South African Class 3B 4-8-2
Encyclopedia
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.
, Natal Government Railways
(NGR) Locomotive Superintendent D.A. Hendrie redesigned his Class Hendrie D
and placed orders for ten locomotives with the North British Locomotive Company
(NBL) on 29 March 1911. These locomotives, which would have become the NGR’s Class Superheated Hendrie D, were built in two batches of five and were all delivered in 1912, after the renumbering and reclassification of the locomotives of the constituent former colonial railways into the South African Railways (SAR). Upon delivery they were therefore taken directly onto the SAR roster, numbered 1479 to 1488 and designated Class 3B.
es. They were, however, the first of Hendrie’s designs to have superheaters and, as a result, piston valves instead of slide valves.
To accommodate the revised cylinders and valve gear, it was necessary to raise the running boards, which resulted in the gentle sweeps at either end with the running boards dropping down to the buffer beam and below the cab. These curves became a Hendrie hallmark and improved the appearance of the locomotive. They were also equipped with a new design of leading bogie, with cast steel frames and three-point suspension links. In other respects, however, they were practically identical to the Class 3.
The Class 3B 4-8-2 Mountain, as built with a Belpaire firebox and superheater, became the forerunner of the most numerous basic type of locomotive used in South Africa.
When all ten Class 3B locomotives were eventually reboilered with Watson Standard no. 2 boilers, they were therefore reclassified to Class 3BR. The most 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 3BR locomotive an even more obvious visual distinction is the absence of the Belpaire firebox hump between the cab and the boiler.
The ten individual locomotives were disposed of as follows:
Manufacturer
With the experience gained from the sole experimental Class American DSouth African Class 3A 4-8-2
Early in 1910 the Natal Government Railways placed a single Class American D 4-8-2 locomotive in service. In 1912, when it was assimilated into the South African Railways, it was renumbered and classified as Class 3A.-Manufacturer:...
, Natal Government Railways
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...
(NGR) Locomotive Superintendent D.A. Hendrie redesigned his Class Hendrie D
South African Class 3 4-8-2
In 1909 the Natal Government Railways placed its first true Mountain type locomotive in service when five Class Hendrie D 4-8-2 tender locomotives were commissioned. Twenty-five more were placed in service in 1911. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were...
and placed orders for ten locomotives 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) on 29 March 1911. These locomotives, which would have become the NGR’s Class Superheated Hendrie D, were built in two batches of five and were all delivered in 1912, after the renumbering and reclassification of the locomotives of the constituent former colonial railways into the South African Railways (SAR). Upon delivery they were therefore taken directly onto the SAR roster, numbered 1479 to 1488 and designated Class 3B.
Characteristics
Like the NGR Class Hendrie D, later the SAR Class 3 that it was based on, the Class 3B had plate frames, Walschaerts valve gear and Belpaire fireboxBelpaire 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. They were, however, the first of Hendrie’s designs to have superheaters and, as a result, piston valves instead of slide valves.
To accommodate the revised cylinders and valve gear, it was necessary to raise the running boards, which resulted in the gentle sweeps at either end with the running boards dropping down to the buffer beam and below the cab. These curves became a Hendrie hallmark and improved the appearance of the locomotive. They were also equipped with a new design of leading bogie, with cast steel frames and three-point suspension links. In other respects, however, they were practically identical to the Class 3.
The Class 3B 4-8-2 Mountain, as built with a Belpaire firebox and superheater, became the forerunner of the most numerous basic type of locomotive used in South Africa.
Watson Standard boilers
In the 1930s many serving locomotives were reboilered with a standard boiler type designed by then Chief Mechanical Engineer (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.When all ten Class 3B locomotives were eventually reboilered with Watson Standard no. 2 boilers, they were therefore reclassified to Class 3BR. The most 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 3BR locomotive an even more obvious visual distinction is the absence of the Belpaire firebox hump between the cab and the boiler.
South African Railways
The Class 3B was placed in service on the upper section of the Natal main line. They were later also used in the Eastern Transvaal and the Eastern Cape. Towards the end of their service lives they ended up in Cape Town, where they were used as shunters until the last ones were withdrawn from SAR service by 1976.Industrial
Most of them ended up in service on South Africa’s coal and gold mines. Only one of them had been withdrawn by April 1973. At the time when the other nine began to be withdrawn from railway service, the world oil crisis of the mid 1970s had erupted and all nine were virtually snapped up by industrial users responding to the South African Government’s call to save oil by using alternative sources of energy. Ironically, at the same time the State owned SAR was replacing steam with diesel-electric locomotives.The ten individual locomotives were disposed of as follows:
- 1479 was scrapped by 1973 and not sold.
- 1480 went to Vaal Reefs at Orkney as number 4.
- 1481 went to Landau Colliery at Witbank as number 3 and was eventually staged at Landau for the South African National Railway And Steam MuseumSouth African National Railway And Steam MuseumSouth African National Railway And Steam Museum was meant to be the national railway museum authority of South Africa, by the original initiative of the RailRoad Association of South Africa and then transport authority South African Railways and Harbours...
(SANRASM). - 1482 went to Western Holdings as number 7 and later to Freegold North as number 8.
- 1483 went to Blesbok Colliery as number 3, later to Springbok Colliery and was eventually staged at ESKOM’s Komati Power Station for SANRASM.
- 1484 went to Springbok Colliery as "Hope", then to Southern Cross Steel, then to Umgala Colliery as number 8 and was eventually staged by SANRASM at Krugersdorp.
- 1485 went to Free State Saaiplaas Gold Mine as number 1 and was eventually staged at Odendaalsrus.
- 1486 went to Western Holdings as number 5, later to Umgala Colliery, and was eventually acquired by Umgeni Steam Railway at Pinetown and restored as their "Maureen".
- 1487 went to Free State Geduld as number 5, later to Freegold North as number 9 and was eventually staged at Odendaalsrus.
- 1488 went to Vaal Reefs at Orkney as number 5.
Gallery
The main picture shows Umgeni Steam Railway’s Class 3BR 1486 "Maureen" at Kloof station on 6 June 2010.See also
- South African Class 3 4-8-2South African Class 3 4-8-2In 1909 the Natal Government Railways placed its first true Mountain type locomotive in service when five Class Hendrie D 4-8-2 tender locomotives were commissioned. Twenty-five more were placed in service in 1911. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were...
- South African Class 3A 4-8-2South African Class 3A 4-8-2Early in 1910 the Natal Government Railways placed a single Class American D 4-8-2 locomotive in service. In 1912, when it was assimilated into the South African Railways, it was renumbered and classified as Class 3A.-Manufacturer:...
- Tender locomotive numbering and classification
- Watson Standard boilers
- The 4-8-2 "Mountain"
- List of South African locomotive classes