[1][2] The original 7th Class locomotive and tender were designed in 1892 at the Salt River works in Cape Town, under the supervision of H.M. Beatty, the Cape Government Railways (CGR) Western System's Locomotive Superintendent at the time.

These rebuilt tenders had a more modern appearance, with flush sides all the way to the top of the coal bunker.

[1][2] The program to rebuild several older tender types with new upper structures was begun by Col F.R.

Collins DSO, who approved several of the detailed drawings for the work during his term in office as Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the SAR from 1922 to 1929.

[5] The rebuilt tender had a coal capacity which had been increased from 5 long tons 10 hundredweight (5.6 tonnes) to 8 long tons (8.1 tonnes) and a water capacity which had been increased from 2,600 to 2,850 imperial gallons (11,820 to 12,960 litres).