| South African Class GC 2-6-2+2-6-2 | |
| Powertype: | Steam |
| Designer: | Beyer, Peacock and Company |
| Builder: | Beyer, Peacock and Company |
| Serialnumber: | 6187-6192 |
| Buildmodel: | Class GC |
| Builddate: | 1924 |
| Totalproduction: | 6 |
| Whytetype: | 2-6-2+2-6-2 (Double Prairie) |
| Uicclass: | 1'C1'+1'C1'h4 |
| Driver: | 3rd & 4th coupled axles |
| Leadingdiameter: | NaN0NaN0 |
| Coupleddiameter: | NaN0NaN0 |
| Trailingdiameter: | NaN0NaN0 |
| Wheelbase: | 56feet |
| Engine Total: | 17feet each |
| Coupled: | 80NaN0 each |
| Pivotcentres: | 29feet |
| Over Couplers: | 63feet |
| Height: | 12feet |
| Frametype: | Plate |
| Axleload: | 11lt |
| Leadingbogie/Pony: | 8lt front 8lt rear |
| Coupled 1: | 10lt |
| Coupled 2: | 10lt |
| Coupled 3: | 10lt |
| Coupled 4: | 11lt |
| Coupled 5: | 11lt |
| Coupled 6: | 10lt |
| Trail Bogie/Pony: | 6lt front 7lt rear |
| Weightondrivers: | 66lt |
| Locoweight: | 96lt |
| Fueltype: | Coal |
| Fuelcap: | 71NaN1 |
| Watercap: | 2000sigfig=3NaNsigfig=3 front 1000sigfig=3NaNsigfig=3 rear |
| Fireboxtype: | Belpaire |
| Firearea: | 34square feet |
| Pitch: | 7feet |
| Diameterinside: | 5feet |
| Lengthinside: | 11feet |
| Smalltubediameter: | 149: 20NaN0 |
| Largetubediameter: | 24: NaN0NaN0 |
| Boilerpressure: | 1800NaN0 |
| Safetyvalvetype: | Ramsbottom |
| Totalsurface: | 1423square feet |
| Tubearea: | 1266.2square feet |
| Fireboxarea: | 156.8square feet |
| Superheaterarea: | 247square feet |
| Cylindercount: | Four |
| Cylindersize: | 140NaN0 bore 230NaN0 stroke |
| Valvegear: | Walschaerts |
| Valvetype: | Piston |
| Coupling: | Johnston link-and-pin AAR knuckle (1930s) |
| Tractiveeffort: | 28470lbf @ 75% |
| Operator: | South African Railways |
| Operatorclass: | Class GC |
| Numinclass: | 6 |
| Fleetnumbers: | 2180-2185 |
| Deliverydate: | 1924-1925 |
| Firstrundate: | 1924 |
| Withdrawndate: | 1962 |
The South African Railways Class GC 2-6-2+2-6-2 of 1924 was an articulated steam locomotive.
In 1924 and 1925, the South African Railways placed six Class GC Garratt articulated steam locomotives with a 2-6-2+2-6-2 Double Prairie type wheel arrangement in branch line service.[1]
Following the good performance of the Class GB branch line Garratts, the first locomotive to be built to the specifications of Colonel F.R. Collins DSO after he was appointed as the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the South African Railways in 1922 was a heavier Double Prairie type Garratt, also intended for branch line work. It was designed and built to his specifications by Beyer, Peacock and Company in 1924.[1]
Six locomotives were delivered in 1924 and were erected in the Durban shops of the SAR. They were placed in service in 1924 and 1925, designated Class GC and numbered in the range from 2180 to 2185. The locomotives were superheated, with Belpaire fireboxes, plate frames, Walschaerts valve gear and piston valves.[1] [2] [3]
Like its predecessor Class GB, the heavier Class GC was also a branch line locomotive and its maximum axle load of 11lt made it suitable for light rail. It was a more powerful development of the Class GB and was very similar to the Class GK Garratts which had been acquired by the New Cape Central Railway (NCCR) in 1923, but 2sigfig=4NaNsigfig=4 heavier and with 10NaN0 smaller diameter cylinders with a 10NaN0 longer stroke.
The locomotives were initially placed in service on the Natal South Coast line. Although they later also worked on other branch lines, they spent their entire working lives in Natal until they were withdrawn from service in 1962.