South African Class 34-500 - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Between 1974 and 1977 the state owned South African Iron and Steel Corporation, now Kumba Iron Ore

Kumba Iron Ore

Kumba Iron Ore is an iron ore mining company in South Africa. It is the fourth largest iron ore producer in the world and the largest in Africa.-History:Kumba Iron Ore is a successor of Kumba Resources...

, placed forty-four GE U26C

GE U26C

The GE U26C diesel locomotive model was introduced by GE Transportation Systems in 1971. All examples of this model are six axle units, and have the wheel arrangement C-C or Co'Co' ....

diesel-electric locomotives in service on its 1974 built Sishen-Saldanha iron ore line and as heavy shunters at the Sishen mine. In 1977 another two locomotives were built for the Douglas Colliery near Witbank. Also in 1977, thirty-nine of the Iscor locomotives were transferred to the South African Railways, where they were initially reclassified to Class 34-400 ex Iscor and later became commonly known as Class 34-500.

Manufacturer

The South African Class 34-500 type GE U26C

GE Universal Series locomotives

The GE Universal Series locomotives were diesel locomotives launched by GE in early 1956.Initially, there were nine U-series models: U4B, U6B, U9B, U9C, U12B, U12C, U18B, U18C and UD18B. They were designed to be readily adaptable to different track gauges for export markets. The U5B and U8B...

diesel-electric locomotive, also known as Class 34-400 ex Iscor, was designed by General Electric

General Electric

General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...

and built in South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

for the South African Iron and Steel Corporation (Iscor) by the South African General Electric-Dorman Long Locomotive Group (SA GE-DL, later Dorbyl). Altogether forty-four locomotives were delivered to Iscor in three orders:

Twenty-two between 1974 and 1975, numbers 1D to 20D geared for main line service and numbers G01 and G02 geared for shunting.
Twenty more between 1976 and 1977, numbered 21D to 40D and geared for main line service.
Another two shunters in 1977, numbered G03 and G04.

Also in 1977, two were built for the Douglas Colliery near Witbank in Transvaal, numbered D5 and D6.

Changes in ownership

In 1977 all rail operations on the Sishen-Saldanha iron ore line was taken over from Iscor by the South African Railways (SAR). Between November 1977 and June 1978 thirty-nine of the Iscor locomotives were transferred to the SAR. They were initially classified by the SAR as Class 34-400 ex Iscor and renumbered 34-501 to 34-539, but these locomotives were also commonly referred to as Class 34-500. This eventually became its accepted official classification.

While it is believed that they were renumbered from Iscor numbers to SAR numbers in sequence, at least one locomotive was observed as being out of sequence. Number 34-523 carried works plate GE 35265, identifying it as ex Iscor number 5D. It can be presumed that number 34-505 carried works plate GE 40402, which would make it ex Iscor number 23D.

Five locomotives were retained by Iscor to work at the Sishen mine, numbers G01 to G04 and 40D. These are now Kumba’s locomotives 01 to 05, with 40D having become Kumba 05.

The Douglas Colliery locomotives are now in Sheltam

Sheltam

Sheltam is a locomotive hire and repair company that undertakes complete operating contracts and maintenance contracts, based in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. By the year 2000, Sheltam locomotives were operating at Randfontein Estates Gold Mine in Gauteng, and in Mpumalanga at Douglas and...

livery, initially as numbers 5 and 6 and later renumbered to 2602 and 2603 respectively.

Their works numbers, ownership changes and renumberings are set out in the table.

