South African Class 5E, Series 3
Encyclopedia
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.
, the Series 3 locomotive was built for the South African Railways (SAR) by Vulcan Foundry
(VF), subcontracted by English Electric
(EE). The number range of the Series 3 locomotives do not follow directly on that of the Series 2, since the Class 5E1, Series 1
and the Class ES
locomotives were allocated most of the numbers in between, while twelve numbers, E499, E513, E514 and E527 to E535, were never allocated.
and the VF built Series 2 and Series 3. 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 of them were delivered to the SAR, 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 with its new design bogies presented a smoother ride.
In the SAR and Spoornet eras, when the official liveries were Gulf Red and whiskers for the SAR, and initially orange and later maroon for Spoornet, some selected electric locomotives and some diesels were painted blue for use with the Blue Train
, but without altering the layout of the various paint schemes. Blue Train locomotives were therefore blue with yellow whiskers in the SAR era, blue with the Spoornet logo and "SPOORNET" in Spoornet’s orange era, and blue with the Spoornet logo but without "SPOORNET" in Spoornet’s maroon era. In Spoornet’s blue era there was no need for a separate Blue Train livery, while in the Transnet Freight Rail era the Blue Train was relegated to the very bottom of the Railway’s business priority list.
During the late 1970s eight Class 5E, Series 3 locomotives, numbers E562 to E569, were painted blue with whiskers for use with the Blue Train between Cape Town and Beaufort West in the Cape Western region.
After their retirement from main line service, at least one locomotive, MetroRail
shunter E590, was painted in MetroRail’s grey and yellow livery, as shown in the main picture.
Manufacturer
Like the Class 5E, Series 2South African Class 5E, Series 2
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 Series 3 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). The number range of the Series 3 locomotives do not follow directly on that of the Series 2, since the Class 5E1, Series 1
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 :...
and 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...
locomotives were allocated most of the numbers in between, while twelve numbers, E499, E513, E514 and E527 to E535, were never allocated.
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.Class 5E series
The Class 5E was produced in three series, the EE and VF built Series 1South 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. 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 of them were delivered to the SAR, 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 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.Service
When they were retired from SAR service, only one Series 3 locomotive, number E576, was sold into industrial service. It went to the Driefontein gold mine in Carletonville where for an unknown reason it was given the number plates from Series 2 number E343, which had also been acquired by Driefontein. Numbers E563 and E590 were transferred to Metrorail and used as shunters at the Metrorail Depot in Salt River, Cape Town.Liveries
The locomotives were delivered in a bottle green and yellow whiskers livery. Beginning circa 1960, a Gulf Red and yellow whiskers livery gradually replaced the green and yellow.In the SAR and Spoornet eras, when the official liveries were Gulf Red and whiskers for the SAR, and initially orange and later maroon for Spoornet, some selected electric locomotives and some diesels were painted blue for use with the Blue Train
Blue Train (South Africa)
The Blue Train travels an approximately journey in South Africa between Pretoria and Cape Town. It is one of the most luxurious train journeys in the world...
, but without altering the layout of the various paint schemes. Blue Train locomotives were therefore blue with yellow whiskers in the SAR era, blue with the Spoornet logo and "SPOORNET" in Spoornet’s orange era, and blue with the Spoornet logo but without "SPOORNET" in Spoornet’s maroon era. In Spoornet’s blue era there was no need for a separate Blue Train livery, while in the Transnet Freight Rail era the Blue Train was relegated to the very bottom of the Railway’s business priority list.
During the late 1970s eight Class 5E, Series 3 locomotives, numbers E562 to E569, were painted blue with whiskers for use with the Blue Train between Cape Town and Beaufort West in the Cape Western region.
After their retirement from main line service, at least one locomotive, MetroRail
METRORail
METRORail is the light rail line in Houston . It is the second major light rail service in Texas following the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system. With an approximate daily ridership of 34,155, the METRORail ranks as the fourteenth most-traveled light rail system in the United States, with the...
shunter E590, was painted in MetroRail’s grey and yellow livery, as shown in the main picture.
See also
- South African Class 5E, Series 1South African Class 5E, Series 1In 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 2South African Class 5E, Series 2In 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 :...
- Electric locomotive numbering and classification
- List of South African locomotive classes