The South African Railways Class 35-200 of 1974 is a diesel-electric locomotive.
Between November 1974 and August 1976, the South African Railways placed 150 Class 35-200 General Motors Electro-Motive Division type GT18MC diesel-electric locomotives in service. In 1975, one more Class 35-200 locomotive was built for AECI in Modderfontein, Johannesburg.[1][2]
Manufacturer
The Class 35-200 type GT18MC diesel-electric locomotive was designed for the South African Railways (SAR) by General Motors Electro-Motive Division (GM-EMD). The first 25 units were built by GM-EMD and imported, delivered by November 1974 and numbered in the range from 35-201 to 35-225. The remainder were built in two batches by General Motors South Africa (GMSA) in Port Elizabeth, with 75 units being delivered between 1974 and 1975, numbered in the range from 35-226 to 35-300, and another fifty between 1975 and August 1976, numbered in the range from 35-301 to 35-350.[1][2][3]
While the first GMSA batch was being built, an order for one Class 35-200 GT18MC locomotive was received from AECI in Modderfontein, Johannesburg. Since it required urgent delivery, no. 35-244 (works no. 100-19) from the SAR order was delivered to AECI and became their no. 2, named "A.J. de Beer". The AECI locomotive, works no. 107-1, then went to the SAR as no. 35-244.[1]
Class 35 series
GE and GM-EMD designs
The Class 35 locomotive family consists of five sub-classes, the General Electric (GE) Classes 35-000 and 35-400 and the GM-EMD Classes 35-200, 35-600 and 35-800. Both manufacturers also produced locomotives for the South African Classes 33, 34 and 36.[2]
Distinguishing features
The GM-EMD Class 35-200 and 35-600 are visually indistinguishable from each other.[2]
Service
South African Railways
The Class 35 family is South Africa’s standard branchline diesel-electric locomotive. GM-EMD Class 35-200s were designed for light rail conditions across difficult terrain and they work on most branch lines in the central, eastern, northern and north-eastern parts of the country.[3]
Zambia
Between October 1978 and May 1993, Zambia Railways (ZR) hired locomotives to solve its chronic shortages in motive power, mainly from South Africa but at times also from Zaire, Zimbabwe, the TAZARA Railway and even the Zambian Copper Mines. In Zambia, the South African locomotives were mainly used on goods trains between Livingstone and Kitwe, sometimes in tandem with a ZR locomotive and occasionally also on passenger trains.[4]
The first period of hire lasted from October 1978 until about April 1981. Locomotives were selected from a pool of engines in the Classes 33-400, 35-000 and 35-200 which were allocated by the Railways for hire to Zambia. The South African fleet in Zambia was never constant, since locomotives were continually exchanged when they became due back in South Africa for their three-monthly services.[4]
In November 1979, six Class 35-200 locomotives were on hire, but they are believed to have left Zambia in early 1980. A full list of the locomotives which were used in Zambia is not available, but no. 35-246 is known to have been used there during this period.[4]
CamRail and Sudan Railways
Nine Class 35-200 locomotives were leased to CamRail, a company which had a twenty-year concession to operate the Cameroon National Railway. These units were regauged to 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge. Six of these later went on a second lease until June 2007 to Sudan Railways, where they were numbered in the range from 3601 to 3606.[1]
FCA and FSA, Brazil
Fifteen Class 35-200 locomotives went to Ferrovia Centro Atlântico (FCA) and Ferrovia Sul Atlântico (FSA) in Brazil, where they were also regauged to run on metre gauge. Both these railroads are now part of América Latina Logística (ALL), which operates in Brazil and Argentina.[1]
Ten of these units went to FCA at Divinipolis in Brazil. While they were initially part of Spoornet Traction’s leasing scheme, they were later renumbered onto the FCA roster in the range from 8200 to 8209. The other five locomotives went to FSA at Curitiba in Brazil. Also initially part of Spoornet Traction’s leasing scheme, they were later renumbered onto the FSA roster in the range from 8210 to 8214.[1]
Works numbers
The Class 35-200 builders, works numbers, lease details and renumberings are listed in the table.[1]
Class 35-200, GM-EMD type GT18MC
Loco no.
Builder
Works no.
1st lease
2nd lease
New no.
