Wikipedia

South African Class 31-000

The South African Railways Class 31-000 of 1958 was a diesel-electric locomotive.

South African Classes 1-DE & 31-000
No. 31-028 (D727) at Bellville Depot, 31 October 2010
Type and origin
Power typeDiesel-electric
DesignerGeneral Electric
BuilderGeneral Electric
Serial number33507-33551
ModelGE U12B
Build date1958
Total produced45
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • AARB-B
 • UICBo'Bo'
 • CommonwealthBo-Bo
Gauge3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge
Wheel diameter915 mm (36.0 in)
Wheelbase10,118 mm (33 ft 2.3 in) ​
 • Bogie2,438 mm (8 ft 0 in)
Pivot centres7,680 mm (25 ft 2.4 in)
Length:
​
 • Over couplers15,150 mm (49 ft 8.5 in)
Width2,780 mm (9 ft 1.4 in)
Height3,916 mm (12 ft 10.2 in)
Axle load18,900 kg (41,700 lb)
Adhesive weight75,600 kg (166,700 lb)
Loco weight75,600 kg (166,700 lb) max
Fuel typeDiesel
Fuel capacity3,000 litres (660 imp gal)
Prime moverCooper-Bessemer FVBL-8
RPM range400-1,000 ​
 • RPM low idle400
 • RPM idle535
 • Maximum RPM1,000
Engine type4 stroke V8 diesel
AspirationC-B ET13 turbocharger
GeneratorDC 10 pole GE 5GT-581C3
Traction motorsFour GE 5GE-761A4 DC 4 pole ​
 • Rating 1 hour600A
 • Continuous590A @ 16 km/h (9.9 mph)
CylindersV8
Gear ratio94:17
MU working3 maximum
Loco brake6-SLAV-1 with vigilance control
Train brakesWestinghouse 6CDX4UC compressor/exhauster
Air tank cap.700 litres (150 imp gal)
Compressor0.039 m3/s (1.4 cu ft/s)
Exhauster0.155 m3/s (5.5 cu ft/s)
CouplersAAR knuckle (SASKOP SS)
Performance figures
Maximum speed90 km/h (56 mph)
Power output:
​
 • Starting985 kW (1,321 hp)
 • Continuous895 kW (1,200 hp)
Tractive effort:
​
 • Starting181 kN (41,000 lbf) @ 25% adhesion
 • Continuous145 kN (33,000 lbf) @ 18 km/h (11 mph)
Factor of adh.:
​
 • Starting25%
 • Continuous20% @ 18 km/h (11 mph)
Brakeforce65% ratio @ 345 kPa (50.0 psi)
Career
OperatorsSouth African Railways
Spoornet
Sheltam
ClassClass 31-000
Number in class45
Numbers31-001 to 31-045 (D700-D744)
DeliveredJune to July 1958
First run1958

In June and July 1958, the South African Railways placed forty-five Class 1-DE General Electric type U12B diesel-electric locomotives in service. They were later reclassified to Class 31-000 and renumbered.[1]

Manufacturer

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The South African Class 31-000 type GE U12B diesel-electric locomotive was designed for the South African Railways (SAR) and built by General Electric in 1958. They were the first diesel-electric road locomotives to enter SAR service in quantity.[1][2]

Reclassification and renumbering

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Upon delivery, they were designated Class 1-DE and numbered in the range from D700 to D744 in the non-steam locomotive number range which had hitherto been used almost exclusively for electric locomotives, the exceptions being the pre-war experimental Class DS and Class DS1 diesel-electric locomotives. After the SAR adopted a new classification and numbering system for diesel-powered locomotives upon the arrival of the Class 32-000 in 1959, they were reclassified to Class 31-000 and renumbered in the range from 31-001 to 31-045.[1][2]

Orientation

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The Class 31-000 was a high short hood locomotive. While the short hood end was usually considered as the front end, the cab was equipped with dual station controls to make it fully bidirectional.[1]

Service

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They were placed in service at Germiston. One of their first duties was to take over the shunt duties at Milner Park from where complaints had been received from the tennis players at the club about the cinders being deposited on the all-weather courts. When originally ordered, it had been the intention to use them on shunting and block-load transfers on the Reef and as part of the program to eliminate steam traction from the new Johannesburg station, but their success in this service prompted a change in utilisation policy. In 1959 they were placed in mainline service working out of Johannesburg to Kroonstad and Bloemfontein in the Free State and to Volksrust on the mainline to Natal. They were very successful on mainline work and showed their ability to handle anything from goods workings to fast passenger trains like the Trans-Natal. They usually worked in pairs and longer lash-ups of up to four units were rarely seen.[3][4][5][6][7][8]

