South African Class 6E1, Series 4
Encyclopedia
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. One of them holds the world rail speed record on Cape gauge
.
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.
While some Class 6E1 series are visually indistinguishable from their predecessors or successors, some externally visible changes did occur over the years. Series 2 and all subsequent Class 6E1 series can be distinguished from Series 1 locomotives by their sandboxes that are not mounted on the bogies as before, but along the bottom edge of the locomotive body with the sandbox lids fitting into recesses in the body sides. The Series 3 to Series 5 locomotives are visually indistinguishable from each other, the only externally visible difference being the wider stirrup middle step below the side doors of Series 3 number E1346 and later locomotives.
The electric locomotives allocated to depots within this network are largely pooled and can operate anywhere in the network as required by the Operating Department, but they return to their home depots for maintenance every twenty-eight days.
In 2011 the Class 6E1 began to be withdrawn from the Natal corridor (NatCor) line between Johannesburg and Durban, being replaced with Class 18E
locomotives.
The coastal sections from Durban to Empangeni in the north and Port Shepstone in the south were dieselised at the end of October 2011, using EMD Class 34
and Class 37-000
locomotives that were displaced by new class 43-000
diesel-electric locomotives on the line from Mpumalanga to Richards Bay, via Swaziland
. The overhead catenary equipment between Stanger and Empangeni and between Kelso and Port Shepstone was to be removed soon after.
During November 1980 the same locomotive was used to test the British Rail-Brecknell Willis high speed pantograph, then still under development, as part of the SAR’s research towards introducing a new high speed MetroBlitz
service between Pretoria and Johannesburg. A number of European pantographs were being evaluated for use on the Class 6E1, with the trains running at 90 miles per hour (40 m/s) under catenary that usually saw nothing above 50 miles per hour (22 m/s).
Testing took place over a 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) stretch of straight track between Rosslyn and De Wildt on the line between Pretoria and Brits. During the trials, speeds of up to 125 miles per hour (56 m/s) were achieved with the pantograph
The MetroBlitz service commenced in January 1984. This testing project eventually bore more fruit in 2011 with the opening of the 1,435 millimetre (4 feet 8½ inches) Standard gauge Gautrain
connecting Pretoria
, Johannesburg
and the O.R. Tambo Airport in Kempton Park.
and allocated a single running number to each pair, with the individual locomotives in the pairs inscribed "A" or "B". The aim was to accomplish savings on cab maintenance by coupling the locomotives at their number 1 ends, abandoning the number one end cabs in terms of maintenance and using only the number two end cabs. One known Series 4 locomotive, number E1457, was part of such a Class 16E pair and became Class 16E number 16-305B.
Cape gauge
Cape gauge is a track gauge of between the inside of the rail heads and is classified as narrow gauge. It has installations of around .The gauge was first used by Norwegian engineer Carl Abraham Pihl and the first line was opened in 1862.- Nomenclature :...
.
Manufacturer
The Class 6E1, Series 4 3 kV DC electric locomotive was designed and 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). One hundred locomotives were delivered in 1973 and 1974, numbered E1446 to E1545.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.
Bogies
To ensure the maximum transfer of power to the rails without causing wheel slip, the Class 6E1 was built with sophisticated traction links between the bogies and the frames and equipped with electronic wheel slip detection. These traction struts and linkages were to become a distinguishing feature of most subsequent South African electric locomotive models.Orientation
These dual cab 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.Series identifying features
The South African Class 6E1 was produced in eleven series over a period of nearly sixteen years, nine hundred and sixty units altogether, all built by UCW. This makes the 6E1 the most numerous single locomotive class ever to have seen service in South Africa and serves as ample proof of a highly successful design.While some Class 6E1 series are visually indistinguishable from their predecessors or successors, some externally visible changes did occur over the years. Series 2 and all subsequent Class 6E1 series can be distinguished from Series 1 locomotives by their sandboxes that are not mounted on the bogies as before, but along the bottom edge of the locomotive body with the sandbox lids fitting into recesses in the body sides. The Series 3 to Series 5 locomotives are visually indistinguishable from each other, the only externally visible difference being the wider stirrup middle step below the side doors of Series 3 number E1346 and later locomotives.
Service
The Class 6E1 family saw service all over both of the Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) 3 kV DC main line and branch line networks.Cape Western network
The smaller network is the Cape Western line between Cape Town and Beaufort West, with the locomotives based at the Bellville Depot in Cape Town.Northern network
The larger network covers portions of the Northern Cape, the Free State, Natal, Gauteng, North West Province and Mpumalanga, the main routes in this vast area being as follows:- From Johannesburg in Gauteng via Kimberley to Hotazel in the Northern Cape.
- From Johannesburg to Bloemfontein in the Free State.
- From Johannesburg to Durban in Natal.
- From Johannesburg via Pretoria in Gauteng and Witbank in Mpumalanga to Komatipoort on the Mozambique border, as well as to Derwent and Roossenekal.
- From Johannesburg via Springs to Witbank.
- From Johannesburg via Coligny to Lichtenburg.
- From Durban in Natal to Empangeni in the north and Port Shepstone in the south.
