| Weight | 108t 10cwt |
| Driving Wheels | 3ft 11½ins |
| Boiler Pressure | 190psi |
| Cylinders | Outside – 20½in x 24in |
| Tractive Effort | 31,240lbf |
| Valve Gear | Walschaert |
Because of the limited coal and water range of the existing fleet of Natal Government Railways (NGR) the NGR Locomotive Superintendent D.A. Hendrie was tasked to produce a locomotive of greater power and capable of longer distances without refuelling or rewatering to work the mainline’s steep 1 in 30 gradients.
When the designs were completed, Hendrie proposed that only five locomotives should be ordered so that they could first be thoroughly tested in service before ordering more. The designs, however, were so well received that the NGR placed an immediate order for fifty locomotives with the North British Locomotive Company (NBL).
It does appear as though there was a fair degree of urgency to obtain these locomotives, evidenced on the one hand by the rush to place a large order for an untested locomotive and on the other hand by the fact that construction was accelerated by dividing it equally between NBL’s Hyde Park and Queens Park works. The NGR’s faith in Hendrie’s ability turned out to be well justified, however, considering the fact that some of these locomotives remained in service for over seventy years.
The first locomotives were delivered in 1904 and were the first tender locomotive to be placed in service by the NGR apart from the single home-built 4-6-2TT engine Havelock of 1888. Fifty were built, those numbered in the range from 275 to 299 at the NBL Hyde Park works and those numbered in the range from 300 to 324 at the NBL Queens Park works.
Six of the locomotives (319 to 324) were modified to 4-8-2 Mountain types in 1906, but retained their class B designation on the NGR.
The type SH tender was introduced along with these locomotives. It rode on two-axle bogies and had a capacity of 6 long tons coal and 3,225 imperial gallons water.
Even though the boiler was not pitched very high, Hendrie had still managed to extend the Belpaire firebox sideways over the trailing coupled wheels, with the result that the grate was almost on a level with the bottom of the boiler shell. To prevent the fire from entering the lower row of tubes, Hendrie arranged a vertical firewall towards the front of the grate, which also created a dry combustion chamber.This combustion chamber pre-dated the Gaines type, which was practically identical, by four years. The Gaines type was introduced in the United States of America in 1908 and became widely used on American locomotives
These locomotives were the first in Natal to be fitted with Walschaerts valve gear.
When the Union of South Africa was established on 31 May 1910, the three Colonial government railways (Cape Government Railways, NGR and Central South African Railways) were united under a single administration to control and administer the railways, ports and harbours of the Union. Although the South African Railways and Harbours came into existence in 1910, the actual classification and renumbering of all the rolling stock of the three constituent railways were only implemented with effect from 1 January 1912.
In 1912, the remaining 44 4-8-0 locomotives were renumbered in the range from 1245 to 1288 and designated class 1 on the South African Railways (SAR). The six locomotives modified as 4-8-2 engines were grouped as class 1B engines.
The locomotives were placed in service hauling all the fast passenger and goods trains between Durban and Pietermaritzburg and were the first locomotives to accomplish a return working of this service within a day, with the same crewmen. These locomotives opened up a new era on the NGR, where the tank locomotive was at last withdrawn from mainline working. Later, in SAR service, these locomotives were also used on mainline workings out of Port Elizabeth.
In their later years they were relegated to shunting, particularly working in Natal but also in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London and in Transvaal. Although their gradual withdrawal from service already commenced in 1935, half of the class were still in capital stock by March 1972, with the last one only being withdrawn from service in 1975.
In industrial service, two of the locomotives survived even longer and were still in service in 1984.
- 1252 as Randfontein Estates Gold Mine no. 4.
- 1277 as Apex Mines no. 2 at Greenside.
Preservation
North British Locomotive Company Works No 16372 – NGR 277 & SAR 1247
North British Locomotive Company Works No 16401 – NGR 306 & SAR 1276
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