old STEAM LOCOMOTIVES in South Africa: * Warrenton

27 October 2009

Warrenton, Town, SAR Class 19D no. 2688

Warrenton town June 2010: Photo courtesy of Jacque & John Wepener.

In the sar-L group Dave Richardson wrote in 2011: "This loco was plinthed in the late 80’s. I was driving to Cape Town and came across it as they steamed it from Warrenton yard to its resting place outside FNB in Warrenton. They had two track panels and just kept bringing the rear to the front, somewhere I have pics of it straddling the National Road which took about an hour to cross but it was a great interlude in the journey!"

Duties covered by the Class 19D were widespread, varying from mainline international passenger trains between Warrenton and Mafiking, through the expected range of secondary and branch line duties to, in later years, such menial tasks as shed and works shunters. A list of lines worked by class 19D locomotives would be tedious.

19-09-2009 photo courtesy the photographer André Kritzinger.

These locomotives came in two variations - some had a domeless boiler - and others a standard boiler. No 2688 above has a domeless boiler.

These versatile locomotives did extensive service on every system of the SAR.

The very first batch of 19D's, delivered in 1937 & 1938, were 30 locomotives numbered 2506-2545.

19-09-2009 photo courtesy the photographer André Kritzinger.

SAR Class 19D no. 2688

4-8-2

This plinthed locomotive #2688 was in the 2nd last batch of 19D's which was numbered 2626-2770. #2688 was built in 1938 by Borsig as works number 14739. Borsig delivered Class 19D SAR no's 2681-2720 in 1938-39.

19-09-2009 photo courtesy the photographer André Kritzinger.

The locomotive carries the name "JG YSPEERT" - he was the mechanical engineer for the Northern Cape Region, and was officed in Kimberley during the 1970's [thank you to Roelf Faurie for this info given on 3 Sept 2010]

These locomotives were identical to the class 19C, except that they were fitted with Walschaerts instead of the 19C's rotary cam valve gear.

19-09-2009 photo courtesy the photographer André Kritzinger.

In all, 135 engines of this type were delivered before the war by Krupp, Borsig and Skoda. The 20 locomotives built by Krupp had domeless boilers for reasons known only to the builders. Over a period of time most of the other locomotives in the same class also lost their domes on the boiler! After the war a final order of 50 locomotives was delivered by in 1949 by North British Locomotive Co.

The Class 19D became the most numerous SAR class for secondary services, the total built, at 235, was only 20 fewer than the 15F, the country's most numerous steam class. With such large numbers, the class was widespread throughout the SAR with the exception of the Western Cape, which used class 19C for such duties.