Between 1919 and 1925, the South African Railways (SAR) placed five Class Garratt locomotives with this wheel arrangement in service on the Avontuur narrow gauge line through the Langkloof and also in Natal. They were the first Garratt locomotives to enter service in South Africa. The three locomotives, numbered 51 to 53, were erected at Uitenhage and put on trials on the Avontuur line in May 1920. These first three locomotives were not superheated. They had outside plate frames, Walschaerts valve gear, Belpaire fireboxes and used saturated steam and slide valves.