South African Class 15F 4-8-2


The South African Railways Class 15F 4-8-2 of 1938 was a steam locomotive.
The Class 15F was the most numerous steam locomotive class in South African Railways service. Between 1938 and 1948, 255 of these locomotives with a 4-8-2 Mountain type wheel arrangement entered service.

Manufacturers

The Class 15F 4-8-2 Mountain type steam locomotive was designed by W.A.J. Day, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the South African Railways from 1936 to 1939, based on the design of the Class 15E by his predecessor, A.G. Watson, and later modified again by his successor, M.M. Loubser. It was built in five batches by four locomotive manufacturers in Germany and the United Kingdom over a period of ten years spanning the Second World War.
The Class 15F represented the ultimate stage in a long history of development spanning thirty years. The first Class 15 4-8-2 tender loco­motive entered SAR service in 1914. It sported a grate, a boiler pressure of, a maximum axle load of and diameter coupled wheels. Later models incorporated major improvements in succession, until the Class 15CA was commissioned in 1926 with a grate, a boiler pressure of, a maximum axle load of and diameter coupled wheels.

Characteristics

The Class 15F locomotive was similar to its predecessor Class 15E, but it was built with Walschaerts valve gear as specified by Day, who was not a protagonist of rotary cam poppet valve gear. This and some other differences led to these engines being designated Class 15F. The locomotives used Stone's electric lighting, with a 150 watt Tonum E type headlight, cab lighting which included a light over the reversing controls, a bunker light and rear headlights on the tender. The locomotive was capable of traversing curves of radius with gauge widening.
The Class 15F was delivered with a Watson Standard no. 3B boiler and a Watson cab. During the 1930s, Day's predecessor as CME, A.G. Watson, designed a standard boiler type as part of his standardisation policy. Many serving locomotives were reboilered with these Watson Standard boilers and in the process most of them were also equipped with Watson cabs with their distinctive slanted fronts, compared to the conventional vertical fronts of their original cabs. New locomotives that were acquired in the Watson era and later, such as the Class 15F, were built with such boilers and cabs.
To fit within the loading gauge, the Watson Standard no. 3B boiler was domeless. The maximum height of the locomotive was, the maximum width and the length over coupler faces.
The pre-war locomotives were equipped with two large inclined Ross-pop safety valves, mounted on the upper sides of the boiler just ahead of the firebox and aimed about 80 degrees apart. When these inclined valves blew off under a station canopy, bystanders often received a shower of slimy wet soot. After the war, they were replaced by four smaller Ross-pop valves at the highest point of the boiler that blew off straight up.
The cylinder barrels had cast iron liners. The valve gear, brake gear and the hubs on the coupled wheels were fitted with soft grease lubricating nipples while the bronze axle boxes and connecting and coupling rods had hard grease lubrication. The leading and trailing wheels were fitted with roller bearings. The axle boxes and motion were similar to those of the Classes 15CA and 23 and were interchangeable in most cases. The weight of the reciprocating parts on each side of the engine was, of which 20% was balanced to ensure that the hammer blow per wheel would not exceed at and with the overbalance equally divided on all the coupled wheels.

Pre-war models

The pre-war Class 15Fs were manually stoked and were delivered without smoke deflectors. The original 21 Berliner- and Henschel-built engines remained hand-fired for the full duration of their working lives. On the pre-war NBL-built engines, on the other hand, provision was made in the design to later convert them to mechanical stoking. A mechanical stoker was tested on no. 2923 before the remaining locomotives of that group were all equipped with such stokers by the late 1940s. Their brake systems consisted of steam brakes on the engines and vacuum brakes on the tenders.
One of the Henschel-built locomotives, no. 2916, is documented as having had a lighter all-up weight and different axle loads than the rest of the engines from the same batch, although its adhesive weight was more than a ton heavier. While sources are silent on the reason for the differences, it is known that this engine was oil-fired, although it is not clear whether it was delivered as an oil-burner or modified post-delivery.

