South African Class 37-000

No. 37-014 at Capital Park, Pretoria, 16 May 2013

Type and origin
Power type	Diesel-electric
Designer	General Motors Electro-Motive Division
Builder	General Motors South Africa
Serial number	116-1 to 116-100
Model	GM-EMD GT26M2C
Build date	1981-1982
Total produced	100
Rebuilder	Electro-Motive Sibanye
Rebuild date	2008
Number rebuilt	1 to Sibanye no. STS 001

Specifications
Configuration:
• AAR	C-C
• UIC	Co′Co′
• Commonwealth	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	21,000 kg (46,000 lb)
Adhesive weight	126,000 kg (278,000 lb)
Loco weight	126,000 kg (278,000 lb) max
Fuel type	Diesel
Fuel capacity	6,230 litres (1,370 imp gal)
Prime mover	GM-EMD 16-645E3B
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 cu in) per cylinder
Alternator	10 pole 3 phase GM-EMD AR10-D14
Traction motors	Six GM-EMD D31 DC 4 pole
• Rating 1 hour	545A
• Continuous	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 tank cap.	850 litres (190 imp gal)
Compressor	0.021 m³/s (0.74 cu ft/s)
Exhauster	0.096 m³/s (3.4 cu ft/s)
Couplers	AAR knuckle type E

Performance figures
Maximum speed	100 km/h (62 mph)
Power output:
• Starting	2,342 kW (3,141 hp)
• Continuous	2,171 kW (2,911 hp)
Tractive effort:
• Starting	306 kN (69,000 lbf) @ 25% adh.
• Continuous	245 kN (55,000 lbf) @ 26 km/h (16 mph)
Factor of adh.:
• Starting	25%
• Continuous	20%
Brakeforce	61% ratio @ 350 kPa (51 psi)
Dynamic brake peak effort	216 kN (49,000 lbf) @ 28 km/h (17 mph)

Career
Operators	South African Railways Spoornet Transnet Freight Rail
Class	Class 37-000
Number in class	100
Numbers	37-001 to 37-100
Delivered	1981-1982
First run	1981

The South African Railways Class 37-000 of 1981 is a mainline diesel-electric locomotive.

Between May 1981 and 1982, the South African Railways placed one hundred Class 37-000 General Motors Electro-Motive Division type GT26M2C diesel-electric locomotives in service. After these locomotives were commissioned, the national carrier was not to invest in new diesel-electric locomotives again until 2009, nearly three decades later.^[1]^[2]

Manufacturer

The Class 37-000 type GT26M2C diesel-electric locomotive was designed for the South African Railways (SAR) by General Motors Electro-Motive Division (GM-EMD) and built by General Motors South Africa (GMSA) in Port Elizabeth. Equipped with later model GM-EMD D31 traction motors instead of the earlier GM-EMD D29B, it is a more powerful version of the GM-EMD type GT26MC Classes 34-200, 34-600 and 34-800.^[2]

Service

The Class 37-000 locomotives work on mainlines in the northern and northeastern parts of the country. Most of them are shedded at Ermelo and Lydenburg in Mpumalanga and at Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal. They work on the Belfast-Steelpoort line and on the manganese route between the Mpumalanga Lowveld and KwaZulu-Natal from Komatipoort through Swaziland to Empangeni and Richards Bay.^[1]

On the Natal South Coast line, Classes 34-200 and 37-000 worked the Simuma-Mount Vernon clinker trains as long ago as 2002 while the line was still electrified, although the Class 34-200 were more common when the train ran behind diesel-electrics. Since diesel officially took over the workings at the end of October 2011 and electrics were rarely seen until disappearing from the South Coast completely in March 2012, only the Class 37-000 have been used, normally in sets of three.

Sun City Express

On Saturday 4 March 1989 Sol Kerzner's Sun City Express began running. It consisted of a dedicated rake of thirteen coaches hauled by a Class 37-000 locomotive that ran between Johannesburg, Pretoria and a rural halt that was specially created near Sun City where the railway line crossed the Sun City-Thabazimbi road near Heystekrand. Passengers transferred to buses for the 10 kilometres (6 miles) trip between Sun City Halt and the Sun City Casino and Hotel near Rustenburg.^[3]^[4]

Locomotive no. 37-044 was re-geared for higher speed and painted in a maroon livery with gray sills and understructure, yellow buffer beams and golden yellow bands all around the body, interrupted on the sides by the inscription The Sun City EXPRESS in white.^[3]^[4]

