South African Class 5E1, Series 1

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 beams14,631 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 MV 281 ​ • 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
Class	Class 5E1
Number in class	135
Numbers	E364-E498
Delivered	1959-1961
First run	1959

The South African Railways Class 5E1, Series 1 of 1959 was an electric locomotive.

Between 1959 and 1961, the South African Railways placed 135 Class 5E1, Series 1 electric locomotives with a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement in mainline service. It was an upgraded and more powerful version of the Class 5E.^[1][2]

Manufacturer

The first series of the 3 kV DC Class 5E1 electric locomotive was designed and built for the South African Railways (SAR) by Metropolitan-Vickers (Metrovick) at its Bowesfield Works. Metrovick was one of the companies owned by the Associated Electrical Industries holding group (AEI) who supplied the electrical equipment. In all, 135 locomotives were delivered between 1959 and 1961, numbered in the range from E364 to E498. These were the last electric locomotives to be imported from the United Kingdom.^[1][3]

The Class 5E1 was virtually identical in outward appearance to the forerunner Class 5E, but with more powerful traction motors and with a new Commonwealth bogie design that gave a smoother ride. Apart from the bogies, an externally visible difference from the Class 5E is the size and location of the small access panels on the lower body sides.^[2][4][5]

Class 5E1 series

The Class 5E1 was produced in five series, the Metrovick built Series 1 and the Union Carriage & Wagon (UCW) built Series 2 to 5. Between 1959 and 1969 altogether 690 of them were built, 135 Series 1, 130 Series 2, 100 Series 3, 100 Series 4 and 225 Series 5.^[1][5]

With the exception of the Series 2 and 3, the series distinction between Class 5E1 locomotives was mainly based on the different model traction motors each was equipped with, MV 281 in Series 1, AEI 281 AZX in Series 2 and 3, AEI 281 AX in Series 4 and AEI 281 BX in Series 5. The distinction between the series 2 and 3 locomotives appears to have been based on the difference in the design of their traction motor bearings.^[1][6]

Identifying features

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]

The locomotive had two cut-outs on the roofline on the roof access ladder side, but an unbroken roofline on the opposite side. Like the predecessor Class 5E, the Class 5E1, Series 1 had two rectangular access panels on the lower sides above the battery box, but it also had an additional rectangular panel on the lower sides above the second axle from the left.

The Series 1 and 2 locomotives could be distinguished from each other by the builder's plates on their end doors, a rectangular Metropolitan-Vickers plate on Series 1 locomotives and an oval Union Carriage and Wagon plate on Series 2. The Series 3, 4 and 5 locomotives could be visually distinguished from earlier models by their three small square access panels on the lower sides above the battery box, compared to the two larger rectangular panels on the Series 1 and 2 locomotives. Series 4 and 5 locomotives could be distinguished from all earlier models by their one small square and one larger rectangular access panels on the lower sides above the second axle from the left, compared to the single rectangular panel on all earlier models.

Brakes

The locomotive itself used air brakes, but it was only equipped to operate trains with vacuum brakes. While hauling a train, the locomotive's air brake system would be made subordinate to the train's brake system and would come into operation as the train brakes were being applied, gradually building up to its maximum pressure of 350 kilopascals (51 pounds per square inch). While working a train downgrade, the locomotive's regenerative braking system would also work in conjunction with the train brakes.

The locomotive's air brakes would usually only be used along with the train brakes during emergencies. Under normal circumstances the train would be controlled using the train brakes alone to slow down and stop.

While the locomotive was stopped, the air brakes on each bogie could be applied independently. The handbrake or parking brake, located in cab 2, only operated on the unit's last axle, the no. 7 and 8 wheels.

Traction motor bearings

The axle-hung traction motors of all earlier SAR electric locomotives up to and including the Class 5E1, Series 1, were suspended on the axles by means of plain oil-lubricated bearings consisting of bronze shells with white metal linings. With the introduction of the more powerful Class 5E1, Series 1, considerable trouble was experienced due to flaking of the white metal linings as a result of the increased intensity of the pressure on these bearings. The use of roller bearings was investigated and one traction motor of a Class 1E locomotive was converted for trial purposes. Since satisfactory results were obtained, it was decided to equip the traction motors of the subsequent UCW built Series 2 and later locomotives with roller-type suspension bearings.^[6]

