#4448
South African Class 26 4-8-4
🇿🇦 South Africa ·built by Henschel & Sohn· from 1981· 4–8-4 steam locomotive
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_TNC_ID.JPG)
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8 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Class26-1985-April-HGG: H.G.Graser· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2. 3450 - Pretoria 250481: User:Malcolm Best· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 3. Class 26 3450 (4-8-4) 35: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 4. Class 26 no. 3450: Robert Maidment-Wilson· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 5. Class 26 tender: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 6. SAR Class 26 3450 (4-8-4) TNC ID: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 7. SAR Class 26 3450 (4-8-4) Wing: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 8. SAR-Class-26 3450 - Perdeberg 030799: User:Malcolm Best· CC BY-SA 3.0
what is it?
The South African Railways Class 26 4-8-4 of 1981, popularly known as the Red Devil, is a 4-8-4 steam locomotive which was rebuilt from a Class 25NC locomotive by mechanical engineer David Wardale from England while in the employ of the South African Railways. The rebuilding took place at the Salt River Works in Cape Town and was based on the principles developed by Argentinian mechanical engineer L.D. Porta.
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 45 years ago, in 1981.
steam locomotive: Burns coal, wood or oil to boil water; the steam drives pistons that turn the wheels.
spec sheet
- built
- 1981
- in service from
- 1981
- number built
- 1
- kind
- Steam
- traction
- steam
- origin
- 🇿🇦 South Africa
- builders
- Henschel & Sohn
- designer
- South African Railways, (David Wardale)
- operators
- Transnet Freight Rail
- top speed
- 100 km/h
- power
- —
- gauge
- 1,067 mm Cape gauge
- wheel arrangement
- 4-8-4 (Northern)
- nicknames
- Red Devil
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q2204927, Wikipedia: South African Class 26 4-8-4 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.