South African Class 11E

No. 11-009 at Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal, 15 August 2007

Type and origin
Power type	Electric
Designer	General Motors
Builder	11-001 - 11-030 GMSA 11-031 - 11-045 Delta
Serial number	GMSA 119.01-119.30 Delta 119.31-119.45
Model	General Motors GM5FC
Build date	1985-1987
Total produced	45

Specifications
Configuration:
• AAR	C-C
• UIC	Co'Co'
• Commonwealth	Co-Co
Gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge
Wheel diameter	1,220 mm (48.03 in)
Wheelbase	14,360 mm (47 ft 1+3⁄8 in)
• Bogie	4,400 mm (14 ft 5+1⁄4 in)
Pivot centres	11,560 mm (37 ft 11+1⁄8 in)
Panto shoes	11,940 mm (39 ft 2+1⁄8 in)
Length:
• Over couplers	20,470 mm (67 ft 1+7⁄8 in)
• Over body	19,200 mm (62 ft 11+7⁄8 in)
Width	2,850 mm (9 ft 4+1⁄4 in)
Height:
• Pantograph	4,200 mm (13 ft 9+3⁄8 in)
• Body height	3,962 mm (13 ft 0 in)
Axle load	29,000 kg (64,000 lb)
Loco weight	172,280 kg (379,810 lb) (11-001 - 11-012) 168,000 kg (370,000 lb) (11-013 - 11-045)
Electric system/s	25 kV AC 50 Hz catenary
Current pickup(s)	Pantographs
Traction motors	Six LJM-540-1
• Rating 1 hour	690 kW (930 hp)
• Continuous	650 kW (870 hp)
Gear ratio	16:71
Loco brake	Air & Rheostatic
Train brakes	Air
Couplers	AAR knuckle Type F

Performance figures
Maximum speed	90 km/h (56 mph)
Power output:
• 1 hour	4,140 kW (5,550 hp)
• Continuous	3,900 kW (5,200 hp)
Tractive effort:
• Starting	580 kN (130,000 lbf)
• 1 hour	425 kN (96,000 lbf)
• Continuous	400 kN (90,000 lbf)
Brakeforce	4,500 kW (6,000 hp)

Career
Operators	South African Railways Spoornet Transnet Freight Rail
Class	Class 11E
Number in class	45
Numbers	11-001 - 11-045
Delivered	1985-1987
First run	1985

The South African Railways Class 11E of 1985 is an electric locomotive.

Between 1985 and 1987, the South African Railways placed forty-five Class 11E electric locomotives with a Co-Co wheel arrangement in mainline service on the Coalink line.^[1]

Manufacturers

The 25 kV AC Class 11E electric locomotive was designed for the South African Railways (SAR) by General Motors (GM) while its thyristor traction technology was provided by Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget (ASEA) of Sweden. It was built in South Africa by General Motors South Africa (GMSA), whose corporate name was changed to Delta Motor Corporation two-thirds through the locomotive building process. Altogether forty-five locomotives were delivered between 1985 and 1987, numbered in the range from 11-001 to 11-045.^[2]^[3]

Characteristics

Appearance

Following the Class 9E in 1978 and the Class 7E1 in 1980, the Class 11E was the third single-cab mainline electric locomotive to be acquired by the SAR. Until the Class 9E was introduced all South African mainline electric locomotives were dual cab units, but since the Classes 9E, 7E1 and 11E locomotives were designed to be used in a service where multiple unit operation was the normal practice, a second cab was deemed unnecessary.^[1]^[3]

Brakes

At the time, they were the most powerful locomotives in SAR service with a continuous power output of 3,900 kilowatts (5,200 horsepower) compared to the 3,840 kilowatts (5,150 horsepower) of the Class 9E. Four units can haul two hundred loaded coal wagons in a train weighing more than 21,000 tonnes (21,000 long tons). Since they are used on a route where loaded trains face steeper descending than ascending grades, the locomotive was designed to produce 4,500 kilowatts (6,000 horsepower) of rheostatic braking power.^[1]^[3]

Bogies

The Class 11E was built with sophisticated traction linkages on the bogies, similar to the bogie design which was introduced on the Class 6E1 in 1969. 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, ensure 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.^[3]

Works numbers and delivery dates

The table lists the Class 11E works numbers and the date on which each unit was delivered to the SAR.^[2]^[4]

