South African Class 9E, Series 2
Encyclopedia
In 1982 and 1983 the South African Railways expanded its existing Class 9E fleet by placing six new Class 9E, Series 2 electric locomotives with a Co-Co wheel arrangement in service on the Sishen-Saldanha iron ore line.
In a break with prior practice, GEC works numbers were allocated to Class 9E locomotives. UCW usually did not allocate builder’s numbers to previous locomotives it built for the SAR. While the practice by most other locomotive builders was to allocate builder’s numbers or works numbers to record the locomotives built by them, UCW simply used the SAR running numbers for their record keeping.
Since huge voltage drops are often encountered between electric sub-stations, the locomotive was designed to be able to operate on a supply varying between 55 and 25 kV AC. The battery boxes and the main air reservoirs are mounted between the bogies beneath the frame, where a compartment houses a small motor scooter for use by the crew for lineside inspections of the train that can be 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) long.
Series 2 locomotives were delivered with five braking systems, air brakes for the locomotive, train air braking, train vacuum braking, a handbrake and dynamic rheostatic braking which can dissipate 4200 kW. The Series 1 locomotives were delivered without a vacuum brake system.
The Series 1 and Series 2 Class 9E’s can be visually distinguished from each other by their bogies, which were redesigned for the Series 2 locomotives.
in the Northern Cape
to the harbour at Saldanha
in the Western Cape
. Most of the route is across the hot and dry Northern Cape, but the last 75 kilometres (46.6 mi) to Saldanha runs parallel to the Atlantic coastline and is subjected to the fog and salt sea air of the West Coast.
In South Africa, the line is unusual for several reasons.
electric locomotives to haul the 342 wagon ore trains. Each wagon has a 100 ton capacity and the trains are at least 3.72 kilometres (2.3 mi) in length, powered by mixed consists of Class 9E and Class 15E electric and GE U26C Class 34-000
, 34-400
, 34-500
and 34-900
diesel-electric locomotives.
A Class 9E or Class 15E electric locomotive serves as the master of each mixed electric and diesel-electric consist, with a total of between nine and twelve locomotives per train, twelve being the maximum allowed. Before the Class 15E was placed in service in 2010, motive power usually consisted of three sets, each made up of one or two Class 9E locomotives and one or two Class 34 diesels, with each set’s leading electric locomotive controlling its respective set of diesels by means of a slimkabel (smart cable). In effect each ore train was made up of three separate 114 wagon trains consisted together, with the locomotives of all three trains controlled through a Locotrol
radio distributed power control system by one crew in the leading electric locomotive. A typical train would therefore be made up of locomotive set A, 114 wagons, locomotive set B, 114 wagons, locomotive set C and 114 wagons.
Some problems were experienced using this configuration and after a couple of major derailments the locomotive configuration was changed to four sets, with locomotive set D initially consisting of two Class 34 diesel-electric locomotives at the rear end of the train pushing at between 40% and 50% of tractive power at all times, depending on the grades being traversed. The total number of locomotives were still between nine and twelve locomotives per train.
As more Class 15Es arrived and were placed in service, the set D pair of Class 34 diesel-electrics were replaced with Class 9E or 15E electrics. The more powerful Class 15E also made it possible to use as few as seven locomotives per train, with locomotive sets A, B and C each consisting of one Class 15E and one Class 34, and set D of a single Class 15E.
Manufacturer
The Class 9E, Series 2 50 kV AC electric locomotive was designed for the South African Railways (SAR) by the General Electric Company (GEC) and was built by Union Carriage and Wagon (UCW) in Nigel, Transvaal. UCW delivered six locomotives in 1982 and 1983, numbered E9026 to E9031.In a break with prior practice, GEC works numbers were allocated to Class 9E locomotives. UCW usually did not allocate builder’s numbers to previous locomotives it built for the SAR. While the practice by most other locomotive builders was to allocate builder’s numbers or works numbers to record the locomotives built by them, UCW simply used the SAR running numbers for their record keeping.
Features
The locomotive has a single full width air conditioned cab. At the rear end the body work is lower to provide clearance for the 50 kV AC electrical equipment that is mounted on the roof. This consists of a single pantograph, a potential divider, a vacuum circuit breaker, a surge diverter and the main transformer’s high voltage terminal. The electrical control system is solid state, using thyristors.Since huge voltage drops are often encountered between electric sub-stations, the locomotive was designed to be able to operate on a supply varying between 55 and 25 kV AC. The battery boxes and the main air reservoirs are mounted between the bogies beneath the frame, where a compartment houses a small motor scooter for use by the crew for lineside inspections of the train that can be 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) long.
Series 2 locomotives were delivered with five braking systems, air brakes for the locomotive, train air braking, train vacuum braking, a handbrake and dynamic rheostatic braking which can dissipate 4200 kW. The Series 1 locomotives were delivered without a vacuum brake system.
The Series 1 and Series 2 Class 9E’s can be visually distinguished from each other by their bogies, which were redesigned for the Series 2 locomotives.
Service
Class 9E locomotives are used on the 861 kilometres (535 mi) Sishen-Saldanha iron ore line to haul export ore from the open cast iron mines at SishenSishen
Sishen is a town in Northern Cape, South Africa. It is the location of a large iron ore mine.- Transport :The mine is connected to the port of Saldanha Bay by the Sishen-Saldanha Railway Line. The line is electrified at 50 kV AC and the trains using this line are amongst the heaviest trains in the...
in the Northern Cape
Northern Cape
The Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of an international park shared with Botswana...
to the harbour at Saldanha
Saldanha
-Portugal:* Saldanha , a civil parish in the municipality of Mogadouro-South Africa:* Saldanha Bay, a natural bay in Western Cape, South Africa* Saldanha, Western Cape, a town on the northern shore of the bay...
in the Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
. Most of the route is across the hot and dry Northern Cape, but the last 75 kilometres (46.6 mi) to Saldanha runs parallel to the Atlantic coastline and is subjected to the fog and salt sea air of the West Coast.
