#2679
Rhodesia Railways 15th class
Zimbabwe ·built by Beyer, Peacock and Company· from 1940· class of 74 Rhodesian/Zimbabwean 4-6-4+4-6-4 locomotives
_no._405_at_Ndola%2C_Zambia_(Basil_Roberts).jpg)
2 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. HGG-NRZ-15-417-ThomsonJunction: H.G.Graser· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2. Beyer-Garratt locomotive (15th class, Zambia Railways ex Rhodesia Railways) no. 405 at Ndola, Zambia (Basil Roberts): Basil Roberts (1935–2003)· CC BY-SA 4.0
what is it?
The Rhodesia Railways 15th class (later Zambia Railways and National Railways of Zimbabwe 15th classes), was the second-largest class of Garratt locomotives, with 74 locomotives built. Only the Class GMA/GMAM of the South African Railways was more numerous with 120 locomotives.
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 86 years ago, in 1940.
- Weighs about as much as 30 African elephants (~6 t each).
steam locomotive: Burns coal, wood or oil to boil water; the steam drives pistons that turn the wheels.
spec sheet
- built
- 1940–1952
- number built
- 74
- kind
- Steam
- traction
- steam
- origin
- Zimbabwe
- builders
- Beyer, Peacock and Company, Société Franco-Belge
- operators
- National Railways of Zimbabwe, Zambia Railways
- top speed
- —
- power
- —
- gauge
- 1,067 mm Cape gauge
- wheel arrangement
- 4-6-4+4-6-4
- weight
- 183 t
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q2124511, Wikipedia: Rhodesia Railways 15th class (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.