**Class 11E, Type GM GM5FC**
Loco no.	Builder	Works no.	Delivery date
11-001	GMSA	119.01	29 Apr 1985
11-002	GMSA	119.02	5 Jun 1985
11-003	GMSA	119.03	28 Jun 1985
11-004	GMSA	119.04	12 Jul 1985
11-005	GMSA	119.05	1 Nov 1985
11-006	GMSA	119.06	25 Apr 1986
11-007	GMSA	119.07	1 Nov 1985
11-008	GMSA	119.08	5 Dec 1985
11-009	GMSA	119.09	17 Dec 1985
11-010	GMSA	119.10	14 Feb 1986
11-011	GMSA	119.11	1 Mar 1986
11-012	GMSA	119.12	1 Mar 1986
11-013	GMSA	119.13	22 Mar 1986
11-014	GMSA	119.14	22 Mar 1986
11-015	GMSA	119.15	5 Apr 1986
11-016	GMSA	119.16	24 May 1986
11-017	GMSA	119.17	24 May 1986
11-018	GMSA	119.18	21 Jun 1986
11-019	GMSA	119.19	21 Jun 1986
11-020	GMSA	119.20	31 May 1986
11-021	GMSA	119.21	6 Jul 1986
11-022	GMSA	119.22	22 Aug 1986
11-023	GMSA	119.23	16 Aug 1986
11-024	GMSA	119.24	16 Aug 1986
11-025	GMSA	119.25	25 Sep 1986
11-026	GMSA	119.26	24 Sep 1986
11-027	GMSA	119.27	13 Oct 1986
11-028	GMSA	119.28	20 Dec 1986
11-029	GMSA	119.29	13 Dec 1986
11-030	GMSA	119.30	29 Mar 1987
11-031	Delta	119.31	1 May 1987
11-032	Delta	119.32	24 May 1987
11-033	Delta	119.33	6 Jun 1987
11-034	Delta	119.34	21 Jun 1987
11-035	Delta	119.35	3 Jul 1987
11-036	Delta	119.36	17 Jul 1987
11-037	Delta	119.37	31 Jul 1987
11-038	Delta	119.38	10 Aug 1987
11-039	Delta	119.39	28 Aug 1987
11-040	Delta	119.40	12 Sep 1987
11-041	Delta	119.41	19 Sep 1987
11-042	Delta	119.42	3 Oct 1987
11-043	Delta	119.43	16 Oct 1987
11-044	Delta	119.44	7 Nov 1987
11-045	Delta	119.45	5 Dec 1987

Service

Until 1978, all electrified routes in South Africa used 3 kV DC. Beginning in 1978, 25 kV AC was introduced on all new mainline electrification projects bar one, the exception being the Orex iron ore line from Sishen to Saldanha where 50 kV AC was used. There are four isolated 25 kV AC routes.^[1]^[2]^[3]

From Pyramid South to Pietersburg and via Rustenburg to Thabazimbi.
From Ermelo to the Richards Bay Coal Terminal at Richards Bay.
From Port Elizabeth to De Aar and from there north to Kimberley and south to Beaufort West.
From East London to Springfontein in the Free State.

The Class 11E was designed primarily for export coal hauling on the 25 kV AC Coalink line between the Mpumalanga coalfields around Ermelo and the Richards Bay Coal Terminal via Vryheid in KwaZulu-Natal.^[2]^[3]

Liveries

All the Class 11E locomotives were delivered in the SAR red oxide livery with signal red buffer beams and cowcatchers, with yellow whiskers on the ends folded over to below the side windows and with the number plates on the sides mounted on three-stripe yellow wings. In the late 1990s all were repainted in the Spoornet blue livery with either solid or outline numbers on the long hood sides.^[5]

Illustration

Front and left side view of no. 11-028, Vryheid, 16 August 2007
Right side view of no. 11-042, Vryheid, 15 August 2007
Rear view of no. 11-027, Vryheid, 15 August 2007

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to South African Class 11E.

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d 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
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Middleton, 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. 50, 52, 60, 62.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. p. 133. ISBN 0869772112.
^ Additional information as supplied by John N. Middleton
^ 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. (Accessed on 11 April 2017)

