South African Class 16E

The South African Class 16E of 1990 is a South African electric locomotive from the Spoornet era.

During 1990 and 1991 Spoornet semi-permanently coupled several pairs of otherwise unmodified Series 2 to Series 9 Class 6E1 electric locomotives, reclassified them to Class 16E and allocated a single shared unit number to each pair, with the individual locomotives in the pairs inscribed "A" or "B".^[2]

Manufacturer

The 3 kV DC Class 6E1 electric locomotive was built for the South African Railways (SAR) by Union Carriage & Wagon (UCW) in Nigel, Transvaal, with the electrical equipment supplied by the General Electric Company (GEC). UCW did not allocate builder’s numbers to the locomotives it built for the SAR, but used the SAR unit numbers for their record keeping.^[3]

These dual cab locomotives have a roof access ladder on one side only, just to the right of the cab access door. The roof access ladder end is marked as the number 2 end. A passage along the centre of the locomotive connects the cabs, which are identical apart from the fact that the handbrake is located in cab 2. A pantograph hook stick is stowed in a tube mounted below the lower edge of the locomotive body on the roof access ladder side.^[1]

Class 16E pairing

Class 16E electric locomotives are two-unit semi-permanently coupled Class 6E1 pairs, coupled at their number 1 ends. The aim was to accomplish savings on cab maintenance by abandoning the number one end cabs in terms of maintenance and using only the number two end cabs. During 1990 and 1991 Spoornet made up several such semi-permanently coupled pairs of otherwise unmodified Series 3 to Series 9 Class 6E1 locomotives, with each pair reclassified to Class 16E, renumbered to a shared new unit number and with each locomotive inscribed as either the A or B unit.^[2]

This was unlike the procedure followed later with Class 17E locomotives, which were internally modified and reclassified Class 6E1 Series 7, 8 and 9 locomotives, but which remained in service as individual locomotives and retained their original unit numbers after reclassification.^[2][4]

The original intent was to convert all the serving Class 6E and all eleven series of Class 6E1 to Class 16E locomotive pairs, with the following planned Class 16E number allocation:^[2]

• Class 6E: 16-001 to 16-010
• Class 6E1, series 1: 16-100 to 16-104, 16-109 and 16-110
• Class 6E1, series 2: 16-105 to 16-108
• Class 6E1, series 3: 16-207 to 16-237
• Class 6E1, series 4: 16-300 to 16-317
• Class 6E1, series 5: 16-318 to 16-335
• Class 6E1, series 6: 16-418 to 16-430
• Class 6E1, series 7: 16-400 to 16-417 and 16-431 to 16-437
• Class 6E1, series 8: 16-501 to 16-518
• Class 6E1, series 9: 16-500 and 16-521 to 16-536
• Class 6E1, series 10: 16-600 to 16-611
• Class 6E1, series 11: 16-700 to 16-711

The idea was not well thought through, however, and the law of unintended consequences soon manifested itself. In practice it was found that some locomotive pairs worked together better than others, so that some pairings were successful while others gave problems. Maintenance issues presented further drawbacks, since when only one unit in a Class 16E pair needed repairs, it meant that the partner was out of commission as well because their number one end cabs were not kept serviceable. All these and other complications led to the programme being abandoned very quickly, long before all the Class 6E and 6E1 could be paired off.^[2]

A few of the successful and problem-free Class 16E pairings did continue to run that way for more than fifteen years, with numbers 16-227A and B and 16-411A and B being the last to be separated. The rest were either separated during rebuilding to Class 18E or gradually converted back to dual cab Class 6E1s as soon as one or both in the pair required major maintenance, with all of the latter reverting to their original Class 6E1 unit numbers. Their former Class 16E numbers were still visible on many locomotives years later.^[2]

None of the Class 6E or the Class 6E1, Series 1, 10 or 11 locomotives were ever paired into Class 16Es. Those that are known to have received this treatment are shown in the table.^[2][4]

Rebuilding to Class 18E

Cab 1 of Class 18E no. 18-264, ex Class 16E no. 16-405A, ex Class 6E1, Series 7 no. E1848, Bayhead Depot, Durban, 11 August 2007

Beginning in 2000, Spoornet embarked on a project to rebuild Series 2 to 11 Class 6E1 locomotives, as well as Class 16E pairs that were originally from those series, to Class 18E, Series 1 and Series 2 at the Transnet Rail Engineering (TRE) workshops at Koedoespoort. In the process the cab at the number 1 end was stripped of all controls and the driver's front and side windows were blanked off in order to have a toilet installed, thereby forfeiting the locomotive's bi-directional ability.^[2][4]

