CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1883

The Cape Government Railways 3rd Class 4-4-0 of 1883 was a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape of Good Hope.

In 1882, the Cape Government Railways placed orders with Neilson and Company for eighteen 3rd Class tender locomotives with a 4-4-0 American type wheel arrangement. They were intended for fast passenger service on all three Cape Systems and were delivered early in 1883.^[1][2][3]

Manufacturer

Eighteen 4-4-0 American type tender passenger locomotives were delivered to the Cape Government Railways (CGR) from Neilson and Company in 1883. They were numbered in the ranges from W77 to W88 for the Western System, E15 and E16 for the Eastern System and M80 to M83 for the Midland system. They had been ordered in 1882 for passenger service out of Cape Town, East London and Port Elizabeth respectively and were equipped with six-wheeled tenders.^[1][2][4]

Characteristics

The locomotive's slide valves were arranged above the inclined cylinders and were actuated by Joy valve gear, which had been invented in 1879 by David Joy, the Locomotive Superintendent of the Oxford, Dorchester and Wolverhampton Railway. Joy valve gear did not make use of eccentrics like the Stephenson Link valve gear which had hitherto been used and which, at times, proved to be troublesome.^[3]

The Roscoe-type lubricator to lubricate the cylinders was affixed on top of the smokebox to the rear of the chimney, since this position was convenient for obtaining a good connection with the main steam pipes.^[3]

The locomotives were equipped with Adams' Vortex blast pipes. These had an outer annular orifice for steam and an inner circular opening for exhaust gases and formed the upper portion of a bell-mouth scoop. The lower portion of the scoop was open towards the bottom rows of tubes so that the draught though them was increased. The vortex blast pipes were, however, removed after a few years since it was found to choke up more readily than an ordinary blast pipe.^[3]

Service

The locomotives became known as the Four-coupled Joys, from the Joy valve gear that they were equipped with. One of the locomotives is known to have been named Sir Hercules, after Hercules Robinson, 1st Baron Rosmead, who had succeeded Sir Henry Bartle Frere as High Commissioner for Southern Africa in 1880 and after whom two towns in South Africa were named. The named engine was no. 83, which was either the Midland System's no. M83 or the Western System's no. W83. All these locomotives were later designated 3rd Class when a locomotive classification system was introduced by the CGR.^[1]

Cape Government Railways

As was usual practice with passenger locomotives on the CGR, the engines were painted green and had polished brass domes. In service, the Joy valve gear proved unsatisfactory and three of the Western System's locomotives were later converted to Stephenson valve gear at the CGR's Salt River shops in Cape Town. Even though this improved their performance, the modification was not carried out on any of the other locomotives.^[1][3]

At the time the Four-coupled Joy locomotives entered service in 1883, the Eastern System mainline from East London was open as far as Queenstown with a branch to King William's Town, the two Midland System main­lines from Port Eliza­beth were respectively open to Graaff Reinet and approaching Rosmead via Cradock with a branch to Grahamstown, while the Western System mainline from Cape Town was approaching De Aar with a branch to Malmesbury.^[5]

All these locomotives were renumbered at times during the CGR era. By 1886, the system prefixes had been done away with. The locomotives on the Western System retained their numbers, while the Midland System's locomotives were renumbered to the range from 180 to 183. The Eastern System's two locomotives were renumbered from E15 and E16 to 610 and 611 respectively. By 1888, after the three systems had been linked up at De Aar on 31 March 1884, the Midland System's locomotives were renumbered once again, to the range from 89 to 92, following on from the numbers of the Western System's locomotives.^[1][2][5]

Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwerment-Spoorwegen

In late 1896, some of these locomotives were sold to the Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwerment-Spoorwegen, where they retained their classification as 3rd Class. The sale most probably involved the five locomotives whose numbers were absent from the CGR roster for the first time by year-end 1896, as listed in the table. These engines were later fitted with the Tilney-design extended type of smokebox with spark arresters.^[1][6]

South African Railways

When the Union of South Africa was established on 31 May 1910, the three Colonial government railways (CGR, Natal Government Railways and Central South African 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 was only implemented with effect from 1 January 1912.^[5][7]

By 1912, only one of these locomotives survived, the Eastern System's no. 611. It was considered obsolete by the SAR, designated Class 03 and renumbered to 0611. By 1918, it had been scrapped.^[2][4][7]

Works numbers

The works numbers, original numbers and renumbering of the Cape 3rd Class of 1883 are listed in the table.^[1][2][7]

Illustration

• 
  Midland System no. 180, ex no. M80, later no. 89, c. 1886
• 
  Western System no. 84, decorated in honour of Queen Victoria's jubilee, c. 1887
• 
  Western System no. W87, c. 1883

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1883.

