Vossloh to supply Euro Dual locomotives to PRASA

[Steve Appleton]

Herewith drawings of South African 1065mm track and vehicle gauges. I think they are still current.

Maximum vehicle height is 3965 mm. Track structure gauge is 4270 mm high (4000 for truck tipplers). Anything above that will intrude into the "electrification zone", although the contact wire itself should not be lower than 4930 mm.

Maximum vehicle width is 3050 mm. Horizontal structure clearances vary according to curve radius and cant.

vehicle gauge-1065mm_001.jpg

vertical_clearances-1065mm_001.jpg

horizontal_clearances-1065mm_001.jpg

[Steve Appleton]

So we have as maximum heights:
UIC 4310 mm, UK (new) 4115 mm and SA 3965 mm, UK (old) 3911mm.

As maximum widths:
UIC 3290 mm, SA 3050 mm, UK 2743 mm.

Further note:
Rail vehicles are rarely, if ever, built to these absolute maximum dimensions because of a variety of factors.

Due to historical structure limitations and the modern intent to accomodate ever larger loads (mainly containers) where possible, both the UIC and UK have a plethora of loading gauges each, many of which are not universal across their systems. Those loading gauges can vary by wagon type and by the structure limitations on their permitted routes.

Complicating this further is the necessity to allow for kinetic movement due to suspension bounce, sway, overthrow, etc. To make the riding more comfortable in passenger vehicles, the suspensions are usually more compliant and thus permit more movement. In addition longer coaches (carriages) creates more overthrow at the vehicle centre and ends which can foul structures on curves. Coach design must take all this into account, with an impact on their actual height and width.

There are a couple very good UK documents on the subject at:
http://www.rgsonline.co.uk/Railway_Grou ... ss%201.pdf
and
http://www.rssb.co.uk/Library/groups-an ... g-t926.pdf

[John Ashworth]

So we have as maximum heights:
UIC 4310 mm, UK (new) 4115 mm and SA 3965 mm, UK (old) 3911m.

Thanks, Steve. Would I be right in assuming that the "UK (new)" is only for routes which have been upgraded to this specification, and is not across the entire UK network?

[Steve Appleton]

Yes, John. I understand that the larger height originated in Scotland (later construction) and now been made almost universal across the system, except (and I stand to be corrected) on parts of the old Southern region, for example, the Hastings line. And of course the Underground railways. The UK does have some new profiles intended for adoption as new builds come on stream (HS1 and HS2 for instance).

[John Ashworth]

My understanding is that it is largely freight routes which have been upgraded to the new loading gauge to allow for the bigger containers. But I think most new lines are built to the new loading gauge, and when routine infrastructure maintenance is done they also take the opportunity to upgrade the loading gauge as much as possible.

[Malcolm Wilton-Jones]

The Hastings line was singled through the tunnel in 1986 to allow normal size trains to pass. HS1 was, and HS2 will be, built to UIC gauge. During overhead electrification a lot of changes are made by raising bridges or lowering the track to accommodate the wires but I don't think any allowance was made to a possible change to UIC. There are still numerous old loading gauges in use where certain trains and stock cannot go. The highest gauge is in the Channel Tunnel at 5600mm, some of the lorry shuttles are 5595mm while the car/van shuttles are 5575mm, single or double deck. The locomotives are tiny by comparison, as are the feeder lines at either end (HS1 and LGV).
Back to the Euro 4000, which on paper does seem likely to be above the 3965mm quoted, would the electrification process have increased the permissible height on those lines and some others sufficiently to allow it to be used?
I didn't see numbers AFRO 4006 & AFRO 4007 this week so they could have left and 8, 9 and 10 are part painted.

[John Ashworth]

South Africa gets new batch of locos

When a new batch of diesel locomotives was unloaded off the ship at the Cape Town harbour on 14 January, Transport Minister Dipuo Peters walked towards the Afro4002 loco and kissed it...

S/African takes delivery of new locomotives

[Malcolm Wilton-Jones]

This morning I saw AFRO 4006 and 4 other locos virtually complete and two transporter lorries were waiting to take 2 of the locomotives to Porto docks for onward shipment. So expect another batch to arrive sometime in February perhaps.

[John Ashworth]

KISS FOR A LADY FROM SPAIN

LOCO FROM SPAIN HEADS STELLENBOSCH SPECIAL

[John Ashworth]

Vossloh : All lines clear for South Africa's Afro 4000 locos

[Malcolm Wilton-Jones]

More importantly, perhaps, the loco was designed by a South African team led by a black engineer, Dr Daniel Mtimkulu. The fleet of 71 new locos,

Curious that they claim it was designed by a South African team. Is it not almost an off the shelf product from the Vossloh Factory design team? Sure there may be a few minor differences. Cape gauge bogies, but that is just a variation of an option between Standard gauge and Broad gauge. Dual upper headlights, another option. Couplings and buffers obviously have to be to the operating railways own specifications. Is it the same engine (EMD 16-710 4000 hp) and traction motors (AC or DC) as the European models? Certainly the body & cabs look the same. Perhaps what they really mean is "They chose which options they wanted".
The orders are for 20 Euro 4000HP and 50 Euroduals, that only makes 70.

[John Ashworth]

Yes, I wondered about that. Maybe they mean that the specifications came from South Africa (were "designed") and Vossloh made modifications to fit those specifications?

I was also surprised at the statement, "They are the first in the country to have two driving cabs". In fact most of the South African electric units, going back to the earliest models, have had two cabs.

I think this is a great step forward for South Africa, to have a class of loco especially for passenger traffic, one that belongs to PRASA and doesn't have to be sourced from Transnet, one that is brand new and modern. I suspect that one or two media people with not too much technical knowledge got a bit carried away in singing its praises and introduced some suspect elements into the narrative, which is a shame as it really does merit having its praises sung for the right reasons.

[Malcolm Wilton-Jones]

What is interesting is the fact that this version is only used for freight in Europe where they are proving very popular with private companies with small orders trickling through quite frequently. Only the 3000HP version, Bo-Bo with EMD 12 cyl engine, is used for passenger work, and only in Spain where some of its runs are with just 3 coaches or less. One train runs the length of the country picking up odd coaches from branches at one end and dropping them at the other end to continue on other branches but it is electric-hauled for most of its length. Israel has both versions currently for passenger use, though the Euro 4000 is the freight version.

[Steve Appleton]

Is there not perhaps a speed limitation on the Euro 4000 loco that affects passenger operations? That of course would be of less consequence here with our restricted speeds due to the narrower gauge. No train here regularly exceeds 100 km/h (most are limited to 90 km/h) and I think it unlikely that PRASA would be granted dispensation to run much faster, if at all with existing rolling stock.

[Malcolm Wilton-Jones]

No problem with speeds then, you might need a limiter!
Maximum speeds:
3000 series (freight) 120 km/h (74.6 mph)
3000 series (passenger) 200 km/h (124.3 mph)
3000 AC series (passenger): 160 km/h (99.4 mph)
4000 series (freight) 120 km/h (74.6 mph)
4000 series (freight/passenger) 130 km/h (80.8 mph)
4000 series (passenger) 160 km/h (99.4 mph)