Brake rack in Class 18E no. 18-089

Since the driving cab's noise level had to be below 85 decibels, cab 2 was selected as the Class 18E driving cab primarily based on its lower noise level compared to cab 1, which is closer and more exposed to the compressor's noise and vibration. Another factor was the closer proximity of cab 2 to the low voltage switch panel. The fact that the handbrake was located in cab 2 was not a deciding factor, but was considered an additional benefit.^[4]

While the earlier Class 6E1, Series 2 to 7 locomotives had been built with a brake system consisting of various valves connected to each other with pipes, commonly referred to as a "bicycle frame" brake system, the Class 6E1, Series 8 to 11 locomotives were built with an air equipment frame brake system, commonly referred to as a brake rack. Since the design of the rebuilt Class 18E locomotives included the same brake rack, the rebuilding project was begun with the newer series 8 to 11 locomotives in order to reduce the overall cost of rebuilding.^[4]

The known Class 16E locomotives that were used in this project were all rebuilt to Class 18E, Series 1 locomotives. Their numbers and renumbering details are shown in the table.^[4]

Liveries illustrated

The main picture shows number 16-410B (6E1 Series 7 number E1851) at Christiana, North West Province, on 22 September 2006. Other liveries that Class 16E locomotives served in are illustrated below.

• 

  No. 16-100A & B (E1272 & E1273) in SAR Gulf Red and Whiskers livery, Germiston, 21 November 1991

• 

  No. 16-335A (E1607) in Spoornet lined orange at Koedoespoort, 2 October 2009

• 

  No. 16-410A (E1850) in Spoornet orange livery at Christiana, 22 September 2006

• 

  No. 16-422B & A (E1709 & E1669) in Spoornet orange livery, Germiston, 6 December 1991

See also

• Electric locomotive numbering and classification
• List of South African locomotive classes
• South African Class 6E1, Series 3
• South African Class 6E1, Series 4
• South African Class 6E1, Series 5
• South African Class 6E1, Series 6
• South African Class 6E1, Series 7
• South African Class 6E1, Series 8
• South African Class 6E1, Series 9
• South African Class 17E
• South African Class 18E, Series 1
• South African locomotive history

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: South African Class 16E or Class 18E rebuilt from Class 16E

