South African Class 35-400

South African Class 35-400
35-406 at Stikland, Cape Town, 13 March 2007
Power type Diesel-electric
Designer General Electric
Builder SA GE-DL Locomotive Group
Serial number 40520-40569, 41300-41349[1]
Model GE U15C
Build date 1976, 1978-1980
Total produced 100
UIC classification Co+Co interlinked bogies
Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge
Bogies 3.188 m (10 ft 5.5 in) wheelbase
Wheel diameter 915 mm (36.0 in)
Wheelbase 10.782 m (35 ft 4.5 in)
Length 15.152 m (49 ft 8.5 in)
Width 2.753 m (9 ft 0.4 in)
Height 3.874 m (12 ft 8.5 in)
Axle load 13,720 kg (13.5 long tons)
Locomotive weight 82,000 kg (80.7 long tons) average
82,320 kg (81.0 long tons) maximum
Fuel type Fuel oil
Fuel capacity 2,700 litres (710 USgal)
Prime mover GE 7FDL-8 4 stroke V8
Engine RPM range 385 rpm low idle
450 rpm idle
1,050 rpm maximum
Engine type Diesel
Aspiration Elliott H-584 turbocharger
Generator DC 10 pole GE 5GT-581C15
Traction motors Six GE 5GE-764-C1 DC 4 pole
* 655A 1 hour
* 645A continuous at 17 km/h (11 mph)
Transmission 90/17 gear ratio
Multiple working 4 maximum
Top speed 100 km/h (62 mph)
Power output 1,230 kW (1,650 hp) starting
1,160 kW (1,560 hp) continuous
Tractive effort 201 kN (45,000 lbf) starting
161 kN (36,000 lbf) continuous at 21 km/h (13 mph)
Factor of
adhesion		 25% starting
20% continuous
Locomotive brakes 28-LAV-1
Dynamic brake peak effort:
138 kN (31,000 lbf) at 28 km/h (17 mph)
Locomotive
brakeforce		 60% ratio at 345 kPa (50.0 psi) brake cylinder pressure
Train brakes 740 litres (200 USgal) main reservoir
Compressor capacity:
0.033 m3/s (1.2 cu ft/s) at idle
Exhauster capacity:
0.130 m3/s (4.6 cu ft/s) at idle
Safety systems Vigilance control
Career South African Railways
Spoornet
Transnet Freight Rail
NLPI
Tanzania Railways
Class Class 35-400
Number in class 100
Number 35-401 to 35-500
Delivered 1976-1980
First run 1976[2]

Between March 1976 and May 1980 the South African Railways placed one hundred Class 35-400 GE U15C diesel-electric locomotives in service.[1][2]

Contents

Manufacturer

The Class 35-400 type GE U15C diesel-electric locomotive was designed by General Electric (GE) and built for the South African Railways (SAR) by the South African General Electric-Dorman Long Locomotive Group (SA GE-DL, later Dorbyl). The first batch of fifty locomotives were delivered between March and December 1976, numbered 35-401 to 35-450, followed by a second batch of fifty between October 1978 and May 1980, numbered 35-451 to 35-500.[1][2][3]

Class 35 series

GE and EMD designs

South Africa’s Class 35 locomotive group consists of four sub-classes, the GE Class 35-000 and 35-400 and the Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) Class 35-200 and 35-600. Both these manufacturers also produced locomotives for the South African Classes 33, 34 and 36.[2]

Distinguishing Features

With the GE Class 35 locomotives, the Class 35-000 and 35-400 are visually indistinguishable from each other. A visible modification that is done during major overhauls is the addition of a saddle hood straddling the hump on the long hood behind the cab on Class 35-000 locomotives. By 2011 this modification had been done on a large number of Class 35-000s, but not yet on any of the Class 35-400s.[4]

Service

South African Railways

The Class 35 is South Africa’s standard branch line diesel-electric locomotive. GE Class 35-400s were designed for light rail conditions across difficult terrain and they work on most branch lines in the central, western, southern and southeastern parts of the country.[3]

NLPI

New Limpopo Projects Investments Limited (NLPI), a Mauritius registered company, specialises in private sector investments using the build-operate-transfer (BOT) concept. It has three connected railway operations in Zimbabwe and Zambia that form a rail link between South Africa and the Congo.[1]

In Zambia the RSZ locomotive fleet includes former ZR locomotives, but the rest of the locomotive fleet of all three operations consist of EMD 34-200, 34-600 and 34-800 and GE Class 35-000 and 35-400 locomotives supplied by Transnet Freight Rail (TFR). These locomotives are sometimes marked or branded as either BBR or LOG or both, but their status, whether leased or loaned, is unclear since they are still on the TFR roster and still often work in South Africa as well. The locomotives also do not appear to be restricted to work in any one of the three operations sections and have been observed being transferred to and fro between Zimbabwe and Zambia as required, across the bridge at Victoria Falls.[1][5]

Tanzania Railways

Ten Class 35-400 locomotives were leased to Tanzania Railways, where they were regauged to Metre gauge.[1]

Liveries

The main picture shows 35-406 in Spoornet orange livery on a not excessively long train.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Middleton, John N. (2002). Railways of Southern Africa Locomotive Guide - 2002 (as amended by Combined Amendment List 4, January 2009) (2nd, Dec 2002 ed.). Herts, England: Beyer-Garratt Publications. pp. 38, 42. 
  2. ^ a b c d South African Railways Index and Diagrams Electric and Diesel Locomotives, 610mm and 1065mm Gauges, Ref LXD 14/1/100/20, 28 January 1975, as amended
  3. ^ a b Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 141-142. ISBN 0869772112. 
  4. ^ 35-001 with saddle filter
  5. ^ 35 Class Diesels