In 1903, when the first batch of 8th Class 4-8-0 Mastodons had been tried and proven successful, the Cape Government Railways placed another thirty-eight 8th Class 4-8-0 steam locomotives in service, built by Neilson, Reid and Company and North British Locomotive Company, which was established through the amalgamation of Neilson, Reid with Dübs and Company and Sharp, Stewart and Company while the locomotives were being built. In 1912, when they were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class 8D. In the 1930s fourteen of these locomotives were equipped with superheated boilers, 20 inches (508 millimetres) bore cylinders and inside admission piston valves, and reclassified to Class 8DW.
See also the Wikipedia article on the South African Class 8D 4-8-0. |