Although initially well received, the train began to suffer from declining patronage and was eventually cancelled from Monday 30 March 1992, three years after its launch.^[4]

Rebuilding to Class 39-000

In 2005, a project commenced to rebuild new Class 39-000 type GM-EMD GT26CU-3 diesel-electric locomotives for Spoornet from Classes 34-600, 34-800 and 37-000 locomotives, using suitable frames from wrecked locomotives. Two companies were invited to produce prototypes for the project.^[1]^[5]

Number 39-251

One of these companies was Electro-Motive Sibanye, a joint venture between the newly established Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) and Sibanye Trade and Services, a South African Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) company dealing with locomotives and spare parts. The Sibanye venture produced only one locomotive, rebuilt from Class 37-000 no. 37-010 in 2008 and numbered 39-251. However, the locomotive was tested and rejected by Transnet, reportedly due to poor quality. Furthermore, when serious tender irregularities came to light, the locomotive rebuilding deal between Transnet and Electro-Motive Sibanye was cancelled.^[1]^[5]^[6]^[7]

Although it was initially painted in the red Transnet Freight Rail livery, no. 39-251 never worked for Transnet and was later reported as sold to RRL, a company which came about out of the abortive joint venture between EMD and Sibanye. RRL is based at a workshop in the old Pretoria Steel Works complex and several of its locomotives are active in the gold fields around Welkom in the Free State. No. 39-251 remained in the possession of Sibanye Trade and Services and was renumbered STS 001. It was later hired or leased to the Khumani iron ore mine in the Northern Cape and renumbered again to LC9-1.^[1]

Numbers 39-001 to 39-005

The other company was Transwerk (later Transnet Rail Engineering and then Transnet Engineering), who produced five locomotives in its shops in Bloemfontein between 2006 and 2008, rebuilt from three Class 34-600s and two Class 34-800s. These were tested and approved by Transnet and placed in service as the Class 39-000, numbered in the range from 39-001 to 39-005.^[1]^[5]

End of project

It was intended to produce one hundred Class 39-000s, but in spite of the technical success of the Transnet Rail Engineering part of the project, rebuilding was halted after completing the first five units due to higher than anticipated cost. It was decided, instead of rebuilding old locomotives, to rather continue the program by building fifty new Class 39-200 locomotives from imported and locally produced components. Only one Class 37-000 locomotive was therefore rebuilt.^[8]

Works numbers

The Class 37-000 builder's works numbers and the one rebuilding are listed in the table.^[1]

**Class 37-000, GM-EMD type GT26M2C**
Loco no.	Works no.	Date	Rebuilt to
37-001	116-1	1981
37-002	116-2	1981
37-003	116-3	1981
37-004	116-4	1981
37-005	116-5	1981
37-006	116-6	1981
37-007	116-7	1981
37-008	116-8	1981
37-009	116-9	1981
37-010	116-10	1981	39-251
37-011	116-11	1981
37-012	116-12	1981
37-013	116-13	1981
37-014	116-14	1981
37-015	116-15	1981
37-016	116-16	1981
37-017	116-17	1981
37-018	116-18	1981
37-019	116-19	1981
37-020	116-20	1981
37-021	116-21	1981
37-022	116-22	1981
37-023	116-23	1981
37-024	116-24	1981
37-025	116-25	1981
37-026	116-26	1981
37-027	116-27	1981
37-028	116-28	1981
37-029	116-29	1981
37-030	116-30	1981
37-031	116-31	1981
37-032	116-32	1981
37-033	116-33	1981
37-034	116-34	1981
37-035	116-35	1981
37-036	116-36	1981
37-037	116-37	1981
37-038	116-38	1981
37-039	116-39	1981
37-040	116-40	1981-82
37-041	116-41	1981-82
37-042	116-42	1981-82
37-043	116-43	1981-82
37-044	116-44	1981-82
37-045	116-45	1981-82
37-046	116-46	1981-82
37-047	116-47	1982
37-048	116-48	1982
37-049	116-49	1982
37-050	116-50	1982
37-051	116-51	1982
37-052	116-52	1982
37-053	116-53	1982
37-054	116-54	1982
37-055	116-55	1982
37-056	116-56	1982
37-057	116-57	1982
37-058	116-58	1982
37-059	116-59	1982
37-060	116-60	1982
37-061	116-61	1982
37-062	116-62	1982
37-063	116-63	1982
37-064	116-64	1982
37-065	116-65	1982
37-066	116-66	1982
37-067	116-67	1982
37-068	116-68	1982
37-069	116-69	1982
37-070	116-70	1982
37-071	116-71	1982
37-072	116-72	1982
37-073	116-73	1982
37-074	116-74	1982
37-075	116-75	1982
37-076	116-76	1982
37-077	116-77	1982
37-078	116-78	1982
37-079	116-79	1982
37-080	116-80	1982
37-081	116-81	1982
37-082	116-82	1982
37-083	116-83	1982
37-084	116-84	1982
37-085	116-85	1982
37-086	116-86	1982
37-087	116-87	1982
37-088	116-88	1982
37-089	116-89	8 Jul 1982
37-090	116-90	1982
37-091	116-91	1982
37-092	116-92	1982
37-093	116-93	1982
37-094	116-94	1982
37-095	116-95	1982
37-096	116-96	1982
37-097	116-97	1982
37-098	116-98	1982
37-099	116-99	1982
37-100	116-100	1982

