its main factories were...
(NBL).
Manufacturer
It does appear as though there was a fair degree of urgency to obtain these locomotives, evidenced on the one hand by the rush to place a large order for an untested locomotive and on the other hand by the fact that construction was accelerated by dividing it equally between NBL’s Hyde Park and Queens Park works. The NGR’s faith in Hendrie’s ability was well justified, however, considering the fact that some of these locomotives remained in service for over seventy years.Delivered in 1904, the Class Hendrie B 4-8-0 "Mastodon" type was the first tender locomotive to be placed in service by the NGR. Fifty were built, numbers 275 to 299 at the NBL Hyde Park works and numbers 300 to 324 at the NBL Queens Park works.
Characteristics
They had plate frames, Walschaert valve gearWalschaert valve gear
The Walschaerts valve gear is a type of steam engine valve gear invented by Belgian railway mechanical engineer Egide Walschaerts in 1844. The gear is sometimes named without the final "s", since it was incorrectly patented under that name...
with "D" valves, 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...
es and used saturated steam. While the boiler was not pitched very high, Hendrie had still managed to extend the firebox sideways over the trailing driving wheels, with the result that the grate was almost on a level with the bottom of the boiler shell. To prevent the fire from entering the lower row of tubes, Hendrie arranged a vertical firewall towards the front of the grate which also created a combustion chamber.
This dry combustion chamber
Combustion chamber
A combustion chamber is the part of an engine in which fuel is burned.-Internal combustion engine:The hot gases produced by the combustion occupy a far greater volume than the original fuel, thus creating an increase in pressure within the limited volume of the chamber...
pre-dated the Gaines type, which was practically identical, by four years. The Gaines type was introduced in the United States in 1908 and became widely used on American locomotives.
The first Class Hendrie B locomotives were also the first to be equipped with an electric headlight, made by Pyle National, which proved so successful that this type of headlight gradually replaced the old oil lamps on all main line locomotives.
Modifications
Six of them, numbers 319 to 324, were modified to 4-8-2 "Mountain" types in 1906, but retained their Class Hendrie B designation on the NGR. In 1912, when these locomotives were taken onto the South African Railways (SAR) roster, the remaining forty-four “Mastodons” were renumbered 1245 to 1288 and classified as Class 1. The six 4-8-2 “Mountains” were classified separately from the rest as Class 1BSouth African Class 1B 4-8-2
In 1904 the Natal Government Railways placed fifty Class Hendrie B locomotives with a 4-8-0 Mastodon wheel arrangement in service. Of these, six were modified in 1906 to Class Altered Hendrie B locomotives, the first in the world with a 4-8-2 Mountain wheel arrangement...
upon renumbering onto the SAR roster.
In 1907 another locomotive, NGR 280, was equipped with steam reversing gear, also to Hendrie’s design. It proved an unqualified success and was adopted as standard equipment on the rest of the Class. All Hendrie’s locomotives were also equipped with piston tail rods, but since they were difficult and costly to maintain when used in conjunction with superheated steam, they were removed in 1925.
Service
The Hendrie B locomotives were placed in service hauling all the fast passenger and goods trains between DurbanDurban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
and Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
and were the first locomotives to accomplish a return working within a day. These locomotives opened up a new era on the NGR, where the tank locomotive was at last withdrawn
from main line working. Later, in SAR service, they were also used on main line workings out of Port Elizabeth.
In their later years they were relegated to shunting, particularly working in Natal but also in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, Port Elizabeth, East London and in the Transvaal
Transvaal Province
Transvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...
. Although gradual withdrawal from service already commenced in 1935, half of the Class were still in capital stock by March 1972, the last one only being written off in 1975.
In industrial service, two of them survived even longer and were still in service in 1984.
- SAR 1252 as Randfontein Estates Gold Mine number 4.
- SAR 1277 as Apex Mines number 2 at Greenside.
Gallery
The main picture shows NGR Class Hendrie B 275, later SAR Class 1 1245, as delivered.See also
- South African Class 1A 4-8-0South African Class 1A 4-8-0In 1910 the Natal Government Railways placed twenty-one Improved Hendrie B 4-8-0 tender locomotives in service. In 1912, when these locomotives were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and classified as Class 1A.-Manufacturer:...
- South African Class 1B 4-8-2South African Class 1B 4-8-2In 1904 the Natal Government Railways placed fifty Class Hendrie B locomotives with a 4-8-0 Mastodon wheel arrangement in service. Of these, six were modified in 1906 to Class Altered Hendrie B locomotives, the first in the world with a 4-8-2 Mountain wheel arrangement...
- Tender locomotive numbering and classification
- The 4-8-0 "Mastodon"
- List of South African locomotive classes