- From Ermelo to Ogies and Wonderfontein in Mpumalanga.
- From Kroonstad in the Free State via Bethlehem and Ladysmith to Vryheid in Natal.
The electric locomotives allocated to depots within this network are largely pooled and can operate anywhere in the network as required by the Operating Department, but they return to their home depots for maintenance every twenty-eight days.
In 2011 the Class 6E1 began to be withdrawn from the Natal corridor (NatCor) line between Johannesburg and Durban, being replaced with 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.
The coastal sections from Durban to Empangeni in the north and Port Shepstone in the south were dieselised at the end of October 2011, using EMD Class 34
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 :...
and Class 37-000
South African Class 37-000
Between May 1981 and 1982 the South African Railways placed one hundred Class 37-000 EMD GT26M2C diesel-electric locomotives in service. After these locomotives were commissioned, the national carrier was not to invest in new diesel-electric locomotives before 2009, nearly three decades later.-...
locomotives that were displaced by new class 43-000
South African Class 43-000
In January 2011 Transnet Rail Engineering took delivery of the first two of one hundred Class 43-000 type GE C30ACi diesel-electric locomotives for Transnet Freight Rail. A further eight were shipped from the United States of America in April 2011...
diesel-electric locomotives on the line from Mpumalanga to Richards Bay, via Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
. The overhead catenary equipment between Stanger and Empangeni and between Kelso and Port Shepstone was to be removed soon after.
World speed record
In 1978 one of the Series 4 locomotives, E1525, was modified for experiments in high speed traction by re-gearing the traction motors and installing SAR designed Scheffel bogies and a streamlined nose cone. In this configuration E1525 managed to reach a speed of 245 kilometres per hour (152 mph) on 31 October 1978 on a stretch of track between Westonaria and Midway, a still unbeaten world record on 3 feet 6 inches (1,067 millimetres) Cape gauge.During November 1980 the same locomotive was used to test the British Rail-Brecknell Willis high speed pantograph, then still under development, as part of the SAR’s research towards introducing a new high speed MetroBlitz
MetroBlitz
MetroBlitz was an experimental high speed commuter train service between Pretoria station and Johannesburg Park Station via Germiston, operated by the South African Transport Services...
service between Pretoria and Johannesburg. A number of European pantographs were being evaluated for use on the Class 6E1, with the trains running at 90 miles per hour (40 m/s) under catenary that usually saw nothing above 50 miles per hour (22 m/s).
Testing took place over a 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) stretch of straight track between Rosslyn and De Wildt on the line between Pretoria and Brits. During the trials, speeds of up to 125 miles per hour (56 m/s) were achieved with the pantograph
The MetroBlitz service commenced in January 1984. This testing project eventually bore more fruit in 2011 with the opening of the 1,435 millimetre (4 feet 8½ inches) Standard gauge Gautrain
Gautrain
Gautrain is an mass rapid transit railway system in Gauteng Province, South Africa, which links Johannesburg, Pretoria, and OR Tambo International Airport...
connecting Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
and the O.R. Tambo Airport in Kempton Park.
Class 16E
During 1990 and 1991 Spoornet semi permanently coupled several pairs of otherwise unmodified Class 6E1 locomotives, reclassified them to Class 16ESouth African Class 16E
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...
and allocated a single running number to each pair, with the individual locomotives in the pairs inscribed "A" or "B". The aim was to accomplish savings on cab maintenance by coupling the locomotives at their number 1 ends, abandoning the number one end cabs in terms of maintenance and using only the number two end cabs. One known Series 4 locomotive, number E1457, was part of such a Class 16E pair and became Class 16E number 16-305B.
Liveries
All the Class 6E1, Series 4 locomotives were delivered in the SAR Gulf Red and yellow whiskers livery. The main picture shows E1446, the first of the Series 4, in Spoornet orange livery.See also
- South African Class 16ESouth African Class 16EDuring 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...
- South African Class 6E1, Series 1South African Class 6E1, Series 1In 1969 and 1970 the South African Railways placed twenty Class 6E1, Series 1 electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in main line service.-Manufacturer:...
- South African Class 6E1, Series 2South African Class 6E1, Series 2In 1971 the South African Railways placed fifty Class 6E1, Series 2 electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in main line service.-Manufacturer:...
- South African Class 6E1, Series 3South African Class 6E1, Series 3Between 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 5South African Class 6E1, Series 5In 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 6South African Class 6E1, Series 6Between 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 7South African Class 6E1, Series 7Between 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 8South African Class 6E1, Series 8Between 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 9South African Class 6E1, Series 9In 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 6E1, Series 10South African Class 6E1, Series 10Between 1982 and 1984 the South African Railways placed fifty-five Class 6E1, Series 10 electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in service.-Manufacturer:...
- South African Class 6E1, Series 11South African Class 6E1, Series 11In 1984 and 1985 the South African Railways placed forty-five Class 6E1, Series 11 electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in main line service.- Manufacturer :...
- Electric locomotive numbering and classification
- Narrow gauge rail speed record
- List of South African locomotive classes