| Weight | 71t 13cwt |
| Length | 59ft 6¾ins |
| Driving Wheels | 3ft 6¾ins |
| Boiler Pressure | 180psi Superheated |
| Cylinders | Four Outside – 12in x 20in |
| Tractive Effort | 18,190lbf |
| Valve Gear | Walschaert |
Details above relate to 2166 which is the member of the class that has been preserved.
The first of seven class GB locomotives was built by Beyer, Peacock and Company in 1921 for the South African Railways (SAR). These Garratt articulated locomotives had been ordered earlier but production was disrupted by the First World War.
The first entered service in June 1921 as SAR number 1650 which was later changed to 2166. The remaining six entered service in 1924. These later locomotives incorporated some improvements including revised boiler proportions and a larger water bunker capacity. The most obvious difference was a more completely enclosed cab with side windows instead of the curved cut-outs in the cab sides of the first locomotive. All of these changes made the later locomotives heavier than the original one delivered in 1921.
The first locomotive (2166) was placed in service working passenger trains on the Natal South Coast line. It proved to be a successful locomotive, having good riding qualities and flexibility on light track with poor ballasting and many curves of 300 feet radius.
A couple of the second batch of locomotives joined the first one on the South Coast line for a brief period, but most went directly to the Eastern Cape where they were used on the Port Alfred branch and the Aliwal North to Barkly East line, famous for its reverses and its 1 in 30 compensated ruling gradients. The Natal locomotives were soon also relocated to work there when the Class GC Garratts replaced them on the South Coast line later in 1924. They remained working on the Barkly East branch until they were withdrawn from service in 1967.
Preservation
Beyer, Peacock & Company – Works No 5942 2166
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