Post-war models

The post-war locomotives were built to the design and specifications of Dr. M.M. Loubser, who succeeded Day as CME in 1939. His specifications included mechanical stokers, vacuum brakes on the coupled wheels as well as the tenders, with two diameter brake cylinders on the engine and two diameter cylinders on the tender, and elephant-ear smoke deflectors instead of smokebox handrails.
The engine's vacuum brake cylinders were fitted outside the main frames under the running boards on each side, between the second and third pairs of coupled wheels. The vacuum brake operated automatically whenever the train brakes were applied. The use of vacuum braking instead of steam braking became standard practice on locomotives built from 1944 onwards and was welcomed by SAR drivers, who were always reluctant to make use of steam brakes for fear of skidding the coupled wheels. In practice, the trigger on the steam brake attachment to isolate the proportional device which admitted steam to the brake cylinder automatically upon the application of the vacuum brake, was invariably wedged down with a wooden peg by drivers to eliminate the steam brake entirely.
Loubser also modified the leading bogie to have swing links with three-point suspension which eliminated the side control springs that were used on earlier versions. As a unit, the modified bogie was interchangeable with those of earlier versions and with those of the Classes 15E and 23. The leading bogie had a side-play of while the trailing Bissel truck had a side-play of.
The engines from Beyer, Peacock were war-time austerity models on which planished steel boiler lagging was replaced by ordinary steel lagging, while cosmetic dressing items like stainless steel lagging bands, chrome-plated handrails and rounded corners on the front of the firebox lagging were absent or replaced by unplated items. While the boiler barrels of the pre-war engines were of nickel steel, the austerity locomotives had boiler barrels made of carbon steel with steel plates of greater thickness. When it was subsequently found that the increased thickness was unnecessary, thick carbon steel plates were used on later orders, the same thickness as earlier used with nickel steel plates, which resulted in a desirable reduction in axle loads.
Like the pre-war NBL-built engines, the early post-war locomotives built by BP and NBL in 1944 and 1945 were delivered with Type JT tenders which had a coal capacity and a water capacity. As delivered, they were arranged for manual stoking, but with provision made in their design for their subsequent conversion to mechanical stoking. All these locomotives were equipped with mechanical stokers post-delivery.
The locomotives in the final batch of 100 that were received from NBL in 1947 and 1948, numbers 3057 to 3156, were delivered new complete with mechanical stokers. These engines were delivered with Type ET tenders, which also had a coal capacity, but a smaller water capacity to accommodate the mechanical stoker mechanism, while its empty weight was more due to the additional stoking equipment. These appear to have been the only differences between the Types JT and ET tenders. Apart from these differences, the post-war locomotives were identical to the earlier ones. Elephant ear smoke deflectors were later installed on the pre-war locomotives as well.

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. Twelve Class 15F locomotives were named.
In later years, some of these names migrated to other engines and classes, with several eventually ending up on Classes 23 and 25NC locomotives.