Locomotives of South Africa

Steam

7' ¼" gauge	East London 0-4-0VB Table Bay 0-4-0ST Table Bay 0-4-0T Table Bay 0-4-0WT
Standard gauge	Cape 0-4-0T Blackie Cape 0-4-2 Cape 2-4-0T CGR 0-4-0ST Aid Natal 0-4-0ST Durban Natal 0-4-0WT Natal Natal 4-4-0T Perseverance
Cape gauge Tank engines	CGR 0-4-0ST 1873 CGR 0-4-0ST 1874 CGR 0-4-0ST 1881 CGR 0-4-0ST 1881 Coffee Pot CGR 0-6-0ST CGR 0-6-0T CGR 2-6-0ST 1900 CGR 2-6-0ST 1902 CGR 1st Class 0-4-0ST 1875 CGR 1st Class 0-4-0ST 1876 CGR 1st Class 2-6-0ST CGR 1st Class 4-4-0T CGR 2nd Class 4-4-0T CGR 3rd Class 2-6-0T CGR Railmotor CSAR Class C CSAR Class E CSAR Rack 4-6-4RT CSAR Railmotor Durban's Congella Durban's Edward Innes Durban's John Milne Durban's Sir Albert Port Elizabeth 0-4-0ST Kowie Railway 0-6-0T Kowie Railway 4-4-0T Metropolitan & Suburban 4-6-2T NGR 2-6-0T Durban & Pietermaritzburg NGR Class I 2-6-2T NGR Class K 0-4-0ST NGR Class K 0-6-0ST NGR Class K 2-6-0T NZASM 10 Tonner NZASM 13 Tonner NZASM 14 Tonner NZASM 18 Tonner NZASM 19 Tonner NZASM 32 Tonner NZASM 40 Tonner PPR 26 Tonner PPR 35 Tonner Portuguese SAR Class A SAR Class B SAR Class C SAR Class C1 SAR Class C2 SAR Class D SAR Class E SAR Class F SAR Class G SAR Class H SAR Class H1 SAR Class H2 SAR Class J SAR Class K SAR Railmotor SAR Dock 0-4-0ST SAR Dock 0-4-0T SWA 2-8-0T
Cape gauge Tender engines	CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1876 BP CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1876 Kitson CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1879 CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1891 CGR 1st Class 4-4-0 CGR 1st Class 4-4-0TT CGR 2nd Class 2-6-2TT CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1883 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1884 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1889 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1898 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1901 CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1903 CGR 4th Class 4-4-2 CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1880 CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1882 CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1882 Joy CGR 4th Class 4-6-0TT 1884 CGR 5th Class 4-6-0 1890 CGR 5th Class 4-6-0 1891 NGR Havelock NGR Class I SAR Class Exp 1 SAR Class Exp 2 SAR Class Exp 3 SAR Class Exp 4 SAR Class Exp 5 SAR Class Exp 6 SAR Class S SAR Class S1 SAR Class S2 SAR Class 1 SAR Class 1A SAR Class 1B SAR Class 2 SAR Class 2C SAR Class 3 SAR Class 3A SAR Class 3B SAR Class 4 SAR Class 4A SAR Class 5 SAR Class 5A SAR Class 5B SAR Class 6 SAR Class 6A SAR Class 6B SAR Class 6C SAR Class 6D SAR Class 6E SAR Class 6F SAR Class 6G SAR Class 6H SAR Class 6J SAR Class 6K SAR Class 6L SAR Class 6Y SAR Class 6Z SAR Class 7 SAR Class 7A SAR Class 7B SAR Class 7C SAR Class 7D SAR Class 7E SAR Class 7F SAR Class 8 SAR Class 8A SAR Class 8B SAR Class 8C SAR Class 8D SAR Class 8E SAR Class 8F SAR Class 8R SAR Class 8X SAR Class 8Y SAR Class 8Z SAR Class 9 SAR Class 10 SAR Class 10A SAR Class 10B SAR Class 10C SAR Class 10D SAR Class 11 SAR Class 12 SAR Class 12A SAR Class 12B SAR Class 13 SAR Class 14 SAR Class 14A SAR Class 14B SAR Class 14C 1st SAR Class 14C 2nd SAR Class 14C 3rd SAR Class 14C 4th SAR Class 15 SAR Class 15A SAR Class 15B SAR Class 15C SAR Class 15CA SAR Class 15E SAR Class 15F SAR Class 16 SAR Class 16A SAR Class 16B SAR Class 16C SAR Class 16D SAR Class 16DA 1928 SAR Class 16DA 1930 SAR Class 16E SAR Class 17 SAR Class 18 SAR Class 19 SAR Class 19A SAR Class 19B SAR Class 19C SAR Class 19D SAR Class 20 SAR Class 21 SAR Class 23 SAR Class 24 SAR Class 25 SAR Class 25NC SAR Class 26 SAR Katanga SWA 2-8-0
Cape gauge Articulated engines	CGR Fairlie CGR Kitson-Meyer SAR Class FC SAR Class FD SAR Class GA SAR Class GB SAR Class GC SAR Class GCA SAR Class GD SAR Class GDA SAR Class GE SAR Class GEA SAR Class GF SAR Class GG SAR Class GH SAR Class GK SAR Class GL SAR Class GM SAR Class GMA SAR Class GO SAR Class HF SAR Class KM SAR Class MA SAR Class MB SAR Class MC SAR Class MC1 SAR Class MD SAR Class ME SAR Class MF SAR Class MG SAR Class MH SAR Class MJ SAR Class MJ1 SAR Class U
2' 6" gauge	Cape Copper John King & Miner Cape Copper Britannia Cape Copper Caledonia Cape Copper Clara Cape Copper Condenser Cape Copper Scotia Namaqua Copper Pioneer Walvis Bay 2-4-2T Hope
2' & 600mm gauges	ACR Class NG-G16A CGR NG 0-4-0T CGR NG 0-6-0T CGR NG 4-6-2T CGR Type A 2-6-4T CGR Type C 0-4-0T NGR Class N 4-6-2T SAR Dutton SAR NG 0-4-0T SAR Class NG1 SAR Class NG2 SAR Class NG3 SAR Class NG4 SAR Class NG5 SAR Class NG6 SAR Class NG7 SAR Class NG8 SAR Class NG9 SAR Class NG10 SAR Class NG-G11 SAR Class NG-G12 SAR Class NG-G13 SAR Class NG-G14 SAR Class NG15 SAR Class NG-G16 SWA Class Ha SWA Class Hb SWA Class Hc SWA Class Hd SWA Jung SWA Zwillinge

