South African Class 19D 4-8-2


The South African Railways Class 19D 4-8-2 of 1937 was a steam locomotive.
Between 1937 and 1949, the South African Railways placed 235 Class 19D steam locomotives with a 4-8-2 Mountain type wheel arrangement in service. Between 1951 and 1955, 33 more were built for other operators like the Rhodesia and Angolan railways and the Nkana and Wankie mines, which makes the Class 19D the most numerous South African steam locomotive type ever built.

Manufacturers

The Class 19D 4-8-2 steam locomotive was the final development of the Class 19 family of locomotives. At the request of Colonel F.R. Collins, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the South African Railways from 1922 to 1929, the original basic design of the Class 19 was done in the late 1920s by Test Engineer M.M. Loubser, who was himself later to serve as the CME from 1939 to 1949.
The final development of the Class was done in 1937 by W.A.J. Day, CME from 1936 to 1939. The Class 19D was a revised version of the Class 19C with piston valves and Walschaerts valve gear instead of rotary cam poppet valve gear.
Between 1937 and 1955, 268 Class 19D locomotives were built in seven batches by six locomotive manufacturers in Czechoslovakia, Germany and the United Kingdom and delivered to the SAR and several other operators in Southern Africa.
The Class 19D, nicknamed Dolly, was very similar to its predecessor Class 19C, but Day specified piston valves and Walschaerts valve gear instead of rotary cam poppet valve gear. The cylinders were redesigned with straighter steam ports while the valve gear itself was revamped with a longer steam lap and greater valve travel. In all other respects they were identical to the Class 19C. The last five locomotives of the first batch from Krupp, numbers 2521 to 2525, were fitted with exhaust steam injectors.
The cylinders were of the combined type, being cast in two identical and interchangeable sections, each made up of one cylinder and half of the smokebox saddle. They were of cast iron and had liners fitted. The design of the steam passages provided for a large cross-sectional area for both live and exhaust steam.
All coupled wheels were flanged. The axle boxes of the leading and trailing wheels were equipped with roller bearings while the solid bronze coupled wheel axle boxes were soft grease-lubricated. Soft grease lubrication was used throughout for the motion gear, except the piston rods, valve spindles and main crossheads which were oil-lubricated. Two four-feed sight lubricators, arranged in the cab, supplied oil to the steam chests and cylinders.

Watson Standard boilers

The Class 19D was delivered with a Watson Standard no. 1A boiler, fitted with Ross Pop safety valves and set at pressure. The regulator was of the multiple-valve type, with the valves arranged on the saturated steam side of the superheater header in accordance with SAR practice. The boiler was one of the range of standard type boilers which were designed by Day's predecessor as CME, A.G. Watson, as part of his standardisation policy. The locomotive was also equipped with a Watson cab with its distinctive inclined front.
Despite the specifications, the first batch of Class 19D locomotives, built by Krupp and Borsig and delivered in 1937 and 1938, came in two variations. The Krupp-built locomotives were delivered with domeless boilers, while the Borsig-built locomotives conformed to the specifications with domed boilers.
While the domeless boilers did not conform to the specified Watson Standard no. 1A boiler as far as the dome was concerned, they were accepted nevertheless, probably since all their other dimensions were identical to that of the Watson Standard boiler. It appears that Krupp had decided on their own accord that a dome was not necessary since there was no regulator in the dome, but merely a standpipe. Krupp substituted the dome with a manhole cover on which the two Pop safety valves were mounted, while the steam was collected through a battery of collecting pipes, situated high up in the boiler in a similar manner to that which was used in the Class 16E.
All the subsequent Class 19D orders were delivered with domed Watson Standard no. 1A boilers with the usual standpipe steam collector high up in the dome, from where steam was led to the multi-valve regulator in the smokebox. Technically, whenever the loading gauge permitted the use of domes, their use was preferable to the domeless system which resulted in crowding multiple pipes into the boiler and other complications better left out of boilers. Operationally, according to drivers, there was no apparent difference in locomotive performance between the two boiler types.
The Watson Standard boilers are interchangeable between locomotives. In the process of locomotives undergoing major overhauls, these twenty Krupp-built domeless boilers migrated between engines during subsequent years. As a result, locomotives from the other builders and even some Classes 19A and 19C locomotives eventually ended up with some of these domeless boilers.

