Natal Government 4-10-2 Locomotives in South_Africa

Class Reid Tenwheeler / H (Locobase 2714)

Data from D F Holland, Steam Locomotives of the South African Railroads, Volume I: 1859-1910 (New York: Drake Publishers, 1972) pp. 92-94, and Ben H Morgan, Report on the Engineering Trades of South Africa (London: P S King & Son, 1902), , p. 67, accessed through []. See also "Ten Wheels Coupled Narrow Gauge Locomotive", Engineer, Volume 95, (13 February 1903), p. 176; and "New Engines for South Africa," The Locomotive Magazine, Volume VIII [8] (23 May 1903), p. 353-354. Works numbers were Dubs 4040-4064 in 1901, 4117-4141 in 1902, 4254-4278 and 4310-4329 in 1903. North British contributed the last 5 in the class - works numbers 15273-15727 in 1903.

Very unusual wheel arrangement designed by the NGR's locomotive superintendent GW Reid and originally went into service climbing the grades from Natal ports to the central plateau. Acquisition of the Reid Ten-Wheelers by South African Railways in 1901 meant they were put to use hauling everything except the mail trains.

"Doctors differed greatly at the birth of this abnormal mechanical infant," said the Engineer report, "and the one point on which most of them were agreed was that if the gradients did not suffocate it, it would be choked by the curves. I believe I am right in stating that even the makers had no belief in its ultimate success. Contrary to expectations, however, the first one made fulfilled all that Mr. Reid had hoped for, and more than he had promised. It was placed in careful hands, and gave every satisfaction."

But "Then came others, and the results were not so good. The reason for this was that the Natal Government were short of engine drivers, and they did not work on the principle of allotting one engine to one driver. This was during the war time, and engine drivers took whatever engine was available for their purpose at the moment. They had been used to other types, and breakdowns occurred with the Reid engines more often than was desirable.

"The non-technical papers took the matter up, and dealt with it as non-technical papers often do deal with mechanical matters. There was a Government inquiry, and it was found that the engines were all right, and would certainly do vastly more work than any of the others that had been worked on these railways."

Further orders underscored the success of this burly five-coupled engine; all but five (supplied by North British in 1903) came from Dubs. When they were displaced from main-line service, however, their five driving axles proved one too many and they were converted to Class H2 4-8-2Ts. A few of them wound up in Durban Harbor service where they were seen as late as 1974.