Query: 15A 1845 PE-Uitenhage local

[John Ashworth]

-----Original Message-----
From: Stephen Bellingan
Sent: Monday, August 24, 2009 8:18 PM
Good day to you

I am trying to find information about a local train and the driver back in
the 1970's.
It was the Port Elizabeth - Uitenhage local.
I know it was a class 15A no. 1845, nobody knows
anything and it is as if this loco never existed.
all i have is an old copy of a photo that was in an old news paper
Please can you help me find out more.

i thank you
Stephen Bellingan

[Luca Lategan]

Of course the 15th class was a very successful one with the final version, the 15F being the most numerous on the SAR with 255 examples. The 15A’s differed slightly from their 10 15th Class sisters in that they had an extra combustion chamber. A total of 119 15A’s was bought by the SAR. The 15A class consisted of: 1571-1575, 1781-1828, 1839-1858, 1961-1970, 2011-2025, 2080-2100 (I know this amounts to only 113, but I don’t know why) . Both the classes 15 and 15A was later reboilered with the standard no 2A boiler. Only the following numbers was not reboilered: 1791, 1824, 1845, 1851, 1970.

Stephen’s engine 1845 was thus not reboilered.

The only 15A’s that survives today according to J Middleton’s Railways of Southern Africa Locomotive Guide 2002 edition is no’s 1791 at Millsite and 1970 at Dal Josafat (this is Milly, one of the last engines to be overhauled at the Bloemfontein works and also apparently at Millsite)

[Stefan Andrzejewski]

Milly is no more. She was cut up after rotting at Dal Josafat

[Dylan Knott]

Milly is at Epping along with 15F 3153, 16DA 879 and 16D 860. Of course not many people know this.

[Luca Lategan]

Is it still looking like this and this when you last photographed it in 2004, Dylan? Is it still the following locos at Epping?

15F 3153, 15A 1970, 16D 860 and 16DA 879 all owned by TFHP and in storage. Plus 6J 641 and 0-4-0ST.

[Dylan Knott]

Afraid so! We could offer safe storage for the 16D and 16DA, but TFHP would need to pay to move the locos to our site.

[Chris Janisch]

This loco was in service in the sixties at PE. One of her jobs was to work on the Uitenhage suburban service, which was normally the preserve of 10B/Rs at the time. There are two pictures of her in "Steam on the Veld" by Lewis, Jorgensen and Durrant. One is a static shot in steam, the other a classic shot flat-out on a Uitenhage local. The book reflects that she was staged at the time of printing, ie early seventies, and I presume scrapped not after.

[Stefan Andrzejewski]

Dylan are those Epping Loco's in running order or close to it. Its a pity we don't have a FOTR or Reef Steamers here to keep all those Steam and 3,4,5E's for proper presavation.

[Dylan Knott]

No, but 16DA 879 is probably in best condition.

Even if we did, where would the group run to?

[Stefan Andrzejewski]

Would'nt you be allowed to run down the Atlantis line and back to Montegue Gardens. Are Steam engines not allowed on any lines in CT at all.

[Dylan Knott]

You have the vision so you have the job! 3450 may live again!

[Stefan Andrzejewski]

I wish I had the financing.

[Dylan Knott]

Council own the line so ask them for the cash!