South African Class 34-800

No. 34-849 at Rust de Winter, Limpopo, 6 October 2009

Type and origin
♠ - Original locomotive, as built ♥ - Locomotive with upggraded traction motors
Power type	Diesel-electric
Designer	General Motors Electro-Motive Division
Builder	General Motors South Africa
Serial number	112-1 to 112-50, 113-1 to 113-8, 114-1
Model	GM-EMD GT26MC
Build date	1978-1980
Total produced	59
Rebuilder	Transnet Rail Engineering
Rebuild date	2006-2008
Number rebuilt	2 to Class 39-000

Specifications
AAR wheel arr	C+C
UIC class	Co'Co'
Gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge
Wheel diameter	1,016 mm (40.0 in)
Wheelbase	14,732 mm (48 ft 4.0 in)
• Bogie	3,632 mm (11 ft 11.0 in)
Pivot centres	11,278 mm (37 ft 0 in)
Length:
• Over couplers	19,202 mm (63 ft 0 in)
Width	2,819 mm (9 ft 3.0 in)
Height	3,924 mm (12 ft 10.5 in)
Axle load	18,850 kg (41,560 lb)
Adhesive weight	113,100 kg (249,300 lb)
Loco weight	113,100 kg (249,300 lb) max
Fuel type	Diesel
Fuel capacity	6,100 litres (1,300 imp gal)
Prime mover	GM-EMD 16-645E3
RPM range	250-900
• RPM low idle	250
• RPM idle	315
• Maximum RPM	900
Engine type	2-stroke diesel
Aspiration	GM-EMD E16 turbocharger
Displacement	10.57 litres (645.0 cu in)
Alternator	10 pole 3 phase GM-EMD AR10F-D14
Traction motors	♠ Six GM-EMD D29B DC 4 pole ♥ Six GM-EMD D31 DC 4 pole
• Rating 1 hour	♠ 485A ♥ 545A
• Continuous	♠ 450A @ 21 km/h (13 mph) ♥ 520A @ 21 km/h (13 mph)
Cylinders	V16
Gear ratio	63:14
MU working	6 maximum
Loco brake	28-LAV-1 with vigilance control
Train brakes	Gardner-Denver ADJV-8401 compressor/exhauster
Air reservoir cap	850 litres (190 imp gal)
Compressor cap	0.021 m³/s (0.74 cu ft/s)
Exhauster cap	0.095 m³/s (3.4 cu ft/s)
Couplers	AAR knuckle

Performance figures
Maximum speed	100 km/h (62 mph)
Power output:
• Starting	♠ 2,145 kW (2,876 hp) ♥ 2,342 kW (3,141 hp)
• Continuous	♠ 1,940 kW (2,600 hp) ♥ 2,171 kW (2,911 hp)
Tractive effort:
• Starting	♠ 272 kN (61,000 lbf) ♥ 306 kN (69,000 lbf)
• Continuous	♠ 218 kN (49,000 lbf) @ 26 km/h (16 mph) ♥ 245 kN (55,000 lbf) @ 26 km/h (16 mph)
Factor of adh: • Starting	25%
• Continuous	20%
Loco brakeforce	60% ratio @ 340 kPa (49 psi)
Dynamic brake peak effort	188 kN (42,000 lbf) @ 28 km/h (17 mph)

Career
Operators	South African Railways Spoornet Transnet Freight Rail NRZ NLPI Iscor
Class	Class 34-800
Number in class	59
Numbers	SAR 34-801 to 34-858 Iscor 666-0090
Delivered	1978-1980
First run	1978

The South African Railways Class 34-800 of 1978 is a diesel-electric locomotive.

Between August 1978 and December 1979, the South African Railways placed fifty Class 34-800 General Motors Electro-Motive Division type GT26MC diesel-electric locomotives in service. In 1979, one more of the same type was placed in service by Iscor in Newcastle, and between April and July 1980, a further eight of these locomotives were delivered to the South African Railways.^[1]^[2]

Manufacturer

The Class 34-800 type GT26MC diesel-electric locomotive was designed by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and built for the South African Railways (SAR) and Iscor by General Motors South Africa (GMSA) in Port Elizabeth. The first fifty were delivered between August 1978 and December 1979, numbered in the range from 34-801 to 34-850. In 1979, one more of the same type was placed in service by Iscor and numbered 666-0090. Between April and July 1980, a further eight of these locomotives were delivered to the South African Railways, numbered in the range from 34-851 to 34-858.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Class 34 series

GMSA works plate on no. 34-849

The Class 34 locomotive family consists of seven sub-classes, the General Electric (GE) Classes 34-000, 34-400, 34-500 (also known as 34-400 ex Iscor) and 34-900, and the EMD Classes 34-200, 34-600 and 34-800. Both manufacturers also produced locomotives for the South African Classes 33, 35 and 36.^[1]