Service

While the Class 15F was used predominantly in the Orange Free State and Western Transvaal, it also saw service in every system country-wide, including Garratt territory in Natal where it was used on the line from Newcastle to Utrecht.
During 1947 King George VI, accompanied by Queen Elizabeth and the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, visited the British territories in Southern Africa. The Royal Visit began in Cape Town on 17 February. Transport during the Royal Visit was aboard the Royal Train of the SAR, hauled by selected British-built locomotives. Class 15F no. 3030 took the Royal Train on its first leg, departing from Table Bay Harbour’s Duncan Dock in Cape Town on 21 February. The same locomotive was also in charge of the train’s last leg two months and later, when it brought the Royal Train back to Duncan Dock.
On the Western Transvaal System, the Class 15F was for many years the mainstay of mainline steam at Germiston, working to Witbank, Volksrust and Kroonstad. In 1956 it was decided to temporarily allocate thirty Class GMA Garratts to the Witbank-Germiston section during the transition period from steam to electric working. This released thirty Class 15Fs for the Orange Free State, of which thirteen were required for increases in traffic and seventeen to replace seventeen Class 23s, required for increases in traffic on the Cape Northern System.
In February 1957, the Cape Midland System received its first two Class 15F locomotives, transferred from the Cape Western System's Paarden Eiland shed to Sydenham in Port Elizabeth. By July 1957 there were nine at Sydenham, three at Cradock and one at Noupoort. There was a brief period when both Systems were using Class 15Fs on the mainline. On the Midland, several of the locomotives were equipped with chimney cowls from 1960 onwards to ease the smoke nuisance for footplatemen in the many tunnels, but these were of dubious effectiveness.
By late 1959, the fast Natal-bound passenger trains were worked from Germiston to Volksrust by Class or Class diesel-electrics, but the lesser passenger trains were still being worked by Volksrust-based Class 15Fs. By mid-1965, the Volksrust locomotives were transferred back to the Germiston shed upon completion of the electrification of the Natal mainline.
The Class 15F also briefly served on the Cape Eastern system when some worked out of East London in the early 1960s.
Some briefly served outside South Africa's borders. In 1978, six Class 15Fs 3000,3031,3066,3072,3094,3126 were hired to Rhodesia Railways, but they were returned nine months later and replaced by Class GMAM Garratts.
When the Class 23 was withdrawn, many of the Class 15F locomotives that were equipped with mechanical stokers inherited their huge twelve-wheel Type EW tenders which, apart from increasing their range with its larger fuel and water capacity, also greatly enhanced their appearance. In later years when the Class 15F was relegated to heavy shunting and local work, many of the locomotives had their mechanical stokers removed.

Preservation

Given its usefulness and the large quantity placed in service with the SAR, there were many efforts to save a significant number at the end of the steam era. About 60 survived into the 21st century, most still owned by the THF. Since that time, many have now been scrapped with more scrapping expected, especially those stored at Millsite which have been stripped by thieves. This is a list of what remains today.
Number Works nmrTHF / PrivateLeaselend / OwnerCurrent LocationOutside South Africa?
2902Berliner 10820PrivateMISLPT Krugersdorp Locomotive Depot
2908Berliner 10826THFKrugersdorp Locomotive DepotPartly Scrapped
2909Hensc 23932THFIan WelchWaterval-Boven Locomotive Depot
2910Hensc 23933PrivateSandstone EstateSandstone Estate
2913Hensc 23936THFKrugersdorp Locomotive Depot
2914Hensc 23937THFReefsteamersGermiston Locomotive Depot
2916Hensc 23939THFCape Town Station
2928*NBL 24468PrivateBloemfontein Locomotive Depot
2929NBL 24468THFKrugersdorp Locomotive DepotPartly Scrapped
2934NBL 24474THFKrugersdorp Locomotive Depot
2936NBL 24476THFKrugersdorp Locomotive Depot
2940*NBL 24480PrivateMISLPT Krugersdorp Locomotive Depot
2958NBL 24498PrivateKimberley Locomotive Depot
2976*BP 7091PrivateIan WelchBloemfontein Locomotive Depot
2985*BP 7100THFIan WelchWaterval-Boven Locomotive Depot
2994BP 7109THFKleinplasie MuseumWorcester
3001NBL 25540PrivateMISLPT Krugersdorp Locomotive Depot
3007NBL 25546PrivateNorth British Locomotive PreservationGlasgow Museum of TransportScotland
3016*NBL 25555THFReefsteamersGermiston Locomotive Depot
3040*NBL 25579THFIan WelchBloemfontein Locomotive Depot
3046*NBL 25585THFReefsteamersGermiston Locomotive Depot
3052*NBL 25591PrivateSandstone EstateGermiston Locomotive Depot
3075NBL 25959THFKrugersdorp Locomotive Depot
3079NBL 25964THFKrugersdorp Locomotive Depot
3094*NBL 25978THFWonder Steam TrainsHermanstad
3098*NBL 25982PrivateMISLPT Krugersdorp Locomotive Depot
3103*NBL 25987PrivateMISLPT Krugersdorp Locomotive Depot
3117NBL 26001THFWonder Steam TrainsHermanstad
3135*NBL 26019THFReefsteamersGermiston Locomotive Depot
3149*NBL 26033PrivateRailway Society of South Africa Masons Mill Locomotive Depot
3153*NBL 26040PrivateGrant BradleyEpping mark

