South African Class 34-600

{{Short description|South african locomotive}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Use South African English|date=August 2013}} {{Infobox locomotive | name = South African Class 34-600 | image = SAR Class 34-600 34-612.JPG | alt = | caption = No. 34-612 on yard duty at [[Empangeni]], [[Kwa-Zulu Natal]], 14 August 2007 | hatnote = ♠ – Original locomotive, as built {{font color|red|♥}} – Locomotive with upgraded traction motors | powertype = Diesel-electric | designer = [[Electro-Motive Diesel|General Motors Electro-Motive Division]] | builder = [[General Motors South Africa]] | ordernumber = | serialnumber = 101-1 to 101-100 | buildmodel = [[EMD GT26 Series#GT26MC|GM-EMD GT26MC]] | builddate = 1974–1976 | totalproduction = 100 | rebuilder = Transnet Rail Engineering | rebuilddate = 2006–2008 | numberrebuilt = 3 to [[South African Class 39-000|Class 39-000]] | aarwheels = [[AAR wheel arrangement#C-C|C-C]] | uicclass = [[Co'Co']] | Britishclass = [[Co+Co]] | gauge = {{Track gauge|Cape|allk=on}} | bogies = | leadingdiameter = | wheeldiameter = {{convert|1016|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} | trailingdiameter = | minimumcurve = | wheelbase = {{convert|14732|mm|ftin|1|abbr=on}} | bogie = {{convert|3632|mm|ftin|1|abbr=on}} | pivotcentres = {{convert|11278|mm|ftin|1|abbr=on}} | wheelspacing = | length = | over couplers = {{convert|19202|mm|ftin|1|abbr=on}} | over bufferbeams = | body = | width = {{convert|2819|mm|ftin|1|abbr=on}} | height = {{convert|3924|mm|ftin|1|abbr=on}} | axleload = {{convert|18850|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | leadingbogie/pony= | weightondrivers = {{convert|113100|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | trail bogie/pony = | locoweight = {{convert|113100|kg|lb|abbr=on}} max | fueltype = [[Diesel fuel|Diesel]] | fuelcap = {{convert|6100|L|impgal}} | lubecap = | coolantcap = | watercap = | sandcap = | powersupply = | consumption = | watercons = | primemover = [[Electro-Motive Diesel|GM-EMD]] [[EMD 645|16-645E3]] | rpmrange = 250–900 | rpmrange low = 250 | rpmrange idle = 315 | rpmrange max = 900 | enginetype = 2-stroke diesel | aspiration = GM-EMD E16 turbocharger | displacement = {{convert|10.57|L|cuin|1}} | alternator = 10 pole 3 phase GM-EMD {{nowrap|AR10F-D14}} | generator = | tractionmotors = ♠ Six GM-EMD D29B DC 4 pole {{font color|red|♥}} Six GM-EMD D31 DC 4 pole | t/m amps 1 hr = ♠ 485A {{font color|red|♥}} 545A | t/m amps cont = ♠ 450A @ {{convert|21|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} {{font color|red|♥}} 520A @ {{convert|21|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} | headendpower = | cylindercount = V16 | cylindersize = | transmission = | gear ratio = 63:14 | multipleworking = 6 maximum | trainheating = | locobrakes = 28-LAV-1 with vigilance control | dynamicpeakeffort= {{convert|188|kN|lbf|abbr=on}} @ {{convert|28|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} | trainbrakes = Gardner-Denver ADJV-8401 compressor/exhauster | reservoircap = {{convert|850|L|impgal}} | compressorcap = {{convert|0.021|m3/s|ft3/s|abbr=on}} | exhaustercap = {{convert|0.098|m3/s|ft3/s|abbr=on}} | safety = | coupling = [[Janney coupler|AAR knuckle]] (SASKOP E) | maxspeed = {{convert|100|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} | poweroutput = | poweroutput start= ♠ {{convert|2145|kW|hp|abbr=on}} {{font color|red|♥}} {{convert|2342|kW|hp|abbr=on}} | poweroutput 1 hr = | poweroutput cont = ♠ {{convert|1940|kW|hp|abbr=on}} {{font color|red|♥}} {{convert|2171|kW|hp|abbr=on}} | tractiveeffort = | t/e starting = ♠ {{convert|272|kN|lbf|abbr=on}} {{font color|red|♥}} {{convert|306|kN|lbf|abbr=on}} | t/e 1 hr = | t/e continuous = ♠ {{convert|218|kN|lbf|abbr=on}} @ {{convert|26|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} {{font color|red|♥}} {{convert|245|kN|lbf|abbr=on}} @ {{convert|26|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} | factorofadhesion = | f/adh starting = 25% | f/adh 1 hr = | f/adh continuous = 20% | locobrakeforce = 65% ratio @ {{convert|345|kPa|psi|abbr=on}} | operator = 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'' | operatorclass = Class 34-600 | powerclass = | numinclass = 100 | fleetnumbers = 34-601 to 34-700 | officialname = | nicknames = | axleloadclass = | locale = | deliverydate = 1974–1976 | firstrundate = 1974 | lastrundate = | withdrawndate = | preservedunits = | restoredate = | scrapdate = | currentowner = | disposition = | notes = }}

