South African Class 23 4-8-2

Type of locomotive

77 ft 8+1⁄2 in (23,686 mm)
♥ 78 ft 2+1⁄2 in (23,838 mm) ​ • Engine37 ft 1⁄2 in (11,290 mm) • Leading7 ft 2 in (2,184 mm) • Coupled16 ft 6 in (5,029 mm) • Tender30 ft 8 in (9,347 mm) • Tender bogie8 ft 8 in (2,642 mm)Length:
​ • Over couplers87 ft 2+1⁄4 in (26,575 mm)Height12 ft 11+1⁄2 in (3,950 mm)Frame typeBarAxle load♠ 18 LT 17 cwt (19,150 kg)
♥ 18 LT 14 cwt (19,000 kg) ​ • Leading♠ 20 LT 7 cwt (20,680 kg)
♥ 20 LT 17 cwt (21,180 kg) • 1st coupled♠ 17 LT 16 cwt (18,090 kg)
♥ 17 LT 12 cwt (17,880 kg) • 2nd coupled♠ 18 LT 17 cwt (19,150 kg)
♥ 18 LT 14 cwt (19,000 kg) • 3rd coupled♠ 18 LT 15 cwt (19,050 kg)
♥ 18 LT 13 cwt (18,950 kg) • 4th coupled♠ 17 LT 16 cwt (18,090 kg)
♥ 17 LT 11 cwt (17,830 kg) • Trailing♠ 17 LT 8 cwt (17,680 kg)
♥ 17 LT 15 cwt (18,030 kg) • Tender bogieBogie 1:
♠ 54 LT 14 cwt (55,580 kg)
♥ 53 LT 17 cwt (54,710 kg)
Bogie 2:
♠ 54 LT (54,870 kg)
♥ 53 LT 17 cwt (54,710 kg) • Tender axle♠ 18 LT (18,290 kg)
♥ 17 LT 19 cwt (18,240 kg)Adhesive weight♠ 73 LT 4 cwt (74,370 kg)
♥ 72 LT 10 cwt (73,660 kg)Loco weight♠ 110 LT 19 cwt (112,700 kg)
♥ 111 LT 2 cwt (112,900 kg)Tender weight♠ 104 LT 5 cwt (105,900 kg)
♥ 107 LT 14 cwt (109,400 kg)Total weight♠ 215 LT 4 cwt (218,700 kg)
♥ 218 LT 16 cwt (222,300 kg)Tender typeEW (3-axle bogies)Fuel typeCoalFuel capacity18 LT (18.3 t)Water cap.♠ 9,200 imp gal (41,800 L)
♥ 9,500 imp gal (43,200 L)Firebox:​ • TypeRound-top • Grate area63 sq ft (5.9 m2)Boiler:
​ • ModelWatson Standard no. 3B • TypeDomeless • Pitch9 ft (2,743 mm) • Diameter6 ft 2+1⁄4 in (1,886 mm) • Tube plates22 ft 6 in (6,858 mm) • Small tubes136: 2+1⁄2 in (64 mm) • Large tubes36: 5+1⁄2 in (140 mm)Boiler pressure225 psi (1,551 kPa)Safety valveRoss-popHeating surface:​ • Firebox206 sq ft (19.1 m2) • Tubes3,168 sq ft (294.3 m2) • Arch tubes26 sq ft (2.4 m2) • Total surface3,400 sq ft (320 m2)Superheater:
​ • Heating area676 sq ft (62.8 m2)CylindersTwoCylinder size24 in (610 mm) bore
28 in (711 mm) strokeValve gearWalschaertsValve typePistonValve travel7+1⁄2 in (191 mm)CouplersAAR knuckle
Performance figures
Tractive effort43,200 lbf (192 kN) @ 75%
Career
OperatorsSouth African Railways
ClassClass 23
Number in class136
Numbers2552-2571, 3201-3316
Delivered1938-1939
First run1938
Withdrawn1983

The South African Railways Class 23 4-8-2 was a class of South African steam locomotives.

