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South African Class 16E
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During 1990 and 1991 Spoornet semi permanently coupled several pairs of otherwise unmodified Series 3 to Series 9 Class 6E1 electric locomotives, reclassified them to Class 16E and allocated a single shared running number to each pair, with the individual locomotives in the pairs inscribed "A" or "B".

Manufacturer

The Class 6E1 3 kV DC electric locomotive was built for the South African Railways (SAR) by Union Carriage and Wagon (UCW) in Nigel, Transvaal, with the electrical equipment supplied by the General Electric Company (GEC). UCW did not allocate builder’s numbers to the locomotives it built for the SAR. While the usual practice by most other locomotive builders was to allocate builder’s numbers or works numbers to record the locomotives built by them, UCW simply used the SAR running numbers for their record keeping.

The dual cab Class 6E1 locomotives have a roof access ladder on one side only, just to the right of the cab access door. The roof access ladder end is marked as the number 2 end. A passage along the centre of the locomotive connects the cabs.

Class 16E pairing

Class 16E locomotives are two-unit semi permanently coupled Class 6E1 pairs, coupled at their number 1 ends. The aim was to accomplish savings on cab maintenance by abandoning the number one end cabs in terms of maintenance and using only the number two end cabs. During 1990 and 1991 Spoornet made up several such semi permanently coupled pairs of otherwise unmodified Series 3 to Series 9 Class 6E1 locomotives, with each pair reclassified to Class 16E and renumbered to a shared new running number and with each locomotive inscribed as either the A or B unit.

This was unlike the procedure followed later with Class 17E
South African Class 17E
During 1993 and 1994 Spoornet modified several Class 6E1, Series 7, Series 8 and Series 9 locomotives to improve their braking and traction reliability for service on the Natal main line...

 locomotives, which were internally modified and reclassified Class 6E1 Series 7, 8 and 9 locomotives, but which remained in service as individual locomotives and retained their original running numbers after reclassification.

The original intent was to convert all the serving Class 6E and all eleven series of Class 6E1 to Class 16E locomotive pairs, with the following Class 16E number allocation:
  • Class 6E: 16-001 to 16-010
  • Class 6E1, series 1: 16-100 to 16-104, 16-109 and 16-110
  • Class 6E1, series 2: 16-105 to 16-108
  • Class 6E1, series 3: 16-207 to 16-237
  • Class 6E1, series 4: 16-300 to 16-317
  • Class 6E1, series 5: 16-318 to 16-335
  • Class 6E1, series 6: 16-418 to 16-430
  • Class 6E1, series 7: 16-400 to 16-417 and 16-431 to 16-437
  • Class 6E1, series 8: 16-501 to 16-518
  • Class 6E1, series 9: 16-500 and 16-521 to 16-536
  • Class 6E1, series 10: 16-600 to 16-611
  • Class 6E1, series 11: 16-700 to 16-711


However, the idea was not thought through and the law of unintended consequences soon manifested itself. In practice it was found that some locomotive pairs worked together better than others, so that some pairings were successful while others gave problems. Maintenance issues presented further drawbacks, since when only one unit in a Class 16E pair needed repairs, it meant that the partner was out of commission as well because their number one end cabs were not kept serviceable. All these and other complications led to the programme being abandoned very quickly, long before all the Class 6E and 6E1 could be converted.

A few of the successful and problem free Class 16E pairings did continue to run that way for more than fifteen years, numbers 16-227A and B and 16-411A and B being the last to be separated. The rest were either separated during rebuilding to Class 18E or gradually converted back to dual cab Class 6E1s as soon as one or both in the pair required major maintenance, with all of the latter reverting to their original Class 6E1 running numbers. Their ex Class 16E numbers were still visible on many locomotives years later.

None of the Class 6E or the Class 6E1, Series 1, 2, 10 or 11 locomotives were ever paired into Class 16Es. Those that are known to have received this treatment are shown in the table.

Rebuilding to Class 18E

Beginning in 2000, Spoornet started a project of rebuilding Series 6 to 11 Class 6E1 locomotives, as well as Class 16E pairs that were originally from those series, to Class 18E
South African Class 18E, Series 1
Beginning in 2000 Spoornet embarked on a program to rebuild Class 6E1, Series 6 to Series 11 locomotives to Class 18E, Series 1 locomotives. Most of the Class 6E1s that had previously been reclassified or modified to Class 16E or Class 17E were rebuilt to Class 18E as well.-Manufacturer:The South...

 locomotives at the Koedoespoort Transwerk workshops. In the process the cab at the number 1 end was stripped of all controls in order to have a toilet installed to accommodate female crew, thereby forfeiting the loco's bi-directional ability.

Gallery

The main picture shows 16-410B (6E1 Series 7 E1851) at Christiana, North West Province, on 22 September 2006.


See also

  • South African Class 6E1, Series 3
    South African Class 6E1, Series 3
    Between 1971 and 1973 the South African Railways placed one hundred and fifty Class 6E1, Series 3 electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in main line service.- Manufacturer :...

  • South African Class 6E1, Series 4
    South African Class 6E1, Series 4
    In 1973 and 1974 the South African Railways placed one hundred Class 6E1, Series 4 electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in main line service...

  • South African Class 6E1, Series 5
    South African Class 6E1, Series 5
    In 1974 and 1975 the South African Railways placed one hundred Class 6E1, Series 5 electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in main line service...

  • South African Class 6E1, Series 6
    South African Class 6E1, Series 6
    Between 1975 and 1977 the South African Railways placed one hundred Class 6E1, Series 6 electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in main line service.-Manufacturer:...

  • South African Class 6E1, Series 7
    South African Class 6E1, Series 7
    Between 1977 and 1979 the South African Railways placed one hundred and fifty Class 6E1, Series 7 electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in main line service.- Manufacturer :...

  • South African Class 6E1, Series 8
    South African Class 6E1, Series 8
    Between 1979 and 1981 the South African Railways placed one hundred and five Class 6E1, Series 8 electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in main line service.- Manufacturer :...

  • South African Class 6E1, Series 9
    South African Class 6E1, Series 9
    In 1981 and 1982 the South African Railways placed eighty-five Class 6E1, Series 9 electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in main line service.-Manufacturer:...

  • South African Class 17E
    South African Class 17E
    During 1993 and 1994 Spoornet modified several Class 6E1, Series 7, Series 8 and Series 9 locomotives to improve their braking and traction reliability for service on the Natal main line...

  • South African Class 18E, Series 1
    South African Class 18E, Series 1
    Beginning in 2000 Spoornet embarked on a program to rebuild Class 6E1, Series 6 to Series 11 locomotives to Class 18E, Series 1 locomotives. Most of the Class 6E1s that had previously been reclassified or modified to Class 16E or Class 17E were rebuilt to Class 18E as well.-Manufacturer:The South...

  • Electric locomotive numbering and classification
  • List of South African locomotive classes

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