South African Class 8E

South African Class 8E
Class 8E locomotives shunting in Bayhead Yard, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 8 August 2007
Power type Electric
Designer BBC-Siemens
Builder Union Carriage and Wagon
Serial number SAR none
Industrials 449143-449149
Model BBC-Siemens 8E
Build date 1983-1985
Total produced 107
UIC classification Bo-Bo
Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge
Bogies 3.280 m (10 ft 9.1 in) wheelbase
Wheel diameter 1,220 mm (48.0 in)
Wheelbase 11.13 m (36 ft 6.2 in)
Length 16.12 m (52 ft 10.6 in)
Width 3.04 m (9 ft 11.7 in)
Height 4.14 m (13 ft 7.0 in) pantograph down
Axle load 21,171 kg (20.8 long tons)
(E8001-E8018)
20,960 kg (20.6 long tons)
(E8019-E8100)
Locomotive weight 82,000 kg (80.7 long tons)
(E8001-E8018)
81,200 kg (79.9 long tons)
(E8019-E8100)
Current collection
method		 Pantograph
Traction motors Four IKB 2820-OTA 02
Transmission 17/115 Gear ratio
Top speed 75 km/h (47 mph)
Power output Per motor:
200 kW (270 hp) 1 hour
176 kW (236 hp) continuous
Total:
800 kW (1,100 hp) 1 hour
704 kW (944 hp) continuous
Tractive effort 287.6 kN (64,700 lbf) starting
177.3 kN (39,900 lbf) 1 hour
145.3 kN (32,700 lbf) continuous at 17 km/h (11 mph)
Train brakes Air & Vacuum
Career South African Railways
Spoornet
Transnet Freight Rail
Driefontein GM
Impala Platinum
Class Class 8E[1]
Power class 3 kV DC
Number in class 107
Number SAR E8001-E8100
Dries 5-7
Implats 11-12, 14-15
Nicknames Cockroach
Delivered 1983-1985
First run 1983

Between 1983 and 1985 the South African Railways placed one hundred Class 8E centre-cab electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in shunting service. Seven more were built for the mining industry.[1][2]

Contents

Manufacturer

As a result of the gradual withdrawal of steam locomotives from service, many of which had been employed as shunters, and in addition to the Class 36 diesel-electric locomotive, a growing need arose for a modern electric shunting locomotive for the South African Railways (SAR), especially for use in yards in the large 3 kV DC electrified centres where the Class ES and Class 1ES locomotives were also due to be withdrawn.[3]

The Class 8E electric shunting locomotive was designed for the SAR by a consortium consisting of Brown Boveri of Switzerland and Siemens of Germany and was built by Union Carriage and Wagon (UCW) in Nigel, Transvaal, who also fabricated the mechanical components. One hundred locomotives were delivered by UCW between 1983 and 1985, numbered E8001 to E8100. Another seven locomotives were built by UCW for the mining industry.[2][4]

UCW did not allocate builder’s numbers to the locomotives it built for the SAR. While the usual practice by most other locomotive builders was to allocate builder’s numbers or works numbers to record the locomotives built by them, UCW simply used the SAR running numbers for their record keeping. The locomotives built by UCW for industry, on the other hand, were allocated works numbers.[1][2]

Orientation

The centre cab Class 8E has large grilles on the sides of both hoods on one side, and a grille on the side of only the left hand hood, when viewed from the other side. The number 1 end will be at the front when the side with grilles on both hoods is to the left.[1]

Features

The locomotive has solid state electrical control circuitry, with a thyristor controlled chopper supplying the four traction motors. Since conventional accelerating resistors are eliminated, considerable energy saving is accomplished on heavy shunting duties.[3]

The bogies are based on those of the Class 6E, but with a rubber secondary suspension system that provides maximum adhesive force to the locomotive when starting from rest. The locomotive was designed to be operated by a crew of one and has two driving stations in the cab.[3]

Service

They were initially placed in service on the Witwatersrand, but a large number of them were later allocated to Durban and to other locations in Natal. Some are also employed at Beaconsfield in Kimberley and at Nelspruit in Mpumalanga. Apart from a short period in the early eighties when one served as the station pilot in Cape Town, working between the main-line platforms at Cape Town station and the passenger carriage yard at Culemborg, the Class 8E is unknown in the Western Cape.[3]

They are powerful shunters and popular with their drivers, even though problems are sometimes experienced with start-up or failures while working at coastal centres such as at Umbilo in Durban, due to the damp climate that causes start-up contacter failures. Beginning in 2007, they were gradually equipped with air conditioning units similar to those installed in the Class 18E, for added crew comfort. The air conditioning unit is mounted on the running board to the right of the cab on the right side of the locomotive.[1]

Industrial use

At the same time that the Class 8E locomotives were being built for the SAR, another seven Class 8E locomotives were built for the mining industry.

Gallery

The main picture shows E8096 in the SAR Gulf Red and yellow whiskers livery.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 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
  2. ^ a b c d 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. 51, 59, 63. 
  3. ^ a b c d Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. p. 131. ISBN 0869772112. 
  4. ^ "UCW - Electric locomotives". The UCW Partnership. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071012023401/http://www.ucw.co.za/pdf/electric_loco.pdf. Retrieved 30 September 2010.