South African Class 6E1, Series 6

No. E1708 at Kaalfontein, Gauteng, 8 October 2009

Type and origin
Power type	Electric
Designer	Union Carriage and Wagon
Builder	Union Carriage and Wagon
Model	UCW 6E1
Build date	1976-1977
Total produced	100
Rebuilder	Transnet Rail Engineering
Rebuild date	2003-2014
Number rebuilt	90 to Class 18E, Series 1 & 2

Specifications
Configuration:
• AAR	B-B
• UIC	Bo'Bo'
• Commonwealth	Bo-Bo
Gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge
Wheel diameter	1,220 mm (48.0 in)
Wheelbase	11,279 mm (37 ft 0.1 in)
• Bogie	3,430 mm (11 ft 3.0 in)
Pivot centres	7,849 mm (25 ft 9.0 in)
Panto shoes	6,972 mm (22 ft 10.5 in)
Length:
• Over couplers	15,494 mm (50 ft 10.0 in)
• Body	14,631 mm (48 ft 0 in)
Width	2,896 mm (9 ft 6.0 in)
Height:
• Pantograph	4,089 mm (13 ft 5.0 in)
• Body height	3,937 mm (12 ft 11.0 in)
Axle load	22,226 kg (49,000 lb)
Adhesive weight	88,904 kg (196,000 lb)
Loco weight	88,904 kg (196,000 lb)
Power supply	Catenary
Current pickup/s	Pantographs
Traction motors	Four AEI-283AY
• Rating 1 hour	623 kW (835 hp)
• Continuous	563 kW (755 hp)
Gear ratio	18:67
Loco brake	Air & Regenerative
Train brakes	Air & Vacuum
Couplers	AAR knuckle

Performance figures
Maximum speed	113 km/h (70 mph)
Power output:
• 1 hour	2,492 kW (3,342 hp)
• Continuous	2,252 kW (3,020 hp)
Tractive effort:
• Starting	311 kN (70,000 lbf)
• 1 hour	221 kN (50,000 lbf)
• Continuous	193 kN (43,000 lbf) @ 40 km/h (25 mph)

Career
Operators	South African Railways Spoornet Transnet Freight Rail PRASA
Class	Class 6E1
Power class	3 kV DC
Number in class	100
Numbers	E1646-E1745
Delivered	1976-1977
First run	1976

The South African Railways Class 6E1, Series 6 of 1976 was an electric locomotive.

In 1976 and 1977, the South African Railways placed one hundred Class 6E1, Series 6 electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in mainline service.^[1]

Manufacturer

The 3 kV DC Class 6E1, Series 6 electric locomotive was designed and built for the South African Railways (SAR) by Union Carriage and Wagon (UCW) in Nigel, Transvaal. The electrical equipment was supplied by the General Electric Company (GEC).^[2]

One hundred units were delivered in 1976 and 1977, numbered in the range from E1646 to E1745. Unlike Series 1 to 5 units which were all equipped with four AEI-283AZ axle-hung traction motors, the Series 6 units were equipped with AEI-283AY traction motors. UCW did not allocate builder’s numbers to the locomotives it built for the SAR and used the SAR unit numbers for their record keeping.^[1]

Characteristics

Orientation

These dual cab locomotives had a roof access ladder on one side only, just to the right of the cab access door. The roof access ladder end was marked as the no. 2 end. A corridor along the centre of the locomotive connected the cabs, which were identical apart from the fact that the handbrake was located in cab 2. A pantograph hook stick was stowed in a tube mounted below the lower edge of the locomotive body on the roof access ladder side. The locomotives had one square and two rectangular access panels along the lower half of the body on the roof access ladder side, and only one square access panel on the opposite side.^[1]

Series identifying features

Grilles without beading on Series 5

Grilles with beading on Series 6

The Class 6E1 was produced in eleven series over a period of nearly sixteen years. While some Class 6E1 series are visually indistinguishable from their predecessors or successors, some externally visible changes did occur over the years.^[1]

The Series 6 and Series 7 locomotives are visually indistinguishable from each other, but can be distinguished from all the older series models by the rainwater beading that had been added above the small grilles on the sides aft of the side doors.^[1]^[3]