In 1938 and 1939, the South African Railways placed 136 Class 23 steam locomotives in service. The Class 23 was the last and the largest 4-8-2 Mountain type locomotive to be designed by the South African Railways.[1][2][3]

Manufacturers

The Class 23 4-8-2 Mountain type steam locomotive was designed by W.A.J. Day, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the South African Railways (SAR) from 1936 to 1939. It was intended as a general utility locomotive, capable of operating on 80 pounds per yard (40 kilograms per metre) rail, and was built in two batches by Berliner Maschinenbau and Henschel and Son in Germany. The original order in 1938 was for twenty locomotives, of which Berliner built seven, numbered in the range from 2552 to 2558, and Henschel thirteen, numbered in the range from 2559 to 2571.[1][2][4][5][6][7]

W.A.J. Day

At the time, the urgency brought about by the rapidly deteriorating political climate in Europe led to a further 116 locomotives being ordered even before the first batch could be delivered and tested, contrary to usual SAR practice. Ordering this quantity of a new class of engine before any had been tried out constituted a record for the SAR. Of this second batch, Henschel built 85, numbered in the range from 3201 to 3285, and Berliner 31, numbered in the range from 3286 to 3316. The last locomotive of this second order was delivered in August 1939, just one month before the outbreak of the Second World War.[1][2][4]

Berliner-built locomotive no. 3301 received an out-of-sequence works number, Berliner no. 10816 instead of no. 11000, since works number 11000 was reserved for the new Class 01.10 4-6-2 Pacific type locomotive for the German State Railways.[1]

Characteristics

In general appearance and power, the Class 23 locomotive is very similar to the Classes 15E and 15F. As originally designed, the locomotive would have had 66 inches (1,676 millimetres) coupled wheels which would have required a newly designed boiler to accommodate the extra length brought about by the long coupled wheelbase. The increasing political turmoil in Europe and the resulting urgency, however, prohibited time being spent on designing a new boiler. As a result, the existing Watson Standard no. 3B boiler was incorporated in the design with an extra long smokebox which was extended by 1 foot 6 inches (457 millimetres) to partially compensate for the shorter boiler. This boiler was one of the range of standard type boilers which was designed by Day's predecessor as CME, A.G. Watson, as part of the latter's standardisation policy. To maintain approximately the same tractive effort as the Class 15E, the boiler pressure was raised to 225 pounds per square inch (1,551 kilopascals), at the time the highest yet used on the SAR since the SAR loading gauge did not permit horizontal cylinders of greater bore diameter than 24 inches (610 millimetres) with normal cylinder spacing.[1][2][3][4]

The locomotives were delivered without smoke deflectors, but after the war they were fitted with standard elephant ear smoke deflectors based upon the Deutsche Reichsbahn design.[8]

The inner firebox was of steel and was fitted with five 3 inches (76 millimetres) diameter arch tubes, which supported the brick arch. The rocking grate, with two drop-grates, was actuated by a steam shaker. As was the practice with Watson Standard boilers, the hopper type ashpan was secured to the main frames instead of to the boiler foundation ring, with a 4 inches (102 millimetres) air gap all round. Drench pipes were fitted to facilitate cleaning and the bottom of the ashpan was fitted with a hand-operated sliding door.[2]

To enable them to negotiate 300 feet (91 metres) radius curves, the leading coupled wheels were given a 1 inch (25 millimetres) total side-play in their horn blocks, while the tyre flanges of the intermediate coupled wheels were of reduced thickness and the leading coupling rods were provided with spherical bearings at the knuckle joints and crank pins. In addition, largely also as a result of the decision to use the shorter Watson Standard boiler, it was decided to reduce the coupled wheel diameter from the originally intended 66 inches (1,676 millimetres) to 63 inches (1,600 millimetres), which shortened the coupled wheelbase and would further ease passage on sharp curves.[1][2][4]

Tender

Since these locomotives were intended for working in the Karoo where good quality water is a scarce resource, they were equipped with very large Type EW tenders which rode on six-wheeled bogies to enable longer runs to be undertaken between watering stops or to skip bad watering places. They were the largest tenders to have been used in South Africa up to that time and as originally designed, would have had a water capacity of 10,000 imperial gallons (45,500 litres) and a coal capacity of 18 long tons (18.3 tonnes). Owing to axle load restrictions, however, it was necessary to reduce the water capacity to 9,200 imperial gallons (41,800 litres). The first batch of twenty locomotives were delivered with such tenders.[1][2][4][6][7]

