South African Class 26 “Red Devil” 4-8-4
The Last Great Steam Freight Locomotive on Earth
1981–2003
International Giants of Steam — Part 2
1. The Final Stand of Steam
While the rest of the world scrapped steam in the 1950s–1970s, South African Railways kept running 25NCs until the late 1990s. Then, in 1981, one man decided to build the ultimate steam locomotive — forty years after everyone else gave up.
2. The Man and the Machine
- Engineer: David Wardle (British-born, steam-obsessed)
- Base: SAR Class 25NC № 3450
- Rebuilt: 1980–1981 at Salt River Works, Cape Town
- Renumbered: Class 26 № 3450 “Red Devil”
3. What Wardle Did Differently
| Modification | Result |
|---|---|
| Dual Lempor exhaust | +40 % draft efficiency |
| Feedwater heater | Coal consumption down 28 % |
| Improved valve events | Drawbar HP up from 2,800 → 4,620 hp |
| Ported cylinders & better steam passages | Smoother, more powerful |
4. Performance (1981 tests)
- Peak drawbar horsepower: 4,620 hp — higher than any unmodified 25NC and most 1940s American giants
- Coal saving: 28–30 % less than standard 25NC
- Water saving: 20–25 %
- Regular service: 100-car coal trains on the Cape main line
5. Territory — Cape Town to Beaufort West
Cape Town – De Aar – Kimberley line. Red Devil regularly worked 1,200-ton trains over Hex River Pass at 50–60 mph.
6. Fate
Regular revenue service until 1996. Final mainline run 2003. Now preserved at Monument Station, Cape Town — cosmetically restored, never steamed again.
7. Head-to-Head with the Dead Giants
| Locomotive | Peak Drawbar HP | Year Built | Still Runs? |
|---|---|---|---|
| C&O Allegheny | 7,498 hp (1948) | 1941–48 | No |
| UP Big Boy | ~6,300 hp | 1941–44 | Yes |
| South African Red Devil | 4,620 hp (1981) | 1981 | No |
8. Final Thought
The Red Devil proved that, even in 1981, steam could still be made cleaner, stronger, and more efficient than most diesels of the day — if anyone had cared enough to keep building it.
Next stop: China’s QJ 2-10-2 army.
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