The '''South African Railways Class {{nowrap|34-600}}''' of 1974 is a diesel-electric locomotive.

Between December 1974 and July 1976, the South African Railways placed one hundred Class {{nowrap|34-600}} General Motors Electro-Motive Division [[EMD GT26 Series#GT26MC|type GT26MC]] diesel-electric locomotives in service.<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>

==Manufacturer== The Class {{nowrap|34-600}} type GT26MC diesel-electric locomotive was designed by [[Electro-Motive Diesel|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 {{nowrap|34-601}} to {{nowrap|34-700}}.<ref name="E&D diagram-book"/><ref name="Middleton">{{Middleton-SA Loco Guide|pages=38, 41, 46-47}}</ref><ref name="Paxton-Bourne">{{Paxton-Bourne|page=141}}</ref>

===Distinguishing features=== [[File:Class 34 (600) Number Plate (34-672).jpg|thumb|left|x100px]] Of the GM-EMD Class 34 family of locomotives, Classes [[South African Class 34-200|{{nowrap|34-200}}]] and {{nowrap|34-600}} units are visually indistinguishable from one another, but they can be distinguished from the [[South African Class 34-800|Class {{nowrap|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 {{nowrap|34-800}}.<ref name="Class 34-600 sill">[http://grela.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1848395 Class 34-600 sill] (Accessed on 11 June 2017)</ref><ref name="Class 34-800 sill">[http://grela.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=590262 Class 34-800 sill] (Accessed on 11 June 2017)</ref>

==Rebuilding and modification==

===Class 39-000=== The [[South African Class 39-000|Class 39-000]] type [[EMD GT26 Series#GT26CU-2|GT26CU-3]] diesel-electric locomotives were to be rebuilt from Class {{nowrap|34-600}}, [[South African Class 34-800|{{nowrap|34-800}}]] and [[South African Class 37-000|{{nowrap|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.<ref name="Middleton"/><ref name="Koedoespoort">Information supplied by staff at Transnet Rail Engineering, [[Bloemfontein]] and Koedoespoort</ref>

It was intended to produce one hundred Class {{nowrap|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 [[South African Class 39-200|Class {{nowrap|39-200}}]] locomotives from imported and locally produced components. Three Class {{nowrap|34-600}} locomotives, numbers {{nowrap|34-620}}, {{nowrap|34-635}} and {{nowrap|34-674}}, were rebuilt to Class {{nowrap|39-000}} before the rebuilding project was halted.<ref>[http://www.railwaysafrica.com/blog/2008/12/the-class-39-diesels/ The Class 39 Diesels] (Accessed on 11 June 2017)</ref>

===Traction motor upgrade=== In 2010, an upgrading project commenced at the Koedoespoort Transnet Rail Engineering shops to upgrade Class {{nowrap|34-600}} locomotives by, amongst other modifications, replacing the GM-EMD D29B with GM-EMD D31 traction motors, thereby improving their performance to the standard of the Class {{nowrap|37-000}}.<ref name="Koedoespoort"/>

Locomotives that are known to have undergone this upgrade are annotated "D31 TM" in the "Leased, rebuilt or sold to" column in the table.