Liveries

The Class 37-000 were all delivered in the SAR Gulf Red livery with signal red buffer beams, yellow side stripes on the long hood sides and a yellow V on each end. In the 1990s many of them began to be repainted in the Spoornet orange livery with a yellow and blue chevron pattern on the buffer beams. At least two, numbers 37-050 and 37-059, later received the Spoornet maroon livery. In the late 1990s a few were repainted in the Spoornet blue livery with outline numbers on the long hood sides. After 2008 in the Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) era, some were repainted in the TFR red, green and yellow livery.^[1]^[9]

Illustration

No. 37-020 in Spoornet blue with outline numbers at Empangeni, 14 August 2007
No. 37-076 in Transnet Freight Rail livery at Koedoespoort, 29 September 2015

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to South African Class 37-000.

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h 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, 44.
^ ^a ^b South African Railways Index and Diagrams Electric and Diesel Locomotives, 610mm and 1065mm Gauges, Ref LXD 14/1/100/20 (amended ed.). 28 January 1975.
^ ^a ^b Soul of A Railway, System 7, Western Transvaal, based in Johannesburg, Part 3. Johannesburg Station in Transition by Les Pivnic. Caption 31. (Accessed on 27 March 2017)
^ ^a ^b ^c Soul of A Railway, System 7, Western Transvaal, based in Johannesburg, Part 17: Northwards to just short of the home signal at Pretoria by Les Pivnic. Captions 49, 50, 51, 52. (Accessed on 27 April 2017)
^ ^a ^b ^c Information supplied by staff at Transnet Rail Engineering, Bloemfontein and Koedoespoort^{[better source needed]}
^ "Why Transnet Discontinued That Diesel Order". Railways Africa. 2 April 2009.
^ "Transnet Tender to High Court". Railways Africa. 12 March 2009.
^ "The Class 39 Diesels". Railways Africa. 12 December 2008.
^ 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. Archived 24 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine (Accessed on 11 April 2017)

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

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

v t e Locomotives built by GM-EMD (EMD)
Switchers	SC NC NC1 NC2 T NW2 NW3 NW4 NW5 TR1 SW1 SW7 SW8 SW9 SW600 SW900 SW1000 SW1001 SW1200 SW1500 SW1504 MP15DC MP15AC MP15T RS1325 GMD1
Four axle road switchers	BL2 GP7 GP9 GP15-1 GP15AC GP15T GP18 GP20 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 switchers	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 switchers	DD35 DD35A DDA40X
Cab units (E- & F-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	DE30AC/DM30AC 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 DDM45 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 GT-16 GA-12 GA-12b GT46MAC GT46PAC DDM45 GL8 JL8 JL18 JT22CW JT42HCW JT56ACe SDP28 SDP38
Streamliners	M-10000 M-10001 M-10002 M-10003 to M-10006 Pioneer Zephyr General Pershing Zephyr Green Diamond Flying Yankee Aerotrain (LWT12)
Experimentals and rebuilds	EMC 1800 hp B-B Beep (SWBLW) CF7 GP8 GP10 GP11 GP16 GP15D GP20D GP22ECO GP39X GP40X BL1 BL20-2 SD20 SD20-2 SD22ECO SD26 SD40X SD45X
List of EMD locomotives

This page was last edited on 5 March 2024, at 04:24