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South African Loco

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by Ploughman, Nov 24, 2009.

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  1. Ploughman

    Ploughman Part of the furniture

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    Just found this on Britarch.
    This is the loco featured in the Ch 5 documentary being recovered from S Africa.

    http://news.stv.tv/scotland/west-central/139612-restoration-begins-on-glasgow-steam-engine/
     
    Ploughman, Nov 24, 2009
    #1
  2. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    Just a pity they cannot make up their mind if it's a steam engine, locomotive or train.....
     
    RalphW, Nov 24, 2009
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  3. Romsey

    Romsey Part of the furniture

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    That is good news. I feared 3007 was going to quietly rot like some of the other SAR locos which have been imported. Specifically I'm thinking about the 25NC at Quainton Road and the GMAM at Coatbridge. Any updates on other SAR locos in UK would be interesting.

    Cheers, Neil
     
    Romsey, Nov 24, 2009
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  4. noelist

    noelist Member

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    It would be nice to see it in steam, is it narrow guage, I suspect it'll just be cosmetically stuffed and mounted,
     
    noelist, Nov 25, 2009
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  5. Bestieboy

    Bestieboy Member

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    It's 3ft6" I believe.
    Steve
     
    Bestieboy, Nov 25, 2009
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  6. Ploughman

    Ploughman Part of the furniture

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    Ploughman, Nov 25, 2009
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  7. jonathonag

    jonathonag Well-Known Member

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    And man, was the photo shoot for that long yesterday!

    Also, never let the marketting director of your company know you're a steam enthusiast...it was me interviewed by The Scotsman ( and also STV, hasn't appeared on tv yet though... )....most awkward day of work yet!
    It should be interesting to see what we're actually gonna be doing with the engine. I mean, we aint overhauling it....and we aint restoring it. Apparently, we've to "Conserve" it....which is supposedly a great deal different from restoring it.
    So, from what we were told yesterday, sadly it won't be in Ex-Work's condition.
     
    jonathonag, Nov 25, 2009
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  8. LN850

    LN850 Member

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    Ugly looking foreign loco though, no british style to it! :)
     
    LN850, Nov 25, 2009
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  9. Anthony Coulls

    Anthony Coulls Well-Known Member

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    Foreign? Built in Glasgow...
     
    Anthony Coulls, Nov 25, 2009
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  10. DJH

    DJH Member

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    Same gauge as the garratt at MOSI then.

    Regards

    Duncan
     
    DJH, Nov 25, 2009
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  11. ilvaporista

    ilvaporista Part of the furniture

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    The 'main lines' in Southern Africa are all 3'6" with 2' being on the 'lesser' branch lines. However put a std gauge loco next to a 3'6" one and try and spot the difference. In many cases the narrow gauge engines are larger.. Racing along across the Karoo at dawn on the footplate of a 25NC is one experience I will cherish until the end of my days. Who says NG is for wimps!
     
    ilvaporista, Nov 26, 2009
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  12. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    I can second that only my trip was in Zimbabwe and the Hwangi game reserve.
     
    RalphW, Nov 26, 2009
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  13. Romsey

    Romsey Part of the furniture

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    I fully agree. Thirty years on, the memories of footplating on Bloemfontein - Bethlehem and Springs - Breyten are still crystal clear.

    I like the comment by Dusty Durrant that Cape gauge and metre gauge should be regarded as "medium gauge".
    To illustrate the point about loco sizes, the largest SAR pacifics - class 16E - exerted at tractive effort of 39,980 lb. A rebuilt Merchant Navy could exert 33,495lb tractive effort. The class 16E's were built in 1935 by Henchel. The final branch line loco (class 24) a lightweight 2-8-4 tender loco has a highter tractive effort than an Southern S15 or a BR standard 5.

    Incidentally the UK often built bigger and easier to maintain locos for export than it ever did for domestic use. In the 1930's the UK exported modern low axle weight 2-8-2's and 4-8-2's for use on African colonial railways and the LMS continued to build Midland 4F's for freight work!

    Cheers, Neil
     
    Romsey, Nov 26, 2009
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  14. Martin Perry

    Martin Perry Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator Friend

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    Or a masterpiece of British Engineering, far superior to the average product that plodded around the UK for most of the 20th Century.
     
    Martin Perry, Nov 26, 2009
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  15. Sheff

    Sheff Resident of Nat Pres

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    Too damn right. I paced some of the 25NC's on the dirt roads back in the 80's - man what a sight. Superb engines, every bit as good or even better than anything we have (or had) here. Wish I'd had video, but even the slides I took still make the hairs on my neck tingle.
     
    Sheff, Nov 26, 2009
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  16. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    watch the sequence from great railway journeys of the world in Africa . Pacing 2 25's double heading was superb
     
    Sidmouth, Nov 27, 2009
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  17. Sheff

    Sheff Resident of Nat Pres

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    I'd love to - where is it please? ;-)
     
    Sheff, Nov 27, 2009
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  18. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    It was actually broadcast in 1980 as part of the first series . not sure if it's available on DVD at all , i only have an excerpt on video
     
    Sidmouth, Nov 27, 2009
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  19. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    RalphW, Nov 27, 2009
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  20. Sheff

    Sheff Resident of Nat Pres

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    Looks like they'd tarmaced the road by then - I was there in 1985 and IIRC it was dirt - wife holding the wheel while I hung out with the cameras! Now for those who are new to all this, here's a "proper 25".http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHjAT2_7ALY I wonder if that's what the "turbomotive" sounded like?

    I saw one of these come through Witput station at dusk (a B&B we were staying at - I take my missus to all the best places!) - wondered what the hell was coming - like a 747 taking off! Here's what she had to put up with ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCRGH_ZVD4A

    Here's some background tom the class http://www.stanleys-steamers.gen.nz/Class 25 - an analysis.htm. Note the 45,360 lb TE and 70sq ft grate !! No wonder they had mechanical stokers.

    Here's some more footage of the last 25, some good cab shots and at 3.08 a great shot of the top of the condensing tender, fans an all. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYEhFeFOeBs
     
    Sheff, Nov 27, 2009
    #20
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