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South African Class GF 4-6-2+2-6-4
No. 2427 at Mason's Mill, 6 July 1962
Type and origin ♠ Locomotives built by Hanomag ♥ Locomotives built by Henschel & Maffei Power type Steam Designer South African Railways (Col F.R. Collins DSO) Builder Hanomag Henschel and Son Maffei Serial number Hanomag 10512-10548 Henschel 21053-21070 Maffei 5748-5757 Model Class GF Build date 1927-1928 Total produced 65
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-6-2+2-6-4 (Double Pacific)  • UIC 2'C1'+1'C2'h4t Driver 2nd & 5th coupled axles Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge Leading dia. 30 in (762 mm) Coupled dia. 54 in (1,372 mm) Trailing dia. 30 in (762 mm) Wheelbase 69 ft 9 in (21,260 mm) ​  • Engine 23 ft 7 in (7,188 mm) each  • Leading 6 ft 2 in (1,880 mm) each  • Coupled 9 ft 6 in (2,896 mm) each Pivot centres 33 ft 2 in (10,109 mm) Length: ​  • Over couplers 77 ft 1 in (23,495 mm) Height 12 ft 10 in (3,912 mm) Frame type Bar Axle load ♠ 14 LT (14,220 kg) ♥ 14 LT 4 cwt (14,430 kg) ​  • Leading ♠ 18 LT 1 cwt (18,340 kg) front 19 LT 3 cwt (19,460 kg) rear ♥ 17 LT 7 cwt (17,630 kg) front 19 LT 3 cwt (19,460 kg) rear  • 1st coupled ♠ 13 LT 13 cwt (13,870 kg) ♥ 13 LT 19 cwt (14,170 kg)  • 2nd coupled ♠ 13 LT 9 cwt (13,670 kg) ♥ 13 LT 15 cwt (13,970 kg)  • 3rd coupled ♠ 13 LT 13 cwt (13,870 kg) ♥ 13 LT 19 cwt (14,170 kg)  • 4th coupled ♠ 13 LT 19 cwt (14,170 kg) ♥ 14 LT 4 cwt (14,430 kg)  • 5th coupled ♠ 13 LT 16 cwt (14,020 kg) ♥ 13 LT 19 cwt (14,170 kg)  • 6th coupled ♠ 14 LT (14,220 kg) ♥ 14 LT 4 cwt (14,430 kg)  • Trailing ♠ 11 LT 7 cwt (11,530 kg) front 12 LT 4 cwt (12,400 kg) rear ♥ 12 LT 3 cwt (12,340 kg) front 12 LT 8 cwt (12,600 kg) rear Adhesive weight ♠ 82 LT 10 cwt (83,820 kg) ♥ 84 LT (85,350 kg) Loco weight ♠ 143 LT 5 cwt (145,500 kg) ♥ 145 LT 11 cwt (147,900 kg) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 10 LT (10.2 t) (light rail) 11 LT 10 cwt (11.7 t) (Johannesburg-Mafeking) Water cap. 3,000 imp gal (13,600 L) front 1,000 imp gal (4,550 L) rear Firebox: ​  • Type Round-top  • Grate area 44 sq ft (4.1 m) Boiler: ​  • Pitch 7 ft 9 in (2,362 mm)  • Diameter 6 ft 2+3⁄4 in (1,899 mm)  • Tube plates 11 ft 8+5⁄8 in (3,572 mm)  • Small tubes 234: 2 in (51 mm)  • Large tubes 36: 5+1⁄2 in (140 mm) Boiler pressure 185 psi (1,276 kPa) Safety valve Pop Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 176 sq ft (16.4 m)  • Tubes 2,043 sq ft (189.8 m)  • Arch tubes 23 sq ft (2.1 m)  • Total surface 2,242 sq ft (208.3 m) Superheater: ​  • Heating area 473 sq ft (43.9 m) Cylinders Four Cylinder size 16 in (406 mm) bore 26 in (660 mm) stroke Valve gear Heusinger Valve type Piston Couplers AAR knuckle
Performance figures Tractive effort 34,200 lbf (152 kN) @ 75%
Career Operators South African Railways Class Class GF Number in class 65 Numbers 2370-2434 Delivered 1927-1928 First run 1927 Withdrawn 1979

The South African Railways Class GF 4-6-2+2-6-4 of 1927 was an articulated steam locomotive.

In 1927, the South African Railways placed 37 Class GF Garratt steam locomotives with a 4-6-2+2-6-4 Double Pacific type wheel arrangement in service. A further 28 locomotives were delivered from two manufacturers in 1928.

Manufacturers

During the term of office of Colonel F.R. Collins DSO as Chief Mechanical Engineer of the South African Railways (SAR) from 1922 to 1929, articulated locomotives were in great favour in South Africa, to the extent that the Railway Board of the day instructed that non-articulated engines should only be ordered in exceptional circumstances.

