South African Class NG6 4-4-0

The South African Railways Class NG6 4-4-0 of 1895 was an ex-Mozambican narrow gauge steam locomotive from the Beira Railway era.

Between 1895 and 1898, Pauling and Company placed 42 Falcon-built types F2 and F4 tender steam locomotives with a 4-4-0 American type wheel arrangement in service on the two feet narrow gauge line which was being constructed for the Beira Railway in Mozambique. In 1915, thirteen of these locomotives were acquired by the South African Railways to replace locomotives which had been commandeered by the Union Defence Forces for use in German South West Africa during the First World War.^[1][2]

At the end of the war, these locomotives were staged, but in 1921 they were placed back in service by the South African Railways. When a system of grouping narrow gauge locomotives into classes was eventually introduced somewhere between 1928 and 1930, they were designated Class NG6.^[2][3]

The Beira Railway

Construction of the first 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge railway in Southern Africa began in 1892. This was the 370-kilometre long (230-mile) line of the narrow gauge Beira Railway which eventually stretched from Beira in Mozambique to Umtali across the Rhodesian border. The border was reached in October 1897 and the full line to Umtali was opened to traffic on 4 February 1898. The work was undertaken by Pauling and Company and was subcontracted to Alfred Lawley.^[2][4]

Manufacturers and characteristics

Falcon works plate

Between 1895 and 1898, the Beira Railway placed 42 Falcon types F2 and F4 tender steam locomotives with a 4-4-0 American type wheel arrangement in service, supplied in six batches by Falcon Engine and Car Works Limited in England and the Glasgow Railway Engineering Company in Scotland. In service, these locomotives were soon nicknamed Lawleys, after the Beira Railway construction subcontractor.^[2][3]

Falcon F2

Falcon F2

The first of the Falcon F2 loco­motives differed from later models of its class by having a cab which was similar to the Beira Railway's earlier three 0-6-0 locomotives, with two rectangular louvred cab windows on each side. Its boiler dome was fitted with a Salter safety valve. The locomotive was delivered by Falcon in 1895 and was numbered BR4.^[4]

A further five F2 locomotives were ordered from Falcon and were also delivered in 1895, numbered in the range from BR5 to BR9. They differed in appearance from the first F2 locomotive by having larger single cab windows.^[4]

Falcon F4

Falcon F4

The next six locomotives which were ordered from Falcon in 1896, were of an altered design. The Falcon F4 was larger and heavier than the F2, with the running boards stepped down below the cab, a larger tube heating surface in the boiler, single slidebars, straight lipped funnels, Ramsbottom safety valves over the fireboxes, and a tractive effort which was increased from the 3,000 pounds-force (13 kilonewtons) at 75% of boiler pressure of the F2 to 3,987 pounds-force (18 kilonewtons). They were numbered in the range from BR10 to BR15 and could pull 180 long tons (183 tonnes) up the ruling gradients, compared to the 160 long tons (163 tonnes) which the F2 could manage.^[4]

At the end of 1896, another four of these engines were delivered from Falcon, numbered in the range from BR16 to BR19. They were similar to the previous batches, but had larger three-axle tenders with an increased water capacity.^[4]

The last sixteen Falcon-built locomotives were all delivered in 1897, numbered in the range from BR20 to BR35. All these Falcon-built F2 and F4 locomotives bore their engine numbers on the sandboxes on their running boards, in the form of individual brass letters and numbers.^[4]

Glasgow F4

The construction of the last batch of ten F4 locomotives was subcontracted by Falcon to the Glasgow Railway Engineering Company in Scotland. They were built and delivered in 1898, numbered in the range from BR36 to BR45. The Glasgow locomotives had wasp-waisted safety valves and their engine numbers, also mounted on the sandboxes, were cast oval brass plates.^[4]

The manufacturing company in Glasgow was formed by Dugald Drummond in 1891, as Dugald Drummond and Sons. In 1895, when Dugald left to take up the post as locomotive engineer of the London and South Western Railway, the name of the business was changed to the Glasgow Railway Engineering Company, with his sons continuing to manage the works. While the earlier locomotives were known as the Falcon F2 and Falcon F4, this last batch of Glasgow-built locomotives were often referred to as the Drummond F4, in spite of its builder's name change.^[4][5]

Fowler tenders

In addition to the three-axle tenders which were delivered with all the F2 and F4 locomotives, two larger bogie tenders were ordered from John Fowler and Company of Leeds. One of these was attached to no. BR5 after its three-axle tender was wrecked in an accident. Both these bogie tenders later turned up in South Africa, attached to numbers BR6 and BR8.^[4]

Service

Beira Railway

In service, it turned out that the Lawleys were not adequate to the task. Since rapid growth in traffic soon overwhelmed the narrow gauge line, it was widened to Cape gauge by 1900. As a result, the whole Lawley locomotive fleet, together with the rest of the Beira Railway's narrow gauge locomotives, were staged at Bamboo Creek (Villa Machado) near Beira, with the exception of those locomotives which were required for the Ayrshire Railway which was still under construction at the time.^[1][2][4]

