South African Class 6J 4-6-0
Encyclopedia
In 1902 fourteen Class 6 bar framed steam locomotive
s 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.
. While the Class 7 was conceived primarily as a goods locomotive, the Class 6 was intended to be its fast passenger service counterpart.
The fourteen Class 6 locomotives that were placed in service by the CGR in 1902 were built by Neilson, Reid and Company. They were practically identical to the two bar framed locomotives built by Sharp Stewart and Company in 1900 that became the South African Railways (SAR) Class 6F
, and they were visually identifiable as second generation Class 6 locomotives by their higher running boards without driving wheel fairings.
It would appear that the CGR’s Western System was more concerned with having unbroken number ranges than the CGR itself was about allocating different classifications to dissimilar locomotives, even when they had different wheel arrangements. Of these Western System running numbers, 155 and 160 had been used before on two Class 6
locomotives that had been sold to the Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwermentspoorwegen (OVGS) in 1897.
The rest of the CGR’s Class 6 locomotives, together with the Central South African Railways (CSAR) Classes 6-L1 to 6-L3 locomotives that had been inherited from the 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 6H, 6K and 6L, the 2-6-2 locomotives became Class 6Y and the 2-6-4 locomotives became Class 6Z.
and Johannesburg in the Transvaal, running via De Aar, Noupoort and Springfontein.
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.
The last Class 6J locomotive was withdrawn from service in Bethlehem in 1972.
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 4-6-0
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...
wheel arrangement 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 6J.
Manufacturer
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...
. While the Class 7 was conceived primarily as a goods locomotive, the Class 6 was intended to be its fast passenger service counterpart.
The fourteen Class 6 locomotives that were placed in service by the CGR in 1902 were built by Neilson, Reid and Company. They were practically identical to the two bar framed locomotives built by Sharp Stewart and Company in 1900 that became the South African Railways (SAR) Class 6F
South African Class 6F 4-6-0
In 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:...
, and they were visually identifiable as second generation Class 6 locomotives by their higher running boards without driving wheel fairings.
Distribution
Four of them were numbered 537 to 540 for the Midland System of the CGR. The other ten were numbered 155, 160 and 287 to 294, and allocated to the Western System.It would appear that the CGR’s Western System was more concerned with having unbroken number ranges than the CGR itself was about allocating different classifications to dissimilar locomotives, even when they had different wheel arrangements. Of these Western System running numbers, 155 and 160 had been used before on two Class 6
South African Class 6 4-6-0
In 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...
locomotives that had been sold to the Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwermentspoorwegen (OVGS) in 1897.
Class 6 sub-classes
When these fourteen locomotives were assimilated into the newly established South African Railways (SAR) in 1912, they were renumbered 635 to 648 and reclassified to Class 6J.The rest of the CGR’s Class 6 locomotives, together with the Central South African Railways (CSAR) Classes 6-L1 to 6-L3 locomotives that had been inherited from the 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 6H, 6K and 6L, the 2-6-2 locomotives became Class 6Y and the 2-6-4 locomotives became Class 6Z.
Service
The Class 6J has been described as the most successful of the bar framed Class 6 locomotives. The CGR placed them in service on the Cape main line and for several years they hauled the Dining Car Express Train that left Cape Town every Wednesday morning for the Orange River ColonyOrange River Colony
The Orange River Colony was the British colony created after this nation first occupied and then annexed the independent Orange Free State in the Second Boer War...
and Johannesburg in the Transvaal, running via De Aar, Noupoort and Springfontein.
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.
The last Class 6J locomotive was withdrawn from service in Bethlehem in 1972.
Renumberings
The table shows the Class 6J works numbers and renumberings.| Works no. |
CGR no. |
CGR Sys. |
SAR no. |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6097 | 155 | W | 635 | See Class 6 South African Class 6 4-6-0 In 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... |
| 6098 | 160 | W | 636 | See Class 6 South African Class 6 4-6-0 In 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... |
| 6089 | 287 | W | 637 | |
| 6090 | 288 | W | 638 | |
| 6091 | 289 | W | 639 | |
| 6092 | 290 | W | 640 | |
| 6093 | 291 | W | 641 | |
| 6094 | 292 | W | 642 | |
| 6095 | 293 | W | 643 | |
| 6096 | 294 | W | 644 | |
| 6099 | 537 | M | 645 | |
| 6100 | 538 | M | 646 | |
| 6101 | 539 | M | 647 | |
| 6102 | 540 | M | 648 | |
Gallery
The main picture shows CGR (Western System) Class 6 292, later renumbered to SAR Class 6J 642, on the Cape’s Dining Car Express Train. It is a colourised photograph that was used as a post card, on which some artistic licence had been used with red wheels and a red headlight reflector.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 6D 4-6-0South African Class 6D 4-6-0In 1898 a fourth batch of thirty-three 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 6D....
- 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 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