The South African Railways Class NG2 0-4-2ST of 1897 was a narrow-gauge steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in Transvaal. Between 1897 and 1901, Arthur Koppel, acting as agent, imported a number of Dickson-built narrow-gauge steam locomotives for mines on the Witwatersrand. In 1915, when an urgent need arose for additional locomotives in German South West Africa during the First World War, two of the locomotives were purchased second-hand by the South African Railways, for use in that territory. They were later classified as Class NG2. Manufacturer Between 1897 and 1901, several narrow-gauge steam locomotives, built by Dickson Manufacturing Company of Scranton in Pennsylvania shortly before it merged with seven other manufacturing firms to form the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in 1901, were delivered to various gold mines on the Witwatersrand by Arthur Koppel, acting as importing agent. Characteristics The engines had bar frames, with the cylinders arranged outside the frames and actuated by Stephenson valve gear. Their saddle-tanks had a water capacity. Their operating boiler pressure was set at and they had a tractive effort at 75% of boiler pressure. First World War In 1915, shortly after the outbreak of the First World War, the German South West Africa colony was occupied by the Union Defence Forces. Since a large part of the territory's railway infrastructure was destroyed or damaged by retreating German forces, an urgent need arose for locomotives for use on the narrow-gauge lines in that territory. The South African Railways (SAR) therefore bought two of these Dickson-built locomotives second-hand, numbered them NG93 and NG94 and placed them in service in South West Africa (SWA). Identity The identity of these locomotives is difficult to prove, but the SAR diagram book for the Class NG2 gives dimensions which limit the possibilities to only three of the known Koppel imports. Two of these, Dickson works numbers 978 of 1897 and 1019 of 1898, had been delivered to the Lancaster Gold Mine in Roodepoort. That mine closed in June 1913 and the company was wound up in early 1915. It therefore seems a good probability that it were these two locomotives which the SAR bought for service in SWA. A third locomotive with the same dimensions, for which no ownership history is known, was Dickson works no. 1102 of 1899. It is possible, but unproven, that this locomotive also went to Lancaster Gold Mine, since it was of identical dimensions