Locomotives of South Africa Steam Brunel gauge HBEL 0-4-0 HBTB 0-4-0T HBTB 0-4-0WT HBTB 0-4-0ST Broad gauge CGR Aid CGR Blackie CGR 0-4-2 CGR 2-4-0T NRC Durban NRC Natal NRC Perseverance Cape gauge Tank CGR Coffee Pot CGR 040 1873 CGR 040 1874 CGR 060 1876 CGR 060 1902 CGR 260 1900 CGR 260 1902 CGR 1st 040 1875 CGR 1st 440 1875 CGR 1st 040 1876 CGR 1st 260 1876 CGR 2nd 1882 CGR 3rd 1900 CGR RM CSAR C CSAR E CSAR Rack CSAR RM Dbn Congella Dbn Edward Innes Dbn John Milne Dbn Sir Albert HBPE 040 Kowie 060 Kowie 440 M&S 462 NGR Dbn & Pmb NGR I 262 NGR K 040 NGR K 060 NGR K 260 NZASM 10T NZASM 14T NZASM 18T NZASM 19T NZASM 32T NZASM 40T PPR 26T PPR 35T SAR RM SAR 0-4-0ST SAR 040 69 SAR A SAR B SAR C SAR C1 SAR C2 SAR D SAR E SAR F SAR G SAR H SAR H1 SAR H2 SAR J SAR K SWA 2-8-0T Cape gauge Tender CGR 1st 260 1876 BP CGR 1st 260 1876 K CGR 1st 260 1879 CGR 1st 440 1879 CGR 1st 1881 CGR 1st 1891 CGR 2nd 1875 CGR 3rd 1883 CGR 3rd 1884 CGR 3rd 1889 CGR 3rd 1898 CGR 3rd 1901 CGR 3rd 1903 CGR 4th 1880 CGR 4th 1882 CGR 4th 1884 CGR 4th 1897 CGR 5th 1890 CGR 5th 1891 NGR Havelock NGR I 260 Exp-1 Exp-2 Exp-3 Exp-4 Exp-5 Exp-6 SAR S SAR S1 SAR S2 SAR 1 SAR 1A SAR 1B SAR 2 SAR 2C SAR 3 SAR 3A SAR 3B SAR 4 SAR 4A SAR 5 SAR 5A SAR 5B SAR 6 SAR 6A SAR 6B SAR 6C SAR 6D SAR 6E SAR 6F SAR 6G SAR 6H SAR 6J SAR 6K SAR 6L SAR 6Y SAR 6Z SAR 7 SAR 7A SAR 7B SAR 7C SAR 7D SAR 7E SAR 7F SAR 8 SAR 8A SAR 8B SAR 8C SAR 8D SAR 8E SAR 8F SAR 8X SAR 8Y SAR 8Z SAR 9 SAR 10 SAR 10A SAR 10B SAR 10C SAR 10D SAR 11 SAR 12 SAR 12A SAR 12B SAR 13 SAR 14 SAR 14A SAR 14B SAR 14C SAR 15 SAR 15A SAR 15B SAR 15C SAR 15CA SAR 15E SAR 15F SAR 16 SAR 16A SAR 16B SAR 16C SAR 16D SAR 16DA SAR 16E SAR 17 SAR 18 SAR 19 SAR 19A SAR 19B SAR 19C SAR 19D SAR 20 SAR 21 SAR 23 SAR 24 SAR 25 SAR 25NC SAR 26 SWA 2-8-0 Cape gauge Articulated CGR Fairlie CGR Kitson-Meyer SAR FC SAR FD SAR GA SAR GB SAR GC SAR GCA SAR GD SAR GDA SAR GE SAR GEA SAR GF SAR GG SAR GH SAR GK SAR GL SAR GM SAR GMA SAR GO SAR HF SAR KM SAR MA SAR MB SAR MC SAR MC1 SAR MD SAR ME SAR MF SAR MG SAR MH SAR MJ SAR MJ1 SAR U 2ft 6in gauge CCC 1871 CCC Britannia CCC Caledonia CCC Clara CCC Condenser CCC Scotia NCC Pioneer 2ft & 600mm gauges ACR NG-G16A CGR NG 060 CGR NG 462 CGR A CGR C NGR N SAR 040 1899 SAR NG1 SAR NG2 SAR NG3 SAR NG4 SAR NG5 SAR NG6 SAR NG7 SAR NG8 SAR NG9 SAR NG10 SAR NG-G11 SAR NG-G12 SAR NG-G13 SAR NG-G14 SAR NG15 SAR NG-G16 SWA Ha SWA Hb SWA Hc SWA Hd SWA Jung SWA Zwillinge Diesel -electric SAR DS SAR DS1 SAR 31-000 SAR 32-000 SAR 32-200 SAR 33-000 SAR 33-200 SAR 33-400 SAR 34-000 SAR 34-200 SAR 34-400 SAR 34-500 SAR 34-600 SAR 34-800 SAR 34-900 SAR 35-000 SAR 35-200 SAR 35-400 SAR 35-600 SAR 36-000 SAR 36-200 SAR 37-000 SN 39-000 TFR 39-200 TFR 43-000 SAR 91-000 Afro4000 -hydraulic SAR 61-000 Electro-diesel SN 38-000 Electric SAR ES SAR ES1 Exp-AC SAR 1E SAR 2E SAR 3E SAR 4E SAR 5E-S1 SAR 5E-S2 SAR 5E-S3 SAR 5E1-S1 SAR 5E1-S2 SAR 5E1-S3 SAR 5E1-S4 SAR 5E1-S5 SAR 6E SAR 6E1-S1 SAR 6E1-S2 SAR 6E1-S3 SAR 6E1-S4 SAR 6E1-S5 SAR 6E1-S6 SAR 6E1-S7 SAR 6E1-S8 SAR 6E1-S9 SAR 6E1-S10 SAR 6E1-S11 SAR 7E SAR 7E1 SAR 7E2-S1 SAR 7E2-S2 SAR 7E3-S1 SAR 7E3-S2 SN 7E4 SAR 8E SAR 9E-S1 SAR 9E-S2 SAR 10E SAR 10E1-S1 SAR 10E1-S2 SAR 10E2 SAR 11E SAR 12E SN 14E SN 14E1 TFR 15E SN 16E SN 17E SN 18E-S1 TFR 18E-S2 TFR 19E TFR 20E TFR 21E E38 List of South African locomotive classes Rail transport in South Africa

External video link

External video

E1653 (ex 16-420A), E1265 and E1682 enter the Capital Park yard on their way to the loco depot, 1 October 2009 (46 seconds)