South African Class 4E
No. E238 at the Salt River Depot, Cape Town, 7 January 1966
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type and origin | |
|---|---|
| Power type | Electric |
| Designer | General Electric Company |
| Builder | North British Locomotive Company |
| Serial number | 26859-26898 |
| Model | GEC 4E |
| Build date | 1952-1953 |
| Total produced | 40 |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| AAR wheel arr. | 1-C+C-1 |
| UIC class | 1'C+C1' |
| Imperial class | 1Co+Co1 |
| Gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge |
| Leading dia. | 762 mm (30 in) |
| Wheel diameter | 1,295 mm (51.0 in) |
| Wheelbase | 18,390 mm (60 ft 4.0 in) |
| • Bogie | 6,833 mm (22 ft 5.0 in) |
| Pivot centres | 10,795 mm (35 ft 5.0 in) |
| Panto shoes | 14,122 mm (46 ft 4.0 in) |
| Wheel spacing (Asymmetrical) |
1-2: 2,337 mm (7 ft 8.0 in) 2-3: 2,286 mm (7 ft 6.0 in) |
| Length: |
|
| • Over couplers | 21,844 mm (71 ft 8.0 in) |
| Height: |
|
| • Pantograph | 4,140 mm (13 ft 7.0 in) |
| • Body height | 3,924 mm (12 ft 10.5 in) |
| Axle load | 21,845 kg (48,160 lb) |
| • Leading | 13,209 kg (29,121 lb) |
| Adhesive weight | 131,070 kilograms (288,960 lb) |
| Loco weight | 157,488 kg (347,202 lb) |
| Power supply | Catenary |
| Current collection | Pantographs |
| Traction motors | Six GEC WT580 |
| • Rating 1 hour | 377 kW (506 hp) |
| • Continuous | 313 kW (420 hp) |
| Gear ratio | 21:75 |
| Loco brake | Regenerative |
| Train brakes | Air & Vacuum |
| Couplers | AAR knuckle |
| Performance figures | |
|---|---|
| Maximum speed | 97 km/h (60 mph) |
| Power output: |
|
| • 1 hour | 2,262 kW (3,033 hp) |
| • Continuous | 1,878 kW (2,518 hp) |
|
Tractive effort: |
|
| • Starting | 322 kN (72,000 lbf) |
| • 1 hour | 185 kN (42,000 lbf) |
| • Continuous | 141 kN (32,000 lbf) |
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Operators | South African Railways |
| Class | Class 4E |
| Power class | 3 kV DC |
| Number in class | 40 |
| Numbers | E219-E258 |
| Nicknames |
Groen Mamba (Green Mamba) Groot Mamba (Large Mamba) |
| Delivered | 1952-1954 |
| First run | 1952 |
The South African Railways Class 4E of 1952 was an electric locomotive.
Between 1952 and 1954 the South African Railways placed forty Class 4E electric locomotives with a 1Co+Co1 wheel arrangement in service on the mainline from Cape Town across the Hex River rail pass to Touws River in the Karoo.
The 3 kV DC Class 4E electric locomotive was designed for the South African Railways (SAR) by the General Electric Company (GEC) and was built by the North British Locomotive Company (NBL) between 1952 and 1953. They were delivered between 1952 and 1954 and were numbered in the range from E219 to E258. The Class 4E was amongst the most powerful electric locomotives in the world at that time.
These dual cab locomotives have two large grilles on one side and a passage linking the cabs on the opposite side. When observing the locomotive from the side with the grilles, the number 1 end would be to the right. Like the Classes 1E, 2E and 3E, the Class 4E has bogie mounted draft gear and an articulated inter-bogie linkage, therefore no train forces are transmitted to the locomotive body.
The Class 4E has a 1Co+Co1 wheel arrangement, with an additional bissel truck (pony truck) at the outer end of each of the two three-axle powered bogies. The Classes 32-000 and 32-200 diesel-electric locomotive types also used this wheel arrangement, but the Class 4E was unique amongst South African electric locomotives in this respect.
The Class 4E was specifically built for use on the mainline from Cape Town across the Hex River rail pass to Touws River, from where Class 23 and later Class 25 and Class 25NC steam locomotives took over across the stretch of unelectrified mainline to De Aar and from there to either Kimberley or Bloemfontein.
...
Wikipedia