#0838

South African Class 6A 4-6-0

🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by Dübs and Company· from 1895· class of 50 South African 4-6-0 locomotives

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences

1. SAR Class 6A 444 (4-6-0): 1930's Railway Circle (members Frank Garrison, Dr Eric Manken, Arthur Arnold, Frank Holland, Bill Schutz and others)· Public domain
2. Class 6A no. 444: Leith Paxton· CC BY-SA 3.0
3. SAR Class 6A 461 (4-6-0): 1930's Railway Circle (members Frank Garrison, Dr Eric Manken, Arthur Arnold, Frank Holland, Bill Schutz and others)· Public domain
4. SAR Class 6A 482 (4-6-0) ex CGR 372-572: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
5. Class6A-454: Steamhunter· CC BY-SA 3.0
6. Class 6A no. 460: J. Stuart Grossert· CC BY-SA 3.0
7. Class6A-462: Steamhunter· CC BY-SA 3.0
8. Type YC tender of Class 6A no. 462: Leith Paxton· CC BY-SA 3.0
9. SAR Class 6A 466 (4-6-0): 1930's Railway Circle (members Frank Garrison, Dr Eric Manken, Arthur Arnold, Frank Holland, Bill Schutz and others)· Public domain
10. SAR Class 6A 468 (4-6-0): 1930's Railway Circle (members Frank Garrison, Dr Eric Manken, Arthur Arnold, Frank Holland, Bill Schutz and others)· Public domain

what is it?

The South African Railways Class 6A 4-6-0 of 1896 was a steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape of Good Hope. In 1896 and 1897, the Cape Government Railways placed a second batch of fifty 6th Class 4-6-0 steam locomotives in service, forty-one on its Western System, six on its Midland System and three on its Eastern System. During the Second Boer War, four of them were transferred to the Imperial Military Railways on loan, and in 1907 one was sold to the Benguela Railway in Angola.

who runs it

Benguela railway Transnet Freight Rail rail transport in Sudan Cape Government Railways South African Railways and Harbours Administration

base stats

built 50made in total

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 131 years ago, in 1895.
Served for 77 years (1896–1973).

steam locomotive: Burns coal, wood or oil to boil water; the steam drives pistons that turn the wheels.

spec sheet

built: 1895–1897
in service from: 1896
retired: 1973
status: retired
number built: 50
kind: Steam
traction: steam
origin: 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
builders: Dübs and Company, Sharp, Stewart and Company
designer: Cape Government Railways, (H.M. Beatty)
operators: Benguela railway, Transnet Freight Rail, rail transport in Sudan, Cape Government Railways, South African Railways and Harbours Administration
top speed: —
power: —
gauge: 1,067 mm Cape gauge
wheel arrangement: 4-6-0 (Tenwheeler)

From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.

Sources: Wikidata Q7565547, Wikipedia: South African Class 6A 4-6-0 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.