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South African Class 38-000
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South African Class 38-000
The Spoornet Class 38-000 of 1992 is a South African electro-diesel locomotive.
Between 1992 and 1994, Spoornet placed fifty Class 38-000 dual mode locomotives in service. They are still the only dual powered electro-diesel locomotives in use by Transnet Freight Rail, capable of running either on 3 kV DC electricity off the catenary or on diesel fuel alone.
The 3 kV DC Class 38-000 electro-diesel locomotive was designed for Spoornet by Consortium under the leadership of Siemens and was built by Union Carriage & Wagon (UCW) in Nigel, Transvaal.
Fifty locomotives entered service between 1992 and 1994, numbered in the range from 38-001 to 38-050. UCW did not allocate builder's or works numbers to the locomotives it built for Spoornet, but used the Spoornet unit numbers for their record keeping.
The locomotive has two-station controls. For operation in the diesel-only mode it was powered by a 780 kilowatts (1,050 horsepower) Caterpillar type DITA 3508 prime mover. Its diesel-only ability allows it to pick up and shunt wagons from unelectrified industrial sidings.
The Class 38-000 was designed as a multi-purpose locomotive to replace steam on pickup work on the Witwatersrand, but it was also capable of long distance mainline work. Most of the locomotives were initially allocated to Gauteng depots at Germiston, Pyramid South and Krugersdorp with a lone locomotive serving at Bloemfontein in the Free State. Given that they were originally designed for shunting and hauler work, these locomotives have performed extremely well in multiple roles.
Shortly after entering service they were used to haul the "Witblitz" shipping container express train between Johannesburg and Cape Town. This saved time by avoiding the need to change locomotives at Beaufort West and Kimberley to negotiate the 25 kV AC section between these two centres, since it could be traversed in diesel-only mode even though the units are less powerful in that mode.
Although the Class 38-000 is usually limited to a top speed of 100 kilometres per hour (62 miles per hour), the "Witblitz" regularly attained speeds of 120 kilometres per hour (75 miles per hour) on some sections. The "Witblitz" express trains have long been discontinued, but some of the 120 km/h speed limit boards were still in existence between Potchefstroom and Worcester as late as 2005.
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South African Class 38-000 AI simulator
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South African Class 38-000
The Spoornet Class 38-000 of 1992 is a South African electro-diesel locomotive.
Between 1992 and 1994, Spoornet placed fifty Class 38-000 dual mode locomotives in service. They are still the only dual powered electro-diesel locomotives in use by Transnet Freight Rail, capable of running either on 3 kV DC electricity off the catenary or on diesel fuel alone.
The 3 kV DC Class 38-000 electro-diesel locomotive was designed for Spoornet by Consortium under the leadership of Siemens and was built by Union Carriage & Wagon (UCW) in Nigel, Transvaal.
Fifty locomotives entered service between 1992 and 1994, numbered in the range from 38-001 to 38-050. UCW did not allocate builder's or works numbers to the locomotives it built for Spoornet, but used the Spoornet unit numbers for their record keeping.
The locomotive has two-station controls. For operation in the diesel-only mode it was powered by a 780 kilowatts (1,050 horsepower) Caterpillar type DITA 3508 prime mover. Its diesel-only ability allows it to pick up and shunt wagons from unelectrified industrial sidings.
The Class 38-000 was designed as a multi-purpose locomotive to replace steam on pickup work on the Witwatersrand, but it was also capable of long distance mainline work. Most of the locomotives were initially allocated to Gauteng depots at Germiston, Pyramid South and Krugersdorp with a lone locomotive serving at Bloemfontein in the Free State. Given that they were originally designed for shunting and hauler work, these locomotives have performed extremely well in multiple roles.
Shortly after entering service they were used to haul the "Witblitz" shipping container express train between Johannesburg and Cape Town. This saved time by avoiding the need to change locomotives at Beaufort West and Kimberley to negotiate the 25 kV AC section between these two centres, since it could be traversed in diesel-only mode even though the units are less powerful in that mode.
Although the Class 38-000 is usually limited to a top speed of 100 kilometres per hour (62 miles per hour), the "Witblitz" regularly attained speeds of 120 kilometres per hour (75 miles per hour) on some sections. The "Witblitz" express trains have long been discontinued, but some of the 120 km/h speed limit boards were still in existence between Potchefstroom and Worcester as late as 2005.
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