South African Class NG2 0-4-2ST

The South African Railways Class NG2 0-4-2ST of 1897 was a narrow-gauge steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in Transvaal.

Between 1897 and 1901, Arthur Koppel, acting as agent, imported a number of Dickson-built 0-4-2ST narrow-gauge steam locomotives for mines on the Witwatersrand. In 1915, when an urgent need arose for additional locomotives in German South West Africa during the First World War, two of the 0-4-2ST locomotives were purchased second-hand by the South African Railways, for use in that territory. They were later classified as Class NG2.

Manufacturer

Between 1897 and 1901, several narrow-gauge 0-4-2ST steam locomotives, built by Dickson Manufacturing Company of Scranton in Pennsylvania shortly before it merged with seven other manufacturing firms to form the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in 1901, were delivered to various gold mines on the Witwatersrand by Arthur Koppel, acting as importing agent.

Characteristics

The engines had bar frames, with the cylinders arranged outside the frames and actuated by Stephenson valve gear. Their saddle-tanks had a 200 imperial gallons (909 litres) water capacity. Their operating boiler pressure was set at 130 pounds per square inch (896 kilopascals) and they had a 1,950 pounds-force (8.7 kilonewtons) tractive effort at 75% of boiler pressure.

First World War

In 1915, shortly after the outbreak of the First World War, the German South West Africa colony was occupied by the Union Defence Forces. Since a large part of the territory's railway infrastructure was destroyed or damaged by retreating German forces, an urgent need arose for locomotives for use on the narrow-gauge lines in that territory.