South African Class 34-900

South African Class 34-900

No. 34-926, in Spoornet’s orange era Blue Train livery, at Bellville Depot, Cape Town, 15 May 2010

Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Designer General Electric Builder SA GE-DL Locomotive Group Serial number 41350-41379 Model GE U26C Build date 1980 Total produced 30

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 5,400 litres (1,200 imp gal) as built 7,000 litres (1,500 imp gal) modified 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 GE 7S14O8A1 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% adh.  • 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 Transnet Freight Rail Class Class 34-900 Number in class 30 Numbers 34-901 to 34-930 Delivered 1980-1981 First run 1980

The South African Railways Class 34-900 of 1980 is a diesel-electric locomotive.

In 1980 and 1981, the South African Railways placed thirty Class 34-900 General Electric type U26C diesel-electric locomotives in service.

The Class 34-900 type GE U26C diesel-electric locomotive was designed by General Electric and built for the South African Railways (SAR) by the South African General Electric-Dorman Long Locomotive Group (SA GE-DL, later Dorbyl). Thirty locomotives were delivered in 1980 and 1981, numbered in the range from 34-901 to 34-930.

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 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 Classes 34-000, 34-400 and 34-900 were visually indistinguishable from each other. The ex Iscor 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 on the sides behind the cab. Since then, Class 34-900 locomotives could be distinguished from the older models by the absence of the saddle filter.