South African Class 1E
Encyclopedia
Between 1925 and 1945 the South African Railways placed altogether one hundred and seventy-two Class 1E electric locomotives in service, spread over seven orders.
(Metrovick), they were built for the South African Railways (SAR) in seven series by four manufacturers over a period of twenty years. A total of one hundred and seventy-two Class 1E's were delivered between 1925 and 1945.
to Pietermaritzburg
section in Natal, with its severe gradients and tight curves. The overhead power supply was 3 kV DC, the highest direct current overhead voltage then in use, while the traction motors operated at 1.5 kV. It was reportedly the first use in regular traffic of electric locomotives equipped for multiple unit
operation with regenerative braking.
The Colenso power station
was built specifically to power this line. The power that was generated at Colenso was distributed at 88 kV to twelve substations, where it was converted to 6.6 kV and then to 3 kV DC by synchronous motor
generators, for use by the Railways.
Early models bore number plates inscribed in English only. By 1938, when the Series 5 locomotives were placed in service, Afrikaans had been accepted as the second official language and new locomotives bore bilingual number plates. While they were employed mainly in Natal, some later also worked on the Witwatersrand
and eventually also in the Western Cape
. Some of them totalled more than 8000000 kilometres (4,970,982 mi) during their service lives.
Altogether thirty-five of the Class 1E locomotives were eventually withdrawn from main line service, modified and reclassified to Class 1ES for use as shunter locomotives. The modifications included alteration of the resistance grids in the electrical circuit and enlarged and widened cabs, but the gear ratios were not altered. Two of these Class 1ES locomotives were eventually rebuilt to centre cab Class ES
shunters in 1964.
Manufacturers
South Africa's first electric locomotive, the Class 1E, entered service in Natal in 1925. At the time, the first batch to be ordered constituted the largest order for a single type of electric locomotive placed anywhere in the world. Designed by Metropolitan-VickersMetropolitan-Vickers
Metropolitan-Vickers, Metrovick, or Metrovicks, was a British heavy electrical engineering company of the early-to-mid 20th century formerly known as British Westinghouse. Highly diversified, they were particularly well known for their industrial electrical equipment such as generators, steam...
(Metrovick), they were built for the South African Railways (SAR) in seven series by four manufacturers over a period of twenty years. A total of one hundred and seventy-two Class 1E's were delivered between 1925 and 1945.
- Series 1. The first sixty locomotives, numbered E1 to E60, were built by the Swiss Locomotive and Machine WorksSwiss Locomotive and Machine WorksSwiss Locomotive and Machine Works were a railway equipment manufacturer based in Winterthur in Switzerland...
(SLM) between 1923 and 1924. The remaining eighteen Series 1 locomotives, numbered E61 to E78, were built by Metrovick in 1925. - Series 2. All seventeen locomotives, numbered E79 to E95, were built by Metrovick from 1925 to 1926.
- Series 3. Five locomotives, numbered E98 to E102, were built by Metrovick in 1936. (Numbers E96 and E97 were allocated to Class ESSouth African Class ESIn 1936 the South African Railways built two Class ES centre cab electric shunting locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement, based on the Class 1E main line electric locomotive. Between then and 1964, a total of twenty-four Class ES locomotives were eventually placed in service...
locomotives.) - Series 4. Twenty locomotives, numbered E103 to E122, were built by Metrovick in 1936.
- Series 5. Twenty-two locomotives, numbered E139 to E160, were built by SLM in 1938. (Numbers E123 to E138 were allocated to Classes ES1, ES, 2E, DS and DS1 locomotives.)
- Series 6. Twenty locomotives, numbered E161 to E180, were built by the Nederlandsche Fabriek van Werktuigen en Spoorwegmaterieel (Werkspoor) in 1938.
- Series 7. Ten locomotives, numbered E181 to E190, were all built by Robert Stephenson and HawthornsRobert Stephenson and HawthornsRobert Stephenson and Hawthorns Ltd was a locomotive builder with works in North East England.-History:The company was formed in September 1937 when Robert Stephenson and Company, which was based in Darlington took over the locomotive building department of Hawthorn Leslie and Company, based in...
