In 1957 and 1958 the South African Railways placed forty-five Class 5E, Series 2 electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in main line service.

Manufacturer

The Class 5E, Series 2 3 kV DC electric locomotive was built for the South African Railways (SAR) by Vulcan Foundry

Vulcan Foundry

Vulcan Foundry was a British locomotive builder sited at Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire .-History:It was originally opened in 1832 as Charles Tayleur and Company to produce girders for bridges, switches and crossings, and other ironwork following the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway...

 (VF), subcontracted by English Electric

English Electric

English Electric was a British industrial manufacturer. Founded in 1918, it initially specialised in industrial electric motors and transformers...

 (EE). Forty-five series 2 locomotives were delivered and placed in service in 1957 and 1958, numbered E319 to E363.

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.

They were delivered in a bottle green livery with yellow whiskers. Beginning in 1960, a Gulf Red and yellow whiskers livery gradually replaced the green and yellow.

Class 5E series

The Class 5E was produced in three series, the EE and VF built Series 1

South African Class 5E, Series 1

In 1955 and 1956 the South African Railways placed sixty Class 5E, Series 1 electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in main line service.-Manufacturers:...

 and the VF built Series 2 and Series 3

South African Class 5E, Series 3

In 1958 and 1959 the South African Railways placed fifty-five Class 5E, Series 3 electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in service.- Manufacturer :...

. The VF built locomotives all have a works number for EE as well as VF, since the SAR placed the order with EE, who then subcontracted their construction to VF. Between 1955 and 1959 altogether one hundred and sixty Class 5E locomotives were delivered, sixty Series 1, forty-five Series 2 and fifty-five Series 3.

The Class 5E gave a rough ride, which soon earned them the nickname balstamper. The successor Class 5E1

South African Class 5E1, Series 1

Between 1959 and 1961 the South African Railways placed one hundred and thirty-five Class 5E1, Series 1 electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in service.- Manufacturer :...

 with its new design bogies presented a smoother ride.

Legacy

The Class 5E was the prototype of what eventually became the most prolific locomotive type to ever run on South African rails, serving on all the 3 kV DC lines country wide. The type was continued with the Class 5E1 in 1959, the Class 6E and the Class 6E1 from 1969 to 1985, and still later with the rebuilding of Class 6E1 locomotives to Class 18E, a project that started in 2000.

Industrial service

Three Class 5E, Series 2 locomotives were sold into industrial service.

• Number E320 was sold to the Impala platinum mine in Rustenburg.
• Numbers E343 and E356 were sold to the Driefontein gold mine in Carletonville.

Images

The main picture shows E326, E319 and E297 departing Touws River, heading northeast towards Beaufort West, circa September 1984.

See also

• South African Class 5E, Series 1
  South African Class 5E, Series 1
  In 1955 and 1956 the South African Railways placed sixty Class 5E, Series 1 electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in main line service.-Manufacturers:...
  
  
• South African Class 5E, Series 3
  South African Class 5E, Series 3
  In 1958 and 1959 the South African Railways placed fifty-five Class 5E, Series 3 electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in service.- Manufacturer :...
  
  
• Electric locomotive numbering and classification
• List of South African locomotive classes