Talk:NZASM 18 Tonner 0-6-0ST

Information on the 18 Tonners
The contents of an email received from John Middleton:

"Original Message

From: John Nicholas Middleton

To: André Kritzinger

Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2013 2:31 PM

Subject: ZASM 18 tonners

Hi Andre

Yes, a confusing group of locos, see attached which includes a works photo, this is from the MW Book so not sure of copyright, I can check the book at home tonight and see what it says.

There is a photo of one of these standing on a bridge somewhere - I am sure its been in the RHG Bulletin but can't remember off hand and I don't have a scanned version.

I have long been confused by the numbering of 53-58 which logically are Delagoa Bay numbers following on from the three tram locos. Now the Delagoa Bay Railway was controlled (majority owned ?) by ZASM and how these locos were transferred between the Companies is unclear but the works photo showing "57" clearly indicates that as built they were likely intended to go to the Delagoa Bay Railway. Does this indicate that the trams and these locos went FIRST to Delagoa Bay and then ZASM and not the other way round ??? Perhaps they were ordered for the construction of the Delagoa Bay and when it linked with the ZASM in 1894, perhaps the locos then became ZASM locos (although that doesn't logically explain how they came to have the numbers 9-14 which chronologically came before the 19-tonners of 1890-91. (The Harbour in Lourenco Marques was owned by ZASM and in fact was the last asset it had - well after the railway had been absorbed by CSAR).

Anyway, whatever their origin, they were ZASM 9-14 and were at least allocated IMR 606-611 and one at least became CSAR E (and from my previous notes, possibly another was D).

Three (possibly including loco E) became stationary boilers 1592, 1593 and 1704

Two of these18-ton locos were sold to industry (neither identified), one went to Rand Collieries, Schapenrust Coal Mines and was later sold again to Apex Colliery where it was No. 1. Another one went to Brakpan Mines where it was No. 2.

Incidentally, inside cylinder locos were not rare at all. In Victorian Britain, the majority of locos were inside cylindered, because Victorian engineering liked everything to be hidden away. Practical maintenance considerations made this a lot more difficult on narrower gauges which is why they were uncommon in South Africa. However, there were others, including this delightful Bagnall on 18" gauge in Kimberley.

Of course BLACKIE in Cape Town is also inside-cylindered. The first Table Bay Harbour loco built by Hughes in 1862 was inside cylindered and on the Sheba Tramway, the two Robeys were inside cylindered.

Regards

John"