In 1901, while they were being built, Schenectady merged with seven other American locomotive builders to form ALCO.

[1][2][3] The Type WG tender had a coal capacity of 6 long tons (6.1 tonnes), a water capacity of 3,080 imperial gallons (14,000 litres; 3,700 US gallons) and an average maximum axle loading of 9 long tons 3 hundredweight 3 quarters (9,335 kilograms).

[3][5] Only Class 8X locomotives were delivered new with Type WG tenders, renumbered in the SAR number range from 880 to 895.

883 was reboilered and rebuilt to a 4-8-0 Mastodon type wheel arrangement and reclassified to the sole Class 8R.

[3] A number, when added after the letter code, usually indicates differences between similar tender types, such as function, wheelbase or coal bunker capacity.