South African Class 34-900
South African Class 34-900 | |
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No. 34-926 in Spoornet’s orange era Blue Train livery at Bellville Depot, Cape Town, 15 May 2010 | |
Type and origin | |
Power type | Diesel-electric |
Designer | General Electric |
Builder | SA GE-DL Locomotive Group |
Serial number | 41350-41379 [1][2] |
Model | GE U26C |
Build date | 1980 |
Total produced | 30 |
Specifications | |
AAR wheel arr. | C+C as built, C-C as modified for Orex line [3] |
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 | GE 7S14O8A1 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 Transnet Freight Rail |
Class | Class 34-900 |
Number in class | 30 |
Number(s) | 34-901 to 34-930 |
Delivered | 1980-1981 |
First run | 1980 [4] |
The South African Class 34-900 of 1980 is a South African diesel-electric locomotive from the South African Railways era.
In 1980 and 1981 the South African Railways placed thirty Class 34-900 General Electric type U26C diesel-electric locomotives in service.[4]
Manufacturer
The Class 34-900 type GE U26C diesel-electric locomotive was designed by General Electric and built for the South African Railways (SAR) by the South African General Electric-Dorman Long Locomotive Group (SA GE-DL, later Dorbyl). Thirty locomotives were delivered in 1980 and 1981, numbered in the range from 34-901 to 34-930.[1][4][5]
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 (also known as "34-400 ex Iscor") and 34-900, and the General Motors Electro-Motive Division Classes 34-200, 34-600 and 34-800. Both these manufacturers also produced locomotives for the South African Classes 33, 35 and 36.[4]
Distinguishing features
As built, the GE Class 34-000, 34-400 and 34-900 locomotives were visually indistinguishable from each other. The ex Iscor 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.[6]
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.[6]
Modifications
Fuel capacity
The Class 34-900 has a 5,400 litres (1,400 US gallons; 1,200 imperial gallons) fuel tank as built, 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 Orex line. To accommodate the larger fuel tank, the inter-bogie linkage found on all other models was omitted on the Class 34-500.[7]
In order to be usable on the iron ore line, Class 34-900s 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.[3]
Standard 5,400 litre fuel tank |
Enlarged 7,000 litre fuel tank |
Running board mounted handrails
Class 34-900 locomotives that are allocated to the Sishen-Saldanha Orex line are usually 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.[4][6]
Since circa 2009 other mainline diesel-electric locomotive types also emerged from the Koedoespoort Transwerk shops with running board mounted handrails after major overhauls.[8]
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
Class 34-900 locomotives 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 in the Northern Cape to the harbour at Saldanha in the Western Cape.[5]
On the Sishen–Saldanha Orex line GE Class 34 series diesel-electric locomotives run 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 type GE U26C Class 34-000, 34-400, 34-500, 34-900 and, from 2012, type GE C30ACi Class 43-000 diesel-electric locomotives. In South Africa mixed electric and diesel-electric consists are unique to the iron ore line.[4][9][10]
![Ore train about 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of Lamberts Bay](../I/m/Sishen-Saldanha_Iron_Ore_Train.jpg)
Works numbers
The Class 34-900 builder’s works numbers are listed in the table.[1]
Loco no. |
Works no. |
Special livery |
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34-901 | 41350 | |
34-902 | 41351 | |
34-903 | 41352 | |
34-904 | 41353 | |
34-905 | 41354 | |
34-906 | 41355 | |
34-907 | 41356 | |
34-908 | 41357 | |
34-909 | 41358 | |
34-910 | 41359 | |
34-911 | 41360 | |
34-912 | 41361 | |
34-913 | 41362 | |
34-914 | 41363 | |
34-915 | 41364 | |
34-916 | 41365 | |
34-917 | 41366 | |
34-918 | 41367 | |
34-919 | 41368 | |
34-920 | 41369 | |
34-921 | 41370 | |
34-922 | 41371 | |
34-923 | 41372 | |
34-924 | 41373 | Blue train |
34-925 | 41374 | Blue train |
34-926 | 41375 | Blue train |
34-927 | 41376 | Blue train |
34-928 | 41377 | Blue train |
34-929 | 41378 | Blue train |
34-930 | 41379 | Blue train |
Liveries illustrated
In the SAR and Spoornet eras, when the official liveries were Gulf Red and whiskers for the SAR, and initially orange and later maroon for Spoornet, many selected electric locomotives and some diesels were painted blue for use with the Blue Train, but without altering the layout of the various paint schemes. Blue Train locomotives were therefore blue with yellow whiskers in the SAR era, blue with the Spoornet logo and the name "SPOORNET" in Spoornet’s orange era, and blue with the Spoornet logo but without the name "SPOORNET" in Spoornet’s maroon era. In Spoornet’s blue era there was no need for a separate Blue Train livery, while in the Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) era one Class 14E and the surviving Class 14E1 electric locomotives were eventually repainted in blue during 2012 for use with the Blue Train.[1]
Seven Class 34-900 locomotives, numbers 34-924 to 34-930, were painted in the SAR Blue Train livery and took the place of the five SAR Blue Train liveried Class 34-000 locomotives, numbers 34-055 to 34-059, which were then all eventually repainted in Spoornet’s orange livery. Some of the Class 34-900 locomotives, numbers 34-925 to 34-927, 34-929 and 34-930, were repainted later in Spoornet’s orange era Blue Train livery, while the other two, numbers 34-924 and 34-928, received the Spoornet blue with outline numbers livery.[1]
The main picture shows no. 34-926 in Spoornet’s orange era Blue Train livery. Other liveries that were applied to Class 34-900 locomotives are illustrated below.
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No. 34-914 in SAR Gulf Red and whiskers livery and with handrails, Saldanha, 12 September 2007
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No. 34-917 at Bellville, Cape Town, Western Cape, in Spoornet orange livery, 25 October 2007
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No. 34-928 at Warrenton, Northern Cape, in Spoornet blue livery with outline numbers, 24 August 2007
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No. 34-902 in Spoornet blue livery with outline numbers and with handrails, Saldanha, 26 July 2009
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"Brite Star" equipped no. 34-913 in Transnet Freight Rail livery at Addo, Eastern Cape, 13 July 2012
See also
- Diesel-electric locomotive numbering and classification
- List of South African locomotive classes
- South African Class 34-000 (GE)
- South African Class 34-200 (GM-EMD)
- South African Class 34-400 (GE)
- South African Class 34-500 (GE)
- South African Class 34-600 (GM-EMD)
- South African Class 34-800 (GM-EMD)
- South African locomotive history
References
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- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 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.
- ↑ GE Export List
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bogie interlinking removed
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 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
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 140–141. ISBN 0869772112.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 34-907 sans saddle filter with running board handrails
- ↑ Information received from John Nicholas Middleton
- ↑ Shosholoza Meyl’s 34-102 with running board handrails
- ↑ Actom Divisions News, 22 July 2010
- ↑ Information supplied by Orex train crew members
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