South African Class 7A 4-8-0

what is it?

The South African Railways Class 7A 4-8-0 of 1896 was a steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape of Good Hope. Between 1896 and 1901, the Cape Government Railways placed a second batch of altogether 46 7th Class steam locomotives with a 4-8-0 Mastodon wheel arrangement in service on its Midland and Eastern Systems. In 1912, when all but two of them were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and designated Class 7A. In 1897 and 1898, during Kitchener's military campaign in Sudan, eight Cape 7th Class locomotives were built to the same design for the Soudan Military Railway.

who runs it

Transnet Freight RailCGCape Government RailwaysPCPauling & Co.SASouth African Railways and Harbours Administration

base stats

• built 46made 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 130 years ago, in 1896.
• ⌛Served for 76 years (1896–1972).

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

spec sheet

built

1896–1901

in service from

1896

retired

1972

status

retired

number built

46

kind

Steam

traction

steam

origin

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

builders

Sharp, Stewart and Company, Dübs and Company, Neilson and Company

designer

Cape Government Railways, (H.M. Beatty)

operators

Transnet Freight Rail, Cape Government Railways, Pauling & Co., South African Railways and Harbours Administration

top speed

—

power

—

gauge

1,067 mm Cape gauge

wheel arrangement

4-8-0 (Mastodon)

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