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#2485

South African Class 19C 4-8-2

🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by North British Locomotive Company· from 1935· class of 50 South African 4-8-2 locomotives

South African Class 19C 4-8-2, photo 1 of 9
1/9 1930's Railway Circle member Bill Schutz· Public domain

what is it?

The South African Railways Class 19C 4-8-2 of 1935 was a steam locomotive. In 1935, the South African Railways placed fifty Class 19C steam locomotives with a 4-8-2 Mountain type wheel arrangement in service. It was the first South African locomotive class to use rotary cam poppet valve gear and also the first to be built new with a Watson Standard boiler.

who runs it

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 91 years ago, in 1935.
  • Served for 43 years (1935–1978).

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

spec sheet

built
1935
in service from
1935
retired
1978
status
retired
number built
50
kind
Steam
traction
steam
origin
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
builders
North British Locomotive Company
designer
South African Railways, (A.G. Watson)
operators
Transnet Freight Rail, South African Railways and Harbours Administration
top speed
—
power
—
gauge
1,067 mm Cape gauge
wheel arrangement
4-8-2 (Mountain)

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

Sources: Wikidata Q7565489, Wikipedia: South African Class 19C 4-8-2 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.

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