New GE C30ACi's

[Adrian Hill]

Does anybody have any information on these locos? What would be their South African class designation?

[Mel Turner]

Looks like they are to be numbered in the 43 000 block

43 001 and 43 002 in transit in the USA http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 91&nseq=66

[Rob Jamieson]

These Class 43-000 diesel-electric locomotives are from a contract signed in 2009 for 100 locomotives. They will have AC traction, a first for South African diesel-electric locomotives. They certainly look impressive. I wonder where they will be used.

http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/s ... -deal.html

[Stefan Andrzejewski]

These new 3300hp loco's will replace the Class 34 on the Sishen Saldanha line. The older less powerful 34 can be utilised on other lines where there is a shortage of loco's

[John Ashworth]

Attached

[Greg Hart]

They are arriving at Durban Harbour on Friday 21st January 2011, and will be offloaded on Saturday 22nd, so If anyone can sneak through security and get some pics, It would be nice. Not sure from where that will take the locos to, on a truck or rail.

Cheers

[Mel Turner]

Is the weight of 126 tonnes quoted for this Class, wet or dry?

Fuel capacity is given as 7000 litres, so fuel and the tank will 9/10 tonnes

If 126 tonne is wet, draining all liquids and dropping the fuel tank will probably bring back the weight to an acceptable figure (111 tonnes?) for transporting over lighter rail, this seems to be the practice in Australia.

Does anyone have a figure for the length? They will have 2 extra inverter cabinets, so should be longer than a 39 Class

126 tonnes wet is probably the lowest weight that GE can build a 3k hp AC locomotive, using a conventional frame. Queensland Cape gauge 4000/4100 class GT46C-AC's come in at 120 tonnes. However the EMD prime mover is lighter than GE's, and the unit is built with a lightweight narrow truss frame. The trusses are concealed in the hood sides, so are not visible to the observer. Technically should be classified as cab units, same as the old "F". Aluminium is also extensively used, including the air tanks. Length is 22 meters.

Are the 43 Class plumbed for on-line/in-line refuelling so they can be used with fuel tenders ? 7k litres is a rather a low figure
http://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11356841-0-asc-s0.htm

[Steve Appleton]

From Business Day, 2011-01-18
http://www.businessday.co.za/Articles/C ... ?id=131714

Transnet power-saving engines on way
Transnet to receive first delivery of its 100 brand-new General Electric (GE) diesel electric locomotives this week.
JULIUS BAUMANN
Published: 2011/01/18 06:34:44 AM

RAIL group Transnet is expected to take the first deliveries of 100 brand-new General Electric (GE) diesel electric locomotives — among the first new engines to enter service in sub-Saharan Africa in decades — when they arrive in SA this week.

The locomotives, shipped from the Port of Virginia in the US at the end of last month, are part of a R2,4bn order placed with GE by Transnet in December 2009.

The first 10 locomotives were assembled in the US while the remaining 90 will be shipped in kit form, to be assembled by Transnet Rail Engineering (TRE). Transnet spokesman Mboniso Sigonyela said yesterday the new engines would transport general freight.

The locomotives are expected to go a long way to improving the reliability of Transnet’s freight service and reducing Transnet’s reliance on Eskom power. They are more efficient and more powerful than its existing fleet.

"Transnet are desperately short of locomotives and the delivery of the locos is most welcome," said Allen Jorgensen, a rail expert and research officer at the Railroad Association of SA. "These state-of-the-art locomotives will allow Transnet to de- electrify their lines where there has been insufficient supply of electricity in the past."

The new engines, GE’s model C30ACi locomotives, will deliver 3300 gross horsepower using an electronic fuel-injection system that automatically supplies the exact amount of fuel needed for optimal engine efficiency.

The addition of these locomotives will decrease life-cycle costs, improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, said Gorman Zimba, CEO of GE SA Technologies. "The production of the locomotives in SA is an example of GE’s approach of localisation."

The acquisition and rebuilding of dozens of locomotives feature prominently in Transnet’s R93,4bn, five-year capital expenditure programme.

Transnet has already deployed 50 "like-new" EMD class 39 locos, assembled by TRE, in the general freight business and is rolling out 110 new dual-voltage class 19E locomotives, also being built in SA. Nineteen new class 15E locomotives were delivered last year, with a further 25 expected in 2011-12.