(RSH) in 1944.Class 1E and Class 1ES, Series 1 to 7
Builder, works no. and date in service
ClassSeries Loco
no.Builder Works
no.Year Notes 1E 1 E1 SLM 2875 1923 1E 1 E2 SLM 2876 1923 1E 1 E3 SLM 2877 1923 1E 1 E4 SLM 2878 1923 1E 1 E5 SLM 2879 1923 1E 1 E6 SLM 2880 1923 1E 1 E7 SLM 2881 1923 1E 1 E8 SLM 2882 1923 1E 1 E9 SLM 2883 1923 1E 1 E10 SLM 2884 1923 1E 1 E11 SLM 2885 1923 1E 1 E12 SLM 2886 1923 1E 1 E13 SLM 2887 1923 1E 1 E14 SLM 2888 1923 1E 1 E15 SLM 2889 1923 1E 1 E16 SLM 2890 1923 1E 1 E17 SLM 2891 1923 1E 1 E18 SLM 2892 1923 1E 1 E19 SLM 2893 1923 1E 1 E20 SLM 2894 1923 1E 1 E21 SLM 2895 1923 1E 1 E22 SLM 2896 1923 1E 1 E23 SLM 2897 1923 1E 1 E24 SLM 2898 1923 1E 1 E25 SLM 2899 1923 1E 1 E26 SLM 2900 1923 1E 1 E27 SLM 2901 1923 1E 1 E28 SLM 2902 1923 1E 1 E29 SLM 2903 1923 1E 1 E30 SLM 2904 1923 1E 1 E31 SLM 2905 1923 1E 1 E32 SLM 2906 1923 1E 1 E33 SLM 2907 1923 1E 1 E34 SLM 2908 1923 1E 1 E35 SLM 2909 1923 1E 1 E36 SLM 2910 1923 1E 1 E37 SLM 2911 1923 1E 1 E38 SLM 2912 1923 1E 1 E39 SLM 2913 1923 1E 1 E40 SLM 2914 1923 1E 1 E41 SLM 2915 1923 1E 1 E42 SLM 2916 1923 1E 1 E43 SLM 2917 1923 1E 1 E44 SLM 2918 1923 1E 1 E45 SLM 2919 1923 1E 1 E46 SLM 2920 1923 1E 1 E47 SLM 2921 1923 1E 1 E48 SLM 2922 1923 1E 1 E49 SLM 2923 1923 1E 1 E50 SLM 2924 1923 1E 1 E51 SLM 2925 1923 1E 1 E52 SLM 2926 1923 1E 1 E53 SLM 2927 1923 1E 1 E54 SLM 2928 1923 1E 1 E55 SLM 2929 1923 1E 1 E56 SLM 2930 1923 1E 1 E57 SLM 2931 1923 1E 1 E58 SLM 2932 1923 1E 1 E59 SLM 2933 1923 1E 1 E60 SLM 2934 1923 1E 1 E61 MV 1925 1E 1 E62 MV 1925 1E 1 E63 MV 1925 1E 1 E64 MV 1925 1E 1 E65 MV 1925 1E 1 E66 MV 1925 1E 1 E67 MV 1925 1E 1 E68 MV 1925 1E 1 E69 MV 1925 1E 1 E70 MV 1925 1E 1 E71 MV 1925 1E 1 E72 MV 1925 1E 1 E73 MV 1925 1E 1 E74 MV 1925 1E 1 E75 MV 1925 1E 1 E76 MV 1925 1E 1 E77 MV 1925 1E 1 E78 MV 1925 1E 2 E79 MV 1925-26 1E 2 E80 MV 1925-26 1E 2 E81 MV 1925-26 1E 2 E82 MV 1925-26 1E 2 E83 MV 1925-26 1E 2 E84 MV 1925-26 1E 2 E85 MV 1925-26 1E 2 E86 MV 1925-26 1E 2 E87 MV 1925-26 1E 2 E88 MV 1925-26 1E 2 E89 MV 1925-26 1E 2 E90 MV 1925-26 1E 2 E91 MV 1925-26 1E 2 E92 MV 1925-26 1E 2 E93 MV 1925-26 1E 2 E94 MV 1925-26 1E 2 E95 MV 1925-26 1E 3 E98 MV 1936 1E 3 E99 MV 1936 1E 3 E100 MV 1936 1ES 3 E101 MV 1936 Mod to 1ES 1E 3 E102 MV 1936 1E 4 E103 MV 1936 1ES 4 E104 MV 1936 Mod to 1ES 1ES 4 E105 MV 1936 Mod to 1ES 1ES 4 E106 MV 1936 Mod to 1ES 1ES 4 E107 MV 1936 Mod to 1ES 1ES 4 E108 MV 1936 Mod to 1ES 1ES 4 E109 MV 1936 Mod to 1ES 1ES 4 E110 MV 1936 Mod to 1ES 1ES 4 E111 MV 1936 Mod to 1ES 1ES 4 E112 MV 1936 Mod to 1ES 1ES 4 E113 MV 1936 Mod to 1ES 1ES 4 E114 MV 1936 Rebuilt to ES E525 1ES 4 E115 MV 1936 Mod to 1ES 1ES 4 E116 MV 1936 Mod to 1ES 1ES 4 E117 MV 1936 Mod to 1ES 1ES 4 E118 MV 1936 Mod to 1ES 1ES 4 E119 MV 1936 Mod to 1ES 1ES 4 E120 MV 1936 