Service

The Class 6E1 family saw service all over both 3 kV DC mainline and branch line networks, the smaller Cape Western mainline between Cape Town and Beaufort West and the larger network which covers portions of the Northern Cape, the Free State, Natal, Gauteng, North West and Mpumalanga.^[4]

Reclassification and rebuilding

Reclassification to Class 16E

No. E1709 as Class 16E no. 16-422B, Germiston, 6 December 1991

During 1990 and 1991, Spoornet semi-permanently coupled several pairs of otherwise largely unmodified Class 6E1 units, reclassified them to Class 16E and allocated a single locomotive number to each pair, with the individual units in the pairs inscribed "A" or "B". The aim was to accomplish savings on cab maintenance by coupling the units at their no. 1 ends, abandoning the no. 1 end cabs in terms of maintenance and using only the no. 2 end cabs. Most pairs were later either disbanded with the units reverting to Class 6E1 and regaining their original numbers or rebuilt to Class 18E.^[4]

Eleven known Series 6 locomotives were part of such Class 16E pairs.^[4]

E1653 became 16-420A.
E1699 and E1700 became 16-425 A and B.
E1669 and E1709 became 16-422 A and B.
E1684 and E1701 became 16-427 A and B.
E1718 and E1720 became 16-428 A and B.
E1679 and E1714 became 16-429 A and B.

Rebuilding to Class 18E

Cab 1 of Class 18E no. 18-611, ex Class 6E1 no. E1677, Warrenton, Northern Cape, 21 May 2013

Beginning in 2000, Spoornet began a project to rebuild Series 2 to 11 Class 6E1 locomotives to Class 18E, Series 1 and Series 2 at the Transnet Rail Engineering (TRE) workshops at Koedoespoort. In the process the cab at the no. 1 end was stripped of all controls and the driver's front and side windows were blanked off to have a toilet installed, thereby forfeiting the locomotive's bi-directional ability.^[4]^[5]

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.^[5]

The known Class 6E1, Series 6 units which were used in this project were rebuilt to Class 18E, Series 1 as well as Series 2 locomotives. Their numbers and renumbering details are listed in the table. This list is virtually complete with only one unknown remaining, the status of no. E1744 to 18-832 which is shown as “uncompleted” and of which the existence still need to be confirmed by sighting or photographic evidence. The Class 18E rebuilding program was terminated abruptly in late 2014 with about half a dozen units in various stages of completion on the rebuilding line. Some reports indicated that the incomplete units would be forwarded to Danskraal or Durban for completion, but it could not be confirmed that this actually took place.^[4]^[5]

