Editing 2-8-0 (section)

===South Africa===
Five 2-8-0 locomotive classes saw service in South Africa, all of them initially acquired by the [[Cape Government Railways]] (CGR), which classified all but two as 8th Class. All of them were variations on the same design, used [[saturated steam]], and had cylinders with overhead slide valves, actuated by inside [[Stephenson valve gear]].<ref name="Holland 1"/>
[[File:SAR Class 8X 882 (2-8-0).jpg|thumb|[[South African Class 8X 2-8-0|SAR Class 8X]], ''circa'' 1930]]
* In 1901 and 1902, the CGR placed 16 ''Consolidation''s in service. Designed by H.M. Beatty, chief locomotive superintendent of the CGR from 1896 to 1910, they were ordered from the [[Schenectady Locomotive Works]] in the United States and partly delivered by Schenectady in 1901, with the remainder delivered from the newly established [[American Locomotive Company]] in 1902. Conceived as mixed-traffic locomotives, they had bar frames and narrow fireboxes. In 1912, when these locomotives were assimilated into the South African Railways (SAR), they were designated [[South African Class 8X 2-8-0|Class 8X]].<ref name="Holland 1">{{Holland-Vol 1|pages=61-68}}</ref><ref name="Paxton-Bourne">{{Paxton-Bourne|pages=50, 82, 99, 149}}</ref><ref name="SAR Renumber">Classification of S.A.R. Engines with Renumbering Lists, issued by the Chief Mechanical Engineer's Office, Pretoria, January 1912, pp. 9, 12, 15, 35-36 (Reprinted in April 1987 by SATS Museum, R.3125-6/9/11-1000)</ref><ref name="diagram-book">South African Railways and Harbours Locomotive Diagram Book, 2’0" & 3’6" Gauge Steam Locomotives, p11, 15 August 1941, as amended</ref>
* In 1902, the CGR also placed a single experimental [[Compound locomotive#Tandem|tandem compound]] ''Consolidation'' in service, based on its Schenectady/ALCO-built 8th Class. Delivered by ALCO in 1902, the locomotive was not classified and was simply referred to as the Tandem Compound. In 1912, it was designated [[South African Class Experimental 2 2-8-0|Class Experimental 2]] on the SAR.<ref name="Holland 1"/><ref name="Paxton-Bourne"/><ref name="SAR Renumber"/>
[[File:SAR Class Exp 3 909 (2-8-0) CGR 839.jpg|thumb|[[South African Class Experimental 2 2-8-0|SAR Class Experimental 2]]]]
* In 1903, the CGR received a second experimental tandem compound ''Consolidation'' from ALCO. It was similar to the earlier one, but with a larger fire grate and an increased heating surface which enhanced its steaming ability. It also remained unclassified and was also simply referred to as a Tandem Compound. In 1912, it was designated [[South African Class Experimental 3 2-8-0|Class Experimental 3]] on the SAR.<ref name="Holland 1"/><ref name="Paxton-Bourne"/><ref name="SAR Renumber"/>
* Also in 1903, the CGR received four more ''Consolidation''s from [[Kitson and Company]] of Hunslet in Leeds. They were very similar to the earlier Schenectady and ALCO-built ''Consolidation''s, but with the boiler pitch raised by {{convert|2|in|mm|abbr=on}}. Coupled with a shallow firebox, this enabled the grate to be extended out sideways over the fourth set of drivers, resulting in a grate area of {{convert|30.9|sqft|m2|3|abbr=on}} compared to the {{convert|20|sqft|m2|3|abbr=on}} of the previous model. In 1912, they were designated [[South African Class 8Y 2-8-0|Class 8Y]] on the SAR.<ref name="Holland 1"/><ref name="Paxton-Bourne"/><ref name="SAR Renumber"/>
[[File:SAR Class 8Z 904 (2-8-0) CGR 825.jpg|thumb|[[South African Class 8Z 2-8-0|SARClass 8Z]]]]
* In 1904, the CGR placed its last eight ''Consolidation''s in service. These were ordered from the [[North British Locomotive Company]] of Glasgow in Scotland and were very similar to the previous four Kitson-built locomotives, but slightly larger in boiler and firegrate area dimensions. In 1912, these eight were designated [[South African Class 8Z 2-8-0|Class 8Z]] on the SAR.<ref name="Holland 1"/><ref name="Paxton-Bourne"/><ref name="SAR Renumber"/><ref name="NBL">North British Locomotive Company works list, compiled by Austrian locomotive historian Bernhard Schmeiser</ref>

While subjecting the ''Consolidation''s to exhaustive testing on all types of traffic and under varying conditions, some trouble was experienced with the leading pony truck and it was dropped in favour of a four-wheeled bogie in later orders for more eighth class locomotives. All subsequent Cape eighth class locomotives were therefore built with a {{nowrap|[[4-8-0]]}} ''Mastodon'' wheel arrangement.<ref name="Holland 1"/>