Tenders

As a result of having been built over such a long time span by so many different manufacturers, the six main groups of the Class 19D all had different all-up weights and axle loadings, as shown in the table and the specifications in the infobox. Over the eleven years during which the Class 19D was being produced for the SAR, some alterations occurred.

South African Railways

During the service life of the Class 19D, several tender exchanges occurred to best equip a locomotive for the region it was allocated to and the type of service it was to be employed in. In line service, type MX Torpedo tenders were usually preferred for their larger coal and water capacities. The result was that by the time the Class 19D was withdrawn from service in the late 1980s, many had exchanged their Type MP1 or Type MR tenders for Type MX Torpedo tenders and vice versa. Type MX Torpedo tenders also ended up attached to Class 19B and Class 19C locomotives.
The Class 19D was the most numerous South African branch line locomotive and, at 235 built for the SAR, was only twenty less in number than the Class 15F mainline locomotive, the most numerous South African steam class. The Class 19D was very versatile and saw main- and branch line service all over South Africa with the exception of the Western Cape, where the Class 19C was used.
Tasks varied from mainline local and international passenger trains on the section between Warrenton and Mafeking en route between South Africa and Northern Rhodesia via Bechuanaland and Southern Rhodesia, to secondary and branch line duties and in later years as shunting engines. On occasion, South African Class 19D locomotives worked through from Mafikeng in South Africa via Botswana all the way to Bulawayo in Zimbabwe. SAR Class 19D locomotives were also hired out for shunting work to the Rhodesia Railways for use at Beit Bridge and to Mozambique for use at Lourenco Marques.
From c. 1972, the new Union Carriage & Wagon-built Blue Train was stabled at Pretoria. After Capital Park’s blue-liveried Class S2 no. 3793 was withdrawn along with the rest of its class in 1979-1980, the Pretoria station carriage-shunt duties were taken over by a blue-painted Class 19D no. 2749, the only member of the class to serve in a different SAR livery from the usual black. Apart from shunting work, the blue Dolly was often specially requested to work the Cullinan train during the Jacaranda season.
The Class 19D served until right at the end of the South African steam era and were amongst the last steam locomotives to be replaced by electric and diesel-electric traction.

Other operators

Other Southern African railways and some industries also purchased locomotives built to the Class 19D design. When these foreign versions are included, a total of 268 locomotives were built to the Class 19D design making them even more numerous than the Class 15F.

Benguela Railway

Six were built for the Caminho de Ferro de Benguela in Angola by NBL in 1951, as their 11th Class and numbered in the range from 401 to 406. These locomotives were wood- or coal-fired, depending on where they were operating, and had tenders with slatted frames installed on top of the bunker to increase their fuel capacity when wood was used. In August 1972, for example, numbers 401, 402 and 406 were based at Lobito and were observed to be coal-fired. At the same time, numbers 403 and 405 were observed at Luso and no. 404 at Nova Lisboa, all wood-fired.

Rhodesia Railways

Between 1951 and 1953, Henschel and Son built twenty for Rhodesia Railways, their 19th class, numbered in the range from 316 to 335. They had tenders similar to the SAR Torpedo type, but with plate frame bogies instead of cast frame Buckeye bogies.
A single RR 19C class, no. 336, was built by Henschel in 1953 as a condensing locomotive. After a collision in 1956, it was rebuilt into a non-condensing 19th Class and re-entered service in 1958. The condensing tender was rebuilt to a Torpedo tender by mounting a tank and coal bunker, supplied locally in Bulawayo, on the frame. This rebuilt tender is the one paired with no. 330 which is preserved in the Bulawayo Railway Museum.
By June 1975, only three were left in service, all allocated to the Bulawayo shed, but with two out-stationed at Mafeking in South Africa.

Nkana Mines

Two were built by Henschel for the Nkana copper mines in Northern Rhodesia in 1952, numbered 107 and 108. In 1967, they were sold to a Rhodesian scrap merchant who, in turn, sold them to Rhodesia Railways where they were overhauled and placed back in service in 1968 as RR 19B Class no. 337 and 338.

