| IMRWestern Australian 2-8-4T CSAR Class C 2-8-4T | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Western Australian no. 100, November 1901 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The 2nd & 3rd coupled axles had flangeless wheels | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
TheCentral South African Railways Class C 2-8-4T of 1900 was a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era inTransvaal.
In 1900, during theSecond Boer War, the Imperial Military Railways experienced a shortage of locomotives and six2-8-4T Berkshire type tank locomotives, destined for theWestern Australian Government Railways, were diverted to South Africa where they became known as theWestern Australians. In 1902, they came onto the roster of the Central South African Railways and were designated Class C.[1][2][3]
In 1899, when the Second Boer War broke out, the invading British military forces took control of all railways in the colonies of theCape of Good Hope andNatal. As possession was obtained, this control was extended to the railways of theOranje-Vrijstaat Gouwerment-Spoorwegen (OVGS) in theOrange Free State and theNederlandsche-Zuid-Afrikaansche Spoorweg-Maatschappij (NZASM) in theZuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR).[1][4]
On 7 October 1899, Lieutenant-Colonel E.P.C. Girouard KCMG DSO RE, a Canadian serving in the Royal Engineers and, at the time, the President of theEgyptian State Railways, was appointed as Director of Railways for the South African Field Forces.[1][4]
While Girouard largely left control of the two colonial railways in the hands of their civilian staff, the railways of the two Boer Republics were worked under the title of Imperial Military Railways (IMR), with civilian and military personnel appointed by him.[1][4]
The damage which was inflicted on the railways during hostilities and the transportation demands of the British military led to a shortage of locomotives. To alleviate the shortage, a shipment of six newK class tank locomotives with a2-8-4T Berkshire type wheel arrangement were diverted to the IMR in South Africa. They had been built for theWestern Australian Government Railways (WAGR) byNeilson, Reid & Company in 1900.[1][2]
Their cylinders were inclined and arranged outside the7⁄8-inch thick (22-millimetre) plate frames. The steam chests were arranged between the frames and the unbalanced slide valves were actuated byStephenson valve gear through rocker shafts.[2]
The IMR numbered the locomotives in the range from 100 to 105 and, since they were not classified, they became commonly known as theWestern Australians.[1]
Peace was declared on 1 June 1902 and, on 1 July 1902, the railways were handed back to civilian authority. The IMR was transformed into the Central South African Railways (CSAR), which took control of all railways in the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. Girouard remained on as Commissioner of Railways and the NZASM went into liquidation.[4]
Mr. P.A. Hyde was appointed as Chief Locomotive Superintendent of the CSAR. One of the first steps to be taken was to classify and renumber all the locomotive stock, with tank locomotives classified alphabetically and tender locomotives numerically. Since the classification was done in increasing order of weight, theWestern Australians were designated Class C, after theNZASM 40 Tonner (Class A) and46 Tonner (Class B). TheWestern Australians were renumbered in the range from 203 to 208.[2][1]
The locomotives were not popular with the crews. As a result of their small coupled wheels and short connecting rods, they were found to ride roughly at speed. In addition, the footplate was cramped since the large side tanks, with a water capacity of 2,000 imperial gallons (9,100 litres), protruded into the cab. The CSAR therefore decided to use them as shunting engines until they were either disposed of or scrapped.[2][3]
By 1912, after the South African Railways (SAR) was established, these locomotives were considered obsolete and were not included in the SAR classification and renumbering list, but recommended for scrapping even though they were still less than twelve years old.[1][3]
Three of the locomotives did survive, however, two having been sold in 1904 to Clydesdale Collieries atCoalbrook in the northern Orange Free State and one to Ogies Colliery nearWitbank. At Clydesdale, no. 204 was reboilered in 1939 and its boiler pressure raised from 160 to 180 pounds per square inch (1,100 to 1,200 kilopascals) in the process. It survived at the colliery until 1972.[2][3][5]
The CSAR Class C works numbers, renumbering and disposition are listed in the table.[1][5]
IMR no. | Works no. | CSAR no. | Sold to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 5897 | 203 | |
| 101 | 5898 | 204 | Clydesdale |
| 102 | 5899 | 205 | Ogies |
| 103 | 5900 | 206 | |
| 104 | 5901 | 207 | |
| 105 | 5902 | 208 | Clydesdale |