Page 69 - Bulletin 8 2004

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nd
2 Class “Wynberg Tanks”. Designed by Michael Stephens, Locomotive
Superintendent, they were the first engines to be built to detailed designs prepared in the

Cape Colony. (Fig. 2.24).

During the later 1890s it was apparent that even stronger engines were needed for the
rd
Simon’s Town line. An enlarged version of the Cape 3 Class of 1889 was designed
and six were introduced in 1898. These were designed by Beatty, the new Locomotive

Superintendent, and became known as the “Wynberg Tenders”. After 1900 more of
them were built to similar but improved design to the first six, ie. they were again larger

and more powerful, and for the first time in CGR history the coupled driving wheels
reached a diameter of 5ft. This later became the accepted size of driving wheel for

mixed-traffic and general-purpose locomotives on main-line duties in South Africa. The

rd
larger Cape 3 Class remained known as “Wynberg Tenders”. (Figs. 2.25 - 2.27).

During these years local press reports carried many articles detailing mishaps,

scheduling problems, availability of water supplies for the boilers, as well as
improvements to facilities. A selection of these is presented below.

The Wynberg Times: September 3, 1898.

RAILWAY ENGINE OFF THE LINE AT MUIZENBERG
____________________

On Wednesday evening one of the large engines known as the “Baldwin” type,
fouled the points on leaving Muizenberg station with the result that it knocked down the
deadstop and then, as though tired with the exertion, turned over on its side to rest on
the sands. A break-down gang was soon on the spot and efforts were made to raise the
unwieldy engine to its normal position with such success that we believe that on
Thursday the engine was again on the rails to be returned to Salt River for over-hauling.
As soon as the accident occurred the engine of a goods train was “impressed” to take the
train on to Simon’s Town. Fortunately no lives were lost, but one or two of the
passengers sustained injuries whilst a number of other passengers complained of severe
shaking.