South African Class 18E, Series 2

South African Class 18E, Series 2

No. 18-670 at Beaufort West, 27 March 2013
Type and origin
Power type Electric
Designer Union Carriage and Wagon
Builder Union Carriage and Wagon
Model UCW 6E1 Series 2 to 8
Build date 1971-1981
Total produced 755
Rebuilder Transnet Rail Engineering
Rebuild date 2009-...
Number rebuilt In progress
Specifications
UIC classification Bo-Bo
Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge
Bogies 3.43 m (11 ft 3.0 in) wheelbase
Wheel diameter 1,220 mm (48 in)
Wheelbase 11.279 m (37 ft 0.1 in)
Length 15.494 m (50 ft 10 in)
Width 2.896 m (9 ft 6 in)
Height 4.089 m (13 ft 5 in) pantographs down
Axle load 22,226 kg (21.9 long tons)
Locomotive weight 88,904 kg (87.5 long tons) permissible
Current collection
method		 Pantographs[1]
Performance figures
Locomotive brake Air & Rheostatic
Train brakes Air & Vacuum
Career
Operator(s) Transnet Freight Rail
PRASA
Class Class 18E
Power class 3 kV DC
Number(s) 18-421 to 18-435, 18-600 to 18-828
Delivered 2009-2015
First run 2009

The South African Class 18E, Series 2 of 2009 is a South African electric locomotive from the Transnet Freight Rail era.

In 2000 Spoornet embarked on a program to rebuild Class 6E1, Series 6 to 11 locomotives to Class 18E, Series 1 locomotives. Most of the Class 6E1s that had previously been reclassified or modified to Class 16E or Class 17E respectively were rebuilt to Class 18E as well. Rebuilding to Series 1 locomotives ceased in 2009, with 446 units rebuilt.[2]

Commencing in late 2009, all further rebuilt Class 6E1 locomotives for Transnet Freight Rail and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa were designated Class 18E, Series 2. These were rebuilt from Class 6E1, Series 2 to 8 locomotives.[2]

Manufacturer

The 3 kV DC Class 6E1 electric locomotive was built for the South African Railways (SAR) by Union Carriage and Wagon (UCW) in Nigel, Transvaal, with the electrical equipment supplied by the General Electric Company (GEC). Eleven series of Class 6E1 were delivered between 1969 and 1984, with altogether nine hundred and sixty units built. 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]

Rebuilding

Rebuilding to Class 18E, Series 1 locomotives ceased in 2009 with 446 units rebuilt, the last Series 1 locomotive being number 18-525. The rebuilding to Class 18E, Series 2 locomotives commenced in late 2009 and was done by Transnet Rail Engineering (TRE), now Transnet Engineering (TE), at its Koedoespoort shops in Pretoria. For Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) locomotives, the Series 2 number range begins with 18-600.[2][4]

In 2012 and 2013 fifteen Series 2 locomotives were also rebuilt for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). These were numbered in the range from 18-421 to 18-435 and were delivered in a new light blue and charcoal livery designed by Peter Stow.[2][4]

By the time the rebuilding to Class 18E, Series 1 ceased, all available Class 6E1, Series 9 to 11, nearly all Series 8 and several Series 6 and 7 locomotives had been rebuilt. Most of the Class 18E, Series 2 locomotives were therefore rebuilt from Class 6E1, Series 2 to 7 locomotives and, to date, two Series 8 locomotives.[2]

Air brake considerations

Brake rack in Class 18E no. 18-089

Since it was probably not intended at the beginning of the project to rebuild virtually the whole fleet of Class 6E1s to Class 18Es, most of the early rebuildings were done on the newest of the Class 6E1 fleet, Series 8 to 11. One of the reasons was that these series, numbers E1896 and up, already had an air equipment frame brake system, commonly referred to as a brake rack, similar to that intended for the Class 18E, which would reduce the overall per-unit cost of rebuilding.[5] Another consideration was possibly that their bodywork usually required less heavy repairs than the older models in terms of rust and other damage such as bent panels and frames.[2]

