South African Class 5E, Series 3

Numbers E590 and E563 at Salt River MetroRail Depot, Cape Town, 6 November 2014

Type and origin
Power type	Electric
Designer	English Electric
Builder	Vulcan Foundry
Serial number	EE 2544-2598, VF E209-E263
Model	EE 5E
Build date	1958
Total produced	55

Specifications
AAR wheel arr.	B-B
UIC class	Bo'Bo'
Gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge
Wheel diameter	1,219 mm (48.0 in)
Wheelbase	11,279 mm (37 ft 0.1 in)
• Bogie	3,430 mm (11 ft 3.0 in)
Pivot centres	7,849 mm (25 ft 9.0 in)
Panto shoes	6,972 mm (22 ft 10.5 in)
Length:
• Over couplers	15,494 mm (50 ft 10.0 in)
• Body	14,631 mm (48 ft 0 in)
Width	2,896 mm (9 ft 6.0 in)
Height:
• Pantograph	4,089 mm (13 ft 5.0 in)
• Body height	3,937 mm (12 ft 11.0 in)
Axle load	21,591 kg (47,600 lb)
Adhesive weight	86,364 kg (190,400 lb)
Loco weight	86,364 kg (190,400 lb)
Power supply	Catenary
Current collection	Pantographs
Traction motors	Four EE 529
• Rating 1 hour	377 kW (506 hp)
• Continuous	325 kW (436 hp)
Gear ratio	18:67
Loco brake	Air & Regenerative
Train brakes	Vacuum
Couplers	AAR knuckle

Performance figures
Maximum speed	97 km/h (60 mph)
Power output:
• 1 hour	1,508 kW (2,022 hp)
• Continuous	1,300 kW (1,700 hp)
Tractive effort:
• Starting	200 kN (45,000 lbf)
• 1 hour	128 kN (29,000 lbf)
• Continuous	104 kN (23,000 lbf)

Career
Operators	South African Railways Spoornet MetroRail Driefontein
Class	Class 5E
Power class	3 kV DC
Number in class	55
Numbers	E536-E590
Nicknames	Balstamper
Delivered	1958-1959
First run	1958

The South African Railways Class 5E, Series 3 of 1958 was an electric locomotive.

In 1958 and 1959, the South African Railways placed fifty-five Class 5E, Series 3 electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in mainline service.^[1]

Manufacturer

Like the Series 2, the complete batch of Class 5E, Series 3 locomotives was built for the South African Railways (SAR) by Vulcan Foundry (VF), subcontracted by English Electric (EE), who had desiged the locomotive and supplied the electric components. They were built in 1958 and entered service in 1958 and 1959, numbered in the range from E536 to E590.^[1]

The number range of the Series 3 locomotives do not follow directly on that of the Series 2, since the Class 5E1, Series 1 and the Class ES locomotives were allocated most of the numbers in between. Twelve numbers, E499, E513, E514 and those in the range from E527 to E535 were never allocated.^[1]^[2]

Orientation

These dual cab locomotives have a roof access ladder on one side only, just to the right of the cab access door. The roof access ladder end is marked as the no. 2 end. A corridor along the centre of the locomotive connects the cabs, which are identical except that Cab 2 is where the handbrake is located.^[1]

Brakes

While the locomotive itself used air brakes, it was only equipped to operate trains with vacuum brakes. While hauling a train, the locomotive's air brake system would be made subordinate to the train's vacuum brake system and would come into operation as the vacuum brakes were being applied, gradually building up to its maximum of 350 kilopascals (51 pounds per square inch). While working a train downgrade, the locomotive's regenerative braking system would also work in conjunction with the train's vacuum brakes.

The locomotive's air brakes would usually only be used along with the train brakes during emergencies. Under normal circumstances, the train would be controlled using the train brakes alone to slow down and stop.

While the locomotive was stopped, the air brakes on each bogie could be applied independently. The handbrake or parking brake, located in Cab 2, only operated on the unit's last axle, or no. 7 and 8 wheels.

