In South Africa, as elsewhere in the world, the railways played a huge part in development and growth on nearly all terrains in the country. Conversely, events in South Africa and its neighbours over the years had a huge influence on the development of railways.

When the articles on the locomotives of South Africa are read sequentially in the order of their years of entering railway service, much of the history of the country becomes apparent between the lines. At the same time, the development of steam locomotives can be followed from the basic 0-4-0 to the mighty wheel arrangements, and articulated steam locomotives from the Fairlies and the Kitson-Meyer to the Mallets and ultimately to the Garratts. Likewise with the development of modern traction such as electric, gas-electric, diesel-hydraulic, electro-diesel and diesel-electric locomotives.

This article consists of links to articles on South African locomotives, arranged in the order of their years of entering service, with the links embedded in the applicable pictures. In addition, the opening dates of new railway lines are shown.

Railway construction

In South Africa and South West Africa, where the South African Railways operated, all early mainline railway construction took place working inland from harbours and ports. Construction on these lines began in the years from 1858 to 1887 in South Africa and from 1897 to 1908 in South West Africa.

Cape Western – The Cape Town–Wellington line in 1858.The South African Railways – Historical Survey. Editor George Hart, Publisher Bill Hart, Sponsored by Dorbyl Ltd., Published c. 1978. Namaqualand – The Port Nolloth–O'okiep line in 1869. Cape Midland – The Port Elizabeth–Uitenhage line in 1872.Pioneer, Little Bess & Mliss Cape Midland – The Swartkops–Alicedale line in 1875. Natal – The Durban–Pietermaritzburg line in 1876. Cape Eastern – The East London–King William's Town line in 1876. Kowie – The Port Alfred–Grahamstown line in 1881.Heritage Portal: The Port Alfred to Grahamstown Railway Transvaal – The Delagoa Bay–Pretoria line in 1887. South West Africa Central – The Swakopmund–Windhoek line in 1897. South West Africa Northern – The Swakopmund–Otavi line in 1903. South West Africa Southern – The Lüderitz–Keetmanshoop line in 1908.

1850s 1858 On 8 September the first railway locomotive arrives in South Africa.

1860s 1860 New lines opened:Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 181, ref. no. 200954-13 Natal – Durban to Point on 26 June.

1862 New lines opened: Cape Western – Cape Town to Stellenbosch on 1 May. The first gauge locomotive arrives in South Africa when the Table Bay Harbour Board acquires a single broad gauge locomotive, builder or appearance unknown, for excavation and breakwater construction work.Table Bay Harbour construction locomotives

1863 New lines opened: Cape Western – Stellenbosch to Wellington on 4 November. The Cape Town and Green Point Tramway introduces horse-drawn trams from Adderley Street to Green Point.

1864 New lines opened: Cape Western – Salt River to Wynberg on 19 December.

1867 New lines opened: Natal – Durban to Umgeni on 4 April.

1869 The first rails of the Namaqualand Railway from Port Nolloth to O'okiep are laid.

1870s 1870 A second broad gauge locomotive is observed at Table Bay Harbour, a 0-4-0 saddle-tank engine built by Hughes's Locomotive & Tramway Engine Works which had entered service between 1863 and 1870.The Cape Argus of 19 July 1870.Grace’s Guide: Henry Hughes and CompanyDating the opening of Hughes Works

1871 New lines opened: Namaqualand – Port Nolloth to Muishondfontein on 18 February. The first gauge locomotives arrive in South Africa.

1872 The Cape Government Railways is established and takes over the operation of all public railways in the Colony, consisting of altogether 63 route miles of track from Cape Town via Stellenbosch to Wellington and via Salt River to Wynberg.Report for year ending 31st December 1909, Cape Government Railways, Section VIII – Dates of Opening and the Length of the different Sections in the Cape Colony, from the Year 1873 to 31 December 1909.

1873 New lines opened: Namaqualand – Muishondfontein to Kookfontein. The first Cape gauge locomotives arrive in South Africa.