On the GM-EMD Class 34 series locomotives, Class 34-200 and 34-600 locomotives are visually indistinguishable from one another, but they can be distinguished from the Class 34-800 by the thicker fishbelly shaped sills on their left sides, compared to the straight sill on the left side of the Class 34-800.^[4]^[5]

Rebuilding and modification

Class 39-000

South African Class 39-000 type GT26CU-3 diesel-electric locomotives were to be rebuilt from Class 34-600, 34-800 and 37-000 locomotives. The project commenced in 2005, using suitable frames from wrecked locomotives.^[2]^[6]

Rebuilding was done at the Transwerk shops in Bloemfontein between 2006 and 2008. It was intended to produce one hundred Class 39-000s, but in spite of the technical success of the project, rebuilding was halted after completing the first five locomotives, due to higher than anticipated cost. Two of these five were rebuilt from Class 34-800 locomotives. It was decided, instead of rebuilding old locomotives, to rather build fifty new Class 39-200 locomotives from imported and locally produced components.^[7]

Traction motor upgrade

In 2010, a project commenced at the Koedoespoort Transnet Rail Engineering shops to upgrade Class 34-800 locomotives by, amongst other modifications, replacing the GM-EMD D29B with GM-EMD D31 traction motors, thereby improving their performance to the standard of the Class 37-000. The upgraded locomotives could initially be distinguished by the running board mounted handrails which were installed during the upgrade, on the right side only.^[6]

Service

South African Railways

In SAR, Spoornet and Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) service, the Class 34-800s worked on most mainlines and some unelectrified branchlines in the central, eastern, northern and northeastern parts of the country.^[3]

National Railways of Zimbabwe

From at least 1988 until at least 1992, the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) hired type GT26MC Class 34-600 locomotives from the SAR and later Spoornet. At least one Class 34-800 locomotive, no. 34-820, also served on lease in Zimbabwe and was observed there in September 1992.^[8]

NLPI Limited

NLPI Limited, abbreviated from New Limpopo Projects Investments, a Mauritius-registered company, specialises in private sector investments, using the build-operate-transfer (BOT) concept. It had three connected railway operations in Zimbabwe and Zambia, which formed a rail link between South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo.^[2]

The Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway (BBR), commissioned on 1 September 1999, operates the Beit Bridge to Bulawayo line in Zimbabwe.
Since February 2004 NLPI Logistics (NLL or LOG) operates between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe-Zambia border.
Since February 2003 the Railway Systems of Zambia (RSZ) operated on the former Zambian Railways (ZR), from Victoria Falls to Sakania in the Congo.

In Zambia, the RSZ locomotive fleet included former ZR locomotives, but the rest of the locomotive fleet of all three operations consisted of South African GM-EMD Classes 34-200, 34-600 and 34-800 and GE Classes 35-000 and 35-400 locomotives from Spoornet and later TFR. These locomotives were sometimes marked or branded as either BBR or LOG or both, but their status, whether leased or loaned, was unclear, since they were still on the TFR roster and still often worked in South Africa as well.^[2] Class 34-800 locomotives which served with NLPI, include the locomotives annotated "NLPI" in the "disposition" column in the table below.

Zambia Railways, the state-owned holding company, resumed control of the Zambian national rail network on 11 September 2012. This followed the government’s decision to revoke the operating concession awarded to RSZ, after Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda claimed that RSZ had "blatantly disregarded the provisions of the agreement" and had been "acting in a manner prejudicial to the interests of Zambians”.^[9]

Iscor

In 1979, one Class 34-800 locomotive was delivered new to Iscor’s Newcastle steel works in Natal, numbered 666-0090.^[2]

Works numbers

The works numbers of the Class 34-800, as well as their known disposal and deployment, are displayed in the table.^[2]

**Class 34-800, GM-EMD type GT26MC**
Loco no.	GMSA works no.	Disposition	New no.
34-801	112-1
34-802	112-2
34-803	112-3
34-804	112-4
34-805	112-5
34-806	112-6
34-807	112-7
34-808	112-8
34-809	112-9
34-810	112-10
34-811	112-11
34-812	112-12
34-813	112-13
34-814	112-14
34-815	112-15	D31 tr. motors
34-816	112-16
34-817	112-17
34-818	112-18	NLPI
34-819	112-19	NLPI/D31 tr. motors
34-820	112-20	NRZ (1992)
34-821	112-21	D31 tr. motors
34-822	112-22
34-823	112-23
34-824	112-24
34-825	112-25
34-826	112-26
34-827	112-27
34-828	112-28
34-829	112-29	Class 39-000	39-005
34-830	112-30
34-831	112-31
34-832	112-32
34-833	112-33
34-834	112-34	NLPI/D31 tr. motors
34-835	112-35	NLPI
34-836	112-36
34-837	112-37
34-838	112-38	Class 39-000	39-002
34-839	112-39	D31 tr. motors
34-840	112-40
34-841	112-41
34-842	112-42
34-843	112-43
34-844	112-44
34-845	112-45
34-846	112-46
34-847	112-47
34-848	112-48
34-849	112-49	D31 tr. motors
34-850	112-50
34-851	113-1
34-852	113-2
34-853	113-3
34-854	113-4
34-855	113-5	D31 tr. motors
34-856	113-6
34-857	113-7
34-858	113-8	D31 tr. motors
666-0090	114-1	Iscor

