South African Class 8D 4-8-0


The South African Railways Class 8D of 1903 was a steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape of Good Hope.
In 1903, when the first batch of 8th Class Mastodon type locomotives had been tried and proven successful, the Cape Government Railways placed another 38 8th Class 4-8-0| steam locomotives in service, six on the Western System, twenty on the Midland System and twelve on the Eastern System. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and designated Class 8D.

Manufacture

Evolution

The first 8th Class locomotive of the Cape Government Railways was a Consolidation type, designed by H.M. Beatty, the Chief Locomotive Superintendent of the CGR from 1896 to 1910. It was later to be designated the South African Railways Class 8X.
While these first Schenectady- and ALCO-built locomotives were being subjected to exhaustive testing on all types of traffic and under varying conditions, some trouble was experienced with the leading two-wheeled pony truck. When designs were prepared at Salt River for a later order for more locomotives, the pony truck was replaced with a four-wheeled bogie.
These 38 locomotives were the second batch of CGR 8th Class locomotives to be built with a Mastodon type wheel arrangement. In spite of the difference in wheel arrangement, the CGR's new post-7th Class Consolidations and Mastodons were all grouped together into the 8th Class.

Builders

They were ordered from Neilson, Reid and Company in 1902 and were delivered in four batches in 1903. While they were being built, Neilson, Reid amalgamated with Dübs and Company and Sharp, Stewart and Company to form the North British Locomotive Company. As a result, the last four of these locomotives were delivered as having been built by NBL at the Hyde Park shops of the former Neilson, Reid.
The locomotives were delivered with Type XE1 tenders and distributed between the CGR's Midland, Eastern and Western systems.
When the Union of South Africa was established on 31 May 1910, the three Colonial government 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 were only implemented with effect from 1 January 1912.
In 1912, these 38 locomotives were renumbered in the range from 1192 to 1229 and designated Class 8D on the South African Railways.
These locomotives, together with the rest of the CGR's 8th Class Consolidations and 8th Class Mastodons as well as the Class 8-L1 to 8-L3 Mastodon locomotives from the Central South African Railways, were grouped into ten different sub-classes by the SAR. The locomotives became SAR Classes 8 and 8A to 8F and the locomotives became Classes 8X to 8Z.

Modifications

Superheating

During A.G. Watson's term as the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the SAR from 1929 to 1936, many of the Class 8 to Class 8F locomotives were equipped with superheated boilers, larger bore cylinders and either inside or outside admission piston valves. The outside admission valve locomotives had their cylinder bore increased from to and retained their existing SAR classifications, while the inside admission valve locomotives had their cylinder bore increased to and were reclassified by having a "W" suffix added to their existing SAR classifications.
Of the Class 8D locomotives, nine were equipped with superheated boilers, bore cylinders and outside admission piston valves, while retaining their Class 8D classification.
Fourteen were equipped with superheated boilers, bore cylinders and inside admission piston valves, and were reclassified to.

Experimental chimney

In the early 1930s engine no. 1197 was fitted with an experimental chimney designed by Watson. A similar chimney, the shape of which earned it a nickname that referred to a night bucket, was also tested on Class 5B no. 726. This experiment did not result in further production.

Service

In SAR service, the Class 8 family of locomotives served on every system in the country and, in the 1920s, became the mainstay of motive power on many branch lines. Their final days were spent in shunting service and they were all withdrawn by 1972.
Some were sold into industrial service after withdrawal, like no. 1211, which became Puffing Duggie at Grootvlei Proprietary Mines.

Works numbers

The Class 8D and Class 8DW locomotive builders, works numbers, CGR to SAR renumbering and superheating modifications are listed in the table.

Builder		Year
Works
No.		CGR
No.		CGR
System		SAR
No.		SAR
Model
Neilson Reid19036325807Western1192Class 8DW
Neilson Reid19036326808Western1193
Neilson Reid19036327809Western1194
Neilson Reid19036328810Western1195
Neilson Reid19036329811Western1196Superheated
Neilson Reid19036330812Western1197Class 8DW
Neilson Reid19026284366Midland1198Class 8DW
Neilson Reid19026285367Midland1199
Neilson Reid19026286368Midland1200Superheated
Neilson Reid19026287369Midland1201
Neilson Reid19026288370Midland1202Class 8DW
Neilson Reid19026289371Midland1203
Neilson Reid19026290372Midland1204
Neilson Reid19026291373Midland1205Class 8DW
Neilson Reid19026292374Midland1206Class 8DW
Neilson Reid19026293375Midland1207Class 8DW
Neilson Reid19026294376Midland1208Class 8DW
Neilson Reid19026295377Midland1209
Neilson Reid19036303378Midland1210
Neilson Reid19036304379Midland1211Class 8DW
Neilson Reid19036305380Midland1212Class 8DW
Neilson Reid19036308381Midland1213Superheated
NBL190315833382Midland1214Superheated
NBL190315834383Midland1215
NBL190315835384Midland1216Class 8DW
NBL190315836399Midland1217Superheated
Neilson Reid19026296783Eastern1218
Neilson Reid19026297784Eastern1219Class 8DW
Neilson Reid19026298785Eastern1220
Neilson Reid19026299786Eastern1221Class 8DW
Neilson Reid19036306787Eastern1222
Neilson Reid19026300788Eastern1223Superheated
Neilson Reid19036307789Eastern1224Superheated
Neilson Reid19026301790Eastern1225Superheated
Neilson Reid19036331791Eastern1226Class 8DW
Neilson Reid19036332792Eastern1227
Neilson Reid19036333793Eastern1228
Neilson Reid19036334794Eastern1229Superheated

Illustration

The main picture shows reboilered and modified SAR Class 8D no. 1223 at the Bloemfontein locomotive depot on 22 March 1970. In the second picture below, the same locomotive is depicted before the modification.