CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1889

This article is about one of several different Cape Government Railways locomotive types to be designated "3rd Class". For other CGR 3rd Class locomotives, see Cape Government Railways 3rd Class locomotives.

CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1889
South African Class 03 4-4-0 1889

300px CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 no. 114 of 1889

Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Cape Government Railways (Michael Stephens) Builder Dübs and Company Serial number 2486-2497, 2536-2547 Build date 1888-1889 Total produced 24

Specifications Configuration 4-4-0 (American) Driver axle 1st coupled axle Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge Leading dia 28 in (711 mm) Coupled dia 49 in (1,245 mm) Tender wheels 37 in (940 mm) Wheelbase  • Engine  • Leading 4 ft 8 in (1,422 mm)  • Coupled 7 ft (2,134 mm)  • Tender 10 ft (3,048 mm) Length:  • Over couplers Height 12 ft (3,658 mm) Axle load  • Leading  • Tender axle Adhesive weight Loco weight Tender weight Loco & tender weight Tender type 3-axle Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 3 LT (3.0 t) Water cap Boiler:  • Pitch 6 ft 1 in (1,854 mm)  • Diameter  • Tube plates  • Firebox type Round-top Boiler pressure 150 psi (1,034 kPa) Safety valve Ramsbottom Firegrate area 13 sq ft (1.2 m2) Heating surface 763.5 sq ft (70.93 m2)  • Tubes 689 sq ft (64.0 m2)  • Firebox 74.5 sq ft (6.92 m2) Cylinders Two Cylinder size 15 in (381 mm) bore 22 in (559 mm) stroke Valve gear Stephenson Couplers Bell link-and-pin

Performance figures Tractive effort 11,365 lbf (50.55 kN) @ 75%

Career Operators Cape Government Railways South African Railways Class CGR 3rd Class, SAR Class 03 Number in class 24 Numbers 93-116 Delivered 1889 First run 1889

The Cape Government Railways 3rd Class 4-4-0 of 1889 was a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape of Good Hope.

In 1889, the Cape Government Railways placed twenty-four 3rd Class tender locomotives with a 4-4-0 American type wheel arrangement in service. They were intended for passenger service on the Cape Western System.

Beyond Kimberley

In addition to increasing traffic on the Western System during 1887, the planned extension of the mainline, northward from Kimberley to Vryburg, would also require an increase in the locomotive fleet. Michael Stephens, who had succeeded Hawthorne Thornton in 1885 as the Locomotive Superintendent of the Western System of the Cape Government Railways (CGR), therefore drew up detailed designs for a new 3rd Class passenger locomotive for the Western System.

Manufacturer

File:Michael Stephens - CGR.jpg

Michael Stephens

An order for twenty-four of these locomotives was placed with Dübs and Company in Glasgow. The locomotives, built in two batches of twelve, were delivered early in 1889 and were numbered in the range from 93 to 116.

These were the first stock locomotives to be built in quantity to detailed designs prepared in the Cape of Good Hope, following the experimental 3rd Class 4-4-0 and 4th Class 4-6-0TT locomotives of 1884. With a boiler pressure of 150 pounds per square inch (1,034 kilopascals), they were also the first South African engines to use Ramsbottom safety valves instead of the older Salter spring balance valves. The overall design resulted in an attractive locomotive, which reflected credit on the designer and the Salt River drawing office.

Service

Cape Government Railways

The locomotives were, at the time, modern and up to date with latest practices and were possibly the most efficient engines in the country. As was usual practice with passenger locomotives on the CGR, they were painted green and had polished brass domes. They were placed in service on the easier sections of the Western System and were used on all types of traffic. On the section between Beaufort West and Kimberley, they worked passenger trains successfully, in spite of the poor quality coal from the colliery at Viljoensdrif, thanks to their more liberally-proportioned boilers.

During the Second Boer War from 1899 to 1902, at least one of these locomotives, no. 108, had armour plating fitted to protect the engine and crew from Boer small-arms fire. A photograph below shows no. 108 in armour plating, derailed at Kraaipan on 12 October 1899.

By 1904, six of the locomotives were transferred to the Midland System and renumbered in the range from 405 to 410. Here, they were employed on the line between Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage.

South African Railways

When the Union of South Africa was established on 31 May 1910, the three Colonial government railways (CGR, Natal Government Railways and Central South African Railways) were united under a single administration to control and administer the railways, ports and harbours of the Union. Although the South African Railways and Harbours came into existence in 1910, the actual classification and renumbering of all the rolling stock of the three constituent railways required careful planning and was only implemented with effect from 1 January 1912.

All twenty-four locomotives survived to be taken onto the SAR roster in 1912. Since they were considered obsolete by then, they were designated Class 03 and renumbered, by having the numeral "0" prefixed to their existing numbers. In SAR service, they continued to work on the Uitenhage line on the Midland System and on shunting and light duties on the Western System. Some of them survived until 1923.

Works numbers

The works numbers, original numbers and renumberings of the Cape 3rd Class of 1889 are listed in the table.

CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 of 1889

Works no.	Orig. no.	1904 no.	SAR no.
2486	93	93	093
2487	94	94	094
2488	95	95	095
2489	96	409	0409
2490	97	97	097
2491	98	406	0406
2492	99	99	099
2493	100	100	0100
2494	101	407	0407
2495	102	102	0102
2496	103	103	0103
2497	104	408	0408
2536	105	105	0105
2537	106	106	0106
2538	107	107	0107
2539	108	108	0108
2540	109	109	0109
2541	110	410	0410
2542	111	405	0405
2543	112	112	0112
2544	113	113	0113
2545	114	114	0114
2546	115	115	0115
2547	116	116	0116

Illustration

The main picture shows no. 114 near Bulawayo in Southern Rhodesia, c. 1900, working on the line from the Cape of Good Hope through the Bechuanaland Protectorate.

• CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1889 no. 96.jpg

  Works picture of no. 96, c. 1889

• CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1889 no. 108.jpg

  No. 108 in service, c. 1890

• CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1889.jpg

  Armoured 3rd Class 4-4-0 locomotive at Mafeking, c. 1899

• 

  Armoured no. 108 derailed at Kraaipan, 12 October 1899