South African Class 5E, Series 3

No. E564, incorrectly numbered as Series 1 no. E263 in preservation, Bellville, 4 July 2017

| 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

Configuration:
| ​
• AAR| B-B
• UIC| Bo'Bo'
• Commonwealth| 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 1⁄16 in) ​
• Bogie| 3,430 mm (11 ft 3+1⁄16 in)
Pivot centres| 7,849 mm (25 ft 9 in)
Panto shoes| 6,972 mm (22 ft 10+1⁄2 in)
Length:
| ​
• Over couplers| 15,494 mm (50 ft 10 in)
• Over body| 14,631 mm (48 ft 0 in)
Width| 2,896 mm (9 ft 6 in)
Height:
| ​
• Pantograph| 4,089 mm (13 ft 5 in)
• Body height| 3,937 mm (12 ft 11 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)
Electric system/s| 3 kV DC catenary
Current pickup(s)| 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
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

[edit]

Like the Series 2, all the Class 5E, Series 3 locomotives were built for the South African Railways (SAR) by Vulcan Foundry (VF), subcontracted by English Electric (EE) who had designed 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 did 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

[edit]

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

## Service

[edit]

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

Builder's plate

The Class 5E family entered service on the Natal mainline between Durban and Johannesburg and eventually served almost country-wide as electrification was completed on more mainlines. In 1960, sixty units of the Class 5E family were allocated to the Witbank section upon completion of its electrification. In December 1961, twelve of them were replaced by Class 32-000 diesel-electric locomotives and transferred to the newly electrified Touws River-Beaufort West section. More followed to replace the Class 25 condensers that were being transferred from that section to Beaconsfield in Kimberley at the time.[3]

After withdrawal from 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.[4]

Numbers E563 and E590 were transferred to MetroRail, later part of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, for use as shunting locomotives at the MetroRail Depot in Salt River, Cape Town. They still survive, staged out of service at Salt River.[4]

## Liveries

[edit]

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

With both liveries, the locomotives all had red cowcatchers except in the Cape Western region, where units based at the Bellville Depot could often be identified by their yellow cowcatchers.

Some selected electric and diesel-electric locomotives were painted blue for use with the Blue Train, but without altering the layout of the paint scheme. During the late 1970s numbers E562 to E569 were painted blue with yellow whiskers for use on the Blue Train between Cape Town and Beaufort West in the Cape Western region. In the early 1990s no. E564 was renumbered E263 to represent a Series 1 locomotive and repainted in SAR green and yellow whiskers for use on tourist excursion trains.[4]

MetroRail's shunting locomotive no. E590 was later painted in MetroRail's grey and yellow suburban livery.[4]

## Preservation

[edit]

One of the 5E Series 3's is currently preserved in the meantime.

* Class 5E E564 incorrectly numbered as Series 1 E263 in preservation this unit is preserved at Bellville Loco Depot.[5]

## Works numbers

[edit]

The EE and VF works numbers of the Class 5E, Series 3 and their known disposal are shown in the table.[4]

Class 5E, Series 3
Loco no.  | EE works
no.  | VF works
no.  | Sold

|
|
|

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  | Preserved (incorrectly numbered E263)
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

[edit]

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

* No. E563 in SAR Blue Train livery, Metro Depot, Salt River, 10 September 2007

* No. E590 in MetroRail livery, Salt River MetroRail Depot, 6 November 2014

* Driefontein gold mine's no. 4, ex SAR no. E576, Carletonville, 21 January 2009

## References

[edit]

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

1. ^ a b c d 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
2. ^ a b Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 127–128. ISBN 0869772112.
3. ^ Soul of A Railway, System 7, Western Transvaal, based in Johannesburg, Part 21: Witbank Line by Les Pivnic, Eugene Armer, Peter Stow and Peter Micenko. Caption 10. (Accessed on 4 May 2017)
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, 52, 63.
5. ^ Sandstone Heritage Trust - 2017016 Locomotive status - January 2017. (Accessed on 8 March 2019)

* v
* t
* e

Locomotives of South Africa

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

Electric|

* Amcoal Class E38

* SAR Class ES
* SAR Class ES1
* SAR Class Exp-AC
* SAR Class 1E
* SAR Class 2E
* SAR Class 3E
* SAR Class 4E
* SAR Class 5E s1
* SAR Class 5E s2
* SAR Class 5E s3
* SAR Class 5E1 s1
* SAR Class 5E1 s2
* SAR Class 5E1 s3
* SAR Class 5E1 s4
* SAR Class 5E1 s5
* SAR Class 6E
* SAR Class 6E1 s1
* SAR Class 6E1 s2
* SAR Class 6E1 s3
* SAR Class 6E1 s4
* SAR Class 6E1 s5
* SAR Class 6E1 s6
* SAR Class 6E1 s7
* SAR Class 6E1 s8
* SAR Class 6E1 s9
* SAR Class 6E1 s10
* SAR Class 6E1 s11
* SAR Class 7E
* SAR Class 7E1
* SAR Class 7E2 s1
* SAR Class 7E2 s2
* SAR Class 7E3 s1
* SAR Class 7E3 s2
* Spoornet Class 7E4
* SAR Class 8E
* SAR Class 9E s1
* SAR Class 9E s2
* SAR Class 10E
* SAR Class 10E1 s1
* Spoornet Class 10E1 s2
* SAR Class 10E2
* SAR Class 11E
* SAR Class 12E
* Spoornet Class 14E
* Spoornet Class 14E1
* TFR Class 15E
* Spoornet Class 16E
* Spoornet Class 17E
* Spoornet Class 18E s1
* TFR Class 18E s2
* TFR Class 19E
* TFR Class 20E
* TFR Class 21E
* TFR Class 22E
* TFR Class 23E

Gas-electric|

* SAR Gas-electric

Diesel|

| 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

* List of South African locomotive classes
* South African locomotive numbering and classification

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