South African Class 17E

{{Short description|Class of South African electric locomotives}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}} {{Use South African English|date=September 2013}} {{Infobox locomotive | name = South African Class 17E | image = SAR Class 17E E1826.JPG | alt = | caption = E1826 at Capital Park, [[Pretoria]], [[Gauteng]], 28 September 2006 | hatnote = | powertype = Electric | designer = [[Union Carriage & Wagon]] | builder = Union Carriage & Wagon | ordernumber = | serialnumber = | buildmodel = UCW 6E1 | builddate = 1977–1982 | totalproduction = 139 | rebuilder = [[Transnet Rail Engineering]] | rebuilddate = 2002–2007 | numberrebuilt = 136 to [[South African Class 18E, Series 1|Class 18E, Series 1]] | aarwheels = [[AAR wheel arrangement#B-B|B-B]] | uicclass = [[Bo'Bo']] | Britishclass = [[Bo-Bo]] | gauge = {{Track gauge|Cape|allk=on}} | bogies = | leadingdiameter = | wheeldiameter = {{convert|1220|mm|in|2|abbr=on}} | trailingdiameter = | minimumcurve = | wheelbase = {{convert|11279|mm|ftin|frac=8|abbr=on}} | bogie = {{convert|3430|mm|ftin|frac=8|abbr=on}} | pivotcentres = {{convert|7849|mm|ftin|frac=8|abbr=on}} | pantoshoecentres = {{convert|6972|mm|ftin|frac=8|abbr=on}} | wheelspacing = | length = | over couplers = {{convert|15494|mm|ftin|frac=8|abbr=on}} | over bufferbeams = | body = {{convert|14631|mm|ftin|frac=8|abbr=on}} | width = {{convert|2896|mm|ftin|frac=8|abbr=on}} | height = | pantodown = {{convert|4089|mm|ftin|frac=8|abbr=on}} | bodyonly = {{convert|3937|mm|ftin|frac=8|abbr=on}} | frametype = | axleload = {{convert|22226|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | leadingbogie/pony= | weightondrivers = {{convert|88904|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | trail bogie/pony = | locoweight = {{convert|88904|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | sandcap = | electricsystem = 3 [[Volt|kV]] [[Direct current|DC]] [[Overhead line|catenary]] | collectionmethod = [[Pantograph (transport)|Pantographs]] | alternator = | generator = | tractionmotors = Four AEI-283AY | t/m amps 1 hr = {{convert|623|kW|hp|abbr=on}} | t/m amps cont = {{convert|563|kW|hp|abbr=on}} | headendpower = | transmission = | gear ratio = 18:67 | multipleworking = | trainheating = | locobrakes = [[Railway air brake|Air]] & [[Regenerative brake|Regenerative]] | trainbrakes = [[Railway air brake|Air]] & [[Vacuum brake|Vacuum]] | reservoircap = | compressorcap = | exhaustercap = | safety = | coupling = [[Janney coupler|AAR knuckle]] | maxspeed = {{convert|113|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} | poweroutput = | poweroutput start= | poweroutput 1 hr = {{convert|2492|kW|hp|abbr=on}} | poweroutput cont = {{convert|2252|kW|hp|abbr=on}} | tractiveeffort = | t/e starting = {{convert|311|kN|lbf|abbr=on}} | t/e 1 hr = {{convert|221|kN|lbf|abbr=on}} | t/e continuous = {{convert|193|kN|lbf|abbr=on}} @ {{convert|40|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} | factorofadhesion = | f/adh starting = | f/adh 1 hr = | f/adh continuous = | locobrakeforce = | operator = [[Transnet Freight Rail|Spoornet]] | operatorclass = Class 17E | numinclass = 139 | fleetnumbers = See the table | officialname = | nicknames = | axleloadclass = | locale = | deliverydate = | firstrundate = 1993 | lastrundate = 2007 | withdrawndate = | preservedunits = | restoredate = | scrapdate = | currentowner = | disposition = | notes = }}

The '''Spoornet Class 17E''' of 1993 was a South African electric locomotive.