1874 The railway line from Port Elizabeth to Uitenhage is partially opened.

1875 New lines opened: Cape Midland – Port Elizabeth to Addo on 26 July and Swartkops to Uitenhage on 22 September. Cape Western – Wellington to Wolseley on 3 November.

1876 New lines opened: Cape Eastern – East London to Blaney on 18 December. Cape Midland – Addo to Sand Flats on 1 April. Cape Western – Wolseley to Worcester on 16 June and Bellville to Muldersvlei on 14 September. Namaqualand – Kookfontein to O'okiep on 1 January. The ship Memento sinks off East London with two Cape 2nd Class 2-6-2TT locomotives for the Eastern System. Construction begins on the Cape Town Central Station as hub to the Cape Government Railways. The Hex River tunnel on the railway line between Osplaas and Matroosberg is completed. (Retrieved on 3 September 2016) Construction begins on the Cape gauge railway line from Durban to Pietermaritzburg in Natal.

1877 New lines opened: Cape Eastern – Blaney to King William's Town and to Kei Road, both on 1 May. Cape Midland – Uitenhage to Glenconnor on 1 May and Sand Flats to Alicedale on 27 May. Cape Western – Worcester to Kleinstraat on 7 November and Kraaifontein to Malmesbury on 12 November.

1878 New lines opened: Cape Eastern – Kei Road to Döhne on 15 August. Cape Midland – Glenconnor to Mount Stewart on 1 August. Cape Western – Kleinstraat to Koup on 4 November. Natal – Umgeni to Avoca on 25 May and Durban to Pinetown on 4 September.

1879 New lines opened: Cape Eastern – Döhne to Cathcart on 3 November. Cape Midland – Mount Stewart to Graaff-Reinet on 26 August, and Alicedale to Grahamstown on 3 September and to Middleton on 17 September. Cape Western – Koup to Fraserburg Road on 11 August. Natal – Pinetown to Botha's Hill in March and Avoca to Verulam on 1 September.

1880s 1880 New lines opened:Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 182, ref. no. 200954-13 Cape Eastern – Cathcart to Queenstown on 5 May. Cape Midland – Middleton to Cookhouse on 2 March. Cape Western – Fraserburg Road to Beaufort West on 5 February. Natal – Rossburgh to Isipingo on 1 February and Botha's Hill to Pietermaritzburg on 1 December.

1881 New lines opened: Cape Midland – Cookhouse to Cradock on 1 June.

1882 New lines opened: Cape Western – Wynberg to Muizenberg on 15 December.

1883 New lines opened: Cape Eastern – Queenstown to Sterkstroom on 15 October. Cape Midland – Cradock to Colesberg on 16 October. Cape Western – Muizenberg to Kalkbaai on 5 May and Beaufort West to Victoria West Road on 14 May.

1884 New lines opened: Cape Eastern – Sterkstroom to Molteno on 16 September. Cape Midland – Noupoort to De Aar on 31 March, to link with the Cape Western. Cape Western – Victoria West Road to Oranjerivier on 3 November. Kowie – Port Alfred to Grahamstown on 1 December. Natal – Pietermaritzburg to Merrivale in May.

1885 New lines opened: Cape Eastern – Molteno to Aliwal North on 2 September. Cape Western – Oranjerivier to Kimberley on 28 November. Natal – Merrivale to Estcourt on 21 December.

1886 New lines opened: Natal – Estcourt to Ladysmith on 21 June.

1887 New lines opened: Cape Central – Worcester to Roodewal in October.

1889 New lines opened: Cape Western – Eerste River to Somerset West on 21 October. Namaqualand – Braakpits Junction to Flat Mine on 23 April. Natal – Ladysmith to Glencoe on 4 September.

1890s 1890 New lines opened: Cape Midland – Colesberg Junction to Norvalspont on 17 December. Cape Western – Somerset West to Sir Lowry's Pass Village on 1 February, Kalkbaai to Simon's Town and Kimberley to Vryburg, both on 1 December. Free State – Norvalspont to Bloemfontein on 17 December. Natal – Glencoe to Talana on 28 March and to Newcastle on 15 May. Transvaal – Braamfontein to Springs on 13 October and to Roodepoort on 17 November.

