South African Class J 4-6-4T
Encyclopedia
In 1915 the South African Railways placed six Class J tank steam locomotive
s with a 4-6-4T wheel arrangement in service.
es and used saturated steam. Six of them were built by Nasmyth, Wilson and Company
of Patricroft in Salford, England, and delivered in 1915, numbered 341 to 346.
Four of them were later allocated to Mossel Bay and the Cape Midlands for similar duties, and remained there until they were withdrawn from service by 1957. The remaining two, numbers 341 and 342, were sold to gold mines on the Reef.
By the early 1970s number 341 was still at work on the East Daggafontein Mine as their number 2. It was later acquired by the South African National Railway And Steam Museum
(SANRASM) for preservation. It had to be scrapped in 2011, however, after being vandalised at the SANRASM storage site in Chamdor.
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 4-6-4T wheel arrangement in service.
Manufacturer
The Class J 4-6-4T tank steam locomotive was designed by D.A. Hendrie, the Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the South African Railways (SAR) from 1910 to 1922, to cope with the increasing traffic on the Natal South Coast. These locomotives had 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 and used saturated steam. Six of them were built by Nasmyth, Wilson and Company
Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company
Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company, originally called The Bridgewater Foundry, specialised in the production of heavy machine tools and locomotives. It was located in Patricroft, in Salford England, close to the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, the Bridgewater Canal and the Manchester Ship Canal...
of Patricroft in Salford, England, and delivered in 1915, numbered 341 to 346.
Service
As intended, the locomotives were placed in service working the Natal South Coast, but it was soon found that, due to their small proportions, they were unable to handle the rapidly increasing loads. They were therefore taken off the South Coast run and employed as shunters in the Durban harbour.Four of them were later allocated to Mossel Bay and the Cape Midlands for similar duties, and remained there until they were withdrawn from service by 1957. The remaining two, numbers 341 and 342, were sold to gold mines on the Reef.
By the early 1970s number 341 was still at work on the East Daggafontein Mine as their number 2. It was later acquired by the South African National Railway And Steam Museum
South African National Railway And Steam Museum
South 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) for preservation. It had to be scrapped in 2011, however, after being vandalised at the SANRASM storage site in Chamdor.
See also
- Tank locomotive numbering and classification
- The 4-6-4 "Hudson"
- List of South African locomotive classes