South African Class 6D 4-6-0
Encyclopedia
In 1898 a fourth batch of thirty-three Class 6 4-6-0
steam locomotive
s were placed in service by the Cape Government Railways
. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 6D.
, both according to the specifications of Michael Stephens, Chief Locomotive Superintendent of the CGR’s Western System at the time, and under the supervision of CGR Locomotive Superintendent H.M. Beatty. Whereas the Class 7 was conceived primarily as a goods locomotive, the Class 6 was intended to be its fast passenger service counterpart.
The thirty-three locomotives in this fourth group of the Class 6 were built in 1898 by Neilson, Reid and Company. Of these locomotives, twenty-six went to the CGR’s Western System, numbered 234 to 259, three to the Midland System, numbered 585, 586 and 594, and four to the Eastern System, numbered 665 to 668.
These locomotives represented a further advance on earlier Class 6 locomotives, with a greater heating surface and a larger grate area. They did, however, revert to the same Type YC six wheeled tenders that were previously used with the second group of Class 6 locomotives.
In Cape Town they held a monopoly over the suburban services until electrification arrived in 1928, and on the Reef they also worked these services between Randfontein and Springs until the loads became too heavy for them. They were employed on branch lines all over the country, Natal excluded, and practically every big station and many smaller ones had its quota of these handy locomotives to work the local passenger, goods and shunting services.
Like the Class 7, the Class 6 family gave good service for many years. By the time the last ones were retired in 1973, the Class 6 series had achieved a service life of eighty years, a performance that can be matched by few, if any, other locomotive classes world wide.
sixteen of the Classes 6 to 6D were transferred to the Middle East
to assist with the war effort during the North African Campaign
. The two Class 6D locomotives in this group were numbers 572 and 587. They were sold to the Sudan Railways Corporation in 1942 and renumbered M714 and M715, in the same order as their former SAR running numbers.
4-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This wheel arrangement became the second-most popular...
steam locomotive
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 were placed in service by the Cape Government Railways
Cape Government Railways
The Cape Government Railways was the government-owned railway operator in the Cape Colony from 1874 until the creation of the South African Railways in 1910.-Private railways:...
. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 6D.
Manufacturers
The Class 6 was designed at the Salt River works of the Cape Government Railways (CGR) at the same time as the Class 7South African Class 7 4-8-0
In 1892 the Cape Government Railways placed six Class 7 steam locomotives with a 4-8-0 Mastodon wheel arrangement in service and between 1892 and 1893 another thirty-two were acquired. They were initially placed in service on the Cape Midland System, but were later distributed between the Cape...
, both according to the specifications of Michael Stephens, Chief Locomotive Superintendent of the CGR’s Western System at the time, and under the supervision of CGR Locomotive Superintendent H.M. Beatty. Whereas the Class 7 was conceived primarily as a goods locomotive, the Class 6 was intended to be its fast passenger service counterpart.
The thirty-three locomotives in this fourth group of the Class 6 were built in 1898 by Neilson, Reid and Company. Of these locomotives, twenty-six went to the CGR’s Western System, numbered 234 to 259, three to the Midland System, numbered 585, 586 and 594, and four to the Eastern System, numbered 665 to 668.
These locomotives represented a further advance on earlier Class 6 locomotives, with a greater heating surface and a larger grate area. They did, however, revert to the same Type YC six wheeled tenders that were previously used with the second group of Class 6 locomotives.
Class 6 sub-classes
When these locomotives were assimilated into the newly established South African Railways (SAR) in 1912, they were renumbered 565 to 597 and reclassified to Class 6D. The rest of the CGR’s Class 6 locomotives, together with the Class 6-L1 to 6L3 locomotives inherited by the Central South African Railways (CSAR) from the Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwermentspoorwegen (OVGS) via the Imperial Military Railways (IMR), were grouped into thirteen more sub-classes by the SAR. The 4-6-0 locomotives became SAR Classes 6, 6A to 6C, 6E to 6H and 6J to 6L, the 2-6-2 locomotives became Class 6Y and the 2-6-4 locomotives became Class 6Z.South Africa
The Class 6 series of locomotives were introduced primarily as passenger locomotives, but when the class became displaced by larger and more powerful locomotive classes, it literally became a “Jack-of-all-trades” that proved itself as one of the most useful and successful locomotive classes ever to be designed at the Salt River shops. It went on to see service in all parts of the country except Natal and was used on all types of traffic.In Cape Town they held a monopoly over the suburban services until electrification arrived in 1928, and on the Reef they also worked these services between Randfontein and Springs until the loads became too heavy for them. They were employed on branch lines all over the country, Natal excluded, and practically every big station and many smaller ones had its quota of these handy locomotives to work the local passenger, goods and shunting services.
Like the Class 7, the Class 6 family gave good service for many years. By the time the last ones were retired in 1973, the Class 6 series had achieved a service life of eighty years, a performance that can be matched by few, if any, other locomotive classes world wide.
Sudan
During World War IIWorld 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...
sixteen of the Classes 6 to 6D were transferred to the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
to assist with the war effort during the North African Campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
. The two Class 6D locomotives in this group were numbers 572 and 587. They were sold to the Sudan Railways Corporation in 1942 and renumbered M714 and M715, in the same order as their former SAR running numbers.
