South African Class 34-500

Iscor Class 34
South African Class 34-500

No. 34-530 at Saldanha, 12 September 2007

Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Designer General Electric Builder SA GE-DL Locomotive Group Serial number 35261-35282, 40400-40419, 40570-40571, 40578-40579 Model GE U26C Build date 1974-1977 Total produced 46

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 in) Wheelbase 13,004 mm (42 ft 8 in)  • Bogie 3,188 mm (10 ft 6 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 1 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 7,000 litres (1,500 imp gal) 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 Iscor Douglas Colliery South African Railways Spoornet Kumba Iron Ore Sheltam Transnet Freight Rail Class Class 34-500 (Class 34-400 ex Iscor) Number in class 46 Numbers 34-501 to 34-539 (SAR) 1D-40D, G03 & G04 (Iscor) D5 & D6 (Douglas) Delivered 1974-1977 First run 1974

The South African Railways Class 34-500 of 1974 is a diesel-electric locomotive.

Between 1974 and 1977, the state owned South African Iron and Steel Corporation, now Kumba Iron Ore, placed forty-four General Electric type U26C diesel-electric locomotives in service. They were employed on Iscor's 1974-built Sishen-Saldanha iron ore line and as heavy shunters at the Sishen mine. In 1977, another two locomotives were built for the Douglas Colliery near Witbank. Also in 1977, thirty-nine of the Iscor locomotives were transferred to the South African Railways, where they were initially designated Class 34-400 ex Iscor, and later became commonly known as Class 34-500.

The South African Class 34-500 type GE U26C diesel-electric locomotive, also known as Class 34-400 ex Iscor, was designed by General Electric and was built for the South African Iron and Steel Corporation (Iscor) by the South African General Electric-Dorman Long Locomotive Group (SA GE-DL, later Dorbyl). Altogether forty-four locomotives were delivered to Iscor, on three orders:

In 1977, two locomotives were also built for the Douglas Colliery near Witbank in Transvaal, numbered D5 and D6. Thirty-nine of the Iscor mainline locomotives were transferred to the South African Railways in that same year.

The Iscor locomotives were delivered with a 7,000 litres (1,500 imperial gallons) fuel tank, in order to cope with the lack of en route refuelling points on the Sishen-Saldanha line. To facilitate the larger fuel tank, the inter-bogie linkage, found on all other South African U26C models, was omitted on these locomotives.

The Class 34 locomotive family consists of seven series, the GE Classes 34-000, 34-400, 34-500 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.