South African Class 34-400

South African Class 34-400

No. 34-401 at Kaalfontein, Gauteng, 7 October 2009
Type and origin
Power type Diesel-electric
Designer General Electric
Builder SA GE-DL Locomotive Group
Serial number 38623-38722 [1]
Model GE U26C
Build date 1973-1974
Total produced 100
Specifications
AAR wheel arr. C+C as built, C-C as modified for Orex line [2]
UIC classification Co'Co' (Co+Co interlinked bogies as built, Co-Co as modified for Orex line)
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 in)
Wheelbase 13.004 m (42 ft 8 in)
Length 17.982 m (59 ft)
Width 2.756 m (9 ft 0.5 in)
Height 3.962 m (13 ft)
Axle load 18,850 kg (18.6 long tons)
Locomotive weight 111,000 kg (109.2 long tons) average
113,100 kg (111.3 long tons) maximum
Fuel type Fuel oil
Fuel capacity 5,400 litres (1,400 US gal) as built
7,000 litres (1,800 US gal) modified
Prime mover GE 7FDL-12 4 stroke V12
Engine RPM range 450 rpm idle
535 rpm high idle
1,050 rpm maximum
Engine type Diesel
Aspiration Elliott H-581 turbocharger
Alternator AC 10 pole 3 phase GE 5GT-A11C1
Traction motors Six GE 5GE-761A13 DC 4 pole
* 665A 1 hour
* 655A continuous at 24 km/h (15 mph)
Transmission 92/19 gear ratio
Multiple working 6 maximum
Performance figures
Maximum speed 100 km/h (62 mph)
Power output 2,050 kW (2,750 hp) starting
1,940 kW (2,600 hp) continuous
Tractive effort 272 kN (61,000 lbf) starting
218 kN (49,000 lbf) continuous at 26 km/h (16 mph)
Factor of
adhesion		 25% starting
20% continuous
Locomotive brake 28-LAV-1 with vigilance control
Dynamic brake peak effort:
180 kN (40,000 lbf) at 29 km/h (18 mph)
Locomotive
brakeforce		 60% ratio at 345 kPa (50.0 psi) brake cylinder pressure
Train brakes 825 litres (218 US gal) main reservoir
Compressor capacity at high idle:
0.039 m3/s (1.4 cu ft/s)
Exhauster capacity at high idle:
0.155 m3/s (5.5 cu ft/s)
Career
Operator(s) South African Railways
Spoornet
Kenya Railways
Sheltam
Sasol
Blue Circle [1]
Transnet Freight Rail
Class Class 34-400
Number in class 100
Number(s) 34-401 to 34-500
Delivered 1973-1974
First run 1973 [3]

The South African Class 34-400 of 1973 is a South African diesel-electric locomotive from the South African Railways era.

Between April 1973 and November 1974 the South African Railways placed one hundred Class 34-400 General Electric type U26C diesel-electric locomotives in service.[3]

Manufacturer

The Class 34-400 type GE U26C 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). One hundred locomotives were delivered between April 1973 and November 1974, numbered in the range from 34-401 to 34-500.[1][3][4]

Class 34 series

GE and GM-EMD designs

The Class 34 locomotive family consists of seven series, the GE Class 34-000, 34-400, 34-500 (also known as "34-400 ex Iscor") and 34-900, and the General Motors Electro-Motive Division (GM-EMD) Class 34-200, 34-600 and 34-800. Both these manufacturers also produced locomotives for the South African Classes 33, 35 and 36.[3]

Distinguishing features

As built, the GE Class 34-000, 34-400 and 34-900 locomotives were visually indistinguishable from each other. The Class 34-500 locomotives could be visually distinguished from the other series by the air conditioning units mounted on their cab roofs and initially, when it was still a feature unique to them, by their running board mounted handrails. At some stage during the mid-1980s all Class 34-000, 34-400 and 34-500 locomotives had saddle filters installed across the long hood, mounted just to the rear of the screens behind the cab on the sides. Since then Class 34-900 locomotives could be distinguished from the older models by the absence of the saddle filter.[5][6][7]

