South African type KT tender

South African type KT tender

300px Type KT tender on Class 15CA, 21 September 2009

Type and origin ♠ 12 long tons coal capacity ♥ 13 long tons coal capacity ♣ 14 long tons coal capacity Locomotive Class 15C, Class 15CA, Class 16D, Class 16DA Designer Baldwin Locomotive Works Builder American Locomotive Company Baldwin Locomotive Works Henschel and Son Hohenzollern Locomotive Works Società Italiana Ernesto Breda North British Locomotive Company In service 1925-1930

Specifications Configuration 2-axle bogies Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge Length Wheel dia. 34 in (864 mm) Wheelbase 20 ft 5 in (6,223 mm)  • Bogie 6 ft 2 in (1,880 mm) Axle load ♠ ♥ ♣  • Front bogie ♠ ♥ ♣  • Rear bogie ♠ ♥ ♣ Weight empty 68,888 lb (31,247 kg) Weight w/o ♠ ♥ ♣ Fuel type Coal Fuel cap. ♠ 12 LT (12.2 t) ♥ 13 LT (13.2 t) ♣ 14 LT (14.2 t) Water cap. Stoking Manual Couplers Drawbar & Bell link-and-pin Drawbar & AAR knuckle (c. 1930s)

Career Operators South African Railways Numbers SAR 843-850, 860-866, 868-879, 2039–2077, 2801-2857

Main article: South African steam locomotive tenders

The South African type KT tender was a steam locomotive tender.

The Type KT tender first entered service in 1925, as tenders to the Class 15CB Big Bill 4-8-2 Mountain type and Class 16D Big Bertha 4-6-2 Pacific type steam locomotives which were acquired by the South African Railways in that year.

Manufacturers

Type KT tenders were built between 1925 and 1930 by American Locomotive Company, Baldwin Locomotive Works, Henschel and Son, Hohenzollern Locomotive Works, Società Italiana Ernesto Breda and North British Locomotive Company.

The South African Railways (SAR) placed twelve Class 15C Mountain type locomotives (reclassified to Class 15CB in 1926) and seven Class 16D Pacific type locomotives in service in 1925 and 1926. The locomotives and tender were designed by Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia. The Classes 15C and 16D were acquired specifically for the long runs of the Union Limited and Union Express passenger trains between Cape Town and Johannesburg.

The Type KT first entered service as tenders to these two locomotive Classes. They were arranged with self-trimming type coal bunkers and had a coal capacity of 14 long tons (14.2 tonnes) and a water capacity of , which was considered sufficient for the engines to travel 100 miles (161 kilometres) without having to replenish water.

Classification

Since many tender types are interchangeable between different locomotive classes and types, a tender classification system was adopted by the SAR and these tenders were designated Type KT.

Four locomotive classes, built by six manufacturers, were delivered new with Type KT tenders, which were numbered for their engines in the number blocks as shown. An oval number plate, bearing the engine number and tender type, was attached to the rear end of the tender. On some tenders, presumably after number plates went astray, the number was weld-written on the tender instead, as on the illustrated tender no. 2041.

• 1925: Class 15CB, numbers 2060 to 2071.
• 1925: Class 16D, numbers 860 to 866.
• 1926: Class 15CA, numbers 2039 to 2059, 2072 to 2077 and 2801 to 2857.
• 1928: Class 16DA of 1928, numbers 843 to 850 and 868 to 873.
• 1930: Class 16DA of 1930, numbers 874 to 879.

Letter codes

The first letter of the tender type indicates the classes of engines to which it can be coupled. The "K_" tenders could only be used with the four locomotive classes with which they were delivered.

The second letter indicates the tender's water capacity. The "_T" tenders had a capacity of between .

A number, when added after the letter code, indicates differences between similar tender types, such as wheelbase or coal bunker capacity.

Type HT tenders

After their locomotives were withdrawn from service, the Type HT tenders of the two Class 18 2-10-2 Henschel Giants had their mechanical stokers removed and their drawgear modified for use with Class 15CA locomotives. These two tenders were then reclassified to Type KT as well.

Nominal capacity

The water capacity of the Type KT tenders were described in the SAR Diagram Book as "nominal", while three coal capacities were shown. This appears to have been instructions for working on lines laid with lighter rail after the respective engines were withdrawn from mainline working, since the tenders were apparently not modified to reduce their capacity. The instruction was that water capacity (water taken) was to be reduced where necessary to ensure that the rail weights as shown with the three given coal loads were not exceeded.

• Class 16D 4-6-2 no. 860.jpg

  Type KT on Class 16D, c. 1925

• SAR Class 16DA 879 Orange River - 130479.jpg

  Type KT on Class 16DA, 13 April 1979