Wankie Colliery

In 1955 four more without superheating and numbered in the range from 1 to 4 were built to the design of the Class 19D by NBL for the Wankie Colliery in Southern Rhodesia.

Industrial

As they were being retired, several Class 19D locomotives were sold into industrial service. By the late 1980s, some of them were already at work at Dunn's, Saiccor, Loraine Gold Mine and Bamangwato Concessions Ltd. in Botswana, and more were to follow.
As late as 2011, two Class 19Ds which had been used on the Vaal Reefs Gold Mine in the 1980s until they were retired and dumped at Jan Kempdorp where they stood unprotected for about twenty years, were bought by BCL Selebi-Phikwe. The locomotives, possibly numbers 2678 and 2689, were to be overhauled for use by the mine there, which was still operating ex-SAR Class 19D and ex-RR 19th class locomotives. By June 2012, the first of these two was put into service. However the mine closed in late 2016 putting the entire fleet out of work and now up for sale.

''Red Devil'' predecessor

As a trial run before SAR mechanical engineer David Wardale was granted permission to proceed to rebuild a Class 25NC locomotive to the Class 26 Red Devil in 1979, he was allowed to carry out modifications to a Class 19D locomotive. The locomotive selected for the experiment was Krupp-built no. 2644, a particularly poor-steaming member of the Class at the time.
A gas producer combustion system and dual Lempor exhaust were installed, along with some other small improvements. The Lempor had a four-jet blastpipe with extended petticoats to provide truer ejector proportions. To accommodate the arrangement, the smokebox was extended by. Steam flow in the cylinders was improved by streamlining the edges of the piston valves which were each equipped with an additional valve ring to reduce leakage. The firebox was modified to the GPCS system wherein principal combustion is effected using secondary air introduced above the firebed through ducts in the firebox sides, while primary air was restricted through dampers and a redesigned grate.
Firebox turbulence was created by steam jets and clinkering was inhibited by introducing exhaust steam under the grate. Sanding was improved and de-sanding jets were installed to clean the rails after the locomotive had passed.
The modifications improved the locomotive's steaming rate and enabled it to achieve significantly higher power and significantly lower fuel consumption than other unmodified Class 19D locomotives, the coal savings and increased output being in the order of 20% to 25%. The success of this experiment convinced the SAR management at the time of the viability of the project which culminated in the Class 26 Red Devil.