Illustration

The main picture shows no. 34-849, in Spoornet blue livery with outline numbers. Other liveries which were applied to Class 34-800 locomotives, are illustrated below.

No. 34-810 in the Spoornet orange livery at Capital Park yard, Pretoria, Gauteng, 9 May 2006
Upgraded no. 34-839 in Spoornet maroon livery at Sentrarand, Gauteng, 22 September 2009
No. 34-819 in Spoornet maroon with NLPI Logistics emblems at Koedoespoort, 2 October 2009
No. 34-847 in PRASA's backdrop blue livery, Bloemfontein, 18 September 2015

References

1 2 3 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 4 5 6 7 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. 38–39, 41, 46.
1 2 Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. p. 141. ISBN 0869772112.
↑ Class 34-600 sill
↑ Class 34-800 sill
1 2 Information supplied by staff at Transnet Rail Engineering, Bloemfontein and Koedoespoort
↑ The Class 39 Diesels
↑ Spoornet Diesels Leased to ZR 1978-1993. P.F. Bagshawe.
↑ ZRL in charge as RSZ concession revoked. Railway Gazette International, 13 September 2012

Wikimedia Commons has media related to South African Class 34-800.

Locomotives of South Africa

Steam

7' ¼" gauge	East London Harbour 0-4-0 Table Bay Harbour 0-4-0ST Table Bay Harbour 0-4-0T Table Bay Harbour 0-4-0WT

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 Coffee Pot CGR 0-6-0ST 1902 CGR 0-6-0T 1876 Back-to-Back 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 1876 CGR 1st Class 4-4-0T 1875 CGR 2nd Class 4-4-0T 1882 CGR 3rd Class 2-6-0T CGR Railmotor CSAR Class C CSAR Class E CSAR Rack CSAR Railmotor DSWA Eight-Coupled Tank 2-8-0T Durban's Congella Durban's Edward Innes Durban's John Milne Durban's Sir Albert Port Elizabeth Harbour 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 0-4-0ST 1903 SAR 0-4-0T no. 69 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 Clayton Railmotor

3' 6" gauge Tender engines	CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1876 Beyer, Peacock 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 1879 CGR 1st Class 4-4-0TT 1881 CGR 2nd Class 2-6-2TT 1875 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 1884 CGR 5th Class 4-6-0 1890 CGR 5th Class 4-6-0 1891 DSWA Eight-Coupled Tender 2-8-0 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 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 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 Red Devil

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 0-6-0T 1871 Cape Copper Britannia Cape Copper Caledonia Cape Copper Clara Class Cape Copper Condenser Cape Copper Scotia Class Namaqua Copper Pioneer

2' & 600mm gauges	ACR Class NG-G16A CGR NG 0-6-0T CGR NG 4-6-2T CGR Type A 2-6-4T CGR Type C 0-4-0T DSWA Class Ha DSWA Class Hb DSWA Class Hc DSWA Class Hd DSWA Jung DSWA Zwillinge NGR Class N 4-6-2T SAR NG 0-4-0T 1899 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

Electric

Amcoal Class E38

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 SAR Class 36-000 SAR Class 36-200 SAR Class 37-000 Spoornet Class 39-000 TFR Class 35-800 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

Locomotives built by Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD)

Switchers	SC NC NC1 NC2 T NW2 NW3 NW4 NW5 TR1 SW1 SW7 SW8 SW9 SW600 SW900 SW1000 SW1001 SW1002 SW1200 SW1500 SW1504 MP15DC MP15AC MP15T RS1325 GMD1

Four axle road power	BL2 BL20-2 GP7 GP9 GP15-1 GP15AC GP15T GP15D GP18 GP20 GP20D 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 power	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 power	DD35 DD35A DDA40X

Cab units (F- & E-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	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 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 GT46MAC DDM45 GL8 JL8 JL18 JT22CW JT42HCW JT56ACe

Streamliners	M-10000 M-10001 M-10002 M-10003 to M-10006 Pioneer Zephyr General Pershing Zephyr Green Diamond Flying Yankee Aerotrain

Experimentals and aftermarket conversions	EMC 1800 hp B-B Beep (SWBLW) CF7 GP8 GP10 GP11 GP16 SD20 SD20-2 SD26

List of GM-EMD Locomotives

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