Locomotives of the Cape of Good Hope
7' ¼" gauge	East London 0-4-0VB Table Bay 0-4-0ST Table Bay 0-4-0T Table Bay 0-4-0WT
4' 8½" gauge	Cape 0-4-0T Cape 0-4-2 Cape 2-4-0T CGR 0-4-0ST Aid
3' 6" gauge	CGR 0-4-0ST 1873 CGR 0-4-0ST 1874 CGR 0-4-0ST 1881 CGR 0-4-0ST 1881 Coffee Pot CGR 0-6-0ST CGR 0-6-0T CGR 2-6-0ST 1900 CGR 2-6-0ST 1902 CGR 1st Class 0-4-0ST 1875 CGR 1st Class 0-4-0ST 1876 CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1876 BP CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1876 Kitson CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1879 CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1891 CGR 1st Class 2-6-0ST CGR 1st Class 4-4-0 CGR 1st Class 4-4-0T CGR 1st Class 4-4-0TT CGR 2nd Class 2-6-2TT CGR 2nd Class 4-4-0T CGR 3rd Class 2-6-0T CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1883 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1884 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1889 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1898 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1901 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1903 CGR 4th Class 4-4-2 CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1880 CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1882 CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1882 Joy CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1884 CGR 5th Class 1890 CGR 5th Class 1891 CGR 6th Class 1893 CGR 6th Class 1896 CGR 6th Class 1897 CGR 6th Class 1898 CGR 6th Class 1900 CGR 6th Class 1901 Baldwin CGR 6th Class 1901 Schenectady CGR 6th Class 1901 Neilson's CGR 6th Class 1902 CGR 6th Class 1904 CGR 6th Class 2-6-2 CGR 6th Class 2-6-4 CGR 7th Class 1892 CGR 7th Class 1896 CGR 7th Class 1902 CGR 8th Class 1901 CGR 8th Class 1902 CGR 8th Class 2-8-0 1903 CGR 8th Class 4-8-0 1903 CGR 8th Class 4-8-0 1903 Exp CGR 8th Class 2-8-0 1904 CGR 8th Class 4-8-0 1904 CGR 9th Class 1903 CGR 9th Class 1906 CGR 10th Class CGR Fairlie CGR Karoo 1903 CGR Karoo 1904 CGR Karoo Compound CGR Kitson-Meyer CGR Mountain 4-8-2 CGR Railmotor CGR Tandem Compound 1902 CGR Tandem Compound 1903 Kowie Railway 0-6-0T Kowie Railway 4-4-0T Metropolitan & Suburban 4-6-2T NCCR 7th Class 1899 NCCR 7th Class 1913 Port Elizabeth 0-4-0ST
2' 6" gauge	Cape Copper 0-6-0T Cape Copper Britannia Cape Copper Caledonia Cape Copper Clara Cape Copper Condenser Cape Copper Scotia Namaqua Copper Pioneer Walvis Bay Hope
2' gauge	CGR Baldwin 2-6-0 CGR NG 0-4-0T CGR NG 0-6-0T CGR NG 4-6-2T CGR Type A CGR Type B CGR Type C
List of South African locomotive classes South African locomotive history

Locomotives of the Central South African Railways
3' 6" gauge	CSAR 0-6-0ST 1896 CSAR 4-6-0T 1887 CSAR Class 6-L1 CSAR Class 6-L2 CSAR Class 6-L3 CSAR Class 7 CSAR Class 8-L1 CSAR Class 8-L2 CSAR Class 8-L3 CSAR Class 9 CSAR Class 10 1904 CSAR Class 10 1910 CSAR Class 10-2 Saturated CSAR Class 10-2 Superheated CSAR Class 10-C CSAR Class 11 CSAR Class B 0-6-4T CSAR Class C 2-8-4T CSAR Class D CSAR Class E 4-8-0TT CSAR Class E 4-8-2T CSAR Class E 4-10-2T CSAR Class F CSAR Class M CSAR Mallet Saturated CSAR Mallet Stoker CSAR Mallet Superheated CSAR Rack 4-6-4RT CSAR Railmotor IMR 0-6-0ST 1896 IMR 4-6-0T 1887 IMR 46 Tonner 0-6-4T IMR 55 Tonner 2-6-4T IMR 7th Class 4-8-0 IMR 8th Class 4-8-0 IMR Reid Tenwheeler 4-10-2T IMR Western Australian 2-8-4T NZASM 10 Tonner NZASM 13 Tonner NZASM 14 Tonner NZASM 18 Tonner NZASM 19 Tonner NZASM 32 Tonner NZASM 40 Tonner NZASM 46 Tonner OVGS 1st Class 4-4-0TT OVGS 2nd Class 2-6-0 OVGS 2nd Class 2-6-0ST OVGS 3rd Class 4-4-0 OVGS 4th Class G 4-6-0 OVGS 5th Class K 4-6-0 1890 OVGS 5th Class K 4-6-0 1891 OVGS 6th Class L 4-6-0 OVGS 6th Class L2 4-6-0 OVGS 6th Class L3 4-6-0 PPR 0-4-0ST Natal PPR 26 Tonner PPR 35 Tonner Portuguese PPR 55 Tonner
2' gauge	CSAR Pankop
List of South African locomotive classes South African locomotive history

