15 May 2009

Naboomspruit (Mookgophong), Municipal Offices, SAR Class 19D No 2534

In April 2008, Mathilda Williams, who is living in the US since 1998, with husband and family, visited her parents in South Africa. You may view her 2008 South African pictures in this Pbase gallery.

As Mathilda loves taking pictures of rusty subjects, she spent some time at the steam engine plinthed at the local Municipal Offices in Louis Trighardt Ave., Naboomspruit.

Unless indicated otherwise, all photo's below are courtesy Mathilda Williams.



Before WW II, 135 engines of Class 19D were delivered by Krupp, Borsig and Skoda.

The Class 19D was very much like the Class 19C, but the rotary cam valve gear was dispensed with and replaced by Walschearts. These engines became Class 19D and in every other respect were identical to the Class 19C.

The very first batch of 19D's, delivered in 1937 & 1938, were 30 locomotives numbered 2506-2545, this plinthed locomotive was one of these. These locomotives came in two variations - some had a domeless boiler - and others a standard boiler. No 2534 has a standard boiler with a dome - visible in the picture above.


SAR Locomotive no 2534 was built in 1937 by Borsig as works no 14651.

Immediately after the war, a further 50 Class 19D's were supplied by Robert Stephenson and Hawthorn Ltd. These were similar to the pre-war 19D, except they were fitted with vacuum brakes.



The steam pressure gauge.



The final order of 50 engines of this class was from North British Locomotive Co in 1949 and fitted with a new type of tender known as the Vanderbilt. This locomotive plinthed in Naboomspruit has the traditional square shaped tender.



These versatile locomotives saw extensive service on every system of the SAR, and were amongst the last steam locomotives to be withdrawn from active service.

From the past when Class 19D sister engines were still in steam:


photo: Leith Paxton : No. 2508 [Krupp 1620/1936] 1st order Standard Boiler at Queenstown Loco Depot 4 October 1969


photo: Leith Paxton : No. 2523 [Krupp 1635/1937] 1st order Domeless Boiler at Bloemfontein Loco Depot 21 March 1970

1 comment:

  1. Thank you for the very informative blog, I have always wondered what the full story is behind our locomotive. I do know that when this loco was retired the municipality had to lay track and drove it to it's current location, I memory serves it was about 1969.

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