During 1993 and 1994, [[Transnet Freight Rail|Spoornet]] modified several Class 6E1, Series 7, 8 and 9 locomotives to improve their braking and traction reliability for service on the Natal mainline. These modified locomotives were reclassified to Class 17E.<ref name="Middleton"/>

==Manufacturer== The 3 kV DC Class 6E1 electric locomotive was built for the [[South African Railways]] (SAR) by [[Union Carriage & Wagon]] (UCW) in Nigel, Transvaal, with electrical equipment supplied by the [[General Electric Company]] (GEC). UCW did not allocate works numbers to the locomotives which it built for the SAR, but used the SAR unit numbers for their record keeping.<ref>{{cite web|title=UCW – Electric locomotives|url=http://www.ucw.co.za/pdf/electric_loco.pdf |publisher=The UCW Partnership|access-date=30 September 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071012023401/http://www.ucw.co.za/pdf/electric_loco.pdf |archive-date = 12 October 2007}}</ref>

==Characteristics== ===Bogies=== [[File:Class 6E1 E1466 bogie.jpg|thumb|left|Class 6E1 Series 2 to 11 bogies]] The Class 6E1 was built with sophisticated traction linkages on their bogies. Together with the locomotive's electronic wheel-slip detection system, these traction struts, mounted between the linkages on the bogies and the locomotive body and colloquially referred to as grasshopper legs, ensured the maximum transfer of power to the rails without causing wheel-slip by reducing the adhesion of the leading bogie and increasing that of the trailing bogie by as much as 15% upon starting. This feature was controlled by electronic wheel-slip detection devices and an electric weight transfer relay which reduced the anchor current to the leading bogie by as much as 50A in notches 2 to 16.<ref name="Paxton-Bourne">{{Paxton-Bourne|pages=128–129}}</ref>

===Brakes=== The locomotive itself used air brakes, but it was equipped to operate trains with air or vacuum brakes. While hauling a vacuum braked train, the locomotive's air brake system would be disabled and the train would be controlled by using the train brakes alone to slow down and stop. While hauling an air braked train, on the other hand, the locomotive brakes would engage along with the train brakes. While working either type of train downgrade, the locomotive's regenerative braking system would also work in conjunction with the train brakes.<ref name="Operation">[[:Talk:South African Class 6E#Operation – South African Classes 6E, 6E1, 16E, 17E and 18E|Operation – South African Classes 6E, 6E1, 16E, 17E and 18E]]</ref>

When the locomotive was stopped, the air brakes on both bogies were applied together. The handbrake or parking brake, located in cab no. 2, only operated on the unit's last axle, or no. 7 and 8 wheels.<ref name="Operation"/>

===Orientation=== These dual cab locomotives had a roof access ladder on one side only, just to the right of the cab access door. The roof access ladder end was marked as the no. 2 end. A corridor along the centre of the locomotive connected the cabs, which were identical apart from the fact that the handbrake was located in cab 2. A pantograph hook stick was stowed in a tube mounted below the lower edge of the locomotive body on the roof access ladder side.<ref name="E&D diagram-book">South African Railways Index and Diagrams Electric and Diesel Locomotives, 610mm and 1065mm Gauges, Ref LXD 14/1/100/20, 28 January 1975, as amended</ref>

==Modification to Class 17E== Class 17E locomotives were modified and reclassified from Class 6E1, Series 7, 8 or 9 locomotives during 1993 and 1994. Key modifications included improved regenerative braking and wheel-slip control to improve their reliability on the steep grades and curves of the [[KwaZulu-Natal]] mainline.<ref name="Middleton"/>

A stumbling block was that the regeneration equipment at many of the sub-stations along the route was unreliable and since there was no guarantee that another train would be in the same section to absorb the regenerated energy, there was always the risk that line voltage could exceed 4.1 kV, which would make either the sub-station or the locomotive trip out. As a result, the subsequently rebuilt Class 18E locomotives were not equipped with regenerative braking.<ref name="Class 17E braking systems">[[:Talk:South African Class 17E#Class 17E braking systems|Class 17E braking systems]]</ref>

Unlike the Class 16E locomotives, which were renumbered and reclassified but otherwise unmodified semi-permanently coupled pairs of Class 6E1, Series 3 to Series 9 locomotives that merely had their no. 1 end cabs abandoned in terms of maintenance, the Class 17Es retained their original unit numbers after reclassification, but with a "17E" marking applied below the locomotive's unit number behind the driver's side window.<ref name="Middleton"/>

