South African Class 7E4
Encyclopedia
In 1983 and 1984 the South African Railways placed sixty Class 7E3, Series 1 electric locomotive
s with a Co-Co wheel arrangement in main line service. These were followed by another twenty-five Class 7E3, Series 2 locomotives in 1984 and 1985. Circa 2000 seventeen of these dual cab locomotives were rebuilt to single cab locomotives and reclassified to Class 7E4.
and built in South Africa by Dorbyl, who also supplied the mechanical components. Sixty Series 1 locomotives were delivered by Dorbyl in 1983 and 1984, numbered E7216 to E7275, and twenty-five Series 2 locomotives in 1984 and 1985, numbered E7276 to E7300.
Like Union Carriage and Wagon, Dorbyl did not allocate builder’s numbers to the locomotives it built for the SAR. While the usual practice by most other locomotive builders was to allocate builder’s numbers or works numbers to record the locomotives built by them, Dorbyl simply used the SAR running numbers for their record keeping.
In the period from the early 1990s until about 2007 various modifications to improve downhill braking capacity were done to the Coalink line Hitachi designed locomotives. The first set of upgrades was done on the fifty Class 7E1
locomotives.
Circa 2000 seventeen Class 7E3 locomotives, sixteen Series 1, numbered E7260 to E7275, and one Series 2, number E7276, underwent significant modifications. This included the installation of Hitachi micro-processor controls with improved rheostatic brakes and conversion from double cab to single cab, since the cab space was required for some of the new equipment that was installed. These single cab locomotives were reclassified to Class 7E4.
.
, 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. Later, in Spoornet’s blue era, there was no need for a separate Blue Train livery, while in the Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) era the Blue Train was relegated to the very bottom of the railway’s business priority list.
While it is doubtful that the intention was to have a Class 7E4 in blue train livery for blue train hauling on the Richards Bay line, E7275 was nevertheless painted in Spoornet’s maroon era Blue Train livery after being rebuilt. The main picture shows the Class 7E4’s right side.
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
s with a Co-Co wheel arrangement in main line service. These were followed by another twenty-five Class 7E3, Series 2 locomotives in 1984 and 1985. Circa 2000 seventeen of these dual cab locomotives were rebuilt to single cab locomotives and reclassified to Class 7E4.
Manufacturers
The Class 7E3 25 kV AC electric locomotives were designed for the South African Railways (SAR) by HitachiHitachi
Hitachi is a multinational corporation specializing in high-technology.Hitachi may also refer to:*Hitachi, Ibaraki, Japan*Hitachi province, former province of Japan*Prince Hitachi and Princess Hitachi, members of the Japanese imperial family...
and built in South Africa by Dorbyl, who also supplied the mechanical components. Sixty Series 1 locomotives were delivered by Dorbyl in 1983 and 1984, numbered E7216 to E7275, and twenty-five Series 2 locomotives in 1984 and 1985, numbered E7276 to E7300.
Like Union Carriage and Wagon, Dorbyl did not allocate builder’s numbers to the locomotives it built for the SAR. While the usual practice by most other locomotive builders was to allocate builder’s numbers or works numbers to record the locomotives built by them, Dorbyl simply used the SAR running numbers for their record keeping.
Modification and reclassification
Control of traction and rheostatic braking on these locomotives is by stepless solid-state electronics. The electrical equipment was designed for high power factor operation, obtained by the switching in of power-factor correction capacitors.In the period from the early 1990s until about 2007 various modifications to improve downhill braking capacity were done to the Coalink line Hitachi designed locomotives. The first set of upgrades was done on the fifty Class 7E1
South African Class 7E1
Between 1980 and 1981 the South African Railways placed fifty Class 7E1 electric locomotives with a Co-Co wheel arrangement in main line service.-Manufacturers:...
locomotives.
Circa 2000 seventeen Class 7E3 locomotives, sixteen Series 1, numbered E7260 to E7275, and one Series 2, number E7276, underwent significant modifications. This included the installation of Hitachi micro-processor controls with improved rheostatic brakes and conversion from double cab to single cab, since the cab space was required for some of the new equipment that was installed. These single cab locomotives were reclassified to Class 7E4.
Service
Since 1978, 25 kV AC was introduced on all new main line electrification projects bar one, the one exception being the Orex iron ore line from Sishen to Saldanha, where 50 kV AC is used. The Class 7E4 locomotives all serve on the 25 kV AC Coalink line from Ermelo via Vryheid to the Richards Bay Coal TerminalRichards Bay Coal Terminal
The Richards Bay Coal Terminal , located in the Richards Bay harbour, is the largest coal export facility in Africa. The Chinese port of Qinhuangdao maintains the largest coal exporting terminal in the world, at 209 Million tons compared to Richards Bay with 91 Million tons.Potential throughput is...
.
Liveries
In the SAR and Spoornet eras, when the official liveries were Gulf Red and yellow whiskers for the SAR, and initially orange and later maroon for Spoornet, many selected electric locomotives and some diesel-electrics were painted blue for use with the Blue TrainBlue 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. Later, in Spoornet’s blue era, there was no need for a separate Blue Train livery, while in the Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) era the Blue Train was relegated to the very bottom of the railway’s business priority list.
While it is doubtful that the intention was to have a Class 7E4 in blue train livery for blue train hauling on the Richards Bay line, E7275 was nevertheless painted in Spoornet’s maroon era Blue Train livery after being rebuilt. The main picture shows the Class 7E4’s right side.
See also
- South African Class 7E3, Series 1South African Class 7E3, Series 1Between 1983 and 1984 the South African Railways placed sixty Class 7E3, Series 1 electric locomotives with a Co-Co wheel arrangement in main line service...
- South African Class 7E3, Series 2
- Electric locomotive numbering and classification
- List of South African locomotive classes