South African Class S2 0-8-0

Career
Career
Operators	South African Railways
Class	Class S2
Number in class	100
Numbers	3701-3800
Delivered	1952-1953
First run	1952
Withdrawn	1985

Performance figures
Performance figures
Maximum speed	25 mph (40 km/h)
Tractive effort	25,300 lbf (113 kN) @ 75%

South African Class S2 0-8-0
South African Class S2 0-8-0
	Cape gauge
Coupled dia.	48 in (1,219 mm)
Tender wheels	34 in (864 mm)
Wheelbase	51 ft 2+5⁄8 in (15,611 mm)
• Engine	12 ft 9 in (3,886 mm)
• Tender	24 ft 7+1⁄4 in (7,499 mm)
• Tender bogie	8 ft 8 in (2,642 mm)
Length:;
• Over couplers	63 ft 3+3⁄4 in (19,298 mm)
Height	12 ft 4 in (3,759 mm)
Frame type	Cast
Axle load	13 LT (13,210 kg)
• 1st coupled	13 LT (13,210 kg)
• 2nd coupled	12 LT 6 cwt (12,500 kg)
• 3rd coupled	11 LT 4 cwt 3 qtr (11,420 kg)
• 4th coupled	11 LT 2 cwt 3 qtr (11,320 kg)
• Tender bogie	Bogie 1: 26 LT 15 cwt 3 qtr (27,220 kg); Bogie 2: 26 LT 12 cwt 1 qtr (27,040 kg)
• Tender axle	8 LT 18 cwt 2 qtr (9,068 kg)
Adhesive weight	47 LT 13 cwt 2 qtr (48,440 kg)
Loco weight	47 LT 13 cwt 2 qtr (48,440 kg)
Tender weight	54 LT 8 cwt (55,270 kg)
Total weight	102 LT 1 cwt 2 qtr (103,700 kg)
Tender type	MY1 (Buckeye 3-axle bogies)
Fuel type	Coal
Fuel capacity	8 LT (8.1 t)
Water cap.	4,200 imp gal (19,100 L)
Firebox:
• Type	Round-top
• Grate area	30 sq ft (2.8 m2)
Boiler:;
• Pitch	8 ft 4 in (2,540 mm)
• Diameter	4 ft 6+7⁄8 in (1,394 mm)
• Tube plates	13 ft 5+3⁄8 in (4,099 mm)
• Small tubes	91: 2 in (51 mm)
• Large tubes	18: 5+1⁄2 in (140 mm)
Boiler pressure	195 psi (1,344 kPa)
Safety valve	Pop
Heating surface:
• Firebox	113 sq ft (10.5 m2)
• Tubes	979 sq ft (91.0 m2)
• Total surface	1,092 sq ft (101.5 m2)
Superheater:;
• Heating area	330 sq ft (31 m2)
Cylinders	Two
Cylinder size	18 in (457 mm) bore; 26 in (660 mm) stroke
Valve gear	Walschaerts
Valve type	Piston
Couplers	AAR knuckle

The 3rd coupled axle had flangeless wheels

The South African Railways Class S2 0-8-0 of 1952 was a steam locomotive.

In 1952 and 1953, the South African Railways placed one hundred Class S2 shunting steam locomotives with a 0-8-0 wheel arrangement in service.^[1]^[2]

Design specifications

By 1952, the need arose for shunting locomotives with a light axle load for harbour work, where most of the trackwork was laid with light rail. Under the direction of L.C. Grubb, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the South African Railways (SAR) from 1949 to 1954, specifications were prepared for a light locomotive with the 0-8-0 wheel arrangement which had already been proven successful with the Classes S and S1 shunting engines. To keep the total weight of the engine and tender down to approximately 100 long tons (101.6 tonnes), it was to be equipped with the Watson Standard no. 1 boiler, the smallest of the standard boilers.^[1]^[2]

Manufacturer

When tenders were called for, a number of firms responded, but all except one stated that it would not be possible to construct the locomotive within the stipulated weight. Only the firm of Friedrich Krupp AG of Essen in Germany undertook to build the locomotives to the required specifications.^[1]

When design work commenced after the signing of the contract, however, it was discovered that the other tendering firms had been correct and that the locomotives could not be built within the specified weight limit, if the specifications were to be adhered to. It was eventually agreed that Krupp should design a suitable smaller boiler which would bring the locomotive's weight down to a level which would be in line with the stipulated maximum. The end result was an engine which had the appearance of a

Cape gauge locomotive with a narrow gauge boiler, particularly when viewed from the front.^[1]^[2]

One hundred Class S2 locomotives were subsequently built by Krupp and delivered in 1952 and 1953, numbered in the range from 3701 to 3800. Even with the smaller Krupp-designed boiler, the locomotive's eventual working order weight was still more than 2 long tons (2.0 tonnes) over the desired maximum.[1]^[2]^[3]

Characteristics

The locomotive had Walschaerts valve gear and was superheated. Its cast steel frame was a single casting with separately attached cylinders. As built, the third coupled axle had flangeless wheels to negotiate the tight curves found in docks.^[1]