Class 5E series

The Class 5E was produced in three series, the EE and VF-built Series 1 and the VF built Series 2 and 3. The VF-built locomotives all have a works number for EE as well as for VF, since the SAR placed the order with EE, who subcontracted the construction of the locomotives to VF. Between 1955 and 1959, altogether 160 Class 5E locomotives were delivered to the SAR, 60 Series 1, 45 Series 2 and 55 Series 3.^[1]^[2]

Crews found the Class 5E to give a rough ride, which soon earned it the nickname Balstamper. The successor Class 5E1 gave a smoother ride, with its new design bogies.

Post SAR service

When they were retired from SAR service, only one Series 3 locomotive, no. E576, was sold into industrial service. It went to the Driefontein gold mine near Carletonville where, for an unknown reason, it was given the number plates from Series 2 no. E343, which had also been acquired by Driefontein.^[3]

Numbers E563 and E590 were transferred to MetroRail, for use as shunting locomotives at the MetroRail Depot in Salt River, Cape Town.^[3]

The Blue Train

The locomotives were delivered in a bottle green and yellow whiskers livery. Beginning c. 1960, a Gulf Red and yellow whiskers livery gradually replaced the green and yellow.^[2]

In the SAR and Spoornet eras, when the official liveries were Gulf Red and whiskers for the SAR, and initially orange and later maroon for Spoornet, some selected electric and diesel-electric locomotives were painted blue for use with the Blue Train, but without altering the layout of the various paint schemes. During the late 1970s, eight Class 5E, Series 3 locomotives, numbers E562 to E569, were painted blue with whiskers for use with the Blue Train between Cape Town and Beaufort West in the Cape Western region.^[3]

After their retirement from mainline service, at least one locomotive, MetroRail's shunting locomotive no. E590, was painted in MetroRail's grey and yellow livery.^[3]

Works numbers

The EE and VF works numbers of the Class 5E, Series 3 and their disposal are shown in the table.^[3]

**Class 5E, Series 3**
Loco no.	EE works no.	VF works no.	Sold to
E536	2544	E209
E537	2545	E210
E538	2546	E211
E539	2547	E212
E540	2548	E213
E541	2549	E214
E542	2550	E215
E543	2551	E216
E544	2552	E217
E545	2553	E218
E546	2554	E219
E547	2555	E220
E548	2556	E221
E549	2557	E222
E550	2558	E223
E551	2559	E224
E552	2560	E225
E553	2561	E226
E554	2562	E227
E555	2563	E228
E556	2564	E229
E557	2565	E230
E558	2566	E231
E559	2567	E232
E560	2568	E233
E561	2569	E234
E562	2570	E235
E563	2571	E236	Metro
E564	2572	E237
E565	2573	E238
E566	2574	E239
E567	2575	E240
E568	2576	E241
E569	2577	E242
E570	2578	E243
E571	2579	E244
E572	2580	E245
E573	2581	E246
E574	2582	E247
E575	2583	E248
E576	2584	E249	Dries
E577	2585	E250
E578	2586	E251
E579	2587	E252
E580	2588	E253
E581	2589	E254
E582	2590	E255
E583	2591	E256
E584	2592	E257
E585	2593	E258
E586	2594	E259
E587	2595	E260
E588	2596	E261
E589	2597	E262
E590	2598	E263	Metro

Illustration

The main picture shows no. E590 in MetroRail livery, while the rest of the pictures serve to illustrate some of the other liveries which Series 3 locomotives served in.

No. E563 in SAR Blue Train livery, Metro Depot, Salt River, 10 September 2007
No. E564 (numbered E263) in SAR green and whiskers, Bellville, 10 January 2009
Driefontein gold mine's no. 4, ex SAR no. E576, Carletonville, 21 January 2009

References

1 2 3 4 5 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
1 2 3 Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 127–128. ISBN 0869772112.
1 2 3 4 5 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, 63.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to South African Class 5E Series 3.

Locomotives of South Africa

Steam

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4' 8½" 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

3' 6" 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

3' 6" 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

3' 6" 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

3' 6" 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

2' gauge Diesel-electric	SAR Class 91-000

3' 6" gauge Diesel-hydraulic	SAR Class 61-000

3' 6" gauge Electro-diesel	Spoornet Class 38-000

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