Locomotives of South Africa
Steam	7' ¼" gauge East London 0-4-0VB Table Bay 0-4-0ST Table Bay 0-4-0T Table Bay 0-4-0WT 4' 8½" gauge Cape 0-4-0T Blackie Cape 0-4-2 Cape 2-4-0T CGR 0-4-0ST Aid Natal 0-4-0ST Durban Natal 0-4-0WT Natal Natal 4-4-0T Perseverance 3' 6" gauge Tank engines CGR 0-4-0ST 1873 CGR 0-4-0ST 1874 CGR 0-4-0ST 1881 CGR 0-4-0ST 1881 Coffee Pot CGR 0-6-0ST CGR 0-6-0T CGR 2-6-0ST 1900 CGR 2-6-0ST 1902 CGR 1st Class 0-4-0ST 1875 CGR 1st Class 0-4-0ST 1876 CGR 1st Class 2-6-0ST CGR 1st Class 4-4-0T CGR 2nd Class 4-4-0T CGR 3rd Class 2-6-0T CGR Railmotor CSAR Class C CSAR Class E CSAR Rack 4-6-4RT CSAR Railmotor Durban's Congella Durban's Edward Innes Durban's John Milne Durban's Sir Albert Port Elizabeth 0-4-0ST Kowie Railway 0-6-0T Kowie Railway 4-4-0T Metropolitan & Suburban 4-6-2T NGR 2-6-0T Durban & Pietermaritzburg NGR Class I 2-6-2T NGR Class K 0-4-0ST NGR Class K 0-6-0ST NGR Class K 2-6-0T NZASM 10 Tonner NZASM 13 Tonner NZASM 14 Tonner NZASM 18 Tonner NZASM 19 Tonner NZASM 32 Tonner NZASM 40 Tonner PPR 26 Tonner PPR 35 Tonner Portuguese SAR Class A SAR Class B SAR Class C SAR Class C1 SAR Class C2 SAR Class D SAR Class E SAR Class F SAR Class G SAR Class H SAR Class H1 SAR Class H2 SAR Class J SAR Class K SAR Railmotor SAR Dock 0-4-0ST SAR Dock 0-4-0T SWA 2-8-0T 3' 6" gauge Tender engines CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1876 BP CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1876 Kitson CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1879 CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1891 CGR 1st Class 4-4-0 CGR 1st Class 4-4-0TT CGR 2nd Class 2-6-2TT CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1883 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1884 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1889 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1898 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1901 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1903 CGR 4th Class 4-4-2 CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1880 CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1882 CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1882 Joy CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1884 CGR 5th Class 4-6-0 1890 CGR 5th Class 4-6-0 1891 NGR Havelock NGR Class I SAR Class Exp 1 SAR Class Exp 2 SAR Class Exp 3 SAR Class Exp 4 SAR Class Exp 5 SAR Class Exp 6 SAR Class S SAR Class S1 SAR Class S2 SAR Class 1 SAR Class 1A SAR Class 1B SAR Class 2 SAR Class 2C SAR Class 3 SAR Class 3A SAR Class 3B SAR Class 4 SAR Class 4A SAR Class 5 SAR Class 5A SAR Class 5B SAR Class 6 SAR Class 6A SAR Class 6B SAR Class 6C SAR Class 6D SAR Class 6E SAR Class 6F SAR Class 6G SAR Class 6H SAR Class 6J SAR Class 6K SAR Class 6L SAR Class 6Y SAR Class 6Z SAR Class 7 SAR Class 7A SAR Class 7B SAR Class 7C SAR Class 7D SAR Class 7E SAR Class 7F SAR Class 8 SAR Class 8A SAR Class 8B SAR Class 8C SAR Class 8D SAR Class 8E SAR Class 8F SAR Class 8R SAR Class 8X SAR Class 8Y SAR Class 8Z SAR Class 9 SAR Class 10 SAR Class 10A SAR Class 10B SAR Class 10C SAR Class 10D SAR Class 11 SAR Class 12 SAR Class 12A SAR Class 12B SAR Class 13 SAR Class 14 SAR Class 14A SAR Class 14B SAR Class 14C 1st SAR Class 14C 2nd SAR Class 14C 