Like the

Buckeye bogies to reduce the axle load, but was much shorter than the Type MX tender of the Class 19D and with a different coal bunker top design than that of the Type MY tender of the Class 24. As was done with the tenders of the Classes S and S1, the top sides of the coal bunker were scalloped out to improve the crew's rearward field of vision.^[2]^[3]

Service

Most of the Class S2 locomotives were placed in shunting service in the

Port Elizabeth harbours where they replaced a variety of aged 4-6-0, 4-8-0 and 4-8-2T locomotives. Although about twenty were also allocated to yards on the Witwatersrand and in the Eastern Transvaal where they were employed in light general shunting, the Class S2 became synonymous with harbour shunting from their arrival in 1952 right through to the end of steam in 1982.^[2]^[4]^[5]

In Cape Town, 23 Class S2 engines were initially allocated to Paarden Island where they replaced a variety of aged Class 6 locomotives in dock shunting. They also relieved larger locomotives like Class 3R and others from shunting to be dedicated to pickup work and hauler service between the harbour and the Bellville yard. Due to being restricted to a maximum speed of 25 miles per hour (40 kilometres per hour), the Class S2 was considered unsuitable for the dual role of hauling and shunting. Their number in Cape Town rose to more than thirty by the mid-1970s, when eleven engines would handle the dock shunting on a daily basis and six or seven could often be seen coupled together going to and from Paarden Eiland shed at shift changes.^[4]

In 1972, two new Blue Train sets built by Union Carriage & Wagon in Nigel entered service and were stabled at Capital Park in Pretoria. Class S2 no. 3793 served as carriage shunt engine at Capital Park at the time and was painted in blue livery to match the Blue Train stock. It was eventually replaced by Class 19D no. 2749 which was also painted blue.^[5]^[6]

During 1981, four Class S2 locomotives were hired to Mozambique for dock shunting in Maputo.^[5]

With one exception, the whole Class S2 fleet was withdrawn from service between 1979 and 1982. The last Class S2 locomotive in service was the shed pilot at Waterval Boven, which remained in service until 1985. In Cape Town and Durban they were replaced by Class 36-000 or Class 36-200 light general purpose diesel-electric locomotives, but in Port Elizabeth their initial replacements were older steam locomotives of larger capacity.^[2]^[5]

Commemoration

A 10c postage stamp depicting a Class S2 locomotive was one of a set of four commemorative postage stamps that were issued by the South African Post Office on 27 April 1983 to commemorate the steam locomotives of South Africa which were rapidly being withdrawn from service at the time. The artwork and stamp design was by the noted stamp designer and artist Hein Botha.^[7]

The particular locomotive depicted was no. 3781. The outline of a traditional SAR locomotive number plate was used as a commemorative cancellation for De Aar on the date of issue.^[7]

Preservation

Of the Class S2, three survived into preservation. By 2018

Number	Works nmr	THF / Private	Leaselend / Owner	Current Location
3706	Krupp 2971	THF	Transnet Heritage Foundation	Outiniqua Transport Museum
3765	Krupp 3030	THF		Krugersdorp Locomotive Depot
3778	Krupp 3043	Private	Railway Society of South Africa	Masons Mill Locomotive Depot

Illustration

One locomotive, no. 3706, was preserved in the

George

.

No. 3728 in Table Bay Harbour yard, August 1973
No. 3744 in Table Bay Harbour yard, August 1973
No. 3706 at Millsite, c. 1990
No. 3706 at Millsite, c. 1990

References

^
ISBN 978-0-7153-5427-8
.

^
ISBN 0869772112
.

^ ^a ^b South African Railways and Harbours Locomotive Diagram Book, 2'0" & 3'6" Gauge Steam Locomotives, 15 August 1941, as amended
^ ^a ^b Soul of A Railway, System 1, Part 16: Table Bay Harbour © Les Pivnic. Captions 109, 111, 117, 119, 120. Archived 24 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine (Accessed on 30 June 2017)
^
ISBN 0715386387
.

^ Soul of A Railway, System 8, Part 2: Pretoria: including local services, workshops and running sheds, Part 2. Captions 39, 40, 53. Archived 25 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine (Accessed on 18 March 2017)
^ ^a ^b Philatelic Bulletin 176, issued by Philatelic Services and INTERSAPA, 1983

[Holland_2-1] 
ISBN 978-0-7153-5427-8
.

[Paxton-Bourne-2] 
ISBN 0869772112
.

[diagram-book-3] South African Railways and Harbours Locomotive Diagram Book, 2'0" & 3'6" Gauge Steam Locomotives, 15 August 1941, as amended

[Soul_of_a_Railway_1-16-4] Soul of A Railway, System 1, Part 16: Table Bay Harbour © Les Pivnic. Captions 109, 111, 117, 119, 120. Archived 24 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine (Accessed on 30 June 2017)

[Durrant-5] 
ISBN 0715386387
.

[Soul_of_a_Railway_8-2-6] Soul of A Railway, System 8, Part 2: Pretoria: including local services, workshops and running sheds, Part 2. Captions 39, 40, 53. Archived 25 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine (Accessed on 18 March 2017)

[Philbullet-7] Philatelic Bulletin 176, issued by Philatelic Services and INTERSAPA, 1983

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[5]

[6]

[7]

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

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