Renumbering
The table shows their works numbers and renumberings.| Works no. |
CGR no. |
CGR system |
SAR no. |
Sudan no. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5240 | 234 | Western | 565 | |
| 5241 | 235 | Western | 566 | |
| 5242 | 236 | Western | 567 | |
| 5245 | 237 | Western | 568 | |
| 5246 | 238 | Western | 569 | |
| 5247 | 239 | Western | 570 | |
| 5249 | 240 | Western | 571 | |
| 5250 | 241 | Western | 572 | M714 |
| 5251 | 242 | Western | 573 | |
| 5252 | 243 | Western | 574 | |
| 5257 | 244 | Western | 575 | |
| 5258 | 245 | Western | 576 | |
| 5259 | 246 | Western | 577 | |
| 5260 | 247 | Western | 578 | |
| 5261 | 248 | Western | 579 | |
| 5262 | 249 | Western | 580 | |
| 5263 | 250 | Western | 581 | |
| 5264 | 251 | Western | 582 | |
| 5265 | 252 | Western | 583 | |
| 5266 | 253 | Western | 584 | |
| 5267 | 254 | Western | 585 | |
| 5268 | 255 | Western | 586 | |
| 5269 | 256 | Western | 587 | M715 |
| 5270 | 257 | Western | 588 | |
| 5271 | 258 | Western | 589 | |
| 5272 | 259 | Western | 590 | |
| 5248 | 585 | Midland | 591 | |
| 5253 | 586 | Midland | 592 | |
| 5255 | 594 | Midland | 593 | |
| 5243 | 665 | Eastern | 594 | |
| 5244 | 666 | Eastern | 595 | |
| 5254 | 667 | Eastern | 596 | |
| 5256 | 668 | Eastern | 597 | |
See also
- South African Class 6 4-6-0South African Class 6 4-6-0In 1893 and 1894 the Cape Government Railways placed forty Class 6 4-6-0 steam locomotives in service, twenty-two on its Western System and eighteen on its Midland System. In 1897 ten of them were sold to the Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwermentspoorwegen. At the end of the Second Boer War in 1901, these...
- South African Class 6A 4-6-0South African Class 6A 4-6-0In 1896 and 1897 the Cape Government Railways placed a second batch of fifty Class 6 4-6-0 steam locomotives in service, forty-one on its Western System, six on its Midland System and three on its Eastern System. During the Second Freedom War four were transferred to the Imperial Military Railways...
- South African Class 6B 4-6-0South African Class 6B 4-6-0In 1897 and 1898 the Cape Government Railways placed a third batch of fifty-five Class 6 4-6-0 steam locomotives in service, thirty-two on its Western System, twenty-one on its Midland System and two on its Eastern System. During the Second Freedom War seven were transferred to the Imperial...
- South African Class 6C 4-6-0South African Class 6C 4-6-0Between 1896 and 1898 the Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwermentspoorwegen placed twenty-four new Cape Class 6 steam locomotives with a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement in service...
- South African Class 6E 4-6-0South African Class 6E 4-6-0In 1898 the Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwermentspoorwegen ordered its final six new Cape Class 6 locomotives. When British forces invaded the Orange Free State during the Second Freedom War, these locomotives were taken over by the Imperial Military Railways and after the war they were renumbered into the...
- South African Class 6F 4-6-0South African Class 6F 4-6-0In 1900 two redesigned Class 6 4-6-0 steam locomotives were placed in service by the Cape Government Railways. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 6F.-Manufacturers:...
- South African Class 6G 4-6-0South African Class 6G 4-6-0In 1901 eight redesigned Class 6 4-6-0 steam locomotives were placed in service by the Cape Government Railways. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 6G.-Manufacturer:...
- South African Class 6H 4-6-0South African Class 6H 4-6-0In 1901 twenty-one Class 6 4-6-0 steam locomotives were placed in service by the Cape Government Railways, built to the older Class 6 designs with plate frames...
- South African Class 6J 4-6-0South African Class 6J 4-6-0In 1902 fourteen Class 6 bar framed steam locomotives with a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement were placed in service by the Cape Government Railways. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 6J....
- South African Class 6K 4-6-0South African Class 6K 4-6-0In 1901 ten American built Class 6 bar framed steam locomotives with a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement were placed in service by the Cape Government Railways. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 6K.-Manufacturer:The Class 6 was...
- South African Class 6L 4-6-0South African Class 6L 4-6-0In 1904 the Cape Government Railways placed its last two Class 6 4-6-0 bar framed steam locomotives in service. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 6L.-Manufacturer:...
- South African Class 6Y 2-6-2South African Class 6Y 2-6-2In 1903 the Cape Government Railways placed two Class 6 steam locomotives with a 2-6-2 Prairie wheel arrangement in service. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 6Y.-Manufacture:...
- South African Class 6Z 2-6-4South African Class 6Z 2-6-4In 1901 the Cape Government Railways placed four Class 6 steam locomotives with a 2-6-2 Prairie wheel arrangement in service, that were soon modified to a 2-6-4 Adriatic wheel arrangement. In 1902 another four locomotives were placed in service, built with the 2-6-4 wheel arrangement. These latter...
- Tender locomotive numbering and classification
- The 4-6-0 "Ten-wheeler"
- List of South African locomotive classes