South African Class 19A 4-8-2

The South African Railways Class 19A 4-8-2 of 1929 was a steam locomotive.

In 1929, the South African Railways placed 36 Class 19A steam locomotives with a 4-8-2 Mountain type wheel arrangement in service. Five of them were later reboilered and reclassified to Class 19AR.^[1][2][3][4]

Manufacturer

The Class 19A 4-8-2 Mountain type steam locomotive was a later modified version of the successful Class 19 which was introduced a year earlier. Thirty-six Class 19A engines were delivered by Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works (SLM) of Winterthur in 1929, numbered in the range from 675 to 710.^[2][5][6]

Characteristics

Col F.R. Collins DSO

Like the Class 19, the Class 19A also had Walschaerts valve gear and a bar frame. Col F.R. Collins DSO, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the South African Railways (SAR) at the time, redesigned the Class 19 to achieve a lighter axle loading, by reducing the coupled wheel diameters from 54 to 51 inches (1,372 to 1,295 millimetres), reducing the cylinder diameter from 21 to 19 ¹⁄₂ inches (533 to 495 millimetres) and by using a slightly smaller boiler.^[1][2][5]

The reduction in axle load was arranged to suit some of the lighter branchlines and, as part of the weight reduction, the Class 19A was delivered with a new smaller Type MP tender, with a fuel capacity of 9 long tons 4 hundredweight (9.3 tonnes), a water capacity of 4,250 imperial gallons (19,300 litres) and a maximum axle load of 12 long tons 17 hundredweight 2 quarters (13,080 kilograms). The leading coupled wheels had flangeless tyres, but these were later flanged.^[2]

While the aim was to reduce the locomotive's total weight for use on some of the more lightly laid branchlines, the actual achieved weight saving was a mere four tons, which could hardly have justified the cost of redesigning.^[5]

The trailing bissel truck was constructed with three holes to enable the compensating beam to be fitted at three locations, which enabled it to be used to redistribute the engine's weight on the trailing axle. The axle load weights as listed for the Class 19A are with the trailing truck compensating beam pin in the leading of the three holes. The axle load weights as listed for the Class 19AR are with the trailing truck compensating beam pin in the centre of the three holes.^[1][3][4]

Watson Standard boilers

From the 1930s, many serving locomotives were reboilered with a standard boiler type, designed by then CME A.G. Watson as part of his standardisation policy. Such Watson Standard reboilered locomotives were reclassified by adding an "R" suffix to their classification.^[3][4][6]

Five Class 19A locomotives, numbers 678, 693, 696, 700 and 706, were reboilered with Watson Standard no. 1A boilers and designated Class 19AR. In the reboilering process, at least two of the Class 19AR locomotives, numbers 693 and 696, received domeless boilers from the first batch of Class 19D locomotives, which were delivered new with domeless Watson Standard boilers.^[3][4][5][6]

The reboilered Class 19AR locomotives gained less than a ton in weight during the modification process. While most locomotive classes which were reboilered with Watson Standard boilers were simultaneously equipped with Watson cabs with slanted fronts, some of the Class 19AR locomotives retained their original cabs with vertical fronts.^[7]

On the reboilered Class 19AR there were, in fact, three versions of cab, since no. 696 had a slanted cab from the running board up and the remains of the squared front cab from the running board down. Apart from the slanted front of the Watson cab, an obvious difference between an original and a Watson Standard reboilered locomotive is usually the cover of the multiple valve regulator which is situated in the smokebox, the rectangular object visible just to the rear of the chimney on the reboilered locomotive.^[3][4]

Service

South African Railways

The Class 19A fleet initially served on all systems of the SAR, but were later based mainly at Mason's Mill, Estcourt and Glencoe in Natal, at East London, Queenstown and Burgersdorp in the Eastern Cape, at Cape Town in the Western Cape and a few in the Western Transvaal.^[5]

No. 700 was written off after an accident and, by 1977, the rest were all withdrawn from Railways service. Numbers 685, 692 and 693 are known to still survive, no. 685 staged in the open at Queenstown in the Eastern Cape, no. 692 plinthed at Sterkstroom in the Eastern Cape and no. 693 staged at Millsite in Krugersdorp.^[5][6][8][9]

The number plate of no. 685, depicted alongside as it is displayed in the Outeniqua Transport Museum in George, is incorrectly inscribed "19AR" since that locomotive was retired without being reboilered with a Watson Standard boiler. The engine was photographed, still with its original boiler, as late as April 1970, fifteen years into electrification and dieselisation of the SAR and with steam traction already largely relegated to shunting and pickup work.

Similarly, the picture of the Class 19A rusting in peace at Queenstown, shown below with the number 693 hand-painted on the cabside, is actually of Class 19A no. 685. It still has an as-delivered boiler while no. 693 was reboilered with a domeless Class 19D boiler. Both locomotives had been set aside by the Transnet Heritage Foundation for preservation, with no. 685 staged at Queenstown and no. 693 at Millsite in Krugersdorp, but each somehow had the other's number painted on their cabsides when their number plates were removed.^[8]

Industrial

After being retired from SAR service, several of these locomotives were sold into a second career in industrial service.^[5]

• Numbers 678 and 683 went to Tweefontein United Collieries. No. 678 later went to Witbank Consolidated Collieries.
• No. 679 went to Apex Mines at Greenside, later to the Fluor for Sasol plant and eventually to Dunn's.
• Numbers 684 and 691 went to Gledhow Sugar Mill where they were named "Umvoti" and "Blythedale" respectively. No. 684 later went to Umgala Colliery.
• Numbers 689 and 707 went to Platberg Colliery.
• No. 710 went to Butakon Limited, then to Southern Cross Steel Company in Middelburg, Transvaal, and eventually to Umgala Colliery at Utrecht in Natal.

Illustration

The main picture shows Class 19A no. 685 at De Aar on 16 October 1978, at the time recently retired and earmarked for preservation. The same locomotive is shown twice more below, still in service at East London and then staged in the open at Queenstown in the Eastern Cape, with sundry parts missing and incorrectly marked as no. 693.

• 
  Works picture of no. 699, c. 1929
• 
  A Class 19A locomotive shortly after entering service, at Paardeneiland in Cape Town, circa 1930
• 
  Class 19A no. 685 at the East London Locoshed in Cambridge, still with its original boiler, 16 April 1970
• 
  Class 19A no. 685 at Queenstown, 26 April 2013, incorrectly marked as reboilered Class 19AR no. 693
• 
  Class 19A no. 705 at the East London Locoshed in Cambridge, 16 April 1970
• 
  Class 19AR no. 693, reboilered with a domeless Watson Standard boiler from a first-batch Class 19D, Queenstown c. 1969

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to South African Class 19A (4-8-2).

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

South African steam locomotive tenders
Cape gauge	Type CL Type CZ Type ET Type ET1 Type EW Type EW1 Type EW2 Type FT Type GT Type HT Type JT Type JT1 Type JV Type KT Type LP Type MP Type MP1 Type MR Type MS Type MT Type MT1 Type MT2 Type MX Type MY Type MY1 Type SH Type SK Type TJ Type TL Type TM Type WE Type WG Type X-17 Type X-20 Type XC Type XC1 Type XD Type XE Type XE1 Type XF Type XF1 Type XF2 Type XJ Type XM Type XM1 Type XM2 Type XM3 Type XM4 Type XP1 Type XS Type YB Type YC Type YE Type YE1 Type ZA Type ZB Type ZC Type ZE
List of South African locomotive classes South African locomotive history