Class 6E1, Series 6 units rebuilt to Class 18E
as on 19 January 2015
Count	6E1 no.	Year built	18E no.	18E series	Year rebuilt	Notes
1	E1646	1976	18-142	1	2004
2	E1647	1976	18-277	1	2006
3	E1648	1976	18-506	1	2009
4	E1649	1976	18-395	1	2008
5	E1650	1976	18-504	1	2009
6	E1651	1976	18-826	2	2014
7	E1652	1976	18-209	1	2005
8	E1653	1976	18-799	2	2014	c. 2014
9	E1655	1976	18-381	1	2008
10	E1656	1976	18-190	1	2005
11	E1660	1976	18-621	2	2010
12	E1661	1976	18-648	2	2010
13	E1662	1976	18-623	2	2010
14	E1663	1976	18-667	2	2011
15	E1664	1976	18-720	2	2012
16	E1665	1976	18-373	1	2008
17	E1668	1976	18-786	2	2014	c. 2014
18	E1669	1976	18-100	1	2003	ex 16-422A
19	E1670	1976	18-803	2	2014	c. 2014
20	E1671	1976	18-687	2	2011
21	E1672	1976	18-630	2	2010
22	E1673	1976	18-147	1	2004
23	E1674	1976	18-632	2	2010
24	E1675	1976	18-380	1	2008
25	E1676	1976	18-635	2	2010
26	E1677	1976	18-611	2	2010
27	E1679	1976	18-349	1	2007	ex 16-429A
28	E1680	1976	18-614	2	2010
29	E1681	1976	18-627	2	2010
30	E1683	1976	18-351	1	2007
31	E1684	1976	18-345	1	2007	ex 16-427A
32	E1685	1976	18-323	1	2007
33	E1686	1976	18-104	1	2003
34	E1687	1976	18-124	1	2004
35	E1688	1976	18-768	2	2013
36	E1689	1976	18-411	1	2009
37	E1690	1976	18-297	1	2006
38	E1691	1976	18-300	1	2006
39	E1692	1976	18-375	1	2008
40	E1693	1976	18-143	1	2004
41	E1694	1976	18-287	1	2006
42	E1695	1976	18-400	1	2008
43	E1696	1976	18-313	1	2007
44	E1697	1976-77	18-189	1	2005
45	E1698	1976-77	18-372	1	2008
46	E1699	1976-77	18-167	1	2004	ex 16-425A
47	E1700	1976-77	18-169	1	2004	ex 16-425B
48	E1701	1976-77	18-346	1	2007	ex 16-427B
49	E1702	1976-77	18-712	2	2012
50	E1703	1976-77	18-600	2	2009
51	E1704	1976-77	18-182	1	2005
52	E1705	1976-77	18-386	1	2008
53	E1706	1976-77	18-525	1	2009
54	E1707	1976-77	18-508	1	2009
55	E1708	1976-77	18-757	2	2013
56	E1709	1976-77	18-503	1	2009	ex 16-422B
57	E1710	1976-77	18-144	1	2004
58	E1711	1976-77	18-404	1	2008	PRASA
59	E1712	1976-77	18-394	1	2008
60	E1713	1976-77	18-736	2	2013
61	E1714	1976-77	18-350	1	2007	ex 16-429B
62	E1715	1977	18-602	2	2009
63	E1716	1977	18-322	1	2007
64	E1717	1977	18-628	2	2010
65	E1718	1977	18-347	1	2007	ex 16-428A
66	E1719	1977	18-619	2	2010
67	E1720	1977	18-348	1	2007	ex 16-428B
68	E1721	1977	18-357	1	2007
69	E1722	1977	18-355	1	2007
70	E1723	1977	18-644	2	2010
71	E1724	1977	18-397	1	2008
72	E1725	1977	18-517	1	2009
73	E1726	1977	18-728	2	2013
74	E1727	1977	18-622	2	2010
75	E1728	1977	18-634	2	2010
76	E1729	1977	18-629	2	2010
77	E1730	1977	18-185	1	2005
78	E1731	1977	18-519	1	2009
79	E1732	1977	18-352	1	2007
80	E1733	1977	18-690	2	2012
81	E1734	1977	18-384	1	2008
82	E1736	1977	18-645	2	2010
83	E1737	1977	18-620	2	2010
84	E1738	1977	18-405	1	2008	PRASA
85	E1739	1977	18-617	2	2010
86	E1740	1977	18-388	1	2008
87	E1741	1977	18-604	2	2009
88	E1742	1977	18-163	1	2005
89	E1743	1977	18-367	1	2007
90	E1744	1977	18-832	2		Uncompleted
91	E1745	1977	18-518	1	2009

Liveries

The whole series was delivered in the SAR Gulf Red livery with signal red cowcatchers, yellow whiskers and with the number plates on the sides mounted on three-stripe yellow wings. In the 1990s many of the Series 6 units began to be repainted in the Spoornet orange livery with a yellow and blue chevron pattern on the cowcatchers. Several later received the Spoornet maroon livery. In the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) era after 2008, at least three were repainted in the Shosholoza Meyl purple livery and one in the PRASA light blue livery.^[6]

Illustration

No. E1664 in SAR Gulf Red & whiskers at Beaconsfield, 17 September 2009
No. E1682 in Spoornet orange at Capital Park, Pretoria, 20 August 2007

No. E1733 in Spoornet's maroon livery at Capital Park, Pretoria, 5 October 2009
No. E1666 in PRASA’s Shosholoza Meyl livery, Beaufort West, 15 September 2015
No. E1667 in PRASA’s backdrop blue livery at Laingsburg, 11 October 2015

