Class 7   BR 7-8, IMR 110, MR 11 & RR 1-6 & 8-50        4-8-0    Rhodesia Railways, Imperial Military Railway, Mashonaland Railways, Rhodesia Railways Northern Ext, Rhodesia Railways & South African Railways      Gauge 3ft 6in

Weight83t 4cwt
Driving Wheels3ft 6¾ins
Boiler Pressure180psi  Superheated
CylindersOutside – 17in x 23in
Tractive Effort22,240lbf 
Valve GearStephenson

The original Cape class 7 locomotive had been designed in 1892 by H.M. Beatty who was the Cape Government Railways Western System Locomotive Superintendent.

Between 1899 and 1903 52 of these Cape class locomotives were built for the Beira and Mashonaland and Rhodesia Railways (BMR), later the Rhodesia Railways (RR). These locomotives were acquired by Southern Rhodesia at the time when railways were still expanding from South Africa via the Bechuanaland Protectorate into Southern Rhodesia in the southwest, and from Beira in Mozambique to Umtali in the east, and while the Second Boer War was in progress. At the time, the system was composed of several smaller railways, still largely under construction, which were eventually all linked up in 1902.

These were:

  • The fledgling Bechuanaland Railways (BR), which was still being operated by the Cape Government Railways (CGR), from Vryburg via Mafeking in the Cape Colony to Bulawayo in Southern Rhodesia.
  • The Mashonaland Railways (MR), which operated in Southern Rhodesia from Bulawayo to Umtali in the east.
  • The Rhodesia Railways Northern Extensions (RRM), which operated north and east of Bulawayo, towards Northern Rhodesia.
  • The Beira and Mashonaland and Rhodesia Railways (BMR), which operated between Umtali in Southern Rhodesia and Beira in Mozambiqu

The 52 locomotives were ordered in five batches from three British manufacturers.

Twelve were delivered by Neilson, Reid and Company between August and October 1899. They were virtually identical to the SAR class 7A. Two of them (BR7 and BR8) for the BMR, for service at the Beira end, while the rest were numbered in the range from RR1 to RR10.

In 1901, eleven of them were renumbered (MR8 to MR18, MR20 and MR21, not in order) for the BMR. The exception was no. RR8, which was delivered damaged beyond local repair abilities, apparently as a result of hostilities, while in transit through the area under control of the British Military near Mafeking. A Neilson, Reid-built class locomotive of the Imperial Military Railways (IMR), number. IMR 110, was subsequently transferred to the BMR at Umtali in March 1901 as replacement for the damaged locomotive. It was renumbered to MR19, the number which would have been allocated to RR8.

A second batch of twelve (RR11-RR22) were delivered by Neilson, Reid in August 1900. They were placed in service on the line from Vryburg to Bulawayo and shedded at Mafeking. In 1901, four of them (RR11, RR12, RR17 and RR20) were relocated to the BMR and renumbered in the range from MR20 to MR23.

Many of the Neilson, Reid-built locomotives from both batches were renumbered a second time in 1906.

A third batch of eight locomotives (RR23-RR30) was delivered from Kitson and Company between 1901 and 1903. These were built with Belpaire fireboxes instead of the usual round-topped fireboxes with which all earlier class 7 locomotives of the CGR, the IMR and the RR were delivered. They were also placed in service at Mafeking.

The fourth batch of ten locomotives (RR31-RR40), again with Belpaire fireboxes, was delivered from North British Locomotive Company (NBL) in October and November 1903. Of these, numbers RR31 to RR38 were allocated to the Mashonaland Railways-Kalomo-Broken Hill (MR-KB) section. They retained their RR numbers, but had brass plates with the letters KB affixed above their number plates on their cab sides, to indicate their ownership. The other two were also placed in service at Mafeking.

The fifth and final batch of ten locomotives (RR41-RR50) was also built by NBL and delivered in November and December 1903. They were also placed in service at Mafeking.

In May 1915, six of the Neilson, Reid-built locomotives were purchased by the South African Railways (SAR) to augment its locomotive stock, which was being taxed severely due to war conditions at the time. These six locomotives included the war-damaged locomotive (RR8) which had still not been repaired and consequently never ran a mile in revenue service in Rhodesia, as well as the ex IMR locomotive which had been transferred to Rhodesia as compensation for the damaged.

Preservation

North British Locomotive Company Works No 16173 – RR 43

This locomotive was built by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow in 1903 as part one of the final batch for Rhodesia Railways. It cost £3,153.

It was based at Mafeking.

It weas withdrawn from service in 1964 having covered 1,120,750 miles whilst in service.

The locomotive was driven into the new museum at Bulawayo, by the then Minister of Transport, Mr RTR Hawkins in November 1972 as part of the celebrating the 75th anniversary of the opening of the Vryburg-to-Bulawayo railway line.  

The locomotive is still at the Railway Museum in Bulawayo.

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