Modifications

Fuel capacity

As built, the Class 34-400 has a 5,400 litres (1,400 US gallons; 1,200 imperial gallons) fuel tank and interlinked bogies, while the Class 34-500 was delivered new to Iscor with a 7,000 litres (1,800 US gallons; 1,500 imperial gallons) fuel tank in order to cope with the longer distance between refuelling points on the Sishen-Saldanha iron ore line. To facilitate the larger fuel tank, the inter-bogie linkage found on all other models had to be omitted on the Class 34-500.[8]

In order to be usable on the iron ore line, Class 34-400s that end up working there are modified to a similar capacity. The inter-bogie linkage is removed and the fuel tank is enlarged by changing it from saddle shaped to rectangular shaped. In the pictures below the weld lines on the end of the enlarged fuel tank are clearly visible.[2]

Standard 5,400 litre fuel tank
Enlarged 7,000 litre fuel tank

Running board mounted handrails

Class 34-400 locomotives that are allocated to the Sishen-Saldanha Orex line are often modified by having removable running board mounted handrails installed. All South African diesel-electric locomotives have their side handrails mounted along the upper edges of their long hoods. The ex Iscor Class 34-500s, however, came equipped with additional removable running board mounted handrails. Since these handrails are slide-fit into brackets welded onto the running board, they are easily removed.[3]

Since circa 2009 other mainline diesel-electric locomotive types also emerged from the Koedoespoort Transwerk shops with running board mounted handrails after major overhauls.[9]

Electronic control system

Beginning in 2010, some locomotives were equipped with electronic fuel injection and GE "Brite Star" control systems. On some of the first locomotives that were so modified, externally visible evidence of the modification is a raised middle portion of the long hood.

Service

South African Railways

GE Class 34-400s work on most mainlines and some branchlines in the central, western, southern and southeastern parts of the country. Some eventually joined the Class 34-500 on the 861 kilometres (535 miles) Sishen-Saldanha iron ore line to haul export ore from the open cast iron mines at Sishen near Kathu in the Northern Cape to the harbour at Saldanha in the Western Cape.[4]

On the Sishen–Saldanha Orex line GE Class 34 series diesel-electric locomotives run consisted to Class 9E or Class 15E electric locomotives to haul the 342 wagon iron ore trains. Each wagon has a 100 ton capacity and the trains are at least 3.72 kilometres (2.31 miles) in length, powered by mixed consists of Class 9E and Class 15E electric and GE U26C Class 34-000, 34-400, 34-500, 34-900 and, from 2012, GE C30ACi Class 43-000 diesel-electric locomotives. In South Africa mixed electric and diesel-electric consists are unique to the iron ore line.[3][10][11]

Ore train about 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of Lamberts Bay
Ore train about 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of Lamberts Bay

Leased and sold

Eleven Class 34-400s were leased to the Kenya Railways for some years, regauged to 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) metre gauge and renumbered in the range from 9501 to 9511. They were returned to Spoornet in April 2002.[1]

Several Class 34-400s were sold into industry. No. 34-429 went to the Douglas Colliery near Witbank as no. D10. Five went to Sasol at Trichardt near Secunda and two to Blue Circle Cement at Lichtenburg.[1]

No. 34-426, with the bodywork removed, is used for apprentice training at the Germiston diesel depot.[1]

Works numbers

The Class 34-400 builder’s works numbers and deployment are listed in the table.[1]

Liveries illustrated

The main picture shows no. 34-401 in Spoornet blue livery with outline numbers, and other liveries that were applied to Class 34-400 locomotives are illustrated below.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 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, 40–41, 45–46.
  2. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 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. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 140–141. ISBN 0869772112.
  4. ↑ 34-434 with saddle filter, 23 September 2009
  5. ↑ 34-435 without saddle filter, March 1982
  6. ↑ 34-440 with saddle filter, 15 October 2009
  7. ↑ Information received from John Nicholas Middleton
  8. ↑ Shosholoza Meyl’s 34-102 with running board handrails
  9. ↑ Actom Divisions News, 22 July 2010
  10. ↑ Information supplied by Orex train crew members