The second batch of 116 locomotives were delivered with a modification to the tender's underframe. To improve the weight distribution, both tender pivot centres were relocated 6 inches (152 millimetres) towards the rear. This enabled the water capacity to be increased to 9,500 imperial gallons (43,200 litres) on these 116 tenders. While the locomotive-and-tender's length over couplers was not affected, the total wheelbase of the second batch was 6 inches (152 millimetres) longer since the distance between the engine's trailing wheel and the first tender wheel was increased from 10 feet (3,048 millimetres) to 10 feet 6 inches (3,200 millimetres).[1][2][6][7]

Four vacuum cylinders operated clasp brakes on all tender wheels and a hand brake was included. Since experience showed that a firegrate of 63 square feet (5.9 square metres) cannot be served effectively under all conditions by manual stoking, particularly on long runs, a type H.T-1 mechanical stoker was fitted, supplied by the Standard Stoker Company of America. The mechanical stoker engine was mounted on the tender.[1][2][4]

Streamlining

During the 1930s, the streamlining of locomotives was fashionable in Europe and the United States of America. It was proposed to adopt streamlining on some of the Class 23 locomotives which were intended for the Cape mainline and the manufacturers were requested to submit estimates to that effect. Since streamlining would increase the cost by £500 per locomotive and increase the weight by approximately 2 long tons (2.0 tonnes), the idea was abandoned, especially in light of the negligible performance benefit of streamlining at the official maximum 55 miles per hour (89 kilometres per hour) goods train speeds on Cape gauge and the reduced accessibility of working parts on a streamlined locomotive.[1][2][4]

Locomotive naming

Although the naming of locomotives in South Africa dates back to the Cape Town Railway and Dock Company's 0-4-2 locomotives of 20 March 1860 and the Natal Railway's 0-4-0WT Natal of 13 May 1860, it was rarely done. In 1945, the Minister of Transport at the time, the Honourable F.C. Sturrock MP, instructed that a number of Classes 15F and 23 engines should be named after various South African cities and towns and fitted with suitable nameplates in both official languages. The decorative plates were fitted to the sides of the smokebox or to the elephant ear smoke deflectors of engines which were so equipped. Thirteen Class 23 locomotives were named.[9]

Kroonstad nameplate on Class 23 no. 3300, off Class 15F no. 3044

In later years, some of these names migrated to other engines and classes, several eventually ending up on Class 25NC locomotives. Other names were also added later and, for example, by 1969 no. 3229 bore the name Springs.[10]

Service

The new class soon formed the bulk of the motive power on the lines from Touws River to Beaufort West and from De Aar to Welverdiend via Kimberley and Klerksdorp.[4][8]

When new, a few Class 23s were briefly allocated to Braamfontein to haul the Union Limited and other Cape express passenger trains from Johannesburg, and the Class 16DA and Class 16E were transferred to Bloemfontein. Since the electric turntable at Braamfontein could not accommodate the locomotive and its long Type EW tender, engines coming in from Klerksdorp had to detach at Johannesburg station and run light to India Junction near Germiston to be turned on the triangular junction. The Braamfontein Class 23s were therefore soon transferred to the Cape Northern System and Braamfontein was provided with Class 15Fs that could fit onto its turntable.[8][11]

Upon the arrival of the new Classes 25 and 25NC in 1953, the Class 23 was transferred to Bloemfontein to work south from there to Noupoort and Burgersdorp. Occasionally they worked north to Kroonstad and west across to Kimberley, but the Class 15F generally did most of that work.[4][10]

When ore traffic from Postmasburg to Durban began to increase in the late 1950s, caboose-working was instituted c. 1959. Block loads of manganese ore were worked by steam over the route from Postmasburg via Kimberley and Bloemfontein to Kroonstad and four block loads were dispatched from Postmasburg to Maydon Wharf in Durban every 24 hours, seven days per week. Four crews on a pair of Class 23 locomotives with a caboose attached for crew accommodation worked in 21-day cycles out of Bloemfontein. The crews were supposed to work eight hours on and eight hours off, but by agreement they usually worked twelve-hour shifts instead.[10]

