During the service life of the Class 19D, several tender exchanges occurred to best equip a locomotive for the region it was allocated to and the type of service it was to be employed in.
In line service, type MX Torpedo tenders were usually preferred for their larger coal and water capacities.
The result was that by the time the Class 19D was withdrawn from service in the late 1980s, many had exchanged their Type MP1 or Type MR tenders for Type MX Torpedo tenders and vice versa.
Type MX Torpedo tenders also ended up attached to Class 19B and Class 19C locomotives.

The Class 19D was the most numerous South African branch line locomotive and, at 235 built for the SAR, was only twenty less in number than the Class 15F mainline locomotive, the most numerous South African steam class.
The Class 19D was very versatile and saw main- and branch line service all over South Africa with the exception of the Western Cape, where the Class 19C was used.

Tasks varied from mainline local and international passenger trains on the section between Warrenton and Mafeking en route between South Africa and Northern Rhodesia via Bechuanaland and Southern Rhodesia, to secondary and branch line duties and in later years as shunting engines.
On occasion, South African Class 19D locomotives worked through from Mafikeng in South Africa via Botswana all the way to Bulawayo in Zimbabwe.
SAR Class 19D locomotives were also hired out for shunting work to the Rhodesia Railways for use at Beit Bridge and to Mozambique for use at Lourenco Marques.

From c. 1972, the new Union Carriage & Wagon-built Blue Train was stabled at Pretoria.
After Capital Park’s blue-liveried Class S2 no.
3793 was withdrawn along with the rest of its class in 1979-1980, the Pretoria station carriage-shunt duties were taken over by a blue-painted Class 19D no.
2749, the only member of the class to serve in a different SAR livery from the usual black.
Apart from shunting work, the blue Dolly was often specially requested to work the Cullinan train during the Jacaranda season.

The Class 19D served until right at the end of the South African steam era and were amongst the last steam locomotives to be replaced by electric and diesel-electric traction.
During the service life of the Class 19D, several tender exchanges occurred to best equip a locomotive for the region it was allocated to and the type of service it was to be employed in. In line service, type MX Torpedo tenders were usually preferred for their larger coal and water capacities. The result was that by the time the Class 19D was withdrawn from service in the late 1980s, many had exchanged their Type MP1 or Type MR tenders for Type MX Torpedo tenders and vice versa. Type MX Torpedo tenders also ended up attached to Class 19B and Class 19C locomotives.
The Class 19D was the most numerous South African branch line locomotive and, at 235 built for the SAR, was only twenty less in number than the Class 15F mainline locomotive, the most numerous South African steam class. The Class 19D was very versatile and saw main- and branch line service all over South Africa with the exception of the Western Cape, where the Class 19C was used.
Tasks varied from mainline local and international passenger trains on the section between Warrenton and Mafeking en route between South Africa and Northern Rhodesia via Bechuanaland and Southern Rhodesia, to secondary and branch line duties and in later years as shunting engines. On occasion, South African Class 19D locomotives worked through from Mafikeng in South Africa via Botswana all the way to Bulawayo in Zimbabwe. SAR Class 19D locomotives were also hired out for shunting work to the Rhodesia Railways for use at Beit Bridge and to Mozambique for use at Lourenco Marques.
From c. 1972, the new Union Carriage & Wagon-built Blue Train was stabled at Pretoria. After Capital Park’s blue-liveried Class S2 no. 3793 was withdrawn along with the rest of its class in 1979-1980, the Pretoria station carriage-shunt duties were taken over by a blue-painted Class 19D no. 2749, the only member of the class to serve in a different SAR livery from the usual black. Apart from shunting work, the blue Dolly was often specially requested to work the Cullinan train during the Jacaranda season.
The Class 19D served until right at the end of the South African steam era and were amongst the last steam locomotives to be replaced by electric and diesel-electric traction.
South African Class 19D 4-8-2