South African Class 35-200

South African Class 35-200

No. 35-294 at Electro, Pretoria-West, 21 August 2007
Type and origin
Power type Diesel-electric
Designer General Motors Electro-Motive Division
Builder General Motors Electro-Motive Division
General Motors South Africa
Serial number GM-EMD 712981-713005
GMSA 100-1 to 100-75, 102-1 to 102-50, 107-1 [1]
Model GM-EMD GT18MC
Build date 1974-1976
Total produced 151
Specifications
AAR wheel arr. C+C
UIC classification Co'Co' (Co+Co interlinked bogies)
Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge
Bogies 3.302 m (10 ft 10 in) wheelbase
Wheel diameter 915 mm (36 in)
Wheelbase 12.675 m (41 ft 7 in)
Length 16.485 m (54 ft 1 in)
Width 2.819 m (9 ft 3 in)
Height 3.924 m (12 ft 10.5 in)
Axle load 13,720 kg (13.5 long tons)
Locomotive weight 82,000 kg (80.7 long tons) average
82,320 kg (81.0 long tons) maximum
Fuel type Fuel oil
Fuel capacity 3,400 litres (900 US gal)
Prime mover GM-EMD 8-645E3 2 stroke V8
Engine RPM range 250 rpm low idle
315 rpm idle
900 rpm maximum
Engine type Diesel
Aspiration GM-EMD E-8 turbocharger
Displacement 10.570 litres (645.0 cu in)
Generator DC 8 pole GM-EMD D25
Traction motors Six GM-EMD D29CCBT DC 4 pole
* 485A 1 hour
* 450A continuous at 15 km/h (9.3 mph)
Transmission 57/16 gear ratio
Multiple working 4 maximum
Performance figures
Maximum speed 100 km/h (62 mph)
Power output 1,195 kW (1,603 hp) starting
1,065 kW (1,428 hp) continuous
Tractive effort 201 kN (45,000 lbf) starting
161 kN (36,000 lbf) continuous at 19 km/h (12 mph)
Factor of
adhesion		 25% starting
20% continuous
Locomotive brake 28-LAV-1
Dynamic brake peak effort:
138 kN (31,000 lbf) at 28 km/h (17 mph)
Locomotive
brakeforce		 65% ratio at 345 kPa (50.0 psi) brake cylinder pressure
Train brakes 800 litres (210 US gal) main reservoir
Compressor capacity at idle:
0.021 m3/s (0.74 cu ft/s)
Exhauster capacity at idle:
0.098 m3/s (3.5 cu ft/s)
Safety systems Vigilance control
Career
Operator(s) South African Railways
AECI, Modderfontein
Spoornet
Transnet Freight Rail
Shosholoza Meyl
CamRail
Sudan Railways
Ferrovia Centro Atlântico
Ferrovia Sul Atlântico
Class Class 35-200
Number in class 151
Number(s) SAR 35-201 to 35-350, AECI 2
Delivered 1974-1976
First run 1974 [2]

The South African Class 35-200 of 1974 is a South African diesel-electric locomotive from the South African Railways era.

Between November 1974 and August 1976 the South African Railways placed one hundred and fifty Class 35-200 General Motors Electro-Motive Division type GT18MC diesel-electric locomotives in service. In 1975 one more Class 35-200 locomotive was also built for AECI in Modderfontein, Johannesburg.[1][2]

Manufacturer

The Class 35-200 type GT18MC diesel-electric locomotive was designed for the South African Railways (SAR) by General Motors Electro-Motive Division (GM-EMD). The first twenty-five were built by GM-EMD and imported, delivered by November 1974 and numbered in the range from 35-201 to 35-225. The remainder were built in two batches by General Motors South Africa (GMSA) in Port Elizabeth, with seventy-five being delivered between 1974 and 1975, numbered in the range from 35-226 to 35-300, and another fifty between 1975 and August 1976, numbered in the range from 35-301 to 35-350.[1][2][3]

