| Weight | 148t 8cwt |
| Length | 76ft 8¾ins |
| Driving Wheels | 3ft 9½ins |
| Boiler Pressure | 180psi Superheated |
| Cylinders | Four Outside – 18in x 24in |
| Tractive Effort | 45,640lbf |
| Valve Gear | Walschaert |
In 1924 the South African Railways (SAR) prepared specifications for the class GE 2-8-2+2-8-2 Double Mikado type Garratt locomotive. An order was placed with Beyer, Peacock and Company (BP) for the design and construction of six locomotives. They were built in Gorton, Manchester and delivered during March 1925 and erected in the Salvokop workshops in Pretoria. This class was the only purebred Garratt Double Mikado type to see service on the SAR.
The locomotives proved to be successful and a second order for ten engines was placed with BP in 1926 and these entered traffic during November of that year.
A third order for two locomotives from BP followed in 1930 and they were placed in service in February 1931.
The locomotives were designed as a heavy goods locomotive for use on light 60 pounds per yard rail. It was an enlarged version of the class GD 2-6-2+2-6-2 Double Prairie type. The class GE were the first eight-coupled Garratts to be built for the SAR and at the time of their introduction, they were the most powerful locomotives in respect of tractive effort operating on light track in Africa and the Southern Hemisphere.
They had plate frames, steel Belpaire fireboxes and were superheated, with four safety valves set at 180 pounds per square inch. Their piston valves were actuated by Walschaerts valve gear, controlled by steam reversing gear. As delivered, they had 3ft 9½in diameter coupled wheels which were later retyred to 3ft 10in diameter. The two water tanks had a combined capacity of 4,600 imperial gallons. They had a water-filling tube hole on the front tank only since the front and rear tanks were connected by leveling pipes in accordance with the usual Garratt practice. The locomotives were delivered with mechanical lubricators, but these were later removed.
The locomotives of the three orders were visually distinguishable from one another. The first two orders were mechanically identical, but the second batch had redesigned water tanks with rounded top corners and inset tops on their coal bunkers to improve rearward vision for the crew. They also had slightly smaller firebox and superheater heating areas than the engines of the first batch.
The two locomotives of the third batch were similar in general appearance to those of the second batch, but were 10 cwt lighter than the engines of the first two batches. They had arch tubes added in the firebox, wider cabs and 1 inch larger bore cylinders which made them more powerful with attractive effort of 50,850lbf.
They were placed in service working goods traffic on the light rail sections between Zeerust and Mafeking and between Pretoria and Pietersburg. Some were later allocated to the Natal North Coast, shedded at Stanger and Empangeni and employed on freight traffic.
A few were used for a brief period to work across the Montagu Pass between George and Oudtshoorn. Their final duties were on the Nkwalini branch in Natal, where the last survivors of the original eighteen locomotives were finally replaced by later Garratts locomotives. The last ten locomotives were withdrawn from service in April 1975.
Preservation
Beyer, Peacock & Company – Works No 6193 2260
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