South African Class 34-500

South African Class 34-500
aka South African Class 34-400 ex Iscor

No. 34-530 at Saldanha, 12 September 2007
Type and origin
Power type Diesel-electric
Designer General Electric
Builder SA GE-DL Locomotive Group
Serial number 35261-35282, 40400-40419,
40570-40571, 40578-40579
Model GE U26C
Build date 1974-1977 [1][2]
Total produced 46
Specifications
AAR wheel arr. C-C
UIC classification Co'Co'
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 7,000 litres (1,800 US gal)
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) Iscor
Douglas Colliery
South African Railways
Spoornet
Kumba Iron Ore
Sheltam
Transnet Freight Rail
Class Class 34-500 aka Class 34-400 ex Iscor
Number in class 46
Number(s) 34-501 to 34-539 (SAR)
1D-40D, G03 & G04 (Iscor)
D5 & D6 (Douglas)
Delivered 1974-1977
First run 1974 [3]

The South African Class 34-500 of 1974 is a South African diesel-electric locomotive from the South African Railways era.

Between 1974 and 1977 the state owned South African Iron and Steel Corporation, now Kumba Iron Ore, placed forty-four General Electric type U26C diesel-electric locomotives in service on its 1974-built Sishen-Saldanha iron ore line and as heavy shunters at the Sishen mine. In 1977 another two locomotives were built for the Douglas Colliery near Witbank. Also in 1977, thirty-nine of the Iscor locomotives were transferred to the South African Railways, where they were initially designated Class 34-400 ex Iscor and later became commonly known as Class 34-500.[1][2][3]

Manufacturer

The South African Class 34-500 type GE U26C diesel-electric locomotive, also known as Class 34-400 ex Iscor, was designed by General Electric and was built for the South African Iron and Steel Corporation (Iscor) by the South African General Electric-Dorman Long Locomotive Group (SA GE-DL, later Dorbyl). Altogether forty-four locomotives were delivered to Iscor on three orders:[1][3][4]

In 1977 two locomotives were also built for the Douglas Colliery near Witbank in Transvaal, numbered D5 and D6. Thirty-nine of the Iscor mainline locomotives were transferred to the South African Railways in that same year.[1]

The Iscor locomotives were delivered with a 7,000 litres (1,800 US gallons) fuel tank in order to cope with the long distances between refuelling points on the Sishen-Saldanha line. To facilitate the larger fuel tank, the inter-bogie linkage found on all other South African U26C models was omitted on these locomotives.[1]

Class 34 series

GE and GM-EMD designs

The Class 34 locomotive family consists of seven series, the GE Classes 34-000, 34-400, 34-500 and 34-900, and the General Motors Electro-Motive Division (GM-EMD) Classes 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]

Modifications

Running board mounted handrails

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, were equipped with additional removable running board mounted handrails. Since these handrails are slide-fit into brackets welded onto the running boards, 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.[6]

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

Changes in ownership

In 1977 all mainline rail operations on the Sishen-Saldanha iron ore line was taken over from Iscor by the South African Railways (SAR). Between November 1977 and June 1978 thirty-nine of the Iscor mainline locomotives were transferred to the SAR. They were initially designated Class 34-400 ex Iscor by the SAR and renumbered in the range from 34-501 to 34-539, but these locomotives were also commonly referred to as Class 34-500, from their SAR number range. This eventually became the accepted official classification.[3][7]

Five locomotives were retained by Iscor to work at the Sishen mine, numbers G01 to G04 and 40D. These are now Kumba Iron Ore’s locomotives numbers 01 to 05, with number 40D having become Kumba number 05.[1]

The Douglas Colliery locomotives are now in Sheltam livery, initially as Sheltam numbers 5 and 6 and later renumbered to 2602 and 2603 respectively.[1]

South African Railways service

While it is believed that they were for the most part renumbered from Iscor numbers to SAR numbers in sequence with their Iscor numbers, at least one locomotive has been observed as being out of sequence. Number 34-523 bore works plate number 35265, identifying it as ex Iscor number 5D. It can be presumed that number 34-505 carried works plate GE 40402, which would make it ex Iscor number 23D,[1] but since the works plates have, over time, disappeared from most of these locomotives this cannot be confirmed.

Until 2012, when they began to be replaced by new GE Class 43-000 type C30ACi locomotives, the Class 34-500s worked exclusively 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] They were then gradually reassigned to other depots.

Mixed power working

On the Sishen–Saldanha Orex line GE Class 34 series diesel-electric locomotives ran consisted to Class 9E and 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 type U26C Class 34-000, 34-400, 34-500, 34-900 and, from 2012, GE type C30ACi Class 43-000 diesel-electric locomotives. In South Africa mixed electric and diesel-electric consists are unique to the iron ore line.[3][8][9]

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

A Class 9E or Class 15E electric locomotive serves as the master of each mixed electric and diesel-electric consist, with a total of between nine and twelve locomotives per train, twelve being the maximum number allowed. Before the Class 15E was placed in service in 2010, motive power usually consisted of three sets of locomotives, each set made up of one or two Class 9E electrics and one or two Class 34 diesel-electrics, with each set’s leading electric locomotive controlling its respective set of diesel-electrics by means of a slimkabel (smart cable). In effect each ore train was made up of three separate 114 wagon trains consisted together, with the locomotives of all three trains controlled by means of a Locotrol radio distributed power control system by one crew in the leading electric locomotive. A typical train would therefore be made up of locomotive set A, 114 wagons, locomotive set B, 114 wagons, locomotive set C, and 114 wagons.[3][8][9][10]

Some problems were experienced using this configuration, and after a couple of major derailments the locomotive configuration was changed to four sets, with locomotive set D initially made up of two Class 34 diesel-electric locomotives at the rear end of the train, pushing at between 40% and 50% of tractive power at all times, depending on the grades being traversed. The total maximum number allowed was still between nine and twelve locomotives per train.[3][9]

As more Class 15Es were delivered and placed in service, Class 9E or Class 15E electrics replaced the pair of Class 34 diesel-electrics in set D. At the same time the more powerful Classes 15E and 43-000 also made it possible to use as few as seven locomotives per train, with locomotive sets A, B and C each made up of one Class 9E or 15E and one Class 34 or 43-000, and set D of a single Class 9E or 15E.[3][9]

Works numbers

The Class 34-500 builder’s works numbers, ownership changes and renumberings are listed in the table.[1][2]

Liveries illustrated

The main picture shows no. 34-530 in Spoornet blue livery with outline numbers. Some of the other liveries that were applied to Class 34-500 locomotives are illustrated below.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 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. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 GE Export List
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 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
  4. ↑ 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.
  5. ↑ 34-435 without saddle filter, March 1982
  6. ↑ Shosholoza Meyl’s 34-102 with running board handrails
  7. ↑ 32 New Locomotives for the Iron Ore Line
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Actom Divisions News, 22 July 2010
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Information supplied by Orex train crew members
  10. ↑ Locotrol Distributed Power