The specifications for the Class GF 4-6-2+2-6-4 Garratt locomotive were prepared by Colonel Collins and an order for 37 locomotives was placed with Hannoversche Maschinenbau AG (Hanomag) in Germany. They were delivered in December 1927 and numbered in the range from 2370 to 2406.

A second order for eighteen locomotives was placed with Henschel and Son in 1927. They were delivered in October 1928, numbered in the range from 2407 to 2424.

This was followed by a third order, placed with Maffei in 1928, for a final batch of ten locomotives. They were delivered in November of that same year and numbered in the range from 2425 to 2434.

• Gf 2401
• Col F.R. Collins DSO
• Gf

Characteristics

The locomotives were superheated, had bar frames, piston valves and used Walschaerts valve gear. The Class GF was the only Double Pacific type Garratt to see service on the SAR and, until the arrival of the Class GMA, was the most numerous Garratt locomotive class in SAR service. It was designed as a mixed traffic locomotive for use on branch lines and secondary mainlines throughout the country.

As built, the Class GF had inside bearings in their two-wheeled trailing trucks and considerable trouble was experienced with hot-boxes on these axles. Once these were modified to outside bearings, they proved to be very successful locomotives. Their good turn of speed and reasonably high tractive effort made the class a good utility locomotive.

Cabside number plates

From the establishment of the SAR in 1910, cabside engine number plates were inscribed "SOUTH AFRICAN RAILWAYS" in English only. This was still the case when the Class GF entered service, as seen on a Hanomag works picture of no. 2370. After the Official Languages of the Union Act No 8 of 1925 was passed on 8 May 1925, bilingual English and Afrikaans cabside number plates began to appear on locomotives, initially inscribed "SOUTH AFRICAN RAILWAYS" at the top and "SUID AFRIKANSE SPOORWEË" at the bottom, as shown. The Afrikaans spelling conventions were changed from time to time in the early years. On postage stamps, for example, it was "Zuid Afrika" from 1913, "Suidafrika" from the airmail stamps of 1925 and hyphenated "Suid-Afrika" from 1933. On cabside number plates, the Afrikaans inscription was later altered to "SUID AFRIKAANSE SPOORWEË" with the spelling of "AFRIKANSE" changed to "AFRIKAANSE", and still later to "SUID-AFRIKAANSE SPOORWEË" hyphenated.

Service

South African Railways

The Class GF saw service on many lines in Natal, Transvaal, the Orange Free State and the Eastern Cape. In Eastern Transvaal, they were stationed at Nelspruit to work the branches to Graskop and Plaston. Along with the Class GE, some worked out of Johannesburg via Krugersdorp and Zeerust on the Mafeking line. Here, they were allowed to carry an increased coal load of 11 long tons 10 hundredweight (11.7 tonnes), compared to the 10 long tons (10.2 tonnes) which they were allowed on lighter rail elsewhere.

The bulk of the Class GF fleet worked in Natal. They were used extensively on the Verulam and other North Coast local passenger services. Some were stationed at Empangeni to work the sugar cane traffic from Mtubatuba, while most were based at Mason's Mill to work the various branches which radiated from Pietermaritzburg. They worked a daily passenger train from Franklin to Kokstad, but on the other branches they were mainly used on goods and mixed train service.

By June 1964, Greyville was still allocated nine Class GFs which were used mainly on local passenger and pick-up goods trains. Apart from four which were sold and two which were scrapped after collisions, the Class GF were all still in stock by 1972, although not all were still in operation. The last one in SAR service was scrapped in 1979.

Mozambique

Four of the Class GF, numbers 2370, 2419, 2420 and 2432, were sold to the Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique where they were designated the Series 911, numbered in the range from 911 to 914.

Industrial

Several of the Class GF locomotives were sold into mining service upon retirement. Most went to the Enyati Railway where, in later years, some were equipped with diesel-driven air brake equipment which was installed in a cage behind the coal bunker, since some of the SAR's air braked coal export block trains originated on the Enyati. As far as is known, the locomotives in industrial service were the following:

• Numbers 2371, 2377, 2378, 2386. 2387, 2399, 2404, 2415, 2417, 2425 and 2429 went to the Enyati Railway of Enyati Collieries.
• No. 2433 went to Transvaal Navigation Collieries.
• One locomotive went to Tweefontein United Collieries and is believed to have later been transferred to Enyati.

Knuckle couplers

In 1927, the SAR began to convert the couplers of its Cape Gauge rolling stock from the Johnston link-and-pin coupling system which had been in use since the establishment of the Cape Government Railways in 1873, to AAR knuckle couplers. Judging from contemporary photographs as well as the official SAR Locomotive Diagram Book and the dimensional locomotive drawings as published by Holland, which were for the most part based on the original as-delivered and unmodified loco­motives, the Class GF locomotives were delivered new with knuckle couplers fitted, as were the Classes 18, GCA, HF and U which also entered service in 1927.

