SAR-NG6 Lawleys

The Lawleys that came into the SAR came about because of the Ist World War and the campaign in German South West Africa, as the German force were pushed back motive power was need on the Otavi Railway as the Germans has dismantled or hidden the locos. South African two foot lines were pressed to give up some of their locos to assist the SA Forces, thus putting their own railways under stain. Thirteen of the Falcon Engine and Car Works, Loughborough England, which had run on the Beira Railway and been in storage in Villa Machado   Mozambique and owned by Messrs McLawley (thus the nickname given by the SAR) were bought to help ease the situation of motive power shortage. Nine locos where made serviceable from the thirteen and became the NG6 Class and numbered 96-98 and 101-106, their wheel arrangement was 4-4-0, and the coupled wheels were 2’8” in diameter. The tractive effort at 75% boiler pressure was 3987lbs. These locos ran mainly on the Hopefield and Avontuur Branches but 105 saw service on the Fort Beaufort-Seymour line for many years. All of this class were sold on to private companies’ once finishing service on the SAR which in its self said at lot about these fine little locos.

These little locos even found there way on to a postage stamp.

This model has been built of No.97 by Bruce Green who builds these to order in O Scale ,7mm to the foot,1/43.5