Picture Gallery 12R

At Hilton Station - February 1994

During the South African War in 1902 the Imperial Military Railway ordered 35 locomotives of the NGR "Ried Ten Wheeler" type. To ensure rapid delivery the order was split between Dübs and Co. and Neilson, Reid and Co. Under the Central South African Railways (CSAR) many of the previous Class E's, as they were known on this railway, were converted to tender engines, while the six remaining were converted, between 1910 1nd 1922 to 4-8-2T by the removal of the trailing driving wheel and blanking off the opening in the frame.

This 4-8-2T conversion was mainly due to the fact that the locos, with their long-couple wheel base, were certain to derail in many goods yards.

In this form the five engines were inherited by the SAR to become Class H1. The last of this class was withdrawn from service in 1966.

The open cab version of the H1 became the H2 and this class was then used extensively in many parts of the country. They were retained because of their light axle loading and continued in service in shunting duties on Bluff until 1977.

Photograph reproduced courtesy of and copyright Ken Livermore - North British Locomotive Group (2009)





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