South African Class 6E1, Series 1

South African Class 6E1, Series 1
No. E1228 at Warrenton, 24 August 2007
Type and origin Power type Electric Designer Union Carriage and Wagon Builder Union Carriage and Wagon Model UCW 6E1 Build date 1969-1970 Total produced 20
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR B-B  • UIC Bo'Bo'  • Commonwealth Bo-Bo Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge Wheel diameter 1,220 mm (48.0 in) Wheelbase 11,279 mm (37 ft 0.1 in)  • Bogie 3,430 mm (11 ft 3.0 in) Pivot centres 7,849 mm (25 ft 9.0 in) Panto shoes 6,972 mm (22 ft 10.5 in) Length: ​  • Over couplers 15,494 mm (50 ft 10.0 in)  • Body 14,631 mm (48 ft 0 in) Width 2,896 mm (9 ft 6.0 in) Height: ​  • Pantograph 4,089 mm (13 ft 5.0 in)  • Body height 3,937 mm (12 ft 11.0 in) Axle load 22,226 kg (49,000 lb) Adhesive weight 88,904 kg (196,000 lb) Loco weight 88,904 kg (196,000 lb) Electric system/s 3 kV DC Current pickup(s) Pantographs from catenary Traction motors Four AEI-283AZ  • Rating 1 hour 623 kW (835 hp)  • Continuous 563 kW (755 hp) Gear ratio 18:67 Loco brake Air & Regenerative Train brakes Air & Vacuum Couplers AAR knuckle
Performance figures Maximum speed 113 km/h (70 mph) Power output: ​  • 1 hour 2,492 kW (3,342 hp)  • Continuous 2,252 kW (3,020 hp) Tractive effort: ​  • Starting 311 kN (70,000 lbf)  • 1 hour 221 kN (50,000 lbf)  • Continuous 193 kN (43,000 lbf) @ 40 km/h (25 mph)
Career Operators South African Railways Spoornet Transnet Freight Rail Class Class 6E1 Number in class 20 Numbers E1226-E1245 Delivered 1969-1970 First run 1969

The South African Railways Class 6E1, Series 1 of 1969 was an electric locomotive.

In 1969 and 1970, the South African Railways placed twenty Class 6E1, Series 1 electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in mainline service. Their limited number and the fact that they entered service before the Class 6E suggest that the Class 6E1, Series 1 units were obtained as demonstrators on redesigned bogies, before a decision was made on which of the two types would be perpetuated.

The 3 kV DC Class 6E1, Series 1 electric locomotive was designed and built for the South African Railways (SAR) in 1969 and 1970 by Union Carriage and Wagon (UCW) in Nigel, Transvaal, with the electrical equipment being supplied by Associated Electrical Industries and English Electric.

Twenty units were delivered in 1969 and 1970, numbered in the range from E1226 to E1245. UCW did not allocate builder’s or works numbers to the locomotives it built for the SAR and used the SAR unit numbers for their record keeping.

These dual cab locomotives had a roof access ladder on one side only, just to the right of the cab access door. The roof access ladder end was marked as the no. 2 end. A corridor along the centre of the locomotive connected the cabs which were identical apart from the fact that the handbrake was located in cab 2. A pantograph hook stick was stowed in a tube mounted below the bottom edge of the locomotive body on the roof access ladder side. The units had one square and two rectangular access panels along the lower half of the body on the roof access ladder side, and only one square access panel on the opposite side.

The Class 6E1, Series 1 was delivered in the new body shape with squared corners that had been introduced part-way through the construction of the Class 5E1, Series 5, and was equipped with double sealed-beam automobile headlamps. The body dimensions were the same as that of the Class 5E1, Series 5 and the most visually obvious external difference was the replacement of the three small vertically arranged grilles to the right of centre on each side of the Classes 5E and 5E1 with a larger double grille on each side of the Class 6E1. Since the traction struts on the new Class 6E1 bogie allowed room for only one footstep instead of the earlier three to be mounted on the bogie, a stirrup step was added, attached to the bodywork directly below the side door.

The twenty Series 1 locomotives were identical to the Class 6E in most respects including their AEI-283AZ traction motors, power output, tractive force and body dimensions. The only visually obvious distinguishing feature to tell the Class 6E1, Series 1 apart was its new design bogies with their distinctive traction struts and linkages.