South African Class 8E
Encyclopedia
Between 1983 and 1985 the South African Railways placed one hundred Class 8E centre-cab electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in shunting service. Seven more were built for the mining industry.
diesel-electric locomotive, a growing need arose for a modern electric shunting locomotive for the South African Railways (SAR), especially for use in yards in the large 3 kV DC electrified centres where the Class ES
and Class 1ES
locomotives were also due to be withdrawn.
The Class 8E electric shunting locomotive was designed for the SAR by a consortium consisting of Brown Boveri of Switzerland and Siemens
of Germany and was built by Union Carriage and Wagon (UCW) in Nigel, Transvaal
, who also fabricated the mechanical components. One hundred locomotives were delivered by UCW between 1983 and 1985, numbered E8001 to E8100. Another seven locomotives were built by UCW for the mining industry.
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 locomotives built by UCW for industry, on the other hand, were allocated works numbers.
The bogies are based on those of the Class 6E
, but with a rubber secondary suspension system that provides maximum adhesive force to the locomotive when starting from rest. The locomotive was designed to be operated by a crew of one and has two driving stations in the cab.
They are powerful shunters and popular with their drivers, even though problems are sometimes experienced with start-up or failures while working at coastal centres such as at Umbilo in Durban, due to the damp climate that causes start-up contacter failures. Beginning in 2007, they were gradually equipped with air conditioning units similar to those installed in the Class 18E
, for added crew comfort. The air conditioning unit is mounted on the running board to the right of the cab on the right side of the locomotive.
Manufacturer
As a result of the gradual withdrawal of steam locomotives from service, many of which had been employed as shunters, and in addition to the Class 36South African Class 36-000
Between June 1975 and 1981 the South African Railways placed one hundred and twenty-four Class 36-000 GE SG10B diesel-electric locomotives in service.-Manufacturer:...
diesel-electric locomotive, a growing need arose for a modern electric shunting locomotive for the South African Railways (SAR), especially for use in yards in the large 3 kV DC electrified centres where the 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...
and Class 1ES
South African Class 1E
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.-Manufacturers:...
locomotives were also due to be withdrawn.
The Class 8E electric shunting locomotive was designed for the SAR by a consortium consisting of Brown Boveri of Switzerland and Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
of Germany and was built by Union Carriage and Wagon (UCW) in Nigel, Transvaal
Transvaal Province
Transvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...
, who also fabricated the mechanical components. One hundred locomotives were delivered by UCW between 1983 and 1985, numbered E8001 to E8100. Another seven locomotives were built by UCW for the mining industry.
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 locomotives built by UCW for industry, on the other hand, were allocated works numbers.
Orientation
The centre cab Class 8E has large grilles on the sides of both hoods on one side, and a grille on the side of only the left hand hood, when viewed from the other side. The number 1 end will be at the front when the side with grilles on both hoods is to the left.Features
The locomotive has solid state electrical control circuitry, with a thyristor controlled chopper supplying the four traction motors. Since conventional accelerating resistors are eliminated, considerable energy saving is accomplished on heavy shunting duties.The bogies are based on those of the Class 6E
South African Class 6E
In 1970 and 1971 the South African Railways placed eighty Class 6E main line electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in service. Two more were built for the Sishen iron ore mine.-Manufacturer:...
, but with a rubber secondary suspension system that provides maximum adhesive force to the locomotive when starting from rest. The locomotive was designed to be operated by a crew of one and has two driving stations in the cab.
Service
They were initially placed in service on the Witwatersrand, but a large number of them were later allocated to Durban and to other locations in Natal. Some are also employed at Beaconsfield in Kimberley and at Nelspruit in Mpumalanga. Apart from a short period in the early eighties when one served as the station pilot in Cape Town, working between the main-line platforms at Cape Town station and the passenger carriage yard at Culemborg, the Class 8E is unknown in the Western Cape.They are powerful shunters and popular with their drivers, even though problems are sometimes experienced with start-up or failures while working at coastal centres such as at Umbilo in Durban, due to the damp climate that causes start-up contacter failures. Beginning in 2007, they were gradually equipped with air conditioning units similar to those installed in the 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...
, for added crew comfort. The air conditioning unit is mounted on the running board to the right of the cab on the right side of the locomotive.
Industrial use
At the same time that the Class 8E locomotives were being built for the SAR, another seven Class 8E locomotives were built for the mining industry.- Three were built for Driefontein Consolidated Gold Mine (Dries) near Carletonville, numbered 5 to 7 and with builder’s works numbers 449145 to 449147. Of these, Dries number 5 was withdrawn and scrapped after an accident, with the remains dumped at the mine.
- Four were built for the Impala Platinum mine (Implats) at Phokeng near Rustenburg, numbered 11, 12, 14 and 15, with builder’s works numbers 449143, 449144, 449148 and 449149. In addition to these, seven SAR Class 8E locomotives, numbers E8005, E8006, E8019, E8026, E8042, E8050 and E8060, were later sold to Implats.
Gallery
The main picture shows E8096 in the SAR Gulf Red and yellow whiskers livery.| thumb |
See also
- Electric locomotive numbering and classification
- List of South African locomotive classes