Similar considerations possibly also applied when older Class 6E1s of Series 6 and 7 began to be rebuilt in 2003, since these units in the number range from E1646 to E1895 used the same brake valve as that of the Class 18E. The result by 2013, however, was a fleet of already ageing Class 18Es and ancient Class 6E1s, the latter mostly of Series 6 and older models.[2]

Compressed air piping

The Class 6E1 locomotives were built with an air brake system consisting of various valves connected to each other with pipes, commonly referred to as a “bicycle frame” brake system. The compressed air pipe is run through bolster and other members and then in a zig-zag pattern under the locomotive's belly to extend its length in order to allow the maximum amount of moisture to condense on the way to the reservoirs. As a result it has multiple pipe connections. A weakness of the system was that, after an accident or even a hard coupling, these pipes tended to develop leaks at the joints that were extremely difficult to repair.[5]

Underbelly compressed air pipes

When Class 6E1, Series 7 and earlier locomotives began to be rebuilt, it was necessary to retrofit them with a brake equipment frame or brake rack. Since this already increased the per unit rebuilding cost, it was decided to simultaneously re-route the compressor pipe away from bolster and other members to the outside of the bodywork on the locomotive's right side, from below and to the right of the cab door to just before the second sandbox lid from the rear end. An added advantage was that the pipe would run cooler and more moisture would condense on the way to the reservoirs. The same modification was not done on locomotives that were rebuilt from Class 6E1, Series 8 and later.[5]

Features

Orientation

The Class 6E1 from which it was rebuilt is a dual cab locomotive and has 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.[1]

The rebuilt Class 18E locomotive, on the other hand, is a single cab unit since cab 1 was stripped of all controls during the rebuilding, to have additional equipment and a chemical toilet installed. 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.[1][2][4][6]

Beginning in 2009, before rebuilding to Series 2 commenced and in an attempt to reduce theft, the 110V battery bank was relocated from the locomotive sides below the frame and between the bogies to cab 1, where the toilet occupies less than half of the available space. On the Series 1 locomotives this appears to have been done only with numbers 18-510 and later. Identifying features are a small grille to the left of the cab 1 side door and, in most cases, the remaining battery box frames without side covers.[2]

Equipment

The rebuilding included the installation of Alsthom micro-processor control technology. New equipment in the totally refurbished Class 18E locomotive include the following:[4]

During the rebuilding to Class 18E, Series 1 all traction motors underwent a complete refurbishment and were tested back-to-back to ensure quality. On the Series 2 locomotives, light or medium overhauled traction motors were also used due to cost considerations, provided they passed the back-to-back testing process. This and some other cost-saving measures, such as installing porta-potties instead of the extremely expensive chemical toilets, constitute the main differences between the Series 1 and 2 Class 18E. Their performance and operating characteristics are identical.[2]

Locomotive brakes

The Class 6E1 locomotives were equipped with regenerative brakes. With regenerative braking the energy generated by the traction motors is dissipated by the resistor grid banks at the substations when it is not absorbed by other locomotives in the same electrical section. A stumbling block was that the regeneration equipment at many of the sub-stations along the route was unreliable and since there was no guarantee that another train would be in the same section to absorb the regenerated energy, there was always the risk that line voltage could exceed 4.1 kV, which would make either the sub-station or the locomotive trip out.[7]

As a result the rebuilt Class 18E locomotives were equipped with rheostatic braking instead of regenerative braking. With rheostatic braking the energy generated by the traction motors is dissipated by the resistor grids on the locomotive itself. The rheostatic braking of the Class 18E was superior and very reliable for higher speed trains when compared with the regenerative braking of the older Classes 6E1 and 17E locomotives.[7]

Operation

The locomotive is controlled via resistors over which the voltage is dropped in a configuration of series and parallel electrical circuits. The circuit breakers that switch these circuits work under very high power and voltage and are all pneumatically operated for insulation purposes. Compressed air is required to open or close the switch actions and air is also used for the weak field cam switch that also switches under very high currents.[7]

