[1][3][4] Upon arrival in Cape Town, the locomotive had to be dismantled before it could be landed off the brig Charles by means of lighters.

It was partially re-assembled on the jetty and then moved to Alfred's Square, now part of the Parade in Cape Town.

In anticipation of the completion of the line, the Cape Town Railway and Dock took delivery of eight 0-4-2 tender locomotives from R and W Hawthorn in Newcastle upon Tyne in England.

[1][4] The slow construction rate of 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 kilometres) of track in 23 months, led to strained relations between the railway company and the contractors.

The dispute ended in sabotage when disgruntled contractor employees ran one of Cape Town Railway and Dock's new tender locomotives, no.

In October 1861, Cape Town Railway and Dock dismissed the contractors and took over all construction work, as well as the Pickering locomotive.

Work was completed about a year later, and according to the plaque mounted on its plinth at Cape Town station, engine no.

In 1872, the Cape Government of Prime Minister John Molteno decided to take over the operation of all railways in the Colony.

It left Cape Town on board the ship Compage and arrived at Port Alfred on 11 July.

It was reassembled and put to work on the west bank of the Kowie River, but it derailed upon reaching the first curve on the existing rails, which had been laid for ox-drawn wagons and were not fishplated together.

It was found that the curves were too sharp for the locomotive and, during the repairs, the flanges on the second pair of coupled wheels were removed.

The engine Blackie was repaired, repainted and railed to that town to be placed on show, albeit without side-tanks.

It remained there until the newly established South African Railways decided, in 1913, that it should be placed on permanent exhibition at Cape Town Station.

[1][4] While the Cape's suburban lines were being electrified between 1927 and 1928, the engine Blackie was found to be in the way of some masts which had to be erected for the overhead equipment.

It remained there until it was eventually examined by the Historical Monuments Commission, which had it returned to Cape Town station.