Ayrshire Railway

The Ayrshire Railway used much of the redundant Beira Railway equipment, including six of the F4 locomotives, one of them Falcon-built and the other five Glasgow-built. They remained in service there until this line was also converted to Cape gauge in 1914 and became the Sinoia branch of the Beira, Mashonaland and Rhodesia Railway.^[4]

Union Defence Force

During the First World War, when South African forces conducted a campaign to drive German forces from Deutsch-Südwest-Afrika (DSWA), narrow gauge locomotives were urgently required on the Otavi Railway in that territory to replace those which were destroyed by the retreating German forces. Several South African Railways (SAR) locomotives from the various narrow gauge lines were therefore commandeered by the Union Defence Forces (UDF). To replace these, thirteen of the Lawleys in staging at Bamboo Creek were purchased by the South African Department of Defence and brought to South Africa in 1915. They were renumbered in the range from NG96 to NG108 and, after being repaired, nine of them were placed in service while the other four were cannibalised for spare parts.^[1][2][3][4]

• Numbers NG96, NG97 and NG98 were placed in service on the Hopefield line from Kalbaskraal to Saldanha.
• Numbers NG101, NG102 and NG103 were placed in service on the Langkloof line from Port Elizabeth to Avontuur.
• Numbers NG104, NG105 and NG106 were placed in service on the various Natal branches.^[4]

As the DSWA campaign drew to a close and many of the ex-German narrow gauge locomotives were repaired, the SAR locomotives on active service gradually returned to their home lines in South Africa. As a result, the Lawleys were staged once again after less than two years of service in South Africa.^[2]

South African Railways

In 1921, Lawley numbers NG101 and NG102 were re-commissioned and placed in SAR service on the branchline from Pienaarsrivier to Pankop, off the mainline between Pretoria and Pietersburg. The Lawleys were the smallest tender steam locomotives to ever see service on the SAR. They performed quite well on this line, since the branch was a light railway with slow speeds and small rolling stock.^[1][2][3]

During 1924, construction commenced on the narrow gauge branchline between Upington and Kakamas in the Northern Cape Province and, during 1925, on the branch from Fort Beaufort to Seymour in the Eastern Cape. The remaining Lawleys were then also recovered from storage and placed in service once again. They remained in service when these branchlines were opened to traffic, even though it was usually only in a standby capacity.^[2][3]

Also in 1924, Lawley no. NG98 joined the Dutton road-rail tractors on the narrow gauge line from Naboomspruit to Singlewood. By 1927, it was joined by no. NG103, but by this time the Singlewood branch was being regauged to Cape gauge and, by 11 June 1928, it was extended to Zebediela.^[6][7][8]

The system of grouping narrow gauge locomotives into classes was adopted by the SAR somewhere between 1928 and 1930 and, at that point, the Lawley locomotives were designated Class NG6. The steady increase in loads on the narrow gauge branches eventually once again proved to be more than the Lawleys were capable of and they were eventually withdrawn. The last one, no. NG103, was retired in 1935.^[2][9]

Industrial

Several Lawleys were sold into private use with some surviving in service until 1957, often being sold or resold between users. Known users were, amongst others, Premier Portland Cement in Bulawayo, the Rhodesian Native Timber Concessions at Gwaai, the Cam and Motor Mine at Gatooma, the Selukwe Peak Light Railway of the Selukwe Chrome Mine, the Lupane Forest Estates, the Igusi Saw Mills and the Arcturus Mine east of Salisbury, all these in Rhodesia. In South Africa, some went to the Zebediela citrus plantations in the northern Transvaal.^[2][4]

Works numbers

Since frames, boilers and tenders were exchanged between locomotives during the process of building nine serviceable locomotives from the thirteen which were purchased from Bamboo Creek in 1915, the original identities of these locomotives were not always accurately recorded. The Lawley locomotive models, builders and works numbers are listed in the table, which includes the engine numbers of those SAR locomotives of which the Beira Railway engine numbers are known.^[4]

Preservation

Two locomotives have been restored to running condition at the Sandstone Estates near Ficksburg in the Free State. One is Falcon F2 no. BR6, later SAR no. NG106, which was restored by Sandstone as no. BR7 in the original green Beira Railway livery, while the other is Falcon F4 no. BR25, later SAR no. NG97, which was restored in the black SAR livery.

Illustration

The main picture shows the restored Falcon F2, Beira Railway no. BR6, SAR no. NG106, restored as no. BR7, at Sandstone Estates on 9 April 2006. Those following also illustrate Lawleys in SAR service.

• 
  SAR F2 no. NG106, ex no. BR6, with a Fowler tender, Fort Beaufort, c. 1930
• 
  SAR F2 no. NG105, ex no. BR8, with a Fowler tender, Fort Beaufort, c. 1930
• 
  No. BR6, SAR F2 no. NG106, Sandstone Estates, 9 April 2006

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to South African Class NG6 4-4-0.

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