No. 3052 Avril formerly owned by the artist David Shepherd, now owned by Sandstone and in the custody of Reefsteamers was loaned out to FOTR. It was derailed near Cullinan on 21 March 2017 while working an FOTR train following the theft of some 250 metres of rail. Damage was minimal, mainly being confined to the destruction of the cowcatcher. However, the loan was terminated and the locomotive returned to the custody of Reefsteamers at Germiston.
In 2006, NBL-built no. 3007 was returned to its builder's home city, Glasgow in Scotland, where it was initially put on static display in George Square for fundraising purposes by the North British Locomotive Preservation Group. The move of no. 3007 from staging in the Bloemfontein locomotive depot to Glasgow was recorded in Season 3 of the television documentary series Monster Moves in 2008. The locomotive was originally to have been trucked to Durban by Moveright International, but the transporter was not capable of carrying the locomotive. Instead, it was towed by rail on a two-day journey across the country, with ten flat wagons used to augment the braking capacity of the locomotives which hauled the Class 15F. The locomotive now resides in the Glasgow Museum of Transport's collection at the new Riverside Museum.

Commemoration

A 40c postage stamp depicting a Class 15F locomotive was one of a set of four commemorative postage stamps that were issued by the South African Post Office on 27 April 1983 to commemorate the steam locomotives of South Africa, which were rapidly being withdrawn from service at the time. The artwork and stamp design was by the noted stamp designer and artist Hein Botha. The particular locomotive depicted was NBL-built Class 15F no. 2954. The outline of a traditional SAR locomotive number plate was used as a commemorative cancellation for De Aar on the date of release.

Works numbers

The table shows the Class 15F engine numbers, builders, years built and works numbers.

