South African type XC1 tender

Type XC1 tenders were built in 1897 and 1898 by Dübs and Company, Neilson and Company, Neilson, Reid and Company and Sharp, Stewart and Company.^[1][2][3]

The original 6th Class locomotive and tender had been designed at the Salt River works of the Cape Government Railways (CGR) in Cape Town in 1892, under the supervision of Western System Locomotive Superintendent H.M. Beatty. In 1897 and 1898, the CGR placed a third batch of 55 6th Class 4-6-0 steam locomotives in service, which would be designated Class 6B on the South African Railways (SAR) in 1912.^[1][2][3][4]

The Type XC1 entered service as tenders to these locomotives. More entered service in 1898, as tenders to the Oranje-Vrijstaat Gouwerment-Spoorwegen (OVGS) 6th Class L3.^[1][2][3]

As built, the tender had a maximum axle load of 8 long tons 16 hundredweight 2 quarters (8,967 kilograms), a coal capacity of 5 long tons 10 hundredweight (5.6 tonnes) and a water capacity of 2,600 imperial gallons (11,800 litres; 3,120 US gallons).^[1][2][3]

In the SAR years, tenders were numbered for the engines they were delivered with. In most cases, an oval number plate, bearing the engine number and often also the locomotive class and tender type, would be attached to the rear end of the tender. During the classification and renumbering of locomotives onto the SAR roster in 1912, no separate classification and renumbering list was published for tenders, which should have been renumbered according to the locomotive renumbering list.^[5]

Two locomotive classes were delivered new with Type XC1 tenders. Bearing in mind that tenders could and did migrate between engines, these tenders should have been numbered in the SAR number ranges as shown.^[1][2][3]

• 1897: CGR 6th Class of 1897, SAR Class 6B, numbers 490 to 540.
• 1898: OVGS 6th Class L3, SAR Class 6E, numbers 598 to 603.

Since many tender types are interchangeable between different locomotive classes and types, a tender classification system was adopted by the SAR. The first letter of the tender type indicates the classes of engines to which it can be coupled. The "X_" tenders could be used with the locomotive classes as shown.^[3]

• CGR Mountain, SAR Class 4.
• SAR Class 4A.
• SAR Class 5.
• CGR 6th Class of 1897, SAR Class 6B.
• OVGS 6th Class L3, SAR Class 6E.
• CGR 6th Class of 1901 (Neilson, Reid), SAR Class 6H.
• CGR 6th Class of 1902, SAR Class 6J.
• CGR 8th Class of 1902, SAR Class 8.
• Imperial Military Railways 8th Class, SAR Class 8A.
• Central South African Railways Class 8-L2, SAR Class 8B.
• Central South African Railways Class 8-L3, SAR Class 8C.
• CGR 8th Class 4-8-0 of 1903, SAR Class 8D.
• CGR 8th Class Experimental, SAR Class 8E.
• CGR 8th Class 4-8-0 of 1904, SAR Class 8F.
• CGR 8th Class 2-8-0 of 1903, SAR Class 8Y.
• CGR 8th Class 2-8-0 of 1904, SAR Class 8Z.
• Central South African Railways Class 9, SAR Class 9.
• Central South African Railways Class 10, SAR Class 10.
• Central South African Railways Class 10-2 Saturated, SAR Class 10A.
• Central South African Railways Class 10-2 Superheated. SAR Class 10B.
• Central South African Railways Class 10-C, SAR Class 10C.
• Central South African Railways Class 11, SAR Class 11.
• CGR 9th Class of 1903, SAR Class Experimental 4.
• CGR 9th Class of 1906, SAR Class Experimental 5.
• CGR 10th Class, SAR Class Experimental 6.
• SAR Class ME.
• Central South African Railways Mallet Superheated, SAR Class MF.

The second letter indicates the tender's water capacity. The "_C" tenders had a capacity of between 2,590 and 2,600 imperial gallons (11,770 and 11,820 litres; 3,110 and 3,122 US gallons).^[3]

A number, when added after the letter code, indicates differences between similar tender types, such as function, wheelbase or coal bunker capacity.^[3]