Electric

Amcoal Class E38

Gas-electric

SAR Gas-electric

Diesel

Cape gauge Diesel-electric	PRASA Class Afro 4000 SAR Class DS SAR Class DS1 SAR Class 31-000 SAR Class 32-000 SAR Class 32-200 SAR Class 33-000 SAR Class 33-200 SAR Class 33-400 SAR Class 34-000 SAR Class 34-200 SAR Class 34-400 SAR Class 34-500 SAR Class 34-600 SAR Class 34-800 SAR Class 34-900 SAR Class 35-000 SAR Class 35-200 SAR Class 35-400 SAR Class 35-600 TFR Class 35-800 SAR Class 36-000 SAR Class 36-200 SAR Class 37-000 Spoornet Class 39-000 TFR Class 39-200 TFR Class 43-000 TFR Class 44-000 TFR Class 45-000
2' gauge Diesel-electric	SAR Class 91-000
Cape gauge Diesel-hydraulic	SAR Class 61-000
Cape gauge Electro-diesel	Spoornet Class 38-000

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Switchers	SC NC NC1 NC2 T NW2 NW3 NW4 NW5 TR1 SW1 SW7 SW8 SW9 SW600 SW900 SW1000 SW1001 SW1200 SW1500 SW1504 MP15DC MP15AC MP15T RS1325 GMD1
Four axle road switchers	BL2 GP7 GP9 GP15-1 GP15AC GP15T GP18 GP20 GP28 GP30 GP35 GP38 GP38AC GP38-2 GP39 GP39DC GP39X GP39-2 GP40 GP40P GP40P-2 GP40TC GP40X GP40-2 GP49 GP50 GP59 GP60
Six axle road switchers	SD7 SD9 SD18 SD24 SD28 SD35 SDP35 SD38 SD38AC SD38-2 SD39 SDL39 SD40 SD40A SD40-2 SD40-2W SD40T-2 SD40-2S SDP40 SD45 SD45X SD45-2 SD45T-2 SDP45 SD50 SD60 SD70 SD80MAC SD89MAC SD90MAC
Eight axle road switchers	DD35 DD35A DDA40X
Cab units (E- & F-units)	FT F2 F3 F7 FP7 F9 FP9 FL9 TA EA/EB E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7 E8 E9 AA AB6
Cowl units	DE30AC/DM30AC F45 FP45 F40C F40PH F40PH-2 F40PH-2C F40PH-2M SDP40F SD40-2F SD50F F59PH F59PHI SD60F
Electrics	SW1200MG AEM-7 GM5FC GM6C GM10B GF6C
Industrial, military, export and narrow gauge	Model 40 DH1 DDM45 GM6W GMDH-1 GMDH-3 MRS-1 GA8 G8 G12 G16 NF110 NF210 JT42CWR (Series 66) JT42HW-HS GL26C-2 GL26MC GT18MC GT26MC GT26M2C GT26CU-3 GT-16 GA-12 GA-12b GT46MAC GT46PAC DDM45 GL8 JL8 JL18 JT22CW JT42HCW JT56ACe SDP28 SDP38
Streamliners	M-10000 M-10001 M-10002 M-10003 to M-10006 Pioneer Zephyr General Pershing Zephyr Green Diamond Flying Yankee Aerotrain (LWT12)
Experimentals and rebuilds	EMC 1800 hp B-B Beep (SWBLW) CF7 GP8 GP10 GP11 GP16 GP15D GP20D GP22ECO GP39X GP40X BL1 BL20-2 SD20 SD20-2 SD22ECO SD26 SD40X SD45X
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