Class 34-500, GE U26C 1974-77
Works numbers & ownership changes
GE works no	Year built	Built for	Original no	New owner	New no
35261	1974-75	Iscor	1D	SAR	34-501
35262	1974-75	Iscor	2D	SAR	34-502
35263	1974-75	Iscor	3D	SAR	34-503
35264	1974-75	Iscor	4D	SAR	34-504
35265	1974-75	Iscor	5D	SAR	34-523
35266	1974-75	Iscor	6D	SAR	34-506
35267	1974-75	Iscor	7D	SAR	34-507
35268	1974-75	Iscor	8D	SAR	34-508
35269	1974-75	Iscor	9D	SAR	34-509
35270	1974-75	Iscor	10D	SAR	34-510
35271	1974-75	Iscor	11D	SAR	34-511
35272	1974-75	Iscor	12D	SAR	34-512
35273	1974-75	Iscor	13D	SAR	34-513
35274	1974-75	Iscor	14D	SAR	34-514
35275	1974-75	Iscor	15D	SAR	34-515
35276	1974-75	Iscor	16D	SAR	34-516
35277	1974-75	Iscor	17D	SAR	34-517
35278	1974-75	Iscor	18D	SAR	34-518
35279	1974-75	Iscor	19D	SAR	34-519
35280	1974-75	Iscor	20D	SAR	34-520
35281	1975	Iscor	G01	Kumba	01
35282	1975	Iscor	G02	Kumba	02
40400	1976-77	Iscor	21D	SAR	34-521
40401	1976-77	Iscor	22D	SAR	34-522
40402	1976-77	Iscor	23D	SAR	34-505
40403	1976-77	Iscor	24D	SAR	34-524
40404	1976-77	Iscor	25D	SAR	34-525
40405	1976-77	Iscor	26D	SAR	34-526
40406	1976-77	Iscor	27D	SAR	34-527
40407	1976-77	Iscor	28D	SAR	34-528
40408	1976-77	Iscor	29D	SAR	34-529
40409	1976-77	Iscor	30D	SAR	34-530
40410	1976-77	Iscor	31D	SAR	34-531
40411	1976-77	Iscor	32D	SAR	34-532
40412	1976-77	Iscor	33D	SAR	34-533
40413	1976-77	Iscor	34D	SAR	34-534
40414	1976-77	Iscor	35D	SAR	34-535
40415	1976-77	Iscor	36D	SAR	34-536
40416	1976-77	Iscor	37D	SAR	34-537
40417	1976-77	Iscor	38D	SAR	34-538
40418	1976-77	Iscor	39D	SAR	34-539
40419	1977	Iscor	40D	Kumba	05
40570	1977	Iscor	G03	Kumba	03
40571	1977	Iscor	G04	Kumba	04
40578	1977	Douglas	D5	Sheltam	5/2602
40579	1977	Douglas	D6	Sheltam	6/2603

GE and EMD designs

South Africa’s Class 34 locomotive group consists of seven series, the GE Class 34-000

South African Class 34-000

Between July 1971 and March 1973 the South African Railways placed one hundred and twenty-five Class 34-000 GE U26C diesel-electric locomotives in service.- Manufacturer :...

, 34-400

South African Class 34-400

Between April 1973 and November 1974 the South African Railways placed one hundred Class 34-400 GE U26C diesel-electric locomotives in service.- Manufacturer :...

, 34-500 (also known as "34-400 ex Iscor") and 34-900

South African Class 34-900

Between October 1979 and February 1981 the South African Railways placed thirty Class 34-900 GE U26C diesel-electric locomotives in service.-Manufacturer:...

, and the EMD Class 34-200

South African Class 34-200

Between October 1971 and March 1972 the South African Railways placed fifty Class 34-200 EMD GT26MC diesel-electric locomotives in service.- Manufacturer :...

, 34-600

South African Class 34-600

Between December 1974 and July 1976 the South African Railways placed one hundred Class 34-600 EMD GT26MC diesel-electric locomotives in service.-Manufacturer:...

and 34-800

South African Class 34-800

Between August 1978 and December 1979 the South African Railways placed fifty Class 34-800 EMD GT26MC diesel-electric locomotives in service. In 1979 one more of the same type was placed in service by Iscor in Newcastle, and between April and July 1980 a further eight of these locomotives were...

. Both these manufacturers also produced locomotives for the South African Classes 33, 35 and 36.

Distinguishing features

As built, the GE Class 34-000, 34-400 and 34-900 locomotives were visually indistinguishable from each other. The 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. 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.

