Power type Steam Build date 1916 | Serial number 42633-42638 Total produced 6 | |
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Designer Baldwin Locomotive Works Builder Baldwin Locomotive Works | ||
The South African Railways Class NG10 4-6-2 of 1916 was a narrow gauge steam locomotive.
Contents
In 1916, the South African Railways placed six steam locomotives with a 4-6-2 Pacific type wheel arrangement in service on the Langkloof narrow gauge line. When a system of grouping narrow gauge locomotives into classes was eventually introduced somewhere between 1928 and 1930, they were classified as Class NG10.
Manufacturer
During the First World War, the usual British locomotive suppliers were hard pressed to satisfy British and foreign requirements. This led to several new locomotive types for the South African Railways (SAR) being ordered from North American builders.
In 1916, the SAR placed an order with the Baldwin Locomotive Works in the United States of America for six narrow gauge locomotives with a 4-6-2 Pacific type wheel arrangement. The locomotives were delivered in 1916 and were numbered in the range from NG61 to NG66.
Characteristics
The locomotives were more powerful than previous types and, with their more commodious cabs, proved popular with the crews. Since a classification system for narrow gauge locomotives had not yet been adopted by the SAR, they became popularly known as the Sixties, based on their engine number range.
They were typically American in appearance with an ornate chimney cap and steam dome. In addition to the usual cabside number plates, they also sported a third engine number on a disk on the front of the smokebox door. They had outside bar frames, Belpaire fireboxes and Walschaerts valve gear.
Service
They were erected at the Uitenhage workshops and placed in service on the Avontuur Railway between Port Elizabeth and Avontuur in the Langkloof, where they spent most of their working lives. For much of that time they worked out of Loerie, either assisting up the bank or on the Patensie branch.
In 1948, numbers NG63 and NG64 were transferred to South West Africa where they performed yard work, while the rest remained on the Avontuur line performing similar work around Humewood Road in Port Elizabeth.
Classification and withdrawal
The system of grouping narrow gauge locomotives into classes was only adopted by the SAR somewhere between 1928 and 1930. At that point, these locomotives were classified as Class NG10.
All but one were withdrawn from service by July 1962 as a direct result of the regauging of all the narrow gauge lines in South West Africa to Cape gauge. Some of the older narrow gauge locomotive stock in South West Africa were retired and scrapped, while the rest were all transferred to South Africa. All the Class NG15 Kalaharis were allocated to the Langkloof railway. From a total of 23 engines at the Humewood Road depot in March 1961, the roster almost doubled to 43 by July.