Each caboose-working cycle began with the picking up of a string of 34 empty hopper wagons and a guard's van in Bloemfontein. These were worked through to Postmasburg, with the engines recoaling at Kamfersdam outside Kimberley. At Postmasburg they picked up 34 loaded hopper wagons and a guard's van, an approximate load of 2,700 tons, and worked all the way through to Kroonstad, where the loads were re-marshalled into 1,500 ton bites for the 1 in 66 (1½%) grades east of there to Harrismith. At Kroonstad the loaded hoppers were exchanged for empties and the whole cycle repeated. Recoaling points were at Postmasburg, Kamfersdam, Hamilton and Kroonstad and en route rewatering points were at Kloofeind and Glen. It took roughly two days to complete a loaded-empty cycle over the full route and an average of ten cycles were managed on each three-week tour of duty. Caboose-working was always with pairs of Class 23 locomotives, until the Class 25 condensers took over the section from Postmasburg to Kamfers Dam c. 1962 and the practice was discontinued. After electrification of the Postmasburg branch late in 1966, steam only came on at Beaconsfield and crews and engines were once more being changed in the traditional manner at Bloemfontein, Kroonstad and Bethlehem.[10]

Due to metal fatigue cracks which developed in their 5 inches (127 millimetres) thick rolled steel bar frames, the Class 23 was withdrawn from mainline service considerably earlier than the similar and contemporary Class 15F. They were all retired by 1983, many of them in the process donating their large Type EW tenders to increase the range of the Class 15F. At least one of these tenders, that of no. 3209, was later rebuilt to a water-only tender.[3][4]

Works numbers

The table shows the Class 23 engine numbers, builders and works numbers. On the builders' works lists, all the locomotives are recorded as having been built in 1938.[1][5][6][7]

Class 23 4-8-2
Builders and Works Numbers

SAR No. 		Builder
 Works
No.
2552 Berliner 10738
2553 Berliner 10739
2554 Berliner 10740
2555 Berliner 10741
2556 Berliner 10742
2557 Berliner 10743
2558 Berliner 10744
2559 Henschel 23742
2560 Henschel 23743
2561 Henschel 23744
2562 Henschel 23745
2563 Henschel 23746
2564 Henschel 23747
2565 Henschel 23748
2566 Henschel 23749
2567 Henschel 23750
2568 Henschel 23751
2569 Henschel 23752
2570 Henschel 23753
2571 Henschel 23754
3201 Henschel 24155
3202 Henschel 24156
3203 Henschel 24157
3204 Henschel 24158
3205 Henschel 24159
3206 Henschel 24160
3207 Henschel 24161
3208 Henschel 24162
3209 Henschel 24163
3210 Henschel 24164
3211 Henschel 24165
3212 Henschel 24166
3213 Henschel 24167
3214 Henschel 24168
3215 Henschel 24169
3216 Henschel 24170
3217 Henschel 24171
3218 Henschel 24172
3219 Henschel 24173
3220 Henschel 24174
3221 Henschel 24175
3222 Henschel 24176
3223 Henschel 24177
3224 Henschel 24178
3225 Henschel 24179
3226 Henschel 24180
3227 Henschel 24181
3228 Henschel 24182
3229 Henschel 24183
3230 Henschel 24184
3231 Henschel 24185
3232 Henschel 24186
3233 Henschel 24187
3234 Henschel 24188
3235 Henschel 24189
3236 Henschel 24190
3237 Henschel 24191
3238 Henschel 24192
3239 Henschel 24193
3240 Henschel 24194
3241 Henschel 24195
3242 Henschel 24196
3243 Henschel 24197
3244 Henschel 24198
3245 Henschel 24199
3246 Henschel 24200
3247 Henschel 24201
3248 Henschel 24202
3249 Henschel 24203
3250 Henschel 24204
3251 Henschel 24205
3252 Henschel 24206
3253 Henschel 24207
3254 Henschel 24208
3255 Henschel 24209
3256 Henschel 24210
3257 Henschel 24211
3258 Henschel 24212
3259 Henschel 24213
3260 Henschel 24214
3261 Henschel 24215
3262 Henschel 24216
3263 Henschel 24217
3264 Henschel 24218
3265 Henschel 24219
3266 Henschel 24220
3267 Henschel 24221
3268 Henschel 24222
3269 Henschel 24223
3270 Henschel 24224
3271 Henschel 24225
3272 Henschel 24226
3273 Henschel 24227
3274 Henschel 24228
3275 Henschel 24229
3276 Henschel 24230
3277 Henschel 24231
3278 Henschel 24232
3279 Henschel 24233
3280 Henschel 24234
3281 Henschel 24235
3282 Henschel 24236
3283 Henschel 24237
3284 Henschel 24238
3285 Henschel 24239
3286 Berliner 10985
3287 Berliner 10986
3288 Berliner 10987
3289 Berliner 10988
3290 Berliner 10989
3291 Berliner 10990
3292 Berliner 10991
3293 Berliner 10992
3294 Berliner 10993
3295 Berliner 10994
3296 Berliner 10995
3297 Berliner 10996
3298 Berliner 10997
3299 Berliner 10998
3300 Berliner 10999
3301 Berliner 10816
3302 Berliner 11001
3303 Berliner 11002
3304 Berliner 11003
3305 Berliner 11004
3306 Berliner 11005
3307 Berliner 11006
3308 Berliner 11007
3309 Berliner 11008
3310 Berliner 11009
3311 Berliner 11010
3312 Berliner 11011
3313 Berliner 11012
3314 Berliner 11013
3315 Berliner 11014
3316 Berliner 11015