==Service==

===South African Railways=== In SAR, Spoornet and [[Transnet Freight Rail]] (TFR) service, the Class {{nowrap|34-600s}} worked on most mainlines and some unelectrified branch lines in the central, eastern, northern and northeastern parts of South Africa.<ref name="Paxton-Bourne"/>

===National Railways of Zimbabwe=== From at least 1988 until at least 1992, the [[National Railways of Zimbabwe]] (NRZ) hired type GT26MC Class {{nowrap|34-600}} locomotives from the SAR and later Spoornet. Locomotives which were observed to be working on the NRZ between April 1988 and September 1992 are annotated "NRZ" in the "Leased, rebuilt or sold to" column in the.<ref name="Bagshawe">''Spoornet Diesels Leased to ZR 1978-1993''. P.F. Bagshawe.</ref>

===NLPI Ltd.=== NLPI Limited, abbreviated from New Limpopo Projects Investments, a Mauritius-registered company, specialises in private sector investments by using the [[build-operate-transfer]] (BOT) concept. It had three connected railway operations in [[Zimbabwe]] and [[Zambia]] which formed a rail link between South Africa and the [[Democratic Republic of Congo]].<ref name="Middleton"/> * The [[Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway]] (BBR), commissioned on 1 September 1999, operates the [[Beit Bridge]] to [[Bulawayo]] line in Zimbabwe. * Since February 2004, NLPI Logistics (NLL or LOG) operates between Bulawayo and [[Victoria Falls]] on the Zimbabwe-Zambia border. * Since February 2003, the Railway Systems of Zambia (RSZ) operated on the former [[Zambian Railways]] (ZR) from Victoria Falls to [[Sakania]] in the Congo.

In Zambia, the RSZ locomotive fleet included former ZR locomotives, but the rest of the locomotive fleet of all three operations consisted of South African GM-EMD Classes [[South African Class 34-200|{{nowrap|34-200}}]], {{nowrap|34-600}} and [[South African Class 34-800|{{nowrap|34-800}}]] and GE [[South African Class 35-000|Classes {{nowrap|35-000}}]] and [[South African Class 35-400|{{nowrap|35-400}}]] locomotives from Spoornet and later TFR. These locomotives were sometimes marked or branded as either BBR or LOG or both, but their status, whether leased or loaned, was unclear since they were still on the TFR roster and still often worked in South Africa as well.<ref name="Middleton"/>

Class {{nowrap|34-600}} locomotives which served with NLPI include the locomotives annotated "NLPI" in the "Leased, rebuilt or sold to" column in the table.

Zambia Railways, the state-owned holding company, resumed control of the Zambian national rail network on 11 September 2012. This followed the Zambian government's decision to revoke the operating concession awarded to RSZ after Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda claimed that RSZ had "blatantly disregarded the provisions of the agreement" and had been "acting in a manner prejudicial to the interests of Zambians".<ref>[http://www.railwaygazette.com/fileadmin/user_upload/railwaygazette.com/indexes/index-railwaygazetteinternational-2012.pdf ''ZRL in charge as RSZ concession revoked''. Railway Gazette International, 13 September 2012]</ref>

===Sheltam=== One of the Class {{nowrap|34-600}} locomotives, no. {{nowrap|34-640}}, was sold to [[Sheltam]], a locomotive hire and repair company based at the Douglas Colliery near [[Witbank]] in [[Mpumalanga]] which undertakes complete operating contracts and maintenance contracts. By the turn of the millennium, Sheltam locomotives were operating at [[Randfontein]] Estates Gold Mine in Gauteng, in Mpumalanga at Douglas and Vandyksdrift Collieries and at SAPPI, [[Ngodwana]]. They also operated on Spoornet's [[Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal|Newcastle]]-[[Utrecht, KwaZulu-Natal|Utrecht]] branch in [[KwaZulu-Natal]] and on [[Kei Rail]] in the Eastern Cape. Outside South Africa, they operated on the BBR, NLL and RSZ lines through Zimbabwe and Zambia and in the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]].<ref name="Middleton"/><ref>SA Rail, Volume 46, Number 2, April 2008, p3-7, ISSN 1026-3195</ref>

===Chemin de Fer Congo-Ocean=== Six Class {{nowrap|34-600}} locomotives were leased to the Congolese railway, the ''[[Congo–Ocean Railway|Chemin de Fer Congo-Ocean]]'' (CFCO), where they were renumbered in the range from CC801 to CC806.<ref name="Middleton"/>

===Camrail=== Six more locomotives which were at one time erroneously believed to have also gone to CFCO in the Congo, are now believed to have gone to Camrail in the Republic of Cameroon in about 2002, where they were renumbered in the range from CC2601 to CC2606. The order of their renumbering is not known.<ref name="Bagshawe"/>

