The Rhodesia Railways 19th class was a class of 20 locomotives built between 1951 and 1953. These were similar in design to the Class 19D used by South African Railways, and were the last non-articulated steam locomotives ever purchased by Rhodesia Railways. Service
Between 1951 and 1953, Henschel & Son built twenty locomotives for Rhodesia Railways, as their 19th class, numbered in the range from 316 to 335. They had tenders similar to the SAR Torpedo type, but with plate frame bogies instead of cast frame Buckeye bogies.Pattison, R.G. (2005). Thundering Smoke, (1st ed.). Ilminster, Somerset: Sable Publishing House. pp. 127-130. .
A single 19C class, no. 336, was built by Henschel in 1954 as a condensing locomotive. Nicknamed "Silent Suzie", it was intended for use in Botswana, but was unpopular with crews, and was rebuilt into a non-condensing 19th Class in 1958 after being involved in a collision. The condensing tender was rebuilt to a Torpedo tender by mounting a tank and coal bunker, supplied locally in Bulawayo, on the frame.Pattison, R.G. (2005). Thundering Smoke, (1st ed.). Ilminster, Somerset: Sable Publishing House. pp. 127-130. . This rebuilt tender is the one paired with no. 330 which is preserved in the Bulawayo Railway Museum.Hamer, E.D. (2001). Locomotives Zimbabwe and Botswana, (1st ed.). Malmö: Frank Stenvalls Förlag. pp. 60-61. .
By February 1979, only three were left in service, with no. 328 allocated to the Bulawayo shed, no. 329 at Lobatse in Botswana, and no. 330 out-stationed at Mafeking in South Africa. In addition, a further nine locomotives were in storage.
First Number Henschel Builder Number Date Built Disposal Notes 316 27386 1952 Scrapped 1976 317 27387 1952 Scrapped 1976 318 27388 1952 Scrapped 1980 319 27389 1952 Sold Selebi-Pikwe 320 27390 1952 Sold Wankie Colliery 321 27391 1952 Scrapped 1976 322 27392 1952 Sold Selebi-Pikwe 323 27393 1952 Scrapped 1976 324 27394 1952 Scrapped 1976 325 27395 1952 Sold Wankie Colliery 326 27396 1952 Sold Wankie Colliery 327 27397 1952 Scrapped 1980 328 27398 1952 Sold Selebi-Pikwe 329 27399 1952 Scrapped 1976 330 27400 1952 Bulawayo Railway Museum 331 27401 1952 Scrapped 1976 332 27402 1952 Scrapped 1976 333 27403 1952 Scrapped 1979 334 27404 1952 Scrapped 1979 335 27405 1952 Scrapped 1976
Industrial use Wankie Colliery
At the same time as the Rhodesia Railways' order, the Hwange Colliery (then known as the Wankie Coal Company) was looking forward to cut down expendetures of having the Rhodesia Railways handling rail operations from its mines, which cost the colliery company £50 per shunt.
The company decided to order four locomotives identical to the 19th class for £47,000 each from the North British Locomotive Company. These locomotives differed from the Rhodesia Railways examples by having a 12th class tender, and the absence of a superheater. The four locomotives were numbered 1 to 4. A few of the Rhodesian 19th class were later sold to the Wankie Colliery, continuing off where the four first-hand locomotives left off.
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