Conversion of all rolling stock would take several years and both coupler types could still be seen on rolling stock into the late 1950s. During the transition period, knuckle couplers on locomotives had a horizontal gap and a vertical hole in the knuckle itself to accommodate a link and a pin respectively. This enabled them to couple to vehicles which were still equipped with the older Johnston couplers.

Knuckle couplers had first been used in South Africa more than two decades earlier. The Central South African Railways (CSAR) introduced Gould knuckle couplers on the rolling stock of its Limited Express and Imperial Mail passenger trains in 1904. The Limited Express operated between Pretoria and Johannesburg while the Imperial Mail operated between Pretoria and Cape Town. These knuckle-couplers also had split knuckles to accommodate coupling to the old Johnston couplers with a link and pin, since the CSAR retained the old couplers on all their locomotives to keep them compatible with their own goods and older passenger rolling stock as well as with that from the other railways it connected with.

Preservation

Of the Class GF Garratts, three survived into preservation. By 2020 this was their status.

Illustration

• Works picture of Hannoversche Maschinenbau AG-built no. 2370, the first of the Class GF with English-only cabside number plates, c. 1927
• No. 2401 at the Outeniqua Transport Museum, George, 15 April 2013
• Class GF no. 2401 between Swellendam and Bonnievale, c. 2001
• Class GF no. 2401, here named Cathy, at Grahamstown depot, c. 1991
• No. 2401 with a Class GMAM on the Union Limited, Buffeljagsrivier, c. 2001

References

1. ^ Holland, D. F. (1972). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. Vol. 2: 1910-1955 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, England: David & Charles. pp. 54–56. ISBN 978-0-7153-5427-8.
2. ^ Espitalier, T.J.; Day, W.A.J. (1946). The Locomotive in South Africa - A Brief History of Railway Development. Chapter VII - South African Railways (Continued). South African Railways and Harbours Magazine, January 1946. p. 13.
3. ^ Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. p. 92. ISBN 0869772112.
4. Henschel-Lieferliste (Henschel & Son works list), compiled by Dietmar Stresow
5. ^ Hamilton, Gavin N., The Garratt Locomotive - Garratt Locomotives from Other Builders, retrieved 10 November 2012
6. ^ Durrant, AE (1989). Twilight of South African Steam (1st ed.). Newton Abbott: David & Charles. p. 113. ISBN 0715386387.
7. ^ South African Railways & Harbours/Suid Afrikaanse Spoorweë en Hawens (15 Aug 1941). Locomotive Diagram Book/Lokomotiefdiagramboek, 3'6" Gauge/Spoorwydte. SAR/SAS Mechanical Department/Werktuigkundige Dept. Drawing Office/Tekenkantoor, Pretoria. p. 32.
8. ^ South African Railways & Harbours/Suid Afrikaanse Spoorweë en Hawens (15 Aug 1941). Locomotive Diagram Book/Lokomotiefdiagramboek, 2'0" & 3'6" Gauge/Spoorwydte, Steam Locomotives/Stoomlokomotiewe. SAR/SAS Mechanical Department/Werktuigkundige Dept. Drawing Office/Tekenkantoor, Pretoria. p. 32.
9. Hefferman, Lutz (1997). The South African Stamp Colour Catalogue (21st ed.). Lutz Hefferman, P.O. Box 567, Johannesburg, 2000, R.S.A. pp. 37, 39, 45.
10. Soul of A Railway, System 7, Western Transvaal, based in Johannesburg, Part 24: Krugersdorp-Zeerust-Mafeking (Home Signal), Part 1 by Les Pivnic. Introduction: Engine Power. (Accessed on 5 May 2017)
11. Soul of A Railway, System 6, Part 1: Durban Old Station. Caption 44. Archived 24 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine (Accessed on 8 March 2017)
12. Soul of A Railway, System 6, Part 2: Greyville Loco, Greyville Station to Umgeni & Berea Road to Rossburgh. Caption 41. Archived 2 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine (Accessed on 26 November 2016)
13. Soul of A Railway, System 8, Part 1: Pretoria: including local services, workshops and running sheds, Part 1. Captions 8, 13. Archived 19 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine (Accessed on 15 March 2017)

v t e 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 Standard 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 Cape 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 Cape 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 Cape 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 TFR Class 23E
Gas-electric	SAR Gas-electric
Diesel	Cape 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 TFR Class 45-000 2' gauge Diesel–electric SAR Class 91-000 Cape gauge Diesel–hydraulic SAR Class 61-000 Cape gauge Electro-diesel Spoornet Class 38-000
List of South African locomotive classes South African locomotive numbering and classification

• Steam locomotives of South Africa
• F.R. Collins locomotives
• 4-6-2+2-6-4 locomotives
• 2C1+1C2 locomotives
• Hanomag locomotives
• Henschel locomotives
• Maffei locomotives
• Garratt locomotives
• Cape gauge railway locomotives
• Railway locomotives introduced in 1927
• 1927 in South Africa