===Ferrovia Centro Atlântico=== Five Class {{nowrap|34-600}} locomotives went to [[RFFSA|Ferrovia Centro Atlântico]] (FCA) at Divinipolis in [[Brazil]], where they run on {{RailGauge|metre|al=on}}. While they were initially part of Spoornet Traction's leasing scheme, they were later renumbered onto the FCA roster in the number range from 8226 to 8230.<ref name="Middleton"/>

===Ferrovia Sul Atlântico=== Ten Class {{nowrap|34-600}} locomotives went to Ferrovia Sul Atlântico (FSA) at Curitiba in [[Brazil]], where they also run on Metre gauge. While they were also initially part of Spoornet Traction's leasing scheme, they were later renumbered onto the FSA roster in the number range from 8231 to 8240.<ref name="Middleton"/>

==Works numbers== The builder's works numbers of Class {{nowrap|34-600}} locomotives as well as their known disposal and deployment are listed in the table.<ref name="Middleton"/> {| class="wikitable collapsible sortable collapsed" style="margin:0.5em auto; font-size:100%;" |+'''Class 34-600, GM-EMD type GT26MC''' |- ! Loco no. !GMSA works no. !Leased, rebuilt or sold to !New no. |- |34-601 |101-1 | | |- |34-602 |101-2 | | |- |34-603 |101-3 | | |- |34-604 |101-4 |FCA |8226 |- |34-605 |101-5 | | |- |34-606 |101-6 |NRZ | |- |34-607 |101-7 | | |- |34-608 |101-8 | | |- |34-609 |101-9 | | |- |34-610 |101-10 | | |- |34-611 |101-11 | | |- |34-612 |101-12 | | |- |34-613 |101-13 | | |- |34-614 |101-14 | | |- |34-615 |101-15 | | |- |34-616 |101-16 | | |- |34-617 |101-17 | | |- |34-618 |101-18 |FSA |8231 |- |34-619 |101-19 |Camrail | |- |34-620 |101-20 |[[South African Class 39-000|Class 39-000]] |39-004 |- |34-621 |101-21 |NRZ | |- |34-622 |101-22 | | |- |34-623 |101-23 |NLPI | |- |34-624 |101-24 | | |- |34-625 |101-25 |NRZ | |- |34-626 |101-26 | | |- |34-627 |101-27 | | |- |34-628 |101-28 |FSA |8232 |- |34-629 |101-29 | | |- |34-630 |101-30 |FSA |8233 |- |34-631 |101-31 | | |- |34-632 |101-32 |FCA |8228 |- |34-633 |101-33 | | |- |34-634 |101-34 | | |- |34-635 |101-35 |[[South African Class 39-000|Class 39-000]] |39-001 |- |34-636 |101-36 | | |- |34-637 |101-37 | | |- |34-638 |101-38 | | |- |34-639 |101-39 | | |- |34-640 |101-40 |Sheltam |18/2604 |- |34-641 |101-41 |NLPI | |- |34-642 |101-42 | | |- |34-643 |101-43 | | |- |34-644 |101-44 |NRZ/Camrail | |- |34-645 |101-45 | | |- |34-646 |101-46 |FSA |8234 |- |34-647 |101-47 |NLPI/D31 TM | |- |34-648 |101-48 |NRZ/NLPI | |- |34-649 |101-49 | | |- |34-650 |101-50 |NLPI | |- |34-651 |101-51 | | |- |34-652 |101-52 | | |- |34-653 |101-53 | | |- |34-654 |101-54 | | |- |34-655 |101-55 |Camrail | |- |34-656 |101-56 |FSA |8235 |- |34-657 |101-57 |FSA |8236 |- |34-658 |101-58 | | |- |34-659 |101-59 |FCA |8229 |- |34-660 |101-60 |NRZ/Camrail | |- |34-661 |101-61 |NRZ/Camrail | |- |34-662 |101-62 |CFCO |CC804 |- |34-663 |101-63 |CFCO |CC805 |- |34-664 |101-64 | | |- |34-665 |101-65 | | |- |34-666 |101-66 |NLPI | |- |34-667 |101-67 | | |- |34-668 |101-68 |NRZ/NLPI/D31 TM | |- |34-669 |101-69 |FSA |8237 |- |34-670 |101-70 |CFCO |CC806 |- |34-671 |101-71 |CFCO |CC803 |- |34-672 |101-72 | | |- |34-673 |101-73 |FSA |8238 |- |34-674 |101-74 |NRZ/[[South African Class 39-000|Class 39-000]] |39-003 |- |34-675 |101-75 | | |- |34-676 |101-76 |NRZ | |- |34-677 |101-77 |FSA |8239 |- |34-678 |101-78 |NLPI | |- |34-679 |101-79 | | |- |34-680 |101-80 |NRZ/CFCO |CC801 |- |34-681 |101-81 |NRZ | |- |34-682 |101-82 |NRZ/CFCO |CC802 |- |34-683 |101-83 |FCA |8227 |- |34-684 |101-84 |Camrail | |- |34-685 |101-85 | | |- |34-686 |101-86 |NRZ/D31 TM | |- |34-687 |101-87 | | |- |34-688 |101-88 |FCA |8230 |- |34-689 |101-89 | | |- |34-690 |101-90 |NRZ | |- |34-691 |101-91 |NLPI | |- |34-692 |101-92 |FSA |8240 |- |34-693 |101-93 |NLPI | |- |34-694 |101-94 |NLPI | |- |34-695 |101-95 | | |- |34-696 |101-96 |NRZ/NLPI | |- |34-697 |101-97 | | |- |34-698 |101-98 |NLPI | |- |34-699 |101-99 | | |- |34-700 |101-100 | | |- |}