The Class 31-000 had a huge impact on SAR motive power. In terms of speed and acceleration, they were superb and it didn't take long for the diesels to become a common sight on mainline working. Their unqualified success played a large part in the eventual demise of SAR steam traction.[8][9]

By 1969 they were also used in goods working on the line from Krugersdorp via Magaliesburg and Swartruggens to Zeerust. By the 1980s they were finally relegated to the shunting and pickup service that they were originally intended for when new, working on the Reef and at some other major centres.[2][10][11]

Withdrawal

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Of the original forty-five locomotives, forty survived into the Spoornet era in the 1990s. Now retired from Spoornet service, some still see service in private hands. Three of them, numbers 31-001 (D700), 31-005 (D704) and 31-038 (D737), were acquired by Sheltam for use at Rand Uranium near Randfontein and at Welkom. The first two were converted to low short hood locomotives and were still in service in 2014, while the third was used for spare parts.[12][13]

Another private rail operator, RRL Grindrod, owns no. 31-009 (D708) as its no. RB-201, which was still employed at Welkom in 2014.[13]

Preservation

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As of 2015, no. D706 (31-007) has been staged at Bloemfontein Locomotive Depot where a Locomotive Museum is being created to restore it and some other historically significant units, while no. D727 (31-028) is preserved at Bellville Loco Depot. [14]

Liveries

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The locomotives were delivered in a livery that displayed the colours of the South African flag, white on the upper half and blue on the lower half, separated by an orange stripe on the sides and orange whiskers on the ends. They had black running boards, red buffer beams and black cowcatchers. From 1960 this livery gradually began to be replaced by Gulf Red with yellow stripes.[6][15]

Works numbers

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The Class 31-000 builder's works numbers, renumbering and known disposition are listed in the table.[12][13]

Illustration

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  •  
    Sheltam no. 1201, ex SAR no. 31-005 (D704), 19 May 2010
  •  
    No. 31-007 (D706) at Bellville Loco Depot, 10 January 2009

References

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  1. ^ a b c d South African Railways Index and Diagrams Electric and Diesel Locomotives, 610 mm and 1065 mm Gauges, Ref LXD 14/1/100/20, 28 January 1975, as amended
  2. ^ a b c Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 137–138. ISBN 0869772112.
  3. ^ "sar-l@groups.io message #52721 – History by Locomotive 281". 20 May 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2017. [unreliable source?]
  4. ^ "System 5, Part 2: O.F.S. Main Line, Makouvlei to Bosrand". Soul of A Railway. Caption 5. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  5. ^ Pivnic, Les. "System 7, Western Transvaal, based in Johannesburg, Part 3. Johannesburg Station in Transition". Soul of A Railway. Caption 28. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  6. ^ a b Pivnic, Les. "System 7, Western Transvaal, based in Johannesburg, Part 6. Germiston, the Steam and Diesel Running Sheds". Soul of A Railway. Captions 28, 31, 35. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  7. ^ Pivnic, Les. "System 7, Western Transvaal, based in Johannesburg, Part 10. South-Eastwards as far as Volksrust (3rd part)". Soul of A Railway. Caption 17. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  8. ^ a b Pivnic, Les; Micenko, Peter. "System 7, Western Transvaal, based in Johannesburg, Part 13. Eastwards from Germiston, Part 1: Germiston East to Brakpan". Soul of A Railway. Caption 22. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  9. ^ Pivnic, Les. "System 7, Western Transvaal, based in Johannesburg, Part 18: Natalspruit to Vereeniging, Part 1". Soul of A Railway. Captions 14, 15. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  10. ^ Pivnic, Les. "System 7, Western Transvaal, based in Johannesburg, Part 8. South eastwards as far as Volksrust". Soul of A Railway. Caption 4. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  11. ^ Pivnic, Les. "System 7, Western Transvaal, based in Johannesburg, Part 25: Krugersdorp-Zeerust-Mafeking (Home Signal), Part 2". Soul of A Railway. Captions 13, 17. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  12. ^ a b Middleton, John N. (2002). Railways of Southern Africa Locomotive Guide - 2002 (as amended by Combined Amendment List 4, January 2009) (2nd, Dec 2002 ed.). Herts, England: Beyer-Garratt Publications. pp. 38, 45.
  13. ^ a b c "SAR-L Yahoogroup message no. 47981". 17 October 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2017. (subscription required) [unreliable source?]
  14. ^ "Sandstone Heritage Trust – 2017016 Locomotive status – January 2017". Retrieved 8 March 2019. (subscription required) [unreliable source?]
  15. ^ Pivnic, Les. "System 7, Western Transvaal, based in Johannesburg, Part 17: Northwards to just short of the home signal at Pretoria". Soul of A Railway. Caption 24. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
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