Upon starting off and in the low notches the major part of the voltage is dropped over the banks of resistors and all four traction motors are in series. As the driver notches up, some of the resistor banks are cut out via the pneumatically operated switches and the voltage increases across the traction motors. The more resistors that are cut out as the driver notches higher, the more power is developed by the traction motors. At around 22 to 28 kilometres per hour (14 to 17 miles per hour) the locomotive switches to a parallel combination, where the two traction motors per bogie are in a series electrical circuit while the two bogies are in parallel electrical circuit. Eventually, when all resistors are cut out, the locomotive is operating in full-field.[7]

The locomotives in a consisted set are switched between series and parallel mode automatically, based on speed, overhead voltage and electromotive force (EMF). The driver can select "series hold" to force some or all of the locomotives in the consisted set to remain in series mode when overhead voltage is low. If nothing is done, some of the locomotives will automatically switch off under low overhead voltage conditions to prevent damage to resistors and switch on again when the voltage improves.[2][7]

Identifying features

The most obvious visual feature to distinguish the Class 18E from the Class 6E1 is the filled in driver’s windows at the rear end where the toilet is installed. The remaining rear windscreen still has the slanted upper edge of the Class 6E1 windscreens, but the new front windscreens on the Class 18E are rectangular.[6]

On the sides, obvious visual distinctions from the Class 6E1 are the left one of the two large grilles that was removed, with the opening filled in, two new large grilles that are installed in the centre lower sides to serve as air intakes for the rheostatic braking resistance blowers, and a large access door to one of the high-tension compartments that is installed in place of the rightmost small window that was in the upper side of the Class 6E1. On the left side, the air intakes for the air conditioner in the cab are installed between the top three steps of the roof access ladder.[6]

Locomotives rebuilt from Class 6E1, Series 2 to 7 models have part of the compressed air piping sunk into a recess that runs along the left half of the lower edge of the body on the locomotive’s right side, the side opposite the roof access ladder side. This pipe was not rerouted on locomotives rebuilt from Class 6E1, Series 8.

Lineage identification

All features that distinguished Class 6E1, Series 8 or older locomotives from each other are still present on the Class 18E rebuilds, in many instances making it possible to visually determine the Class 6E1 origin of a Class 18E locomotive. Examples are shown in the pictures below. Some of these spotting features are:[1]

Project termination

The rebuilding project was abruptly terminated in January 2015 with 31 locomotives still on the Class 18E rebuilding line at Koedoespoort, possibly to vacate the assembly line for the construction of new locomotives. Of these uncompleted locomotives, three were dispatched to Transwerk's Durban shops for their rebuilding to be completed, while those Class 6E1s that were still on the stripping, shell rewiring and equipment installation production lines were to be removed and scrapped.[2]

Table of rebuilds

The table shows the original Class 6E1 number, series and year built for each Class 18E, Series 2 locomotive, as well as the year it was rebuilt to Class 18E. All the table columns are sortable.[2][4]

Models and liveries

The Class 6E1 series lineage identification features are illustrated in the following pictures. Note the external compressed air pipe on the right side of locomotives rebuilt from Class 6E1, Series 2 to 7.

Rebuilt from Class 6E1, Series 3
Rebuilt from Class 6E1, Series 4
Rebuilt from Class 6E1, Series 5
Rebuilt from Class 6E1, Series 6
Rebuilt from Class 6E1, Series 7
Rebuilt from Class 6E1, Series 8

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 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. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 Information gathered from the rebuild files of individual locomotives at Transnet Rail Engineering’s Koedoespoort shops, or obtained from John Middleton as well as several Transnet employees
  3. ↑ "UCW - Electric locomotives" (PDF). The UCW Partnership. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 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. 49, 51, 57–58.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Information obtained from Transnet engineers and drivers
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 18E Locomotive (TFR leaflet used in driver training, c. 2010)
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Operation - South African Classes 6E, 6E1, 16E, 17E and 18E