==Liveries== The Class 34-600 were all delivered in the SAR Gulf Red livery with signal red buffer beams, yellow side stripes on the long hood sides and a yellow V on each end. In the 1990s many of the Class 34-600 units began to be repainted in the Spoornet orange livery with a yellow and blue chevron pattern on the buffer beams. Two known locomotives, numbers {{nowrap|34-651}} and {{nowrap|34-652}}, were painted in Spoornet's orange era Blue Train livery. Some later received the Spoornet Traction maroon livery. After 2008 in the [[Transnet Freight Rail]] (TFR) era, some were repainted in the TFR red, green and yellow livery.<ref name="Middleton"/><ref name="Soul of a Railway 7-9">[https://sites.google.com/site/soulorailway/home/system-7-1/south-eastwards-as-far-as-volksrust-2nd-section-wattles-to-union-junction-by-les-pivnic Soul of A Railway, System 7, Western Transvaal, based in Johannesburg, Part 9. South-Eastwards as far as Volksrust (2nd part) by Les Pivnic. Caption 4.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724042106/https://sites.google.com/site/soulorailway/home/system-7-1/south-eastwards-as-far-as-volksrust-2nd-section-wattles-to-union-junction-by-les-pivnic |date=24 July 2021 }} (Accessed on 11 April 2017)</ref>

==Illustration== Depicted below is no. {{nowrap|34-652}} in Spoornet's [[Blue Train (South Africa)|Blue Train]] livery, incorrectly numbered as a Class {{nowrap|84-000}} on the cabside. The error was corrected later. Other liveries which were applied to Class {{nowrap|34-600}} locomotives are also illustrated.<ref>[http://grela.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1847563 Class 34-651 livery] (Accessed on 11 June 2017)</ref> <gallery mode=packed heights="180px"> File:Class 34-600 no. 34-660.jpg|No. 34-660 in SAR Gulf Red and whiskers, [[Dabuka]], [[Zimbabwe]], 22 February 1992 File:SAR Class 34-600 84-652.JPG|Blue Train no. 34-652 at Capital Park, 2 October 2006, incorrectly numbered 84-652 File:Class 34-600 34-694.JPG|No. 34-694 in Spoornet orange with NLPI LOG emblems, Capital Park, 10 May 2013 File:Class 34-600 34-650.JPG|No. 34-650 in Spoornet maroon with NLPI LOG emblems, Capital Park, 6 May 2013 File:Class 34-600 34-601.jpg|No. 34-601 with TRAÇÃO markings for Brazil, Pyramid South, 22 September 2015 File:TFR Class 34-600 34-610.jpg|No. 34-610 in Transnet Freight Rail livery, Koedoespoort, Pretoria, 20 May 2011 </gallery>

==References== {{Commons category|South African Class 34-600|position=left}} {{Reflist}} {{Locomotives of South Africa}} {{EMD diesels}}

[[Category:Diesel–electric locomotives of South Africa|3390]] [[Category:C-C locomotives]] [[Category:Co′Co′ locomotives]] [[Category:Co+Co locomotives]] [[Category:Electro-Motive Division locomotives]] [[Category:GMSA locomotives]] [[Category:Cape gauge railway locomotives]] [[Category:Railway locomotives introduced in 1974]] [[Category:1974 in South Africa]]