South African Class 35-600

South African Class 35-600
No. 35-662 at Vryheid Yard, 15 August 2007
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Designer General Motors Electro-Motive Division Builder General Motors South Africa Serial number 103-1 to 103-50, 110-1 to 110-50, 111-1 Model GM-EMD GT18MC Build date 1976-1978 Total produced 101
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR C-C  • UIC Co'Co'  • Commonwealth Co+Co Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge Wheel diameter 915 mm (36 in) Wheelbase 12,675 mm (41 ft 7 in)  • Bogie 3,302 mm (10 ft 10 in) Pivot centres 9,627 mm (31 ft 7 in) Wheel spacing (Asymmetrical) 1-2: 1,562 mm (5 ft 1 in) 2-3: 1,740 mm (5 ft 9 in) Length: ​  • Over couplers 16,485 mm (54 ft 1 in) Width 2,819 mm (9 ft 3 in) Height 3,924 mm (12 ft 10 in) Axle load 13,720 kg (30,250 lb) Adhesive weight 82,320 kg (181,480 lb) Loco weight 82,320 kg (181,480 lb) max Fuel type Diesel Fuel capacity 3,400 litres (750 imp gal) Prime mover GM-EMD 8-645E3 RPM range 250-900  • RPM low idle 250  • RPM idle 315  • Maximum RPM 900 Engine type 2-stroke diesel Aspiration GM-EMD E-8 turbocharger Displacement 10.57 litres (645.0 cu in) per cylinder Generator 8 pole GM-EMD D25 Traction motors Six GM-EMD D29CCBT DC 4 pole  • Rating 1 hour 485A  • Continuous 450A @ 15 km/h (9.3 mph) Cylinders V8 Gear ratio 57:16 MU working 4 maximum Loco brake 28-LAV-1 with vigilance control Train brakes Gardner-Denver ADJV-8400 compressor/exhauster Air tank cap. 800 litres (180 imp gal) Compressor 0.021 m3/s (0.74 cu ft/s) Exhauster 0.098 m3/s (3.5 cu ft/s) Couplers AAR knuckle (SASKOP DS)
Performance figures Maximum speed 100 km/h (62 mph) Power output: ​  • Starting 1,195 kW (1,603 hp)  • Continuous 1,065 kW (1,428 hp) Tractive effort: ​  • Starting 201 kN (45,000 lbf) @ 25% adh.  • Continuous 161 kN (36,000 lbf) @ 19 km/h (12 mph) Factor of adh.: ​  • Starting 25%  • Continuous 20% Brakeforce 65% ratio @ 345 kPa (50.0 psi) Dynamic brake peak effort 138 kN (31,000 lbf) @ 28 km/h (17 mph)
Career Operators South African Railways Columbus Stainless Spoornet Transnet Freight Rail PRASA Class Class 35-600 Number in class 101 Numbers 35-601 to 35-700, Columbus 4 Delivered 1976-1978 First run 1976

The South African Railways Class 35-600 of 1976 is a branch line diesel-electric locomotive.

Between September 1976 and June 1978, the South African Railways placed one hundred Class 35-600 General Motors Electro-Motive Division type GT18MC diesel-electric locomotives in branch line service. In 1977, one more Class 35-600 locomotive was built for Columbus Stainless in Middelburg, Transvaal.

The Class 35-600 type GT18MC diesel-electric locomotive was designed by General Motors Electro-Motive Division (GM-EMD) and built in two batches for the South African Railways (SAR) by General Motors South Africa (GMSA) in Port Elizabeth. Fifty were delivered between September 1976 and May 1977, numbered in the range from 35-601 to 35-650, and another fifty between May 1977 and June 1978, numbered in the range from 35-651 to 35-700.

In addition, another single Class 35-600 GT18MC locomotive was built new in 1977 for Columbus Stainless, a large stainless steel plant which was established in Middelburg, Transvaal in 1965.

Of the GM-EMD Class 35 locomotives, the Class 35-200 and 35-600 are visually indistinguishable from each other.

The Class 35 family is South Africa’s standard branch line diesel-electric locomotive. The GM-EMD Class 35-600s were designed for light rail conditions and they work on most branch lines in the central, eastern, northern and northeastern parts of the country.

The Class 35-600 builder’s works numbers are listed in the table.

The Class 35-600 were all delivered in the SAR Gulf Red livery with signal red buffer beams, yellow side stripes on the long hood sides and a yellow V on each end. In the 1990s many of them began to be repainted in the Spoornet orange livery with a yellow and blue chevron pattern on the buffer beams. Several later received the Spoornet maroon livery. In the late 1990s many were repainted in the Spoornet blue livery with outline numbers on the long hood sides. After 2008 in the Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) and Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) era, many were repainted in the TFR red, green and yellow livery and at least one was repainted in the PRASA blue livery.