Cape Government Railways class 7 (1896)

The second type of Class 7 4-8-0 locomotives procured by the Cape Government Railways was built from 1896 for the central and eastern regions. They all came from British manufacturers and 45 were delivered by 1898, while a single one came from Dübs in 1901.

These locomotives were a development of the 1891 model and again were designed by Beatty. Compared to their predecessors, they had a larger boiler and a larger tender. Only the first driving axle had no wheel flanges. In the 1930s, many were rebuilt with a superheater and piston valves.

The Sudanese military received eight identical locomotives in 1897 and 1898 and used them in the Mahdist War. They were also called “Dongola class”. They had been given water pipes to the front so that an additional tender could be coupled there for use in the desert.

Of the GCR's locomotives, all but two, which had previously been sold, were taken over by the SAR in 1912. During the First World War, some were used in the conquest of German South West Africa. Due to their suitability in this region, more were later relocated there. After replacing them with more modern steam locomotives and diesel locomotives, the SAR retired the last class 7A locomotives in 1972.