3rd SAR Class 14C 4th SAR Class 15 SAR Class 15A SAR Class 15B SAR Class 15C SAR Class 15CA SAR Class 15E SAR Class 15F SAR Class 16 SAR Class 16A SAR Class 16B SAR Class 16C SAR Class 16D SAR Class 16DA 1928 SAR Class 16DA 1930 SAR Class 16E SAR Class 17 SAR Class 18 SAR Class 19 SAR Class 19A SAR Class 19B SAR Class 19C SAR Class 19D SAR Class 20 SAR Class 21 SAR Class 23 SAR Class 24 SAR Class 25 SAR Class 25NC SAR Class 26 SAR Katanga SWA 2-8-0 3' 6" gauge Articulated engines CGR Fairlie CGR Kitson-Meyer SAR Class FC SAR Class FD SAR Class GA SAR Class GB SAR Class GC SAR Class GCA SAR Class GD SAR Class GDA SAR Class GE SAR Class GEA SAR Class GF SAR Class GG SAR Class GH SAR Class GK SAR Class GL SAR Class GM SAR Class GMA SAR Class GO SAR Class HF SAR Class KM SAR Class MA SAR Class MB SAR Class MC SAR Class MC1 SAR Class MD SAR Class ME SAR Class MF SAR Class MG SAR Class MH SAR Class MJ SAR Class MJ1 SAR Class U 2' 6" gauge Cape Copper John King & Miner Cape Copper Britannia Cape Copper Caledonia Cape Copper Clara Cape Copper Condenser Cape Copper Scotia Namaqua Copper Pioneer Walvis Bay 2-4-2T Hope 2' & 600mm gauges ACR Class NG-G16A CGR NG 0-4-0T CGR NG 0-6-0T CGR NG 4-6-2T CGR Type A 2-6-4T CGR Type C 0-4-0T NGR Class N 4-6-2T SAR Dutton SAR NG 0-4-0T SAR Class NG1 SAR Class NG2 SAR Class NG3 SAR Class NG4 SAR Class NG5 SAR Class NG6 SAR Class NG7 SAR Class NG8 SAR Class NG9 SAR Class NG10 SAR Class NG-G11 SAR Class NG-G12 SAR Class NG-G13 SAR Class NG-G14 SAR Class NG15 SAR Class NG-G16 SWA Class Ha SWA Class Hb SWA Class Hc SWA Class Hd SWA Jung SWA Zwillinge
Electric	Amcoal Class E38 SAR Class ES SAR Class ES1 SAR Class Exp-AC SAR Class 1E SAR Class 2E SAR Class 3E SAR Class 4E SAR Class 5E s1 SAR Class 5E s2 SAR Class 5E s3 SAR Class 5E1 s1 SAR Class 5E1 s2 SAR Class 5E1 s3 SAR Class 5E1 s4 SAR Class 5E1 s5 SAR Class 6E SAR Class 6E1 s1 SAR Class 6E1 s2 SAR Class 6E1 s3 SAR Class 6E1 s4 SAR Class 6E1 s5 SAR Class 6E1 s6 SAR Class 6E1 s7 SAR Class 6E1 s8 SAR Class 6E1 s9 SAR Class 6E1 s10 SAR Class 6E1 s11 SAR Class 7E SAR Class 7E1 SAR Class 7E2 s1 SAR Class 7E2 s2 SAR Class 7E3 s1 SAR Class 7E3 s2 Spoornet Class 7E4 SAR Class 8E SAR Class 9E s1 SAR Class 9E s2 SAR Class 10E SAR Class 10E1 s1 Spoornet Class 10E1 s2 SAR Class 10E2 SAR Class 11E SAR Class 12E Spoornet Class 14E Spoornet Class 14E1 TFR Class 15E Spoornet Class 16E Spoornet Class 17E Spoornet Class 18E s1 TFR Class 18E s2 TFR Class 19E TFR Class 20E TFR Class 21E TFR Class 22E
Gas-electric	SAR Gas-electric
Diesel	3' 6" gauge Diesel-electric PRASA Class Afro 4000 SAR Class DS SAR Class DS1 SAR Class 31-000 SAR Class 32-000 SAR Class 32-200 SAR Class 33-000 SAR Class 33-200 SAR Class 33-400 SAR Class 34-000 SAR Class 34-200 SAR Class 34-400 SAR Class 34-500 SAR Class 34-600 SAR Class 34-800 SAR Class 34-900 SAR Class 35-000 SAR Class 35-200 SAR Class 35-400 SAR Class 35-600 TFR Class 35-800 SAR Class 36-000 SAR Class 36-200 SAR Class 37-000 Spoornet Class 39-000 TFR Class 39-200 TFR Class 43-000 TFR Class 44-000 2' gauge Diesel-electric SAR Class 91-000 3' 6" gauge Diesel-hydraulic SAR Class 61-000 3' 6" gauge Electro-diesel Spoornet Class 38-000
List of South African locomotive classes South African locomotive numbering and classification