[Steve Appleton]

Does anyone know why these new locos are given the designation "class 43". The last diesel class in service is class 39, if I am correct. Were there any class 40, 41 and 42 locos? If not, why not? If yes, where are they? Did those classes comprise designs that never hit the road or did those classes possibly become the subject of cancelled tenders, so never built?

[Greg Hart]

Maybe they scrapped the design from 3 different companies, as they lost out on the tender??

Where is our 13E???

[Aidan McCarthy]

Hi,

Drivers probably would not drive locos with this class as they are superstitous.

[Andreas Umnus]

Found just this information about the loco:

Railwaysafrica

[Greg Hart]

Hi guys, some Info of the transfer of these loco's TODAY 28Jan2011 on the Natal main line
Cheers

Should anyone wish to see them on the inaugural delivery trip to Koedoespoort Workshops for service trials, they are due to be hauled dead up the Natal Main Line this Friday, 28 January 2011 with empty wagons for additional brake power. As the new diesels are being hauled unbraked, the train will initially be limited to a maximum speed of 30km/h, although this may later be increased to 60km/h at the discretion of the technical staff accompanying the train. The approximate schedule will be as follows:-



Friday, 28 January 2011

Bayhead 08:00

Mariannhill 09:30

Nshongweni 10:20

Hammarsdale 11:00

Cato Ridge 11:30

Pietermaritzburg 13:00

Merrivale (Howick) 14:00

Lion’s River 14:30 – 14:45 Crew change

Nottingham Road 16:00

Mooi River 16:40

Estcourt 18:00

Colenso 19:30

Ladysmith 20:45 – 21:10 Crew change

Glencoe 23:30

Saturday, 29 January 2011

Newcastle 01:30

Charlestown 03:30



Times from Charlestown to Pretoria are unfortunately not available, but the train should be around Heidelberg at about mid-morning.

[Mel Turner]

Photos have appeared on Flickr

43.001 http://www.flickr.com/photos/sar_connec ... otostream/
43.002 http://www.flickr.com/photos/sar_connec ... otostream/

[John Ashworth]

Transnet to get 100 new locomotives

Times Live
Feb 21, 2011 1:29 PM | By Sapa

Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba on Monday unveiled the latest locomotive to enter service with Transnet as part of its R93.5 million capitalisation scheme.

Neither Transnet nor General Electric would reveal how much each locomotive would cost.

In terms of the deal, 10 of the General Electric C30ACi locomotives will be built in the United States and 90 will be built in South Africa, at Koedoespoort, over the next two years.

It was not the company's "policy" to reveal the price of the locomotives. said GE president and chief executive of transportation Lorenzo Simonelli.

Gigaba said the locomotives were part of Transnet's fleet renewal plan and the company's R93.5bn five year capital investment programme, which could be increased to R110bn.

According to Transnet and GE, three of the locomotives would have the same hauling power of four of the older locomotives in use and would save about 600,000 litres of fuel a year.

The locomotives would also be more environmentally friendly, producing less carbon dioxide than older models, and would be known locally as GE class 43 locomotives.

They are the first of their kind in Africa to use AC electric power.

"The many years of neglect of public investment in infrastructure capacity has created a very untenable situation for economic growth and development, and impacted negatively on jobs and skills development, especially those of artisans and apprentices as well as the country's local industrial and manufacturing capability," said Gigaba.

He said neglect of the rail network had denied the country many economic opportunities and economic capacity.

The neglect, which had taken place since 1992, had reduced the capacity of the manufacturing sector to export and to distribute between the country's economic hubs.

He said that even the current investment in infrastructure was "not at levels that we would like to see it at."

The improvement in the country's rail infrastructure would also help to take pressure off the country's roads.

Gigaba said he would like to see Transnet achieve employment equity targets, because failure by state-owned enterprises would send a poor signal to the private sector.

"Failure by state-owned enterprises to transform undermines and puts the brakes on the government's transformation objectives in the broader corporate sector, as the latter feels no pressure to transform if the former is not itself transformed. We are going to demand concrete action in this regard," he said.