References

1 2 3 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
↑ "UCW - Electric locomotives" (PDF). The UCW Partnership. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
↑ Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 128–129. ISBN 0869772112.
1 2 3 4 5 Railways of Southern Africa Locomotive Guide, 2002 Edition, (Compiled by John N. Middleton), p57, as amended by Combined Amendment List 4, January 2009
1 2 3 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
↑ Soul of A Railway, System 7, Western Transvaal, based in Johannesburg, Part 9. South-Eastwards as far as Volksrust (2nd part) by Les Pivnic. Caption 4. (Accessed on 11 April 2017)

External video link

External video
E1653, E1265 and E1682 enter the Capital Park yard on their way to the loco depot, 1 October 2009 (46 seconds)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to South African Class 6E1, Series 6.

Locomotives of South Africa

Steam

7' ¼" gauge	East London 0-4-0VB Table Bay 0-4-0ST Table Bay 0-4-0T Table Bay 0-4-0WT
4' 8½" gauge	Cape 0-4-0T Blackie Cape 0-4-2 Cape 2-4-0T CGR 0-4-0ST Aid Natal 0-4-0ST Durban Natal 0-4-0WT Natal Natal 4-4-0T Perseverance
3' 6" gauge Tank engines	CGR 0-4-0ST 1873 CGR 0-4-0ST 1874 CGR 0-4-0ST 1881 CGR 0-4-0ST 1881 Coffee Pot CGR 0-6-0ST CGR 0-6-0T CGR 2-6-0ST 1900 CGR 2-6-0ST 1902 CGR 1st Class 0-4-0ST 1875 CGR 1st Class 0-4-0ST 1876 CGR 1st Class 2-6-0ST CGR 1st Class 4-4-0T CGR 2nd Class 4-4-0T CGR 3rd Class 2-6-0T CGR Railmotor CSAR Class C CSAR Class E CSAR Rack 4-6-4RT CSAR Railmotor Durban's Congella Durban's Edward Innes Durban's John Milne Durban's Sir Albert Port Elizabeth 0-4-0ST Kowie Railway 0-6-0T Kowie Railway 4-4-0T Metropolitan & Suburban 4-6-2T NGR 2-6-0T Durban & Pietermaritzburg NGR Class I 2-6-2T NGR Class K 0-4-0ST NGR Class K 0-6-0ST NGR Class K 2-6-0T NZASM 10 Tonner NZASM 13 Tonner NZASM 14 Tonner NZASM 18 Tonner NZASM 19 Tonner NZASM 32 Tonner NZASM 40 Tonner PPR 26 Tonner PPR 35 Tonner Portuguese SAR Class A SAR Class B SAR Class C SAR Class C1 SAR Class C2 SAR Class D SAR Class E SAR Class F SAR Class G SAR Class H SAR Class H1 SAR Class H2 SAR Class J SAR Class K SAR Railmotor SAR Dock 0-4-0ST SAR Dock 0-4-0T SWA 2-8-0T
3' 6" gauge Tender engines	CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1876 BP CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1876 Kitson CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1879 CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1891 CGR 1st Class 4-4-0 CGR 1st Class 4-4-0TT CGR 2nd Class 2-6-2TT CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1883 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1884 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1889 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1898 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1901 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1903 CGR 4th Class 4-4-2 CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1880 CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1882 CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1882 Joy CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1884 CGR 5th Class 4-6-0 1890 CGR 5th Class 4-6-0 1891 NGR Havelock NGR Class I SAR Class Exp 1 SAR Class Exp 2 SAR Class