South African Class 34-600

South African Class 34-600
No. 34-612 on yard duty at Empangeni, Kwa-Zulu Natal, 14 August 2007
Type and origin ♠ - Original locomotive, as built ♥ - Locomotive with upggraded traction motors Power type Diesel-electric Designer General Motors Electro-Motive Division Builder General Motors South Africa Serial number 101-1 to 101-100 Model GM-EMD GT26MC Build date 1974-1976 Total produced 100 Rebuilder Transnet Rail Engineering Rebuild date 2006-2008 Number rebuilt 3 to Class 39-000
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR C-C  • UIC Co'Co'  • Commonwealth Co+Co Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge Wheel diameter 1,016 mm (40.0 in) Wheelbase 14,732 mm (48 ft 4.0 in)  • Bogie 3,632 mm (11 ft 11.0 in) Pivot centres 11,278 mm (37 ft 0 in) Length: ​  • Over couplers 19,202 mm (63 ft 0 in) Width 2,819 mm (9 ft 3.0 in) Height 3,924 mm (12 ft 10.5 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 6,100 litres (1,300 imp gal) Prime mover GM-EMD 16-645E3 RPM range 250-900  • RPM low idle 250  • RPM idle 315  • Maximum RPM 900 Engine type 2-stroke diesel Aspiration GM-EMD E16 turbocharger Displacement 10.57 litres (645.0 cu in) Alternator 10 pole 3 phase GM-EMD AR10F-D14 Traction motors ♠ Six GM-EMD D29B DC 4 pole ♥ Six GM-EMD D31 DC 4 pole  • Rating 1 hour ♠ 485A ♥ 545A  • Continuous ♠ 450A @ 21 km/h (13 mph) ♥ 520A @ 21 km/h (13 mph) Cylinders V16 Gear ratio 63:14 MU working 6 maximum Loco brake 28-LAV-1 with vigilance control Train brakes Gardner-Denver ADJV-8401 compressor/exhauster Air tank cap. 850 litres (190 imp gal) Compressor 0.021 m3/s (0.74 cu ft/s) Exhauster 0.098 m3/s (3.5 cu ft/s) Couplers AAR knuckle (SASKOP E)
Performance figures Maximum speed 100 km/h (62 mph) Power output: ​  • Starting ♠ 2,145 kW (2,876 hp) ♥ 2,342 kW (3,141 hp)  • Continuous ♠ 1,940 kW (2,600 hp) ♥ 2,171 kW (2,911 hp) Tractive effort: ​  • Starting ♠ 272 kN (61,000 lbf) ♥ 306 kN (69,000 lbf)  • Continuous ♠ 218 kN (49,000 lbf) @ 26 km/h (16 mph) ♥ 245 kN (55,000 lbf) @ 26 km/h (16 mph) Factor of adh.: ​  • Starting 25%  • Continuous 20% Brakeforce 65% ratio @ 345 kPa (50.0 psi) Dynamic brake peak effort 188 kN (42,000 lbf) @ 28 km/h (17 mph)
Career Operators South African Railways Spoornet Transnet Freight Rail National Railways of Zimbabwe NLPI Sheltam Caminho de Ferro de Congo-Ocean Camrail Ferrovia Centro Atlântico Ferrovia Sul Atlântico Class Class 34-600 Number in class 100 Numbers 34-601 to 34-700 Delivered 1974-1976 First run 1974

The South African Railways Class 34-600 of 1974 is a diesel-electric locomotive.

Between December 1974 and July 1976, the South African Railways placed one hundred Class 34-600 General Motors Electro-Motive Division type GT26MC diesel-electric locomotives in service.

The Class 34-600 type GT26MC diesel-electric locomotive was designed by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and built for the South African Railways (SAR) by General Motors South Africa (GMSA) in Port Elizabeth. One hundred locomotives were delivered between December 1974 and July 1976, numbered in the range from 34-601 to 34-700.

Of the GM-EMD Class 34 family of locomotives, Classes 34-200 and 34-600 units are visually indistinguishable from one another, but they can be distinguished from the Class 34-800 by the thicker fishbelly shaped sills on their left hand sides compared to the straight sill on the left hand side of the Class 34-800.

The Class 39-000 type GT26CU-3 diesel-electric locomotives were to be rebuilt from Class 34-600, 34-800 and 37-000 locomotives. The project commenced in 2005, using suitable frames from wrecked locomotives. Rebuilding was done at the Transwerk shops in Bloemfontein between 2006 and 2008.

It was intended to produce one hundred Class 39-000 locomotives but in spite of the technical success of the project, rebuilding was halted after completing the first five locomotives due to higher than anticipated cost. It was decided, instead of rebuilding old locomotives, to continue the program by building fifty new Class 39-200 locomotives from imported and locally produced components. Three Class 34-600 locomotives, numbers 34-620, 34-635 and 34-674, were rebuilt to Class 39-000 before the rebuilding project was halted.