South African Class 5E1, Series 5

11,279 mm (37 ft 1⁄16 in) ​ • Bogie3,430 mm (11 ft 3+1⁄16 in)Pivot centres7,849 mm (25 ft 9 in)Panto shoes6,972 mm (22 ft 10+1⁄2 in)Length:
​ • Over couplers15,494 mm (50 ft 10 in) • Over body14,631 mm (48 ft 0 in)Width2,896 mm (9 ft 6 in)Height:
​ • Pantograph4,089 mm (13 ft 5 in) • Body height3,937 mm (12 ft 11 in)Axle load21,591 kg (47,600 lb)Adhesive weight86,364 kg (190,400 lb)Loco weight86,364 kg (190,400 lb)Electric system/s3 kV DC catenaryCurrent pickup(s)PantographsTraction motorsFour AEI-281BX ​ • Rating 1 hour485 kW (650 hp) • Continuous364 kW (488 hp)Gear ratio18:67Loco brakeAir & RegenerativeTrain brakesVacuumCouplersAAR knuckle

Performance figures
Maximum speed	97 km/h (60 mph)
Power output:	​
• 1 hour	1,940 kW (2,600 hp)
• Continuous	1,456 kW (1,953 hp)
Tractive effort:	​
• Starting	250 kN (56,000 lbf)
• 1 hour	184 kN (41,000 lbf)
• Continuous	122 kN (27,000 lbf) @ 40 km/h (25 mph)

Career
Operators	South African Railways Spoornet Rovos Rail
Class	Class 5E1
Number in class	225
Numbers	E921-E1145
Delivered	1966-1969
First run	1966

The South African Railways Class 5E1, Series 5 of 1966 was an electric locomotive.

Between 1966 and 1969, the South African Railways placed 225 Class 5E1, Series 5 electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in mainline service.^[1][2]

Manufacturer

Series 5 of the Metropolitan-Vickers-designed 3 kV DC Class 5E1 electric locomotive was built for the South African Railways (SAR) by Union Carriage and Wagon (UCW) in Nigel, Transvaal, with the electrical equipment being supplied by Associated Electrical Industries (AEI) and English Electric (EE).^[3][4]

The 225 Series 5 locomotives were delivered between 1966 and 1969, numbered in the range from E921 to E1145. The Series 5 were equipped with four AEI 281 BX axle-hung traction motors fitted with roller bearings. UCW did not allocate builder's numbers to the locomotives it built for the SAR and used the SAR unit numbers for their record keeping.^[2][5]

Body shape alteration

From the introduction of the Class 5E, Series 1 in 1955, the body shape of the locomotive remained virtually unchanged apart from the roofline on the roof access ladder side, where the Class 5E had a single cut-out in line with the vertical row of three grilles on the body side while the Class 5E1 had an additional cut-out in line with the small window to the right of the two grilles aft of the roof access ladder. All these units had round headlamps and rounded corners on their cab ends.^[6]

This body shape was changed to smaller round headlamps and squared body corners part-way through the construction of the Series 5. The first 25 Series 5 units in the number range from E921 to E945 were built with the same large round headlamps and rounded body corners as before, but from no. E946 the next 200 were delivered with smaller headlights and the new body shape which gave them the appearance of being wider. The change was possibly motivated by cost considerations since the squared corners would simplify construction and since the rounded corners served no purpose other than cosmetic.^{[6][7][8][9][10]}

Other identifying features remained the same, such as the three small square access panels on the lower sides above the battery box instead of the two larger rectangular panels in the same position on the Series 1 and 2 units. Exceptions appear to be some Series 5 units in the number range higher than no. E1127. An example is depicted alongside showing a damaged no. E1134 with two rectangular access panels above the battery box instead of three small square ones, but still with one small square and one larger rectangular access panels on the lower sides above the second axle from the left. The picture also illustrates the new front with squared corners and a smaller round headlight.^[7]

Headlamps

In the 1970s most serving SAR steam and electric locomotives had their original large round headlamps replaced by less attractive but more efficient double sealed-beam automobile headlamps. On Series 3, 4 and early series 5 units, the original round headlamp housing was retained and the glass was replaced by a metal disk containing the sealed beam headlamps. On Series 5 units with squared corners, the smaller round headlamp was replaced by sealed-beam automobile headlamps on the original or a similar rectangular backing plate above the end door.^[7]

Service

The Class 5E1 family served in goods and passenger working on all 3 kV DC electrified mainlines country-wide for about forty years. They worked the vacuum-braked goods and mainline passenger trains over the lines radiating south, west and north of Durban almost exclusively until the mid-1970s and the Class 6E1 only became regular motive power in Natal when air-braked car trains began running between Durban and the Reef. By the mid-2000s, most of the Series 5 locomotives had been withdrawn.^[11]

