South African Class 34-400

South African Class 34-400

No. 34-401 at Kaalfontein, Gauteng, 7 October 2009

Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Designer General Electric Builder SA GE-DL Locomotive Group Serial number 38623-38722 Model GE U26C Build date 1973-1974 Total produced 100

Specifications AAR wheel arr. C-C UIC class Co'Co' Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge Wheel diameter 915 mm (36.0 in) Wheelbase 13,004 mm (42 ft 8.0 in)  • Bogie 3,188 mm (10 ft 5.5 in) Pivot centres 10,058 mm (33 ft 0 in) Length: ​  • Over couplers 17,982 mm (59 ft 0 in) Width 2,756 mm (9 ft 0.5 in) Height 3,962 mm (13 ft 0 in) Axle load 18,850 kg (41,560 lb) Adhesive weight 113,100 kg (249,300 lb) Loco weight 113,100 kg (249,300 lb) max Fuel type Diesel Fuel capacity 5,400 litres (1,200 imp gal) as built 7,000 litres (1,500 imp gal) mod. Prime mover GE 7FDL-12 RPM range 450-1,050  • RPM low idle 450  • RPM idle 535  • Maximum RPM 1,050 Engine type 4-stroke diesel Aspiration Elliott H-581 turbocharger Alternator 10 pole 3 phase GE 5GT-A11C1 Traction motors Six GE 5GE-761A13 DC 4 pole  • Rating 1 hour 665A  • Continuous 655A @ 24 km/h (15 mph) Cylinders V12 Gear ratio 92:19 MU working 6 maximum Loco brake 28-LAV-1 with vigilance control Train brakes Westinghouse 6CDX4UC compressor/exhauster Air reservoir cap 825 litres (181 imp gal) Compressor cap 0.039 m3/s (1.4 cu ft/s) Exhauster cap 0.155 m3/s (5.5 cu ft/s) Couplers AAR knuckle type E

Performance figures Maximum speed 100 km/h (62 mph) Power output: ​  • Starting 2,050 kW (2,750 hp)  • Continuous 1,940 kW (2,600 hp) Tractive effort: ​  • Starting 272 kN (61,000 lbf) @ 25% adhesion  • Continuous 218 kN (49,000 lbf) @ 26 km/h (16 mph) Factor of adh.:  • Starting 25%  • Continuous 20% Loco brakeforce 60% ratio @ 345 kPa (50.0 psi) Dynamic brake peak effort 180 kN (40,000 lbf) @ 29 km/h (18 mph)

Career Operators South African Railways Spoornet Kenya Railways Sheltam Sasol Blue Circle Transnet Freight Rail Class Class 34-400 Number in class 100 Numbers 34-401 to 34-500 Delivered 1973-1974 First run 1973

The South African Railways Class 34-400 of 1973 is a diesel-electric locomotive.

Between April 1973 and November 1974, the South African Railways placed one hundred Class 34-400 General Electric type U26C diesel-electric locomotives in service.

The Class 34-400 type GE U26C diesel-electric locomotive was designed by General Electric (GE) and built for the South African Railways (SAR) by the South African General Electric-Dorman Long Locomotive Group (SA GE-DL, later Dorbyl). One hundred locomotives were delivered between April 1973 and November 1974, numbered in the range from 34-401 to 34-500.

The Class 34 locomotive family consists of seven series, the GE Classes 34-000, 34-400, 34-500 (also known as 34-400 ex Iscor) and 34-900, and the General Motors Electro-Motive Division (GM-EMD) Classes 34-200, 34-600 and 34-800. Both these manufacturers also produced locomotives for the South African Classes 33, 35 and 36.

As built, the GE Class 34-000, 34-400 and 34-900 locomotives were visually indistinguishable from each other. The Class 34-500 locomotives could be visually distinguished from the other series by the air conditioning units mounted on their cab roofs and initially, when it was still a feature unique to them, by their running board mounted handrails. At some stage during the mid-1980s all Class 34-000, 34-400 and 34-500 locomotives had saddle filters installed across the long hood, mounted just to the rear of the screens behind the cab on the sides. Since then Class 34-900 locomotives could be distinguished from the older models by the absence of the saddle filter.