Apart from the "17E" markings, they were visually indistinguishable from unmodified Class 6E1s. Those in SAR Gulf Red and yellow whiskers livery that still carried number plates even still showed "6E1" on the plates. Altogether 139 Class 6E1 locomotives were modified to Class 17E, of which 14 were Series 7, 55 Series 8 and 70 {{nowrap|Series 9}}.<ref name="Middleton">{{Middleton-SA Loco Guide|pages=49–51, 57}}</ref>

==Rebuilding to Class 18E== [[File:SAR Class 18E Series 1 18-328.JPG|thumb|300px|Cab 1 of Class 18E no. 18-328, ex Class 17E no. E2071, Sentrarand, 22 September 2009]] In 2000, Spoornet began a project to rebuild Series 2 to 11 Class 6E1 locomotives to [[South African Class 18E, Series 1|Class 18E, Series 1]] and [[South African Class 18E, Series 2|Series 2]] at the Transnet Rail Engineering (TRE) workshops at Koedoespoort. In the process the cab at the no. 1 end was stripped of all controls and the driver's front and side windows were blanked off to have a toilet installed, thereby forfeiting the locomotive's bi-directional ability.<ref name="Middleton"/><ref name="Koedoespoort">Information gathered from the rebuild files of individual locomotives at Transnet Rail Engineering's Koedoespoort shops, or obtained from John Middleton as well as several Transnet employees</ref>

[[File:Class 18E 18-089 brake rack.jpg|thumb|Brake rack in Class 18E no. 18-089]] Since the driving cab's noise level had to be below 85 decibels, cab 2 was selected as the Class 18E driving cab, primarily based on its lower noise level compared to cab 1 which was closer and more exposed to the compressor's noise and vibration. Another factor was the closer proximity of cab 2 to the low voltage switch panel. The fact that the handbrake was located in cab 2 was not a deciding factor, but was considered an additional benefit.<ref name="Koedoespoort"/>

While the earlier Class 6E1, Series 2 to 7 locomotives had been built with a brake system which consisted of various valves connected to each other with pipes and commonly referred to as a "bicycle frame" brake system, the Class 6E1, Series 8 to 11 locomotives were built with an air equipment frame brake system, commonly referred to as a brake rack. Since the design of the rebuilt Class 18E locomotives included the same brake rack, the rebuilding project was begun with the newer series 8 to 11 locomotives to reduce the overall cost of rebuilding.<ref name="Koedoespoort"/>