Liveries

The whole series was delivered in the Gulf Red livery with signal red cowcatchers, yellow whiskers, full body-length side-stripes and with the number plates on the sides enclosed in three-stripe wings. In the 1970s the side-stripes were curtailed to just beyond the cab-sides, but with the number plates on the sides still enclosed in three-stripe wings. In the 1990s many of the Series 5 units were repainted in the Spoornet orange livery.^[12]

Modification

By 2007 two Series 5 locomotives, numbers E1101 and E1102, had been modified extensively. It involved a complete strip-down overhaul to rebuild them as prototypes with the object to determine if large-scale Class 5E1 rebuilding would be economically viable.^[4]

Some visible external differences from the originals were side window screens, higher side doors with a curved rainwater gutter above it (not done on E1101) and reinforcing under the side doors and side windows. On the roof access ladder side the cut-outs on the roof edge were filled in and the units were repainted in the then current Spoornet blue livery with outline numbers, the only Class 5E1s to receive this livery. They were also equipped with driver's consoles similar to those which were later fitted to the Class 18Es.^[4]

No further such rebuilds were done. By 2010, these two units were shedded at Danskraal in Ladysmith and used to push road trainers, modified cabooses with Class 5E1 controls installed in one end, that are used to familiarise drivers with routes.^[13][14]

Rovos Rail

Several Series 5 locomotives were sold at auction during 2010. Most were bought by scrap dealers and cut up, but some survived to start a second career. Nine Class 5E1, Series 5 units were purchased by Rovos Rail, a private operator of luxury rail tours which is based at Capital Park in Pretoria. Rovos Rail is reviving the tradition of brass number plates on the sides of their locomotives.^[4][15]

Years of construction and disposal

The known years of construction based on the observation of the UCW works plates on the end doors of units, and the post-withdrawal disposition of the Class 5E1, Series 5 are listed in the table.^[4]

Class 5E1, Series 5

Loco no.	Year built	Rebuilt or sold
E921	1966
E922	1966
E923	1966
E924	1966
E925	1966
E926	1966
E927	1966
E928	1966
E929	1966
E930	1966
E931	1966
E932	1966
E933	1966
E934	1966
E935	1966
E936	1966
E937	1966
E938	1966
E939	1966
E940	1966
E941	1966
E942	1966
E943	1966
E944	1966
E945	1966
E946	1966-67
E947	1966-67
E948	1966-67
E949	1966-67
E950	1966-67
E951	1966-67
E952	1966-67
E953	1966-67
E954	1966-67
E955	1966-67
E956	1966-67
E957	1966-67
E958	1966-67
E959	1966-67
E960	1966-67
E961	1966-67
E962	1966-67
E963	1966-67
E964	1966-67
E965	1966-67
E966	1966-67
E967	1966-67
E968	1966-67
E969	1966-67
E970	1966-67
E971	1966-67
E972	1966-67
E973	1966-67
E974	1966-67
E975	1966-67
E976	1966-67
E977	1966-67
E978	1966-67
E979	1966-67
E980	1966-67
E981	1966-67
E982	1966-67
E983	1966-67
E984	1966-67
E985	1966-67
E986	1966-67
E987	1966-67
E988	1966-67
E989	1966-67
E990	1966-67
E991	1966-67
E992	1966-67
E993	1966-67
E994	1966-67
E995	1966-67
E996	1966-67
E997	1966-67
E998	1966-67
E999	1966-67
E1000	1966-67
E1001	1966-67
E1002	1966-67
E1003	1966-67
E1004	1966-67
E1005	1966-67
E1006	1966-67
E1007	1966-67
E1008	1966-67
E1009	1966-67
E1010	1966-67
E1011	1966-67
E1012	1966-67
E1013	1966-67
E1014	1966-67
E1015	1966-67
E1016	1966-67
E1017	1966-67
E1018	1966-67
E1019	1966-67
E1020	1966-67
E1021	1966-67
E1022	1966-67
E1023	1966-67
E1024	1966-67
E1025	1966-67
E1026	1966-67
E1027	1966-67
E1028	1966-67
E1029	1966-67
E1030	1966-67	Rovos
E1031	1966-67
E1032	1966-67
E1033	1966-67
E1034	1966-67
E1035	1966-67
E1036	1966-67
E1037	1966-67
E1038	1966-67
E1039	1966-67
E1040	1967
E1041	1967-69
E1042	1967-69
E1043	1967-69
E1044	1967-69	Rovos
E1045	1967-69
E1046	1967-69
E1047	1967-69
E1048	1967-69
E1049	1967-69
E1050	1967-69
E1051	1967-69
E1052	1967-69
E1053	1967-69
E1054	1967-69
E1055	1967-69
E1056	1967-69
E1057	1967-69
E1058	1967-69
E1059	1967-69
E1060	1967-69
E1061	1967-69
E1062	1967-69
E1063	1967-69
E1064	1967-69
E1065	1967-69
E1066	1967-69
E1067	1967-69
E1068	1967-69
E1069	1967-69
E1070	1967-69
E1071	1967-69
E1072	1967-69
E1073	1967-69
E1074	1967-69
E1075	1967-69
E1076	1967-69
E1077	1967-69
E1078	1967-69
E1079	1967-69
E1080	1967-69
E1081	1967-69
E1082	1967-69
E1083	1967-69
E1084	1967-69
E1085	1967-69
E1086	1967-69
E1087	1967-69
E1088	1967-69
E1089	1967-69
E1090	1967-69
E1091	1967-69	Rovos
E1092	1967-69
E1093	1967-69
E1094	1967-69
E1095	1967-69
E1096	1967-69
E1097	1967-69
E1098	1967-69
E1099	1967-69
E1100	1967-69
E1101	1967-69	Rebuilt
E1102	1967-69	Rebuilt
E1103	1967-69
E1104	1967-69	Rovos
E1105	1967-69	Rovos
E1106	1967-69
E1107	1967-69
E1108	1967-69
E1109	1967-69
E1110	1967-69
E1111	1967-69
E1112	1967-69
E1113	1967-69
E1114	1967-69	Rovos
E1115	1967-69	Rovos
E1116	1967-69
E1117	1967-69
E1118	1967-69
E1119	1967-69
E1120	1967-69
E1121	1967-69
E1122	1967-69
E1123	1967-69	Rovos
E1124	1967-69
E1125	1967-69
E1126	1967-69
E1127	1967-69	Rovos
E1128	1967-69
E1129	1967-69
E1130	1967-69
E1131	1967-69
E1132	1967-69
E1133	1967-69
E1134	1967-69
E1135	1967-69
E1136	1967-69
E1137	1967-69
E1138	1967-69
E1139	1967-69
E1140	1967-69
E1141	1967-69
E1142	1967-69
E1143	1967-69
E1144	1967-69
E1145	1967-69

