An illustrated account of the steam locomotives built by W.G. Bagnall for use on the Tongaat Sugar Company estate in South Africa. This volume is an updated and expanded version of two articles previously published in the Industrial Railway Journal in 1979 and 2012.
Although concentrating mainly on the locomotives, the book includes a brief history of the sugar estate in the context of how it came to require steam locomotive operation to recover the harvest. It also briefly describes the geography of the estate, through which the Tongaat River passes before emptying into the ocean.
Each of the company’s locomotives is described, building into a chronology of the Sugar Company fleet. The enhancements arriving with each new locomotive design are highlighted and a table provides easy comparison of the technical specification of the various types. A map of the estate railway ids also included.
South African Steam: Bagnall Locomotives for the Tongaat Sugar Company also looks at the preservation of a remarkable six locomotives from the company’s comparatively small fleet, including one example that has been restored in Middlesbrough. 36 pages.