South African Railways service

The GE Class 34-500s still work exclusively on the 861 kilometres (535 mi) Sishen-Saldanha iron ore line to haul export ore from the open cast iron mines at Sishen near Kathu in the Northern Cape

Northern Cape

The Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of an international park shared with Botswana...

to the harbour at Saldanha 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...

Running board mounted handrails

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 boards, they are easily removed.

Since circa 2009 other mainline diesel-electric locomotive types also emerged from the Koedoespoort Transwerk shops with running board mounted handrails after major overhauls.

Fuel capacity

The Class 34-500 was delivered new to Iscor with a 7000 litre fuel tank in order to cope with the longer distance between refuelling points on the Sishen-Saldanha Orex line. To facilitate the larger fuel tank, the inter-bogie linkage found on all other South African U26C models was omitted on the Class 34-500.

Mixed Power

On the Sishen–Saldanha Orex line GE Class 34 series diesel-electric locomotives run consisted to Class 9E

South African Class 9E, Series 1

In 1978 and 1979 the South African Railways placed twenty-five Class 9E, Series 1 electric locomotives with a Co-Co wheel arrangement in service on the Sishen-Saldanha iron ore line.-Manufacturer:...

and Class 15E

South African Class 15E

In 2010 Transnet Freight Rail placed the first of seventy-six Class 15E 50 kV AC heavy electric freight locomotives with a Co-Co wheel arrangement in service on the Sishen-Saldanha iron ore line.-Manufacturers:...

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 (2.3 mi) in length, powered by mixed consists of Class 9E and Class 15E electric and GE U26C Class 34-000

South African Class 34-000

Between July 1971 and March 1973 the South African Railways placed one hundred and twenty-five Class 34-000 GE U26C diesel-electric locomotives in service.- Manufacturer :...

, 34-400

South African Class 34-400

Between April 1973 and November 1974 the South African Railways placed one hundred Class 34-400 GE U26C diesel-electric locomotives in service.- Manufacturer :...

, 34-500 and 34-900

South African Class 34-900

Between October 1979 and February 1981 the South African Railways placed thirty Class 34-900 GE U26C diesel-electric locomotives in service.-Manufacturer:...

diesel-electric locomotives. In South Africa mixed electric and diesel-electric consists are unique to the iron ore line.

A Class 9E or Class 15E electric locomotive serves as the master of each mixed electric and diesel-electric consist, with a total of between nine and twelve locomotives per train, twelve being the maximum number allowed. Before the Class 15E was placed in service in 2010, motive power usually consisted of three sets of locomotives, each set made up of one or two Class 9E electrics and one or two Class 34 diesel-electrics, with each set’s leading electric locomotive controlling its respective set of diesel-electrics by means of a slimkabel (smart cable). In effect each ore train was made up of three separate 114 wagon trains consisted together, with the locomotives of all three trains controlled by means of a Locotrol

Locotrol

Locotrol is a product of GE Transportation Systems that permits railway locomotives to be distributed throughout the length of a train...

radio distributed power control system by one crew in the leading electric locomotive. A typical train would therefore be made up of locomotive set A, 114 wagons, locomotive set B, 114 wagons, locomotive set C, and 114 wagons.

Some problems were experienced using this configuration, and after a couple of major derailments the locomotive configuration was changed to four sets, with locomotive set D initially made up of two Class 34 diesel-electric locomotives at the rear end of the train, pushing at between 40% and 50% of tractive power at all times, depending on the grades being traversed. The total maximum number allowed was still between nine and twelve locomotives per train.

As more Class 15Es were delivered and placed in service, Class 9E or Class 15E electrics replaced the pair of Class 34 diesel-electrics in set D. At the same time the more powerful Class 15E also made it possible to use as few as seven locomotives per train, with locomotive sets A, B and C each made up of one Class 15E and one Class 34, and set D of a single Class 15E.

Liveries

The main picture shows 34-530 in Spoornet blue livery with outline numbers and running board mounted handrails.

Manufacturer

Changes in ownership

GE and EMD designs

Distinguishing features

South African Railways service

Running board mounted handrails

Fuel capacity

Mixed Power

Liveries

See also