Exp 3 SAR Class Exp 4 SAR Class Exp 5 SAR Class Exp 6 SAR Class S SAR Class S1 SAR Class S2 SAR Class 1 SAR Class 1A SAR Class 1B SAR Class 2 SAR Class 2C SAR Class 3 SAR Class 3A SAR Class 3B SAR Class 4 SAR Class 4A SAR Class 5 SAR Class 5A SAR Class 5B SAR Class 6 SAR Class 6A SAR Class 6B SAR Class 6C SAR Class 6D SAR Class 6E SAR Class 6F SAR Class 6G SAR Class 6H SAR Class 6J SAR Class 6K SAR Class 6L SAR Class 6Y SAR Class 6Z SAR Class 7 SAR Class 7A SAR Class 7B SAR Class 7C SAR Class 7D SAR Class 7E SAR Class 7F SAR Class 8 SAR Class 8A SAR Class 8B SAR Class 8C SAR Class 8D SAR Class 8E SAR Class 8F SAR Class 8R SAR Class 8X SAR Class 8Y SAR Class 8Z SAR Class 9 SAR Class 10 SAR Class 10A SAR Class 10B SAR Class 10C SAR Class 10D SAR Class 11 SAR Class 12 SAR Class 12A SAR Class 12B SAR Class 13 SAR Class 14 SAR Class 14A SAR Class 14B SAR Class 14C 1st SAR Class 14C 2nd SAR Class 14C 3rd SAR Class 14C 4th SAR Class 15 SAR Class 15A SAR Class 15B SAR Class 15C SAR Class 15CA SAR Class 15E SAR Class 15F SAR Class 16 SAR Class 16A SAR Class 16B SAR Class 16C SAR Class 16D SAR Class 16DA 1928 SAR Class 16DA 1930 SAR Class 16E SAR Class 17 SAR Class 18 SAR Class 19 SAR Class 19A SAR Class 19B SAR Class 19C SAR Class 19D SAR Class 20 SAR Class 21 SAR Class 23 SAR Class 24 SAR Class 25 SAR Class 25NC SAR Class 26 SAR Katanga SWA 2-8-0
3' 6" gauge Articulated engines	CGR Fairlie CGR Kitson-Meyer SAR Class FC SAR Class FD SAR Class GA SAR Class GB SAR Class GC SAR Class GCA SAR Class GD SAR Class GDA SAR Class GE SAR Class GEA SAR Class GF SAR Class GG SAR Class GH SAR Class GK SAR Class GL SAR Class GM SAR Class GMA SAR Class GO SAR Class HF SAR Class KM SAR Class MA SAR Class MB SAR Class MC SAR Class MC1 SAR Class MD SAR Class ME SAR Class MF SAR Class MG SAR Class MH SAR Class MJ SAR Class MJ1 SAR Class U
2' 6" gauge	Cape Copper John King & Miner Cape Copper Britannia Cape Copper Caledonia Cape Copper Clara Cape Copper Condenser Cape Copper Scotia Namaqua Copper Pioneer Walvis Bay 2-4-2T Hope
2' & 600mm gauges	ACR Class NG-G16A CGR NG 0-4-0T CGR NG 0-6-0T CGR NG 4-6-2T CGR Type A 2-6-4T CGR Type C 0-4-0T NGR Class N 4-6-2T SAR Dutton SAR NG 0-4-0T SAR Class NG1 SAR Class NG2 SAR Class NG3 SAR Class NG4 SAR Class NG5 SAR Class NG6 SAR Class NG7 SAR Class NG8 SAR Class NG9 SAR Class NG10 SAR Class NG-G11 SAR Class NG-G12 SAR Class NG-G13 SAR Class NG-G14 SAR Class NG15 SAR Class NG-G16 SWA Class Ha SWA Class Hb SWA Class Hc SWA Class Hd SWA Jung SWA Zwillinge

Electric

Amcoal Class E38

Gas-electric

SAR Gas-electric

Diesel

3' 6" gauge Diesel-electric	PRASA Class Afro 4000 SAR Class DS SAR Class DS1 SAR Class 31-000 SAR Class 32-000 SAR Class 32-200 SAR Class 33-000 SAR Class 33-200 SAR Class 33-400 SAR Class 34-000 SAR Class 34-200 SAR Class 34-400 SAR Class 34-500 SAR Class 34-600 SAR Class 34-800 SAR Class 34-900 SAR Class 35-000 SAR Class 35-200 SAR Class 35-400 SAR Class 35-600 TFR Class 35-800 SAR Class 36-000 SAR Class 36-200 SAR Class 37-000 Spoornet Class 39-000 TFR Class 39-200 TFR Class 43-000 TFR Class 44-000
2' gauge Diesel-electric	SAR Class 91-000
3' 6" gauge Diesel-hydraulic	SAR Class 61-000
3' 6" gauge Electro-diesel	Spoornet Class 38-000

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