Western Transvaal Industrials

There were numerous industrial railway systems serving coal and gold mines with interesting locos,

including ex main line classes and tanks, which were virtually extinct on SAR by 1974.

NB: Some details are uncertain, partly due to my incomplete notes, any corrections gratefully received.

My introduction to industrial steam came at a location near Springs – South African Land & Exploration Co Ltd

had two green 4-8-2T, No.1 being in steam.

This No.1, North British 25900/1946, arrived at the end of 1973 to replace Bagnall 4-8-2T 2575/1936,

a previous S A L & E No.1 (which in turn had replaced an earlier No.1!)

Transvaal Navigation Colliery, one of many coalfield locations in the Witbank area, had this chunky 2-6-2T.

Koornfontein Mine had this 0-6-0T, apparently stored.

An altogether bigger loco was Witbank Colliery No.1, with the very unusual 4-10-2 wheel arrangement built by

North British Loco Co to a Natal Government Railway design. It was no longer in use, but has survived into preservation.

With the 4-10-2T in the background, North British Loco Co 4-8-2T No.3 was a working engine along with 4-8-2 No.5,

which is (I think) the loco depicted below, looking well polished from a distance.

Springbok Colliery No.4 was a North British Loco Co 4-8-2T with sidetanks removed and replaced by a tender.

At Albion Collieries No.3 was a nice old 4-8-0, originally constructed as a 4-10-2T to the same design as

Witbank Colliery No. 1 pictured earlier. At the same location was an ex-Rhodesian Railways 16th class 2-8-2/2-8-2

Garratt, pictured below, possibly from another colliery.

Another 4-8-0 - ex main line class 1A - has sand dropped on the rails to gain adhesion with a heavy load of

Apex Colliery coal which it hauled three miles to the SAR connection at Blackhill.

Not certain which loco or mine - possibly Landau - a 4-8-2 out in the countryside waiting to move off.

Not to be outdone by the coal industry, Gold Mines also had locos, including this very attractive 4-6-4T at

East Daggafontein, between Springs and Nigel. Starting life as a Natal Government Railways class J, a product of

Nasmyth, Wilson of Manchester it survived to be preserved but was sadly cut up in recent years after being vandalised.

Close to Johannesburg airport was Klipfontein Organic Products which ran this neat Andrew Barclay 2-6-0T.

A last glimpse of industrial steam in the Witbank area with a 4-8-2 on a Landau Colliery working.