35-201
GM-EMD
712981
35-202
GM-EMD
712982
35-203
GM-EMD
712983
35-204
GM-EMD
712984
35-205
GM-EMD
712985
35-206
GM-EMD
712986
35-207
GM-EMD
712987
35-208
GM-EMD
712988
35-209
GM-EMD
712989
35-210
GM-EMD
712990
35-211
GM-EMD
712991
35-212
GM-EMD
712992
35-213
GM-EMD
712993
35-214
GM-EMD
712994
35-215
GM-EMD
712995
35-216
GM-EMD
712996
35-217
GM-EMD
712997
35-218
GM-EMD
712998
35-219
GM-EMD
712999
35-220
GM-EMD
713000
35-221
GM-EMD
713001
35-222
GM-EMD
713002
35-223
GM-EMD
713003
35-224
GM-EMD
713004
Camrail
Sudan
3601
35-225
GM-EMD
713005
Camrail
Sudan
3602
35-226
GMSA
100-1
Camrail
35-227
GMSA
100-2
Camrail
Sudan
3603
35-228
GMSA
100-3
Camrail
35-229
GMSA
100-4
Camrail
Sudan
3604
35-230
GMSA
100-5
35-231
GMSA
100-6
35-232
GMSA
100-7
35-233
GMSA
100-8
FCA
8202
35-234
GMSA
100-9
35-235
GMSA
100-10
FCA
8203
35-236
GMSA
100-11
35-237
GMSA
100-12
35-238
GMSA
100-13
35-239
GMSA
100-14
35-240
GMSA
100-15
35-241
GMSA
100-16
35-242
GMSA
100-17
35-243
GMSA
100-18
Camrail
Sudan
3605
AECI 2
GMSA
100-19
35-244
GMSA
107-01
Camrail
Sudan
3606
35-245
GMSA
100-20
Camrail
35-246
GMSA
100-21
Zambia
35-247
GMSA
100-22
35-248
GMSA
100-23
35-249
GMSA
100-24
35-250
GMSA
100-25
35-251
GMSA
100-26
35-252
GMSA
100-27
35-253
GMSA
100-28
35-254
GMSA
100-29
35-255
GMSA
100-30
FSA
8210
35-256
GMSA
100-31
35-257
GMSA
100-32
35-258
GMSA
100-33
35-259
GMSA
100-34
35-260
GMSA
100-35
35-261
GMSA
100-36
35-262
GMSA
100-37
35-263
GMSA
100-38
35-264
GMSA
100-39
35-265
GMSA
100-40
35-266
GMSA
100-41
35-267
GMSA
100-42
35-268
GMSA
100-43
35-269
GMSA
100-44
35-270
GMSA
100-45
35-271
GMSA
100-46
35-272
GMSA
100-47
35-273
GMSA
100-48
35-274
GMSA
100-49
35-275
GMSA
100-50
35-276
GMSA
100-51
35-277
GMSA
100-52
35-278
GMSA
100-53
35-279
GMSA
100-54
35-280
GMSA
100-55
35-281
GMSA
100-56
35-282
GMSA
100-57
35-283
GMSA
100-58
35-284
GMSA
100-59
35-285
GMSA
100-60
35-286
GMSA
100-61
35-287
GMSA
100-62
35-288
GMSA
100-63
35-289
GMSA
100-64
35-290
GMSA
100-65
35-291
GMSA
100-66
35-292
GMSA
100-67
35-293
GMSA
100-68
35-294
GMSA
100-69
35-295
GMSA
100-70
35-296
GMSA
100-71
35-297
GMSA
100-72
35-298
GMSA
100-73
35-299
GMSA
100-74
35-300
GMSA
100-75
35-301
GMSA
102-1
35-302
GMSA
102-2
35-303
GMSA
102-3
35-304
GMSA
102-4
35-305
GMSA
102-5
FSA
8211
35-306
GMSA
102-6
FCA
8200
35-307
GMSA
102-7
FCA
8201
35-308
GMSA
102-8
FCA
8204
35-309
GMSA
102-9
35-310
GMSA
102-10
35-311
GMSA
102-11
35-312
GMSA
102-12
FSA
8212
35-313
GMSA
102-13
FCA
8205
35-314
GMSA
102-14
FCA
8206
35-315
GMSA
102-15
FCA
8207
35-316
GMSA
102-16
35-317
GMSA
102-17
35-318
GMSA
102-18
35-319
GMSA
102-19
35-320
GMSA
102-20
FCA
8208
35-321
GMSA
102-21
35-322
GMSA
102-22
35-323
GMSA
102-23
35-324
GMSA
102-24
FSA
8213
35-325
GMSA
102-25
35-326
GMSA
102-26
35-327
GMSA
102-27
35-328
GMSA
102-28
35-329
GMSA
102-29
35-330
GMSA
102-30
35-331
GMSA
102-31
35-332
GMSA
102-32
35-333
GMSA
102-33
FSA
8214
35-334
GMSA
102-34
35-335
GMSA
102-35
35-336
GMSA
102-36
35-337
GMSA
102-37
35-338
GMSA
102-38
35-339
GMSA
102-39
35-340
GMSA
102-40
35-341
GMSA
102-41
35-342
GMSA
102-42
FCA
8209
35-343
GMSA
102-43
35-344
GMSA
102-44
35-345
GMSA
102-45
35-346
GMSA
102-46
35-347
GMSA
102-47
35-348
GMSA
102-48
35-349
GMSA
102-49
35-350
GMSA
102-50
Liveries
The Class 35-200 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 35-200 units began to be repainted in the Spoornet orange livery with a yellow and blue chevron pattern on the buffer beams. Several later received the Spoornet maroon livery. In the late 1990s many were repainted in the Spoornet blue livery with outline numbers on the long hood sides. After 2008 in the Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) and Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) era, many were repainted in the TFR red, green and yellow livery and at least two were repainted in the PRASA purple Shosholoza Meyl livery.[1][5]
Illustration
No. 35-348 in SAR Gulf Red and whiskers livery, Beaconsfield, 27 January 2010
No. 35-218 in Spoornet maroon livery, Beaconsfield, Kimberley, 25 August 2007
No. 35-251 in Spoornet blue with outline numbers, Capital Park, 1 October 2009
No. 35-341 in Transnet Freight Rail livery, Koedoespoort, 29 September 2015
No. 35-214 in PRASA's Shosholoza Meyl livery, Bloemfontein, 29 April 2013
References
^ abcdefghMiddleton, 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, 42–43, 46–47.
^ abcdSouth African Railways Index and Diagrams Electric and Diesel Locomotives, 610mm and 1065mm Gauges, Ref LXD 14/1/100/20 (amended ed.). 28 January 1975.
^ abPaxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 141–142. ISBN0869772112.