Preservation

Of the Class 19D, several survived into preservation. By 2018
Number Works nmr.THF / PrivateLeaselend / OwnerCurrent LocationOutside South Africa?
2510Krupp 1622PrivateMunicipalityBarkly East
2526Borsig 14643PrivateWaterval-Boven Locomotive Depot
2534Borsig 14651PrivateMunicipalityNaboomspruit
2540 *Borsig 14657THFReefsteamersGermiston Locomotive Depot
2541Borsig 14658PrivateMunicipalityPotgietersrus Domeles Boiler
2633Skoda 928PrivateSandstone Heritage TrustSandstone Heritage Trust
2637Skoda 932THFUmgeni Steam RailwayMasons Mill Locomotive Depot
2640 *Skoda 935THFVoorbaai Locomotive Depot
2649 *Krupp 1829THFGeorge Locomotive DepotLast steam locomotive to be used on the Outiniqua choo tjoe
2650 *Krupp 1830THFWonder Steam TrainsHermanstad Domeles Boiler
2654 *Krupp 1834PrivateSandstone Heritage TrustBloemfontein Locomotive DepotOPERATIONAL
2656 *Krupp 1836PrivateMunicipalityJan Kempdorp Domeles Boiler
2666 *Krupp 1849THFQueenstown Locomotive DepotDomeles Boiler
2669Krupp 1852THFPatons Country RailwayCreighton OPERATIONAL Domeles Boiler
2678 *Krupp 1861PrivateSelebi-Phikwe copper mineSelebi-PhikweBotswana
2682Borsig 14738PrivateMunicipalitySchweizer-Reneke
2683Borsig 14734THFVoorbaai Locomotive Depot
2685Borsig 14736PrivateUmgeni Steam RailwayKloofstation OPERATIONAL
2688Borsig 14739PrivateMunicipalityWarrenton Domeles Boiler
2689 *Borsig 14740PrivateSelebi-Phikwe copper mineSelebi-PhikweBotswana
2690 *Borsig 14741PrivateMunicipalityWakkerstroom
2695Borsig 14746PrivateIan WelchPlimmertonNew Zealand
2696 *Borsig 14747PrivateMunicipalityVolksrust
2698 *Borsig 14749THFVoorbaai Locomotive Depot
2702 *Borsig 14753PrivateRovos RailCapital Locomotive Depot
2709Borsig 14760THFKrugersdorp Locomotive DepotDomeless Boiler
2711Borsig 14765PrivateNorth West Agricultural MuseumLichtenburg
2714Borsig 14762THFQueenstown Locomotive Depot
2749 *RSH 7262THFVoorbaai Locomotive Depot
2765 *RSH 7278PrivateSelebi-Phikwe copper mineSelebi-PhikweBotswana
2767RSH 7280PrivateNorth British Locomotive Preservation SocietyCreighton
3321NBL 26041PrivateCeres Railway CompanyRoyal Cape Yacht ClubOPERATIONAL
3322 *NBL 26042PrivateCeres Railway CompanyRoyal Cape Yacht ClubOPERATIONAL
3323 *NBL 26043THFGeorge Locomotive Depot
3324 *NBL 26044THFVoorbaai Locomotive Depot
3325NBL 26045THFQueenstown Locomotive Depot
3327NBL 26047THFIan WelchBloemfontein Locomotive Depot
3328 *NBL 26048PrivateMunicipalityColigny
3330NBL 26050THFQueenstown Locomotive Depot
3332 *NBL 26052PrivateIan WelchBloemfontein Locomotive Depot
3334 *NBL 26054THFVoorbaai Locomotive Depot
3337NBL 26057THFQueenstown Locomotive Depot
3341 *NBL 26061PrivateSelebi-Phikwe copper mineSelebi-PhikweBotswana
3345NBL 26065THFGold Reef CityGold Reef City
3348NBL 26068THFQueenstown Locomotive Depot
3350 *NBL 26070PrivateSelebi-Phikwe copper mineSelebi-PhikweBotswanaPlinth Main Street
3356 *NBL 26076PrivateMunicipalityVryburg
3360 *NBL 26080PrivateRovos RailCapital Park Locomotive DepotOPERATIONAL
3361 *NBL 26081THFQueenstown Locomotive Depot
3364NBL 26084THFQueenstown Locomotive Depot
3366NBL 26086PrivateWonder Steam TrainsHermanstad Currently under restoration

Works numbers and renumbering

The table shows the Class 19D builders, works numbers, years built and engine numbers. Batch code symbols for the weight specifications as defined in the infobox are included in the "Notes" column.