Preservation

Two of these locomotives still exist:

Number Works nmr THF / Private Leaselend / Owner Current Location Outside SOUTH AFRICA ?
2556 Berliner 10742 Private Towsrivier Municipality
3300 Berliner 10999 THF Transnet Heritage Foundation Bloemfontein Locomotive Depot

Illustration

The main picture shows Berliner-built no. 2556 which was plinthed next to the High School in Gideon Joubert Park in Touws River on occasion of that Railway town's centenary in 1977. It was officially presented to the town on 24 September 1977 by SAR chief executive Dr. Kobus Loubser.[12]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to South African Class 23 4-8-2.
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Holland, D. F. (1972). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. Vol. 2: 1910-1955 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, England: David & Charles. pp. 98–100. ISBN 978-0-7153-5427-8.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Espitalier, T.J.; Day, W.A.J. (1947). The Locomotive in South Africa - A Brief History of Railway Development. Chapter VII - South African Railways (Continued). South African Railways and Harbours Magazine, January 1947. pp. 29-31.
  3. ^ a b c Durrant, AE (1989). Twilight of South African Steam (1st ed.). Newton Abbott: David & Charles. p. 105. ISBN 0715386387.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 10–11, 75–76. ISBN 0869772112.
  5. ^ a b Henschel & Son works list, compiled by Dietmar Stresow
  6. ^ a b c d South African Railways & Harbours/Suid Afrikaanse Spoorweë en Hawens (15 Aug 1941). Locomotive Diagram Book/Lokomotiefdiagramboek, 3'6" Gauge/Spoorwydte. SAR/SAS Mechanical Department/Werktuigkundige Dept. Drawing Office/Tekenkantoor, Pretoria. pp. VIII, 46.
  7. ^ a b c d South African Railways & Harbours/Suid Afrikaanse Spoorweë en Hawens (15 Aug 1941). Locomotive Diagram Book/Lokomotiefdiagramboek, 2'0" & 3'6" Gauge/Spoorwydte, Steam Locomotives/Stoomlokomotiewe. SAR/SAS Mechanical Department/Werktuigkundige Dept. Drawing Office/Tekenkantoor, Pretoria. pp. VIII, 6a-7a, 29, 46.
  8. ^ a b c Soul of A Railway, System 7, Western Transvaal, based in Johannesburg, Part 1. Johannesburg between the Home Signals, Part 1. Captions 21-24, 26-27. (Accessed on 20 March 2017)
  9. ^ Espitalier, T.J.; Day, W.A.J. (1947). The Locomotive in South Africa - A Brief History of Railway Development. Chapter VII - South African Railways (Continued). South African Railways and Harbours Magazine, February 1947. p. 131.
  10. ^ a b c d Soul of A Railway, System 5, Part 1: Bloemfontein. Captions 1, 10. (Accessed on 1 March 2017)
  11. ^ Soul of A Railway, System 7, Western Transvaal, based in Johannesburg, Part 22: Braamfontein by Les Pivnic: Braamfontein Yard, Loco, ERS and Old Kazerne Goods Yard, Part 1. Introduction, Caption 23. (Accessed on 4 May 2017)
  12. ^ Touwsrivier – Daos Ab – 1877-1977 (J.H. Stassen, 1977), pp79, 83-85
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