Between 2002 and 2007, all but three of the Class 17Es were rebuilt to Class 18E, Series 1. The exceptions are numbers E1778, E1803 and E2035, which are presumed to have been scrapped. The table lists their Class 6E1 series and numbers, Class 18E numbers and year of rebuilding. {| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed sortable" style="margin:0.5em auto; font-size:100%;" |+'''Class 17E units rebuilt to Class 18E''' |- ! Count !17E no. !6E1 series !Year built !18E no. !Year rebuilt |- |1 |E1749 |7 |1977 |18-332 |2007 |- |2 |E1775 |7 |1977 |18-292 |2006 |- |3 |E1776 |7 |1977 |18-326 |2007 |- |4 |E1777 |7 |1977 |18-289 |2006 |- |5 |E1801 |7 |1977–78 |18-331 |2007 |- |6 |E1805 |7 |1977–78 |18-260 |2006 |- |7 |E1810 |7 |1977–78 |18-294 |2006 |- |8 |E1822 |7 |1977–78 |18-097 |2003 |- |9 |E1826 |7 |1977–78 |18-344 |2007 |- |10 |E1827 |7 |1977–78 |18-283 |2006 |- |11 |E1832 |7 |1978 |18-307 |2007 |- |12 |E1843 |7 |1978 |18-270 |2006 |- |13 |E1900 |8 |1979 |18-262 |2006 |- |14 |E1901 |8 |1979 |18-298 |2006 |- |15 |E1904 |8 |1979 |18-087 |2003 |- |16 |E1905 |8 |1979 |18-311 |2007 |- |17 |E1906 |8 |1979 |18-284 |2006 |- |18 |E1907 |8 |1979 |18-330 |2007 |- |19 |E1908 |8 |1979 |18-288 |2006 |- |20 |E1909 |8 |1979 |18-061 |2002 |- |21 |E1910 |8 |1979 |18-295 |2006 |- |22 |E1913 |8 |1979 |18-340 |2007 |- |23 |E1921 |8 |1979–80 |18-341 |2007 |- |24 |E1922 |8 |1979–80 |18-306 |2007 |- |25 |E1924 |8 |1979–80 |18-334 |2007 |- |26 |E1931 |8 |1980 |18-202 |2005 |- |27 |E1933 |8 |1980 |18-320 |2007 |- |28 |E1934 |8 |1980 |18-094 |2003 |- |29 |E1935 |8 |1980 |18-018 |2002 |- |30 |E1936 |8 |1980 |18-274 |2006 |- |31 |E1937 |8 |1980 |18-216 |2005 |- |32 |E1938 |8 |1980 |18-293 |2006 |- |33 |E1939 |8 |1980 |18-203 |2005 |- |34 |E1940 |8 |1980 |18-084 |2003 |- |35 |E1944 |8 |1980 |18-197 |2005 |- |36 |E1945 |8 |1980 |18-207 |2005 |- |37 |E1946 |8 |1980 |18-062 |2002 |- |38 |E1947 |8 |1980 |18-290 |2006 |- |39 |E1949 |8 |1980 |18-064 |2002 |- |40 |E1962 |8 |1980 |18-070 |2003 |- |41 |E1964 |8 |1980 |18-329 |2007 |- |42 |E1965 |8 |1980 |18-316 |2007 |- |43 |E1966 |8 |1980 |18-178 |2005 |- |44 |E1967 |8 |1980 |18-263 |2006 |- |45 |E1968 |8 |1980 |18-222 |2005 |- |46 |E1969 |8 |1980 |18-201 |2005 |- |47 |E1971 |8 |1980 |18-269 |2006 |- |48 |E1976 |8 |1980 |18-256 |2006 |- |49 |E1979 |8 |1980 |18-337 |2007 |- |50 |E1982 |8 |1980 |18-272 |2006 |- |51 |E1983 |8 |1980 |18-296 |2006 |- |52 |E1984 |8 |1980–81 |18-226 |2005 |- |53 |E1985 |8 |1980–81 |18-312 |2007 |- |54 |E1986 |8 |1980–81 |18-215 |2005 |- |55 |E1987 |8 |1980–81 |18-324 |2007 |- |56 |E1989 |8 |1981 |18-303 |2006 |- |57 |E1990 |8 |1981 |18-310 |2007 |- |58 |E1991 |8 |1981 |18-225 |2005 |- |59 |E1992 |8 |1981 |18-278 |2006 |- |60 |E1993 |8 |1981 |18-336 |2007 |- |61 |E1994 |8 |1981 |18-305 |2006 |- |62 |E1995 |8 |1981 |18-279 |2006 |- |63 |E1996 |8 |1981 |18-315 |2007 |- |64 |E1997 |8 |1981 |18-156 |2004 |- |65 |E1998 |8 |1981 |18-237 |2006 |- |66 |E1999 |8 |1981 |18-065 |2002 |- |67 |E2000 |8 |1981 |18-309 |2007 |- |68 |E2003 |9 |1981–82 |18-285 |2006 |- |69 |E2005 |9 |1981–82 |18-308 |2007 |- |70 |E2006 |9 |1981–82 |18-325 |2007 |- |71 |E2007 |9 |1981–82 |18-236 |2005 |- |72 |E2008 |9 |1981–82 |18-275 |2006 |- |73 |E2011 |9 |1981–82 |18-255 |2006 |- |74 |E2012 |9 |1981–82 |18-273 |2006 |- |75 |E2015 |9 |1981–82 |18-261 |2006 |- |76 |E2016 |9 |1981–82 |18-232 |2005 |- |77 |E2017 |9 |1981–82 |18-299 |2006 |- |78 |E2018 |9 |1981–82 |18-249 |2006 |- |79 |E2019 |9 |1981–82 |18-252 |2006 |- |80 |E2020 |9 |1981–82 |18-194 |2005 |- |81 |E2022 |9 |1981–82 |18-211 |2005 |- |82 |E2023 |9 |1981–82 |18-267 |2006 |- |83 |E2024 |9 |1981–82 |18-259 |2006 |- |84 |E2025 |9 |1981–82 |18-193 |2005 |- |85 |E2026 |9 |1981–82 |18-196 |2005 |- |86 |E2027 |9 |1981–82 |18-319 |2007 |- |87 |E2028 |9 |1981–82 |18-210 |2005 |- |88 |E2029 |9 |1981–82 |18-327 |2007 |- |89 |E2030 |9 |1981–82 |18-223 |2005 |- |90 |E2031 |9 |1981–82 |18-304 |2006 |- |91 |E2032 |9 |1981–82 |18-301 |2006 |- |92 |E2033 |9 |1981–82 |18-246 |2006 |- |93 |E2034 |9 |1981–82 |18-254 |2006 |- |94 |E2036 |9 |1981–82 |18-247 |2006 |- |95 |E2037 |9 |1981–82 |18-037 |2002 |- |96 |E2038 |9 |1981–82 |18-074 |2003 |- |97 |E2039 |9 |1981–82 |18-230 |2005 |- |98 |E2040 |9 |1981–82 |18-241 |2006 |- |99 |E2041 |9 |1981–82 |18-276 |2006 |- |100 |E2042 |9 |1981–82 |18-227 |2005 |- |101 |E2043 |9 |1981–82 |18-234 |2005 |- |102 |E2044 |9 |1982 |18-219 |2005 |- |103 |E2045 |9 |1982 |18-238 |2005 |- |104 |E2046 |9 |1982 |18-271 |2006 |- |105 |E2047 |9 |1982 |18-268 |2006 |- |106 |E2048 |9 |1982 |18-258 |2006 |- |107 |E2050 |9 |1982 |18-239 |2006 |- |108 |E2051 |9 |1982 |18-229 |2005 |- |109 |E2052 |9 |1982 |18-218 |2005 |- |110 |E2053 |9 |1982 |18-093 |2003 |- |111 |E2054 |9 |1982 |18-257 |2006 |- |112 |E2055 |9 |1982 |18-028 |2002 |- |113 |E2056 |9 |1982 |18-079 |2003 |- |114 |E2057 |9 |1982 |18-240 |2005 |- |115 |E2058 |9 |1982 |18-253 |2006 |- |116 |E2059 |9 |1982 |18-321 |2007 |- |117 |E2060 |9 |1982 |18-250 |2006 |- |118 |E2062 |9 |1982 |18-282 |2006 |- |119 |E2063 |9 |1982 |18-242 |2006 |- |120 |E2064 |9 |1982 |18-281 |2006 |- |121 |E2065 |9 |1982 |18-192 |2005 |- |122 |E2066 |9 |1982 |18-212 |2005 |- |123 |E2067 |9 |1982 |18-245 |2006 |- |124 |E2068 |9 |1982 |18-302 |2006 |- |125 |E2069 |9 |1982 |18-291 |2006 |- |126 |E2070 |9 |1982 |18-224 |2005 |- |127 |E2071 |9 |1982 |18-328 |2007 |- |128 |E2073 |9 |1982 |18-243 |2006 |- |129 |E2075 |9 |1982 |18-073 |2003 |- |130 |E2076 |9 |1982 |18-228 |2005 |- |131 |E2077 |9 |1982 |18-244 |2006 |- |132 |E2079 |9 |1982 |18-127 |2004 |- |133 |E2081 |9 |1982 |18-251 |2006 |- |134 |E2082 |9 |1982 |18-235 |2005 |- |135 |E2084 |9 |1982 |18-217 |2005 |- |136 |E2085 |9 |1982 |18-214 |2005 |- |}

==Illustration== The main picture shows Class 17E no. E1826, ex Class 6E1, Series 7, at Capital Park in Pretoria on 28 September 2006. The "17E" markings below the locomotive numbers on this and the following picture were the only means to visually distinguish Class 17E locomotives from unmodified Class 6E1 locomotives. <gallery mode=packed heights="300px"> File:SAR Class 17E E1913.JPG|Class 17E no. E1913, ex Class 6E1, Series 8, at Capital Park, Pretoria, 28 September 2006 </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category-inline|South African Class 17E|position=left}}

[[Category:Bo-Bo locomotives]] [[Category:3000 V DC locomotives]] [[Category:Cape gauge railway locomotives]] [[Category:Electric locomotives of South Africa]] [[Category:Railway locomotives introduced in 1993]] [[Category:Transnet Rail Engineering locomotives]] [[Category:Union Carriage & Wagon locomotives]]