| South African Class 37-000 | |
|---|---|
| 37-020 at Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal, 15 August 2007 | |
| Power type | Diesel-electric |
| Designer | Electro-Motive Diesel |
| Builder | General Motors South Africa |
| Serial number | 116-1 to 116-100[1] |
| Model | EMD GT26M2C |
| Build date | 1981-1982 |
| Total produced | 100 |
| UIC classification | Co+Co interlinked bogies |
| Gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge |
| Bogies | 3.632 m (11 ft 11.0 in) wheelbase |
| Wheel diameter | 1,016 mm (40.0 in) |
| Wheelbase | 14.732 m (48 ft 4.0 in) |
| Length | 19.202 m (63 ft 0 in) |
| Width | 2.819 m (9 ft 3.0 in) |
| Height | 3.924 m (12 ft 10.5 in) |
| Axle load | 21,000 kg (20.7 long tons) |
| Locomotive weight | 125,000 kg (123.0 long tons) average 126,000 kg (124.0 long tons) maximum |
| Fuel type | Fuel oil |
| Fuel capacity | 6,230 litres (1,650 USgal) |
| Prime mover | EMD 16-645E3B 2 stroke V16 |
| Engine RPM range | 250 rpm low idle 315 rpm idle 900 rpm maximum |
| Engine type | Diesel |
| Aspiration | EMD E16 turbocharger |
| Displacement | 10.570 litres (645.0 cu in) per cylinder |
| Alternator | AC 10 pole 3 phase EMD AR10-D14 |
| Traction motors | Six EMD D31 DC 4 pole * 545A 1 hour * 520A continuous at 21 km/h (13 mph) |
| Transmission | 63/14 gear ratio |
| Multiple working | 6 maximum |
| Top speed | 100 km/h (62 mph) |
| Power output | 2,342 kW (3,141 hp) starting 2,171 kW (2,911 hp) continuous |
| Tractive effort | 306 kN (69,000 lbf) starting 245 kN (55,000 lbf) continuous at 26 km/h (16 mph) |
| Factor of adhesion |
25% starting 20% continuous |
| Locomotive brakes | 28-LAV-1 Dynamic brake peak effort: 216 kN (49,000 lbf) at 28 km/h (17 mph) |
| Locomotive brakeforce |
61% ratio at 350 kPa (51 psi) brake cylinder pressure |
| Train brakes | 850 litres (220 USgal) main reservoir Compressor capacity: 0.021 m3/s (0.74 cu ft/s) at idle Exhauster capacity: 0.096 m3/s (3.4 cu ft/s) at idle |
| Safety systems | Vigilance control |
| Career | South African Railways Spoornet Transnet Freight Rail |
| Class | Class 37-000 |
| Number in class | 100 |
| Number | 37-001 to 37-100 |
| Delivered | 1981-1982 |
| First run | 1981[2] |
Between May 1981 and 1982 the South African Railways placed one hundred Class 37-000 EMD GT26M2C diesel-electric locomotives in service. After these locomotives were commissioned, the national carrier was not to invest in new diesel-electric locomotives before 2009, nearly three decades later.[1][2]
Contents |
The Class 37-000 type GT26M2C diesel-electric locomotive was designed for the South African Railways (SAR) by Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) and built by General Motors South Africa (GMSA) in Port Elizabeth. Equipped with later model EMD D31 traction motors instead of the earlier EMD D29B, it is a more powerful version of the EMD Class 34-200, 34-600 and 34-800.[2]
Class 37-000 locomotives work on main lines in the northern and northeastern parts of the country. Most of them are shedded at Ermelo and Lydenburg in Mpumalanga and at Empangeni in KwaZulu-Natal. They work on the Belfast-Steelpoort line and on the manganese route between the Mpumalanga Lowveld and KwaZulu-Natal, from Komatipoort across Swaziland to Empangeni and Richards Bay.[1]
Class 39-000 type EMD GT26CU-3 diesel-electric locomotives were to be rebuilt for Spoornet from Class 34-600, 34-800 and 37-000 locomotives. The project commenced in 2005, using suitable frames from wrecked locomotives. Two companies were invited to produce prototypes for the project.[1][3]
One of these companies was Electro-Motive Sibanye, a joint venture between EMD and Sibanye Trade and Services, a South African Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) company dealing with locomotives and spares. The Sibanye venture produced only one locomotive, rebuilt from Class 37-000 37-010 in 2008 and numbered 39-251. The locomotive was tested and rejected by Transnet, reportedly due to poor quality. Furthermore, when serious tender irregularities came to light, the locomotive rebuilding deal between Transnet and Sibanye was cancelled.[1][3][4][5]
Number 39-251 never worked for Transnet and was later reported as sold to RRL, a company that came out of the abortive joint venture between EMD and Sibanye. RRL, based at a workshop in the old Pretoria Steel Works complex and with several of its locomotives active around Welkom in the Free State, was reported in 2011 as having hired out the locomotive to one of the platinum mines.[1]
The other company was Transwerk (later Transnet Rail Engineering) in Bloemfontein, who produced five locomotives between 2006 and 2008, rebuilt from three Class 34-600s and two Class 34-800s. These were tested and approved by TFR and placed in service as Class 39-000 numbers 39-001 to 39-005.[1][3]
It was intended to produce one hundred Class 39-000s, but in spite of the technical success of the Transnet Rail Engineering part of the project, rebuilding was halted after completing the first five locomotives due to higher than anticipated cost. It was decided, instead of rebuilding old locomotives, to rather continue the program by building fifty new Class 39-200 locomotives from imported and locally produced components.[6]
The main picture shows 37-020 in Spoornet blue livery with outline numbers at Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal, on 15 August 2007.
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