South African type ZC tender

Type ZC tenders were built between 1896 and 1913 by Dübs and Company, Kitson and Company, Neilson and Company, Neilson, Reid and Company, North British Locomotive Company and Sharp, Stewart and Company.^[1]

The original 7th 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 H.M. Beatty, the CGR Western System's Locomotive Superintendent. Between 1896 and 1901, the CGR placed 46 more 7th Class locomotives in service, which would be designated Class 7A on the South African Railways (SAR) in 1912.^[1][2][3]

The Type ZC first entered service in 1896 as tenders to these locomotives. Until 1913, all further 7th Class locomotives which were acquired by the CGR, Imperial Military Railways (IMR), Rhodesia Railways (RR) and New Cape Central Railway (NCCR) were delivered with Type ZC tenders.^[2][3]

A second version of the Type ZC tender, with a larger coal capacity, entered service on the NCCR as tenders to its 7th Class locomotives of 1899-1904 and 1913, which would respectively be designated Classes 7E and 7F on the SAR in 1925.^[2][3]

As built, the first version of the tender had a coal capacity of 5 long tons 10 hundredweight (5.6 tonnes), while the second had a capacity of 6 long tons 10 hundredweight (6.6 tonnes), with maximum axle loads of 8 long tons 10 hundredweight 2 quarters (8,662 kilograms) and 9 long tons 1 hundredweight (9,195 kilograms) respectively. Both versions had a water capacity of 4,000 imperial gallons (18,200 litres).^[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 or 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.^[4]

Six locomotive classes were delivered new with Type ZC tenders, built by six manufacturers. Bearing in mind that tenders could and did migrate between engines, the tenders should have been numbered in the SAR number ranges as shown.^[2][3][4]

5½ long tons coal capacity

• 1896: CGR 7th Class of 1896, SAR Class 7A, numbers 988 to 1031.
• 1899: RR 7th Class, SAR Class 7D, numbers 1351 to 1355.
• 1900: IMR 7th Class, SAR Class 7B, numbers 949 and 1032 to 1058.
• 1902: CGR 7th Class of 1902, SAR Class 7C, numbers 1059 to 1068.

6½ long tons coal capacity

• 1899: NCCR 7th Class of 1899, SAR Class 7E, numbers 1344 to 1350.^[2][3]
• 1913: NCCR 7th Class of 1913, SAR Class 7F, numbers 1357 to 1359.^[2][3]

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 could be coupled. The "Z_" tenders could be used with the locomotive classes as shown.^[3]

• CGR 7th Class of 1892, SAR Class 7.
• CGR 7th Class of 1896, SAR Class 7A.
• IMR 7th Class, SAR Class 7B.
• CGR 7th Class of 1902, SAR Class 7C.
• RR 7th Class, SAR Class 7D.
• NCCR 7th Class of 1899, SAR Class 7E.
• NCCR 7th Class of 1913, SAR Class 7F.

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]