SAR No.
Builder
Year
Works
No.
2902Berliner193810820
2903Berliner193810821
2904Berliner193810822
2905Berliner193810823
2906Berliner193810824
2907Berliner193810825
2908Berliner193810826
2909Henschel193823932
2910Henschel193823933
2911Henschel193823934
2912Henschel193823935
2913Henschel193823936
2914Henschel193823937
2915Henschel193823938
2916Henschel193823939
2917Henschel193823940
2918Henschel193823941
2919Henschel193823942
2920Henschel193823943
2921Henschel193823944
2922Henschel193823945
2923NBL193824463
2924NBL193824464
2925NBL193824465
2926NBL193824466
2927NBL193824467
2928NBL193824468
2929NBL193824469
2930NBL193824470
2931NBL193824471
2932NBL193824472
2933NBL193824473
2934NBL193824474
2935NBL193824475
2936NBL193824476
2937NBL193824477
2938NBL193824478
2939NBL193824479
2940NBL193824480
2941NBL193824481
2942NBL193824482
2943NBL193824483
2944NBL193824484
2945NBL193824485
2946NBL193824486
2947NBL193824487
2948NBL193824488
2949NBL193824489
2950NBL193824490
2951NBL193824491
2952NBL193824492
2953NBL193824493
2954NBL193824494
2955NBL193824495
2956NBL193824496
2957NBL193824497
2958NBL193824498
2959NBL193824499
2960NBL193824500
2961NBL193824501
2962NBL193824502
2963NBL193824503
2964NBL193824504
2965NBL193824505
2966NBL193824506
2967BP19447082
2968BP19447083
2969BP19447084
2970BP19447085
2971BP19447086
2972BP19447087
2973BP19447088
2974BP19447089
2975BP19447090
2976BP19447091
2977BP19447092
2978BP19447093
2979BP19447094
2980BP19447095
2981BP19447096
2982BP19447097
2983BP19447098
2984BP19447099
2985BP19447100
2986BP19447101
2987BP19447102
2988BP19447103
2989BP19447104
2990BP19447105
2991BP19447106
2992BP19447107
2993BP19447108
2994BP19447109
2995BP19447110
2996BP19447111
2997NBL194525536
2998NBL194525537
2999NBL194525538
3000NBL194525539
3001NBL194525540
3002NBL194525541
3003NBL194525542
3004NBL194525543
3005NBL194525544
3006NBL194525545
3007NBL194525546
3008NBL194525547
3009NBL194525548
3010NBL194525549
3011NBL194525550
3012NBL194525551
3013NBL194525552
3014NBL194525553
3015NBL194525554
3016NBL194525555
3017NBL194525556
3018NBL194525557
3019NBL194525558
3020NBL194525559
3021NBL194525560
3022NBL194525561
3023NBL194525562
3024NBL194525563
3025NBL194525564
3026NBL194525565
3027NBL194525566
3028NBL194525567
3029NBL194525568
3030NBL194525569
3031NBL194525570
3032NBL194525571
3033NBL194525572
3034NBL194525573
3035NBL194525574
3036NBL194525575
3037NBL194525576
3038NBL194525577
3039NBL194525578
3040NBL194525579
3041NBL194525580
3042NBL194525581
3043NBL194525582
3044NBL194525583
3045NBL194525584
3046NBL194525585
3047NBL194525586
3048NBL194525587
3049NBL194525588
3050NBL194525589
3051NBL194525590
3052NBL194525591
3053NBL194525592
3054NBL194525593
3055NBL194525594
3056NBL194525595
3057NBL194625941
3058NBL194625942
3059NBL194625943
3060NBL194625944
3061NBL194625945
3062NBL194625946
3063NBL194625947
3064NBL194625948
3065NBL194625949
3066NBL194625950
3067NBL194625951
3068NBL194625952
3069NBL194625953
3070NBL194625954
3071NBL194625955
3072NBL194625956
3073NBL194625957
3074NBL194625958
3075NBL194625959
3076NBL194625960
3077NBL194625961
3078NBL194625962
3079NBL194625963
3080NBL194625964
3081NBL194625965
3082NBL194625966
3083NBL194625967
3084NBL194625968
3085NBL194625969
3086NBL194625970
3087NBL194625971
3088NBL194625972
3089NBL194625973
3090NBL194625974
3091NBL194625975
3092NBL194625976
3093NBL194625977
3094NBL194625978
3095NBL194625979
3096NBL194625980
3097NBL194625981
3098NBL194625982
3099NBL194625983
3100NBL194625984
3101NBL194625985
3102NBL194625986
3103NBL194625987
3104NBL194625988
3105NBL194625989
3106NBL194625990
3107NBL194625991
3108NBL194625992
3109NBL194625993
3110NBL194625994
3111NBL194625995
3112NBL194625996
3113NBL194625997
3114NBL194625998
3115NBL194625999
3116NBL194626000
3117NBL194626001
3118NBL194626002
3119NBL194626003
3120NBL194626004
3121NBL194626005
3122NBL194626006
3123NBL194626007
3124NBL194626008
3125NBL194626009
3126NBL194626010
3127NBL194626011
3128NBL194626012
3129NBL194626013
3130NBL194626014
3131NBL194626015
3132NBL194626016
3133NBL194626017
3134NBL194626018
3135NBL194626019
3136NBL194626020
3137NBL194626021
3138NBL194626022
3139NBL194626023
3140NBL194626024
3141NBL194626025
3142NBL194626026
3143NBL194626027
3144NBL194626028
3145NBL194626029
3146NBL194626030
3147NBL194626031
3148NBL194626032
3149NBL194626033
3150NBL194626034
3151NBL194626035
3152NBL194626036
3153NBL194626037
3154NBL194626038
3155NBL194626039
3156NBL194626040

Illustration

The main picture shows pre-war NBL-built no. 2940 Lynette with an ex Class 23 type EW tender, at speed near Princess station on the Johannesburg-Magaliesburg line on 6 April 1992.