| South African Class DS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Class DS shunting locomotive, c. 1940 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The South African Railways Class DS of 1939 was a diesel-electric locomotive.
The first diesel-electric locomotive on the South African Railways was a single Class DS AEG diesel-electric shunting locomotive which was placed in service at the Congella yards near Durban in 1939. [1] [2]
Around 1935, the question of purchasing diesel locomotives for the South African Railways (SAR) was seriously considered. Even though South Africa was a coal-rich country with, at the time, the lowest pit-head prices in the world and no oil wells, there were definite advantages in favour of the diesel-electric locomotive. It did not need to take water en route, could undertake very long runs without the need to refuel or change locomotives and had a much higher rate of availability. [2]
The first costs were much in favour of steam locomotives, for which it decreased in cost per unit of power as the size increased, an advantage that the diesel-electric did not seem to have. Large diesel-electric locomotives of more than 1,500 horsepower (1,100 kilowatts) were usually three to four times greater in first cost than steam locomotives of equal power. In addition, unless it was supercharged, a diesel lost 3% of its rated power output with every increase of 1,000 feet (305 metres) in altitude. [2]
As a result of the problems experienced to obtain adequate water supplies of good quality in the arid regions of South Africa and South West Africa, particularly on the section from De Aar via Upington to Keetmanshoop, the SAR decided to experiment with diesel-powered traction and introduced its first two diesel-electric shunting locomotives in 1939. [1] [2] [3]
The first of these was a single twin-engined centre-cab locomotive with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement which was ordered from Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft (AEG) in Berlin for use as a shunting engine. The locomotive was designated Class DS and was initially numbered D137, but it was soon renumbered to D513. Both numbers were in the electric locomotive number range, but with a "D" for diesel instead of an "E" for electric number prefix. [1] [2]
The 66 long tons 8 hundredweight (67,470 kilograms) locomotive was powered by two Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg (MAN) 265 horsepower (198 kilowatts) eight-cylinder diesel engine prime movers, one on either side of the cab. An AEG 110 kilowatts (150 horsepower) main generator and an AEG 12 kilowatts (16 horsepower) auxiliary generator were mounted directly in line between each engine and the cab. Each engine was water-cooled with a fan which was belt-driven by its engine and which drew air through a conventional radiator. [1] [2]
The bogies were very similar to those of the Class 1E electric locomotive, each with two DC traction motors arranged in series. Each bogie axle was driven by a force-ventitated axle-suspended DC traction motor, with the two motors on each bogie electrically arranged in series. The cab was equipped with mechanically interlocked dual controls to enable operation in either direction. [1] [2]
The locomotive was placed in service at the Congella yards near Durban. Even though performance-wise the results were rather disappointing, it nevertheless remained in service for 28 years. [1] [2]
The first diesel-electric locomotive on the SAR eventually found its way to Cape Town where it was scrapped at the Salt River Works in November 1966. [1] [2]
B-B and Bo-Bo are the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and British classifications of wheel arrangement for railway locomotives with four axles in two individual bogies. They are equivalent to the B′B′ and Bo′Bo′ classifications in the UIC system. The arrangement of two, two-axled, bogies is a common wheel arrangement for modern electric and diesel locomotives.
The South African Railways Class 1E of 1925 was an electric locomotive.
The South African Railways Class 5E1, Series 1 of 1959 was an electric locomotive.
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The South African Railways Class 6E1, Series 1 of 1969 was an electric locomotive.
The South African Railways Class 8E of 1983 is an electric locomotive.
The Spoornet Class 10E1, Series 2 of 1990 is a South African electric locomotive.
The South African Railways Class 11E of 1985 is an electric locomotive.
The Spoornet Class 14E of 1991 was a South African electric locomotive.
The South African Railways Class ES of 1936 was an electric locomotive.
The South African Railways Class 32-000 of 1959 was a diesel-electric locomotive.
The South African Railways Class 33-000 of 1965 was a diesel-electric locomotive.
The South African Railways Class 36-000 is a diesel-electric locomotive.
The South African Railways Class 61-000 of 1959 was a diesel-hydraulic locomotive.
The South African Railways Class 2E of 1937 was an electric locomotive.
The South African Railways Class ES1 of 1924 was an electric locomotive.
The South African Railways Class DS1 of 1939 was a diesel-electric locomotive.
The South African Railways gas-electric locomotive of 1923 was an experimental gas-electric locomotive. The fuel, suction gas, was generated on-board the locomotive from coal.
Under the British and Imperial classification scheme of locomotive axle arrangements 1Co+Co1 is a classification code for a locomotive wheel arrangement of two eight-wheeled bogies with an articulated inter-bogie connection, each with three axles powered by a separate traction motor per axle and with the fourth non-powered axle in an integral leading pony truck to reduce the axle load. The similar 1Co-Co1 classification is in the same axle configuration, but without the inter-bogie connection.
Media related to South African Class DS at Wikimedia Commons
