South African Class NG3 4-6-2T
Encyclopedia
In 1907 the Natal Government Railways
placed six 4-6-2T narrow gauge tank steam locomotives in service. In 1912, when these locomotives were assimilated into the South African Railways, they retained their running numbers, but with an "NG" prefix added. When a system of grouping narrow gauge locomotives into classes was eventually introduced somewhere between 1928 and 1930, they were classified as Class NG3.
4-6-2T tank locomotives of the Natal Government Railways (NGR) were built to the design of NGR Locomotive Superintendent D.A. Hendrie, based on his earlier design of the Hunslet Side Tank 4-6-2T locomotives.
An order for six of these locomotives was placed with Hawthorn Leslie and Company
. They were numbered 4 to 9 when they were delivered in 1907. The locomotives had outside plate frames and used Walschaerts valve gear.
and was opened in 1908. The Hawthorn Leslie Side Tanks were acquired specifically to operate the Donnybrook-Esperanza Railway.
In SAR service, the Class NG3 remained mainly confined to the Natal narrow gauge branches. One exception was number NG5, which was transferred to the Avontuur branch in the Eastern Cape in 1939. Here it was employed in yard duties in and around Humewood Road in Port Elizabeth, where it eventually became the last survivor of the Class NG3. It remained in service until it was sold in 1946.
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 six 4-6-2T narrow gauge tank steam locomotives in service. In 1912, when these locomotives were assimilated into the South African Railways, they retained their running numbers, but with an "NG" prefix added. When a system of grouping narrow gauge locomotives into classes was eventually introduced somewhere between 1928 and 1930, they were classified as Class NG3.
Manufacturers
Commonly known as the Hawthorn Leslie Side Tanks, the second batch of narrow gaugeNarrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
4-6-2T tank locomotives of the Natal Government Railways (NGR) were built to the design of NGR Locomotive Superintendent D.A. Hendrie, based on his earlier design of the Hunslet Side Tank 4-6-2T locomotives.
An order for six of these locomotives was placed with Hawthorn Leslie and Company
Hawthorn Leslie and Company
R. & W. Hawthorn Leslie and Company, Limited, usually referred to as Hawthorn Leslie, was a shipbuilding and locomotive manufacturer. The Company was founded on Tyneside in 1886 and ceased building ships in 1982.-History:...
. They were numbered 4 to 9 when they were delivered in 1907. The locomotives had outside plate frames and used Walschaerts valve gear.
Service
The NGR’s first venture into narrow gauge railway operation was on a line between Estcourt and Weenen, where the earlier Hunslet Side Tank locomotives were placed in service in 1907. Following on the success of this line, a similar narrow gauge line was opened on the South Coast to serve the residents of the Alexandra County. It was constructed over a distance of 158 kilometres (98.2 mi) between Esperanza and DonnybrookUmzinto - Donnybrook narrow gauge railway
The Umzinto - Donnybrook narrow gauge railway is a closed two-foot railway line in South Africa. It runs from Kelso to Donnybrook, passing through Umzinto, Highflats and Ixopo, with a branch from Ixopo to Madonela...
and was opened in 1908. The Hawthorn Leslie Side Tanks were acquired specifically to operate the Donnybrook-Esperanza Railway.
South African Railways
In 1912, when the three colonial railways were amalgamated into the South African Railways (SAR), narrow gauge locomotives were included in the SAR’s narrow gauge numbering scheme and were allocated running numbers with an "NG" prefix, but a system of grouping narrow gauge locomotives into classes was only adopted in the late 1920s. At that point, the four remaining Hawthorn Leslie Side Tanks, numbers NG4, NG5, NG8 and NG9, were classified as Class NG3.In SAR service, the Class NG3 remained mainly confined to the Natal narrow gauge branches. One exception was number NG5, which was transferred to the Avontuur branch in the Eastern Cape in 1939. Here it was employed in yard duties in and around Humewood Road in Port Elizabeth, where it eventually became the last survivor of the Class NG3. It remained in service until it was sold in 1946.
See also
- South African Class NG4 4-6-2TSouth African Class NG4 4-6-2TIn 1911, shortly before being amalgamated into the South African Railways, the Natal Government Railways placed the first two of seven 4-6-2T Pacific narrow gauge tank steam locomotives in service...
- The 4-6-2 "Pacific"
- Narrow Gauge locomotive numbering and classification
- List of South African locomotive classes
- Two foot gauge railways in South AfricaTwo foot gauge railways in South AfricaAt the beginning of the twentieth century, two foot narrow gauge railway lines started playing a significant role in transporting various agricultural and mineral produce from locations hardly accessible by road...