Builder
Works
no.
Year
built
Railway
Loco
No.
Notes
Krupp16181937SAR2506♠ Domeless
Krupp16191937SAR2507♠ Domeless
Krupp16201937SAR2508♠ Domeless
Krupp16211937SAR2509♠ Domeless
Krupp16221937SAR2510♠ Domeless
Krupp16231937SAR2511♠ Domeless
Krupp16241937SAR2512♠ Domeless
Krupp16251937SAR2513♠ Domeless
Krupp16261937SAR2514♠ Domeless
Krupp16271937SAR2515♠ Domeless
Krupp16281937SAR2516♠ Domeless
Krupp16291937SAR2517♠ Domeless
Krupp16301937SAR2518♠ Domeless
Krupp16311937SAR2519♠ Domeless
Krupp16321937SAR2520♠ Domeless
Krupp16331937SAR2521♠ Domeless
Krupp16341937SAR2522♠ Domeless
Krupp16351937SAR2523♠ Domeless
Krupp16361937SAR2524♠ Domeless
Krupp16371937SAR2525♠ Domeless
Borsig146431937SAR2526
Borsig146441937SAR2527
Borsig146451937SAR2528
Borsig146461937SAR2529
Borsig146471937SAR2530
Borsig146481937SAR2531
Borsig146491937SAR2532
Borsig146501937SAR2533
Borsig146511937SAR2534
Borsig146521937SAR2535
Borsig146531937SAR2536
Borsig146541937SAR2537
Borsig146551937SAR2538
Borsig146561937SAR2539
Borsig146571937SAR2540
Borsig146581937SAR2541
Borsig146591937SAR2542
Borsig146601937SAR2543
Borsig146611937SAR2544
Borsig146621937SAR2545
Škoda9211938SAR2626
Škoda9221938SAR2627
Škoda9231938SAR2628
Škoda9241938SAR2629
Škoda9251938SAR2630
Škoda9261938SAR2631
Škoda9271938SAR2632
Škoda9281938SAR2633 Saiccor no. 2
Škoda9291938SAR2634
Škoda9301938SAR2635
Škoda9311938SAR2636
Škoda9321938SAR2637
Škoda9331938SAR2638
Škoda9341938SAR2639
Škoda9351938SAR2640
Krupp18211938SAR2641
Krupp18221938SAR2642
Krupp18231938SAR2643
Krupp18241938SAR2644
Krupp18251938SAR2645
Krupp18261938SAR2646
Krupp18271938SAR2647
Krupp18281938SAR2648
Krupp18291938SAR2649
Krupp18301938SAR2650
Krupp18311938SAR2651
Krupp18321938SAR2652
Krupp18331938SAR2653
Krupp18341938SAR2654
Krupp18351938SAR2655
Krupp18361938SAR2656
Krupp18371938SAR2657
Krupp18381938SAR2658
Krupp18391938SAR2659
Krupp18401938SAR2660
Krupp18411938SAR2661
Krupp18421938SAR2662
Krupp18431938SAR2663
Krupp18471939SAR2664
Krupp18481939SAR2665
Krupp18491939SAR2666
Krupp18501939SAR2667
Krupp18511939SAR2668
Krupp18521939SAR2669
Krupp18531939SAR2670
Krupp18541939SAR2671
Krupp18551939SAR2672
Krupp18561939SAR2673
Krupp18571939SAR2674
Krupp18581939SAR2675
Krupp18591939SAR2676
Krupp18601939SAR2677
Krupp18611939SAR2678 Selebi-pikwe LO812 or LO813
Krupp18621939SAR2679
Krupp18631939SAR2680
Borsig147321938SAR2681
Borsig147331938SAR2682
Borsig147341938SAR2683
Borsig147351938SAR2684
Borsig147361938SAR2685
Borsig147371938SAR2686
Borsig147381938SAR2687
Borsig147391938SAR2688
Borsig147401938SAR2689 Selebi-pikwe LO812 or LO813
Borsig147411938SAR2690
Borsig147421938SAR2691
Borsig147431938SAR2692
Borsig147441938SAR2693
Borsig147451938SAR2694
Borsig147461938SAR2695
Borsig147471938SAR2696
Borsig147481938SAR2697 Saiccor no. 1
Borsig147491938SAR2698
Borsig147501938SAR2699
Borsig147511938SAR2700
Borsig147521938SAR2701
Borsig147531938SAR2702
Borsig147541938SAR2703
Borsig147551938SAR2704
Borsig147561938SAR2705
Borsig147571938SAR2706
Borsig147581938SAR2707
Borsig147591938SAR2708
Borsig147601938SAR2709
Borsig147611938SAR2710
Borsig147621938SAR2711
Borsig147631938SAR2712
Borsig147641938SAR2713
Borsig147651938SAR2714
Borsig147661938SAR2715
Borsig147671938SAR2716
Borsig147681938SAR2717