1891 New lines opened: Natal – Newcastle to Charlestown on 7 April. Transvaal – Roodepoort to Krugersdorp on 10 February and Mozambique border near Komatipoort to Malelane on 28 December.

1892 New lines opened:Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 183, ref. no. 200954-13 Cape Eastern – Dreunberg Junction to Bethulie Bridge on 21 May. Cape Midland – Rosmead to Stormberg Junction on 8 February, to link with the Cape Eastern. Free State – Bloemfontein to Vaal River Bridge on 7 May, Bethulie Bridge to Springfontein on 21 May and Natal-Free State border to Harrismith on 12 July. Natal – Danskraal to Natal-Free State border on 12 July. Transvaal – Malelane to Nelspruit on 20 June and Vaal River Bridge to Germiston on 15 September.

1893 New lines opened: Transvaal – Germiston to Pretoria on 1 January and Nelspruit to Airlie on 30 December.

1894 New lines opened: Cape Western – Vryburg to Mafeking on 3 October. Transvaal – Airlie to Pretoria on 18 November.

1895 New lines opened: Natal – Charlestown to Natal-Transvaal border on 1 December. Transvaal – Natal-Transvaal border to Union Junction near Alberton on 15 December, linking Natal to Transvaal. The railways of the Cape Colony, Natal, the Orange Free State, the South African Republic and southern Mozambique are all linked at Union Junction near Alberton on 15 December.

1896 New lines opened: Cape Eastern – Sterkstroom to Indwe on 1 February. Transvaal – Kaapmuiden to Barberton on 1 April and Krugersdorp to Frederikstad on 2 November. Cape Town's first electric tram service begins operating along Adderley Street to Mowbray Hill.

1897 New lines opened: Cape Midland – Rosmead to Middelburg on 1 October. Cape Western – Mafeking to Ramatlabama at the Bechuanaland Protectorate border on 13 March. Natal – Isipingo to Park Rynie on 1 December, Verulam to Tongaat on 3 December and Thornville to Richmond on 15 December. Transvaal – Frederikstad to Klerksdorp on 3 August. The Pretoria-Pietersburg Railway purchases a locomotive named Portuguese from Mozambique.

1898 New lines opened: Cape Midland – Middelburg to Graaff-Reinet on 3 March and Bamboo Junction to Cape Collieries. Free State – Theunissen to Winburg on 1 November. Namaqualand – Garracoop Junction to Nababeep on 15 October. Natal – Clairwood to Wests in Durban on 13 June and Tongaat to Tugela on 1 December. Transvaal – Pretoria to Potgietersrus on 1 October.

1899 New lines opened:Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 184, ref. no. 200954-13 Cape Central – Roodewal to Swellendam on 12 April. Free State – Wolwehoek to Heilbron on 31 January. Natal – Pietermaritzburg to New Hanover on 25 October. Transvaal – Potgietersrus to Pietersburg on 1 May. Walvis Bay - Walvis Bay to Plum.

1900s 1900 New lines opened: Cape Eastern – Bowker's Park to Tarkastad on 5 December. Natal – New Hanover to Greytown on 25 July, Park Rynie to Umzinto and Kelso Junction to Mtwalume, both on 8 August.

1901 New lines opened: Cape Western – Malmesbury to Moorreesburg on 9 September. Natal – Stanger to Kearsney on 13 March and Mtwalume to North Shepstone on 27 July. The electric tramline in Cape Town is extended from Sea Point to Camps Bay.

1902 New lines opened: Cape Midland – Cookhouse to Somerset East and Klipplaat to Willowmore, both on 1 August. Cape Western – Sir Lowry's Pass Village to Caledon on 1 August and Moorreesburg to Eendekuil on 15 November. Free State – Bloemfontein to Sannaspos on 1 May.