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#2483

South African Class 15E 4-8-2

Zimbabwe ·built by Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns· from 1935· class of 44 South African 4-8-2 locomotives

🚂 steam locomotive steam retired
9 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
  1. 1. SAR Class 15E 2878 (4-8-2): User:John Faulkner· CC BY-SA 3.0
  2. 2. Class 15E 2878 (4-8-2): 1930's Railway Circle, (members Frank Garrison, A. Butchard, Dr Eric Manken, Arthur Arnold, Frank Holland, A. Spence, S.H. Carter, Bill Schutz, Dave Parsons and others)· Public domain
  3. 3. Class 15E 2879 (4-8-2): 1930's Railway Circle, (members Frank Garrison, A. Butchard, Dr Eric Manken, Arthur Arnold, Frank Holland, A. Spence, S.H. Carter, Bill Schutz, Dave Parsons and others)· Public domain
  4. 4. Class 15E 2897 (4-8-2): 1930's Railway Circle, (members Frank Garrison, A. Butchard, Dr Eric Manken, Arthur Arnold, Frank Holland, A. Spence, S.H. Carter, Bill Schutz, Dave Parsons and others)· Public domain
  5. 5. Class 15E no. 2881 ID: Leith Paxton· CC BY-SA 3.0
  6. 6. SAR Class 15E 2878 Breyten 260481: User:Malcolm Best· CC BY-SA 3.0
  7. 7. SAR Class 15E 2878 Millsite 230479: User:Malcolm Best· CC BY-SA 3.0
  8. 8. SAR Class 15E 2879 Paarden Eiland 010478: User:Malcolm Best· CC BY-SA 3.0
  9. 9. Class 15E (4-8-2): Samuel Kok· Public domain
Read about it on Wikipedia ↗
South African Class 15E 4-8-2, photo 1 of 9
1/9 User:John Faulkner· CC BY-SA 3.0

what is it?

The South African Railways Class 15E 4-8-2 of 1935 was a steam locomotive. Between 1935 and 1937, the South African Railways placed forty-four Class 15E steam locomotives with a 4-8-2 Mountain type wheel arrangement in service.

who runs it

National Railways of ZimbabweMozambique Ports and Railways

base stats

  • built 44made 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 38 years (1935–1973).

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

spec sheet

built
1935–1936
in service from
1935
retired
1973
status
retired
number built
44
kind
Steam
traction
steam
origin
Zimbabwe
builders
Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns, Henschel & Sohn, Berliner Maschinenbau, Robert Stephenson and Company
designer
South African Railways, (A.G. Watson)
operators
National Railways of Zimbabwe, Mozambique Ports and Railways
top speed
—
power
—
gauge
1,067 mm Cape gauge
wheel arrangement
4-8-2 (Mountain)
nicknames
Bongol

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

Sources: Wikidata Q7565471, Wikipedia: South African Class 15E 4-8-2 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.

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