Borsig147691938SAR2718
Borsig147701938SAR2719
Borsig147711938SAR2720
RSH71911945SAR2721
RSH71921945SAR2722
RSH71931945SAR2723
RSH71941945SAR2724
RSH71951945SAR2725
RSH71961945SAR2726
RSH71971945SAR2727
RSH71981945SAR2728
RSH71991945SAR2729
RSH72001945SAR2730
RSH72441945SAR2731
RSH72451945SAR2732
RSH72461945SAR2733
RSH73601945SAR2734 RSH 7247's replacement
RSH72481945SAR2735
RSH72491945SAR2736
RSH72501945SAR2737
RSH72511945SAR2738
RSH72521945SAR2739
RSH72531945SAR2740
RSH72541945SAR2741
RSH72551945SAR2742
RSH72561945SAR2743
RSH72571945SAR2744
RSH72581945SAR2745
RSH72591945SAR2746
RSH72601945SAR2747
RSH72611945SAR2748
RSH72621945SAR2749
RSH72631945SAR2750
RSH72641945SAR2751
RSH72651945SAR2752
RSH72661945SAR2753
RSH72671945SAR2754
RSH72681945SAR2755
RSH72691945SAR2756
RSH72701945SAR2757
RSH72711945SAR2758
RSH72721945SAR2759
RSH72731945SAR2760
RSH72741945SAR2761
RSH72751945SAR2762
RSH72761945SAR2763
RSH72771945SAR2764
RSH72781945SAR2765 selebi-pikwe LO805
RSH72791945SAR2766
RSH72801945SAR2767 Saiccor no. 3
RSH72811945SAR2768
RSH72821945SAR2769
RSH72831945SAR2770
NBL260411948SAR3321
NBL260421948SAR3322
NBL260431948SAR3323
NBL260441948SAR3324
NBL260451948SAR3325
NBL260461948SAR3326
NBL260471948SAR3327
NBL260481948SAR3328
NBL260491948SAR3329
NBL260501948SAR3330
NBL260511948SAR3331
NBL260521948SAR3332
NBL260531948SAR3333
NBL260541948SAR3334
NBL260551948SAR3335
NBL260561948SAR3336
NBL260571948SAR3337
NBL260581948SAR3338 Selebi-pikwe LO808
NBL260591948SAR3339
NBL260601948SAR3340
NBL260611948SAR3341 Selebi-pikwe LO807
NBL260621948SAR3342
NBL260631948SAR3343
NBL260641948SAR3344
NBL260651948SAR3345
NBL260661948SAR3346
NBL260671948SAR3347
NBL260681948SAR3348
NBL260691948SAR3349
NBL260701948SAR3350 Selebi-pikwe LO806
NBL260711948SAR3351
NBL260721948SAR3352
NBL260731948SAR3353
NBL260741948SAR3354
NBL260751948SAR3355
NBL260761948SAR3356
NBL260771948SAR3357
NBL260781948SAR3358
NBL260791948SAR3359
NBL260801948SAR3360
NBL260811948SAR3361
NBL260821948SAR3362
NBL260831948SAR3363
NBL260841948SAR3364
NBL260851948SAR3365
NBL260861948SAR3366
NBL260871948SAR3367
NBL260881948SAR3368
NBL260891948SAR3369
NBL260901948SAR3370
NBL269591951CFB401
NBL269601951CFB402
NBL269611951CFB403
NBL269621951CFB404
NBL269631951CFB405
NBL269641951CFB406
Henschel273861951RR316
Henschel273871951RR317
Henschel273881951RR318
Henschel273891951RR319
Henschel273901952RR320
Henschel273911952RR321
Henschel273921952RR322
Henschel273931952RR323
Henschel273941952RR324
Henschel273951952RR325
Henschel273961952RR326
Henschel273971952RR327
Henschel273981952RR328
Henschel273991952RR329
Henschel274001952RR330
Henschel274011952RR331
Henschel274021952RR332
Henschel274031952RR333
Henschel274041952RR334
Henschel274051952RR335
Henschel274091952Nkana107RR Class 19B no. 337
Henschel274101952Nkana108RR Class 19B no. 338
Henschel274111953RR336RR Class 19C
NBL275571955Wankie1
NBL275581955Wankie2
NBL275591955Wankie3
NBL275601955Wankie4

Illustration

The main picture shows Umgeni Steam Railway's Borsig-built no. 2685 with a domed boiler and a Type MX Torpedo tender at Inchanga Yard on 30 July 2006. The following pictures serve to illustrate Class 19D models from the various builders as well as boiler and tender variations.