While the first GMSA batch was being built, an order for one Class 35-200 GT18MC locomotive was also received from AECI in Modderfontein, Johannesburg. Since it required urgent delivery, no. 35-244 (works number 100-19) from the SAR order was delivered to AECI and became their no. 2, named "A.J. de Beer". The AECI locomotive, works number 107-1, then went to the SAR as no. 34-244.[1]

Class 35 series

GE and GM-EMD designs

The Class 35 locomotive group consists of four sub-classes, the General Electric (GE) Classes 35-000 and 35-400 and the GM-EMD Classes 35-200 and 35-600. Both these manufacturers also produced locomotives for the South African Classes 33, 34 and 36.[2]

Distinguishing features

With the GM-EMD Class 35 locomotives, the Class 35-200 and 35-600 are visually indistinguishable from each other.[2]

Service

South African Railways

The Class 35 is South Africa’s standard branchline diesel-electric locomotive. GM-EMD Class 35-200s were designed for light rail conditions across difficult terrain and they work on most branchlines in the central, eastern, northern and northeastern parts of the country.[3]

Zambia

Between October 1978 and May 1993 Zambia Railways (ZR) hired locomotives to solve it's chronic shortages in motive power, mainly from South Africa but at times also from Zaire, Zimbabwe, the TAZARA Railway and even the Zambian Copper Mines. In Zambia the South African locomotives were mainly used on goods trains between Livingstone and Kitwe, sometimes in tandem with a ZR locomotive and occasionally also on passenger trains.[4]

The first period of hire lasted from October 1978 until about April 1981 and locomotives were selected from a float of engines in the Classes 33-400, 35-000 and 35-200 that were allocated by the Railways for hire to Zambia. The South African fleet in Zambia was never constant since locomotives were continually exchanged as they became due back in South Africa for their three-monthly services.[4]

In November 1979 six Class 35-200 locomotives were on hire, but they are believed to have left Zambia in early 1980. A full list of these locomotives used in Zambia is not available, but no. 35-246 is known to have been used there during this period.[4]

CamRail and Sudan Railways

Nine Class 35-200 locomotives were leased to CamRail, a company that had a twenty-year concession to operate the Cameroon National Railway, and were regauged to 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) metre gauge. Six of these later went on a second lease to Sudan Railways until June 2007, where they were numbered in the range from 3601 to 3606.[1]

FCA and FSA, Brazil

Fifteen Class 35-200 locomotives went to Ferrovia Centro Atlântico (FCA) and Ferrovia Sul Atlântico (FSA) in Brazil, where they were also regauged to run on metre gauge. Both these railroads are now part of América Latina Logística (ALL) that operates in Brazil and Argentina.[1]

Ten of these locomotives went to FCA at Divinipolis in Brazil. While they were initially part of Spoornet Traction’s leasing scheme, they were later renumbered onto the FCA roster in the range from 8200 to 8209. The other five locomotives went to FSA at Curitiba in Brazil. Also initially part of Spoornet Traction’s leasing scheme, they were later renumbered onto the FSA roster in the range from 8210 to 8214.[1]

Works numbers

The Class 35-200 builders, works numbers, lease details and renumberings are listed in the table.[1]

Liveries illustrated

The main picture shows no. 35-294 in Spoornet orange livery, shunting at Electro siding in Pretoria West. Other liveries that were applied to Class 35-200 locomotives are illustrated below.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 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, 42–43, 46–47.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 South African Railways Index and Diagrams Electric and Diesel Locomotives, 610mm and 1065mm Gauges, Ref LXD 14/1/100/20 (amended ed.). 28 January 1975.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 141–142. ISBN 0869772112.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Bagshawe, P.F. Spoornet Diesels Leased to ZR 1978-1993.

External links

External video
Spoornet Class 35-200 numbers 35-226 and 35-203, 5 October 2009 A pair of Class 35-200 GM-EMD GT18MC diesels enter Capital Park yard with a short MOW train. (36 seconds)