In South Africa, the line is unusual for several reasons.
- Construction, which started in 1973, was not undertaken by the SAR, but by the South African Iron and Steel Corporation (ISCOR), who operated the line with diesel-electric motive power. Operations on the Sishen-Saldanha iron ore line was only taken over from ISCOR by the SAR in 1977.
- It was electrified by the SAR at 50 kV AC, compared to the 25 kV AC high voltage that was used in other parts of the country.
- At the time it was the longest 50 kV AC electrified railway line in the world.
- It is the only line in South Africa where electric and diesel-electric locomotives are consisted in mixed power use.
Mixed Power
On the Sishen–Saldanha Orex line General Electric (GE) Class 34 series locomotives run consisted to Class 9E and Class 15ESouth African Class 15E
In 2010 Transnet Freight Rail placed the first of seventy-six Class 15E 50 kV AC heavy electric freight locomotives with a Co-Co wheel arrangement in service on the Sishen-Saldanha iron ore line.-Manufacturers:...
electric locomotives to haul the 342 wagon ore trains. Each wagon has a 100 ton capacity and the trains are at least 3.72 kilometres (2.3 mi) in length, powered by mixed consists of Class 9E and Class 15E electric and GE U26C Class 34-000
South African Class 34-000
Between July 1971 and March 1973 the South African Railways placed one hundred and twenty-five Class 34-000 GE U26C diesel-electric locomotives in service.- Manufacturer :...
, 34-400
South African Class 34-400
Between April 1973 and November 1974 the South African Railways placed one hundred Class 34-400 GE U26C diesel-electric locomotives in service.- Manufacturer :...
, 34-500
South African Class 34-500
Between 1974 and 1977 the state owned South African Iron and Steel Corporation, now Kumba Iron Ore, placed forty-four GE U26C diesel-electric locomotives in service on its 1974 built Sishen-Saldanha iron ore line and as heavy shunters at the Sishen mine. In 1977 another two locomotives were built...
and 34-900
South African Class 34-900
Between October 1979 and February 1981 the South African Railways placed thirty Class 34-900 GE U26C diesel-electric locomotives in service.-Manufacturer:...
diesel-electric locomotives.
A Class 9E or Class 15E electric locomotive serves as the master of each mixed electric and diesel-electric consist, with a total of between nine and twelve locomotives per train, twelve being the maximum allowed. Before the Class 15E was placed in service in 2010, motive power usually consisted of three sets, each made up of one or two Class 9E locomotives and one or two Class 34 diesels, with each set’s leading electric locomotive controlling its respective set of diesels by means of a slimkabel (smart cable). In effect each ore train was made up of three separate 114 wagon trains consisted together, with the locomotives of all three trains controlled through a Locotrol
Locotrol
Locotrol is a product of GE Transportation Systems that permits railway locomotives to be distributed throughout the length of a train...
radio distributed power control system by one crew in the leading electric locomotive. A typical train would therefore be made up of locomotive set A, 114 wagons, locomotive set B, 114 wagons, locomotive set C and 114 wagons.
Some problems were experienced using this configuration and after a couple of major derailments the locomotive configuration was changed to four sets, with locomotive set D initially consisting of two Class 34 diesel-electric locomotives at the rear end of the train pushing at between 40% and 50% of tractive power at all times, depending on the grades being traversed. The total number of locomotives were still between nine and twelve locomotives per train.
As more Class 15Es arrived and were placed in service, the set D pair of Class 34 diesel-electrics were replaced with Class 9E or 15E electrics. The more powerful Class 15E also made it possible to use as few as seven locomotives per train, with locomotive sets A, B and C each consisting of one Class 15E and one Class 34, and set D of a single Class 15E.
Gallery
The main picture shows E9030 in Spoornet blue livery with outline numbers at the Salkor yard in Saldanha on 26 July 2009.See also
- South African Class 9E, Series 1South African Class 9E, Series 1In 1978 and 1979 the South African Railways placed twenty-five Class 9E, Series 1 electric locomotives with a Co-Co wheel arrangement in service on the Sishen-Saldanha iron ore line.-Manufacturer:...
- Electric locomotive numbering and classification
- South African Class 15ESouth African Class 15EIn 2010 Transnet Freight Rail placed the first of seventy-six Class 15E 50 kV AC heavy electric freight locomotives with a Co-Co wheel arrangement in service on the Sishen-Saldanha iron ore line.-Manufacturers:...
- South African Class 34-000South African Class 34-000Between July 1971 and March 1973 the South African Railways placed one hundred and twenty-five Class 34-000 GE U26C diesel-electric locomotives in service.- Manufacturer :...
- South African Class 34-400South African Class 34-400Between April 1973 and November 1974 the South African Railways placed one hundred Class 34-400 GE U26C diesel-electric locomotives in service.- Manufacturer :...
- South African Class 34-500South African Class 34-500Between 1974 and 1977 the state owned South African Iron and Steel Corporation, now Kumba Iron Ore, placed forty-four GE U26C diesel-electric locomotives in service on its 1974 built Sishen-Saldanha iron ore line and as heavy shunters at the Sishen mine. In 1977 another two locomotives were built...
- South African Class 34-900South African Class 34-900Between October 1979 and February 1981 the South African Railways placed thirty Class 34-900 GE U26C diesel-electric locomotives in service.-Manufacturer:...
- List of South African locomotive classes