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#1606

South African Class 5 4-6-2

🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by Vulcan Foundry· from 1912· class of 4 South African 4-6-2 locomotives

🚂 steam locomotive steam retired
7 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
  1. 1. SAR Class 5R 781 De Aar 150478: User:Malcolm Best· CC BY-SA 3.0
  2. 2. SAR Class 5R 781 (4-6-2): Frank Holland· Public domain
  3. 3. SAR Class 5R 781 (4-6-2) ID: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
  4. 4. SAR Class 5 (4-6-2): Unknown author Unknown author· Public domain
  5. 5. SAR Class 5 782 (4-6-2): 1930's Railway Circle (members Frank Garrison, Dr Eric Manken, Arthur Arnold, Frank Holland, Bill Schutz and others)· Public domain
  6. 6. SAR Class 5 783 (4-6-2): 1930's Railway Circle (members Frank Garrison, Dr Eric Manken, Arthur Arnold, Frank Holland, Bill Schutz and others)· Public domain
  7. 7. SAR Class 5 780 (4-6-2): 1930's Railway Circle (members Frank Garrison, Dr Eric Manken, Arthur Arnold, Frank Holland, Bill Schutz and others)· Public domain
Read about it on Wikipedia ↗
South African Class 5 4-6-2, photo 1 of 7
1/7 User:Malcolm Best· CC BY-SA 3.0

what is it?

The South African Railways Class 5 4-6-2 of 1912 was a steam locomotive. In 1912, four Enlarged Karoo Class 4-6-2 Pacific type passenger steam locomotives which had been ordered by the Cape Government Railways the year before were placed in service by the newly established South African Railways. The locomotives were therefore numbered directly onto the South African Railways roster and designated Class 5.

who runs it

South African Railways and Harbours Administration

base stats

  • built 4made 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 114 years ago, in 1912.
  • Served for 57 years (1912–1969).

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

spec sheet

built
1912
in service from
1912
retired
1969
status
retired
number built
4
kind
Steam
traction
steam
origin
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
builders
Vulcan Foundry
designer
Cape Government Railways, (H.M. Beatty)
operators
South African Railways and Harbours Administration
top speed
—
power
—
gauge
1,067 mm Cape gauge
wheel arrangement
4-6-2 (Pacific)
nicknames
Karoo

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

Sources: Wikidata Q7565545, Wikipedia: South African Class 5 4-6-2 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.

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