Mod to 1ES 1ES 4 E121 MV 1936 Mod to 1ES 1ES 4 E122 MV 1936 Mod to 1ES 1ES 5 E139 SLM 3655 1938 Mod to 1ES 1ES 5 E140 SLM 3656 1938 Mod to 1ES 1ES 5 E141 SLM 3657 1938 Mod to 1ES 1ES 5 E142 SLM 3658 1938 Mod to 1ES 1ES 5 E143 SLM 3659 1938 Mod to 1ES 1ES 5 E144 SLM 3660 1938 Mod to 1ES 1ES 5 E145 SLM 3661 1938 Mod to 1ES 1ES 5 E146 SLM 3662 1938 Rebuilt to ES E526 1ES 5 E147 SLM 3663 1938 Mod to 1ES 1ES 5 E148 SLM 3664 1938 Mod to 1ES 1ES 5 E149 SLM 3665 1938 Mod to 1ES 1ES 5 E150 SLM 3666 1938 Mod to 1ES 1ES 5 E151 SLM 3667 1938 Mod to 1ES 1E 5 E152 SLM 3668 1938 1ES 5 E153 SLM 3669 1938 Mod to 1ES 1E 5 E154 SLM 3670 1938 1E 5 E155 SLM 3671 1938 1E 5 E156 SLM 3672 1938 1ES 5 E157 SLM 3673 1938 Mod to 1ES 1E 5 E158 SLM 3674 1938 1E 5 E159 SLM 3675 1938 1E 5 E160 SLM 3676 1938 1E 6 E161 Werk 747 1938 1E 6 E162 Werk 748 1938 1E 6 E163 Werk 749 1938 1E 6 E164 Werk 750 1938 1E 6 E165 Werk 751 1938 1E 6 E166 Werk 752 1938 1E 6 E167 Werk 753 1938 1E 6 E168 Werk 754 1938 1E 6 E169 Werk 755 1938 1E 6 E170 Werk 756 1938 1E 6 E171 Werk 757 1938 1E 6 E172 Werk 758 1938 1E 6 E173 Werk 759 1938 1E 6 E174 Werk 760 1938 1E 6 E175 Werk 761 1938 1E 6 E176 Werk 762 1938 1E 6 E177 Werk 763 1938 1E 6 E178 Werk 764 1938 1E 6 E179 Werk 765 1938 1E 6 E180 Werk 766 1938 1E 7 E181 RSH 7181 1944 1E 7 E182 RSH 7182 1944 1E 7 E183 RSH 7183 1944 1E 7 E184 RSH 7184 1944 1E 7 E185 RSH 7185 1944 1E 7 E186 RSH 7186 1944 1E 7 E187 RSH 7187 1944 1E 7 E188 RSH 7188 1944 1E 7 E189 RSH 7189 1944 1E 7 E190 RSH 7190 1944
Characteristics
Like the Class 2E, Class 3E and Class 4E, the Class 1E had bogie mounted draft gear and an articulated inter-bogie linkage, therefore no train forces were transmitted directly to the locomotive body. It had a Bo+Bo wheel arrangement with an articulated inter-bogie linkage.Orientation
These dual cab locomotives have four grilles below the four windows on one side, and only two grilles below the centre two windows on the other side. The number 1 end will be at the front when the side with four grilles is to the left.Interior layout
The interior layout consisted of five compartments, a cab at each end with a connecting corridor along one side, the high tension compartment in the middle of the locomotive, and auxiliary gear such as two motor generator sets coupled to a blower, as well as the exhauster, compressor, air reservoirs and low tension control contactors in the other two compartments.Service
The first Class 1E locomotives were designed for and ordered for the electrification of the GlencoeGlencoe, KwaZulu-Natal
Glencoe is situated in the Umzinyathi District District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.The main economic activity in the area is coal mining while sheep and cattle ranching are also practiced.-History:...
to Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
section in Natal, with its severe gradients and tight curves. The overhead power supply was 3 kV DC, the highest direct current overhead voltage then in use, while the traction motors operated at 1.5 kV. It was reportedly the first use in regular traffic of electric locomotives equipped for multiple unit
Multiple unit
The term multiple unit or MU is used to describe a self-propelled carriages capable of coupling with other units of the same or similar type and still being controlled from one driving cab. The term is commonly used to denote passenger trainsets consisting of more than one carriage...
operation with regenerative braking.
The Colenso power station
Colenso Power Station
Colenso Power Station was a coal-fired power station, located in Colenso on the banks of the Tugela River. It was built in the 1920's by the South African Railways to supply electricity for the railways, but was subsequently sold to the Electricity Supply Commission .-History:Steep gradients on...
was built specifically to power this line. The power that was generated at Colenso was distributed at 88 kV to twelve substations, where it was converted to 6.6 kV and then to 3 kV DC by synchronous motor
Synchronous motor
A synchronous electric motor is an AC motor distinguished by a rotor spinning with coils passing magnets at the same rate as the power supply frequency and resulting rotating magnetic field which drives it....
generators, for use by the Railways.
Early models bore number plates inscribed in English only. By 1938, when the Series 5 locomotives were placed in service, Afrikaans had been accepted as the second official language and new locomotives bore bilingual number plates. While they were employed mainly in Natal, some later also worked on the Witwatersrand
Witwatersrand
The Witwatersrand is a low, sedimentary range of hills, at an elevation of 1700–1800 metres above sea-level, which runs in an east-west direction through Gauteng in South Africa. The word in Afrikaans means "the ridge of white waters". Geologically it is complex, but the principal formations...
and eventually also in the Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
. Some of them totalled more than 8000000 kilometres (4,970,982 mi) during their service lives.
Modification
They served in both goods and passenger service. Since their top speed of 72 kilometres per hour (45 mph) was considered too slow for passenger service, two Class 1Es were modified in 1936 by changing their gear ratio to enable them to run at speeds of up to 90 kilometres per hour (56 mph).Altogether thirty-five of the Class 1E locomotives were eventually withdrawn from main line service, modified and reclassified to Class 1ES for use as shunter locomotives. The modifications included alteration of the resistance grids in the electrical circuit and enlarged and widened cabs, but the gear ratios were not altered. Two of these Class 1ES locomotives were eventually rebuilt to centre cab Class ES
South African Class ES
In 1936 the South African Railways built two Class ES centre cab electric shunting locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement, based on the Class 1E main line electric locomotive. Between then and 1964, a total of twenty-four Class ES locomotives were eventually placed in service...
shunters in 1964.
Gallery
See also
- South African Class ESSouth African Class ESIn 1936 the South African Railways built two Class ES centre cab electric shunting locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement, based on the Class 1E main line electric locomotive. Between then and 1964, a total of twenty-four Class ES locomotives were eventually placed in service...
- South African Class 2ESouth African Class 2EIn 1937 the South African Railways placed three German built Class 2E 3 kV DC electric locomotives with a Bo+Bo wheel arrangement in service.- Manufacturer :...
- Electric locomotive numbering and classification
- List of South African locomotive classes