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South African Class H 4-10-2T
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South African Class H 4-10-2T
The South African Railways Class H 4-10-2T, introduced in 1899, was a steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Colony of Natal.
Between 1899 and 1903, the Natal Government Railways placed 101 tank steam locomotives with a 4-10-2 wheel arrangement in service. In 1912, after the establishment of the South African Railways, 93 of these Class C Reid Tenwheelers survived unmodified and were designated Class H.
By 1898, the new Natal Government Railways (NGR) experienced increasing traffic on the mainline into the interior. The route had sharp curves and severe 1 in 30 (3⅓%) gradients (i.e., for every 30 meters traveled, the track rose or fell by 1 meter). These obstacles necessitated double-heading of the NGR's Dübs A 4-8-2T locomotives on the heavier section of the Natal mainline between Estcourt and Mooirivier to run longer trains to reduce occupation of the line. The requirement therefore arose for a tank locomotive which could haul at least one-and-a-half times as much as a Dübs A locomotive.
The limitations within which G.W. Reid, Locomotive Superintendent of the NGR at the time, had to meet this requirement were rather severe. The maximum axle load was not to exceed 14 long tons (14,220 kilograms) within the construction loading gauge of 13 feet (3,962 millimetres) high by 9 feet (2,743 millimetres) wide, while the locomotive had to be able to negotiate gradients of 1 in 30 (3⅓%), compensated for curves of 300 feet (91 metres) radius. The result was Reid's design of a 4-10-2 tank engine, the first locomotive in the world to use this wheel arrangement.
Since there was no precedent for such an enormous Cape gauge tank locomotive, the design was the subject of some severe criticism and various objections were put forward against its introduction. It was therefore decided to order only one experimental locomotive from Dübs and Company. It was delivered in 1899 and numbered 149.
In 1900, the General Manager of the NGR reported that the trials of the 4-10-2T Reid locomotive had proven successful beyond anticipation and that the engine could haul a gross load of 200 long tons (203.2 tonnes) over the worst section of line with ease, 50% in excess of that taken by a Dübs A locomotive. As a result, orders were placed for another 100 of these locomotives between 1901 and 1903. The first 95 of these locomotives were built in four batches by Dübs and were numbered in the range from 150 to 244.
Since Dübs and a number of other Scottish locomotive builders were merged to form the North British Locomotive Company (NBL) while the locomotives were being built, the last five engines were delivered as having been built by the newly established NBL, numbered in the range from 245 to 249.
On the NGR, the locomotive type became known as the Reid Tenwheeler. When a locomotive classification system was introduced on the NGR, they were designated Class C.
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South African Class H 4-10-2T
The South African Railways Class H 4-10-2T, introduced in 1899, was a steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Colony of Natal.
Between 1899 and 1903, the Natal Government Railways placed 101 tank steam locomotives with a 4-10-2 wheel arrangement in service. In 1912, after the establishment of the South African Railways, 93 of these Class C Reid Tenwheelers survived unmodified and were designated Class H.
By 1898, the new Natal Government Railways (NGR) experienced increasing traffic on the mainline into the interior. The route had sharp curves and severe 1 in 30 (3⅓%) gradients (i.e., for every 30 meters traveled, the track rose or fell by 1 meter). These obstacles necessitated double-heading of the NGR's Dübs A 4-8-2T locomotives on the heavier section of the Natal mainline between Estcourt and Mooirivier to run longer trains to reduce occupation of the line. The requirement therefore arose for a tank locomotive which could haul at least one-and-a-half times as much as a Dübs A locomotive.
The limitations within which G.W. Reid, Locomotive Superintendent of the NGR at the time, had to meet this requirement were rather severe. The maximum axle load was not to exceed 14 long tons (14,220 kilograms) within the construction loading gauge of 13 feet (3,962 millimetres) high by 9 feet (2,743 millimetres) wide, while the locomotive had to be able to negotiate gradients of 1 in 30 (3⅓%), compensated for curves of 300 feet (91 metres) radius. The result was Reid's design of a 4-10-2 tank engine, the first locomotive in the world to use this wheel arrangement.
Since there was no precedent for such an enormous Cape gauge tank locomotive, the design was the subject of some severe criticism and various objections were put forward against its introduction. It was therefore decided to order only one experimental locomotive from Dübs and Company. It was delivered in 1899 and numbered 149.
In 1900, the General Manager of the NGR reported that the trials of the 4-10-2T Reid locomotive had proven successful beyond anticipation and that the engine could haul a gross load of 200 long tons (203.2 tonnes) over the worst section of line with ease, 50% in excess of that taken by a Dübs A locomotive. As a result, orders were placed for another 100 of these locomotives between 1901 and 1903. The first 95 of these locomotives were built in four batches by Dübs and were numbered in the range from 150 to 244.
Since Dübs and a number of other Scottish locomotive builders were merged to form the North British Locomotive Company (NBL) while the locomotives were being built, the last five engines were delivered as having been built by the newly established NBL, numbered in the range from 245 to 249.
On the NGR, the locomotive type became known as the Reid Tenwheeler. When a locomotive classification system was introduced on the NGR, they were designated Class C.
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