Illustration

The main picture shows no. E941 with rounded corners, while the first picture below shows no. E948 with squared corners, both in the modified SAR Gulf Red and whiskers livery. The rest of the pictures illustrate some of the liveries which were applied to Series 5 locomotives.

• 
  No. E948 with squared corners in SAR Gulf Red, Ladysmith, 5 August 2007
• 
  No. E1062 shortly before being sold at auction, at Ladysmith, 5 August 2007
• 
  No. E1104 in Spoornet orange livery at Ladysmith, 5 August 2007
• 
  No. E1089 in Spoornet lined orange livery at Ladysmith, 5 August 2007
• 
  No. E1102 in Spoornet blue with outline numbers at Ladysmith, 5 August 2007
• 
  No. E1114 in Rovos Rail's livery at Capital Park, Pretoria, 5 October 2009

References

1. ^ "New Electric Stock for South Africa". Proceedings of the American Railway Engineering Association. 68: 238. 1967. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
2. ^ ^{a b} 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
3. ^ "UCW - Electric locomotives" (PDF). The UCW Partnership. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
4. ^ ^{a b c d e} 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. 50–51, 53.
5. ^ Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. p. 128. ISBN 0869772112.
6. ^ ^{a b} sar-l at groups.io - Re: Class 5E1 body shape change: Comment by Peter Stow. (Accessed on 24 May 2017)
7. ^ ^{a b c} Soul of A Railway, System 6, Part 1: Durban Old Station. Caption 81. (Accessed on 8 March 2017)
8. ^ Soul of A Railway, System 7, Western Transvaal, based in Johannesburg, Part 20: Natalspruit to Vereeniging, Part 3. Caption 30. (Accessed on 29 April 2017)
9. ^ "SAR Class 5E1 E941 (Series 5)". grela.rrpicturearchives.net. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
10. ^ "SAR Class 5E1 E948 (Series 5)". grela.rrpicturearchives.net. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
11. ^ Soul of A Railway, System 6, Part 3: Durban Harbour, Wests, the Bluff & Cato Creek to Congella; featuring SAR & H Harbour Craft. Captions 97, 98. (Accessed on 11 March 2017)
12. ^ 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)
13. ^ "SAR Class 5E1 E1101 (Series 5)". grela.rrpicturearchives.net. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
14. ^ "SAR Class 5E1 E1102 (Series 5)". grela.rrpicturearchives.net. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
15. ^ "SAR Class 5E1 E1114 (Series 5)". grela.rrpicturearchives.net. Retrieved 16 December 2021.

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

ElectricGas-electricDiesel

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