Liveries

Prior to 1960, green was the traditional colour for electric locomotives, with yellow whiskers and side-stripes being added in the late 1950s. When the SAR celebrated 100 years of railways in South Africa in 1960, new colour schemes were adopted for passenger stock as well as electric and diesel-electric locomotives. Gulf Red with signal red cowcatchers was the colour initially chosen for locomotives and the yellow whiskers and stripes were carried over from the earlier green livery. The yellow side-stripes were initially applied to the full body-length of electric locomotives, but these were later curtailed to just beyond the cab-sides, with the number plates on the sides enclosed in three-stripe wings.^[7]

The early deliveries of Series 1 units still entered service in the bottle green and yellow whiskers livery with red cowcatchers. The later arrivals of Series 1 locomotives were delivered in this newly adopted livery. The change from the green to the red livery appears to have occurred somewhere between no. E446 in green and no. E451 in Gulf Red. The units were delivered in plain green or red and the yellow whiskers were added in South Africa during their erection.^[3][5][8]

Some selected electric and diesel-electric locomotives were painted blue for use with the Blue Train, but without altering the layout of the various paint schemes. Blue Train locomotives were therefore blue with yellow whiskers in the SAR era. During the 1970s eight Class 5E1, Series 1 locomotives, numbers E441 to E448, were painted blue with yellow whiskers for use with the Blue Train between Cape Town and Beaufort West in the Cape Western region. By 1981 they were all back in pool service and were gradually repainted to Gulf Red and whiskers again as they were shopped for major overhauls.^[4]

Service

The Class 5E1 family served on all 3 kV DC electrified mainlines country-wide for almost forty years. The Class 5E1 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 Class 6E1s only became regular motive power in Natal when air-braked car trains began running between Durban and the Reef.^[8]

By the early 2000s the Series 1 locomotives had all been withdrawn from SAR service. Unit no. E496 was still in service by 2014 as shop shunting locomotive at MetroRail's depot at Salt River, Cape Town, painted in a grey and yellow livery to match that of Metrorail’s carriages, with yellow cowcatchers and with reflective stripe whiskers on the ends. Apart from this unit, the shells of numbers E397 and E461 have been converted to a club room at Sentrarand. No more of the Metrovick built Class 5E1, Series 1 are known to have survived. While these two shells are now painted in the SAR Blue Train livery, neither unit wore the blue livery while still in service.^[4]

Works numbers

The Metrovick works numbers of the Class 5E1, Series 1 and their years of construction are listed in the table.^[4]

Class 5E1, Series 1

Loco no.	MV works no.	Year built
E364	1032	1959
E365	1033	1959
E366	1034	1959
E367	1035	1959
E368	1036	1959
E369	1037	1959
E370	1038	1959
E371	1039	1959
E372	1040	1959
E373	1041	1959
E374	1042	1959
E375	1043	1959
E376	1044	1959
E377	1045	1959
E378	1046	1959
E379	1047	1959
E380	1048	1959
E381	1049	1959
E382	1050	1959
E383	1051	1959
E384	1052	1959
E385	1053	1959
E386	1054	1959
E387	1055	1959
E388	1056	1959
E389	1057	1959
E390	1058	1959
E391	1059	1959
E392	1060	1959
E393	1061	1959
E394	1062	1959
E395	1063	1959
E396	1064	1959
E397	1065	1959
E398	1066	1959–61
E399	1067	1959–61
E400	1068	1959–61
E401	1069	1959–61
E402	1070	1959–61
E403	1071	1959–61
E404	1072	1959–61
E405	1073	1959–61
E406	1074	1959–61
E407	1075	1959–61
E408	1076	1959–61
E409	1077	1959–61
E410	1078	1959–61
E411	1079	1959–61
E412	1080	1959–61
E413	1081	1959–61
E414	1082	1959–61
E415	1083	1959–61
E416	1084	1959–61
E417	1085	1959–61
E418	1086	1959–61
E419	1087	1959–61
E420	1088	1959–61
E421	1089	1959–61
E422	1090	1959–61
E423	1091	1959–61
E424	1092	1959–61
E425	1093	1959–61
E426	1094	1959–61
E427	1095	1959–61
E428	1096	1959–61
E429	1097	1959–61
E430	1098	1959–61
E431	1099	1959–61
E432	1100	1959–61
E433	1101	1959–61
E434	1102	1959–61
E435	1103	1959–61
E436	1104	1959–61
E437	1105	1959–61
E438	1106	1959–61
E439	1107	1959–61
E440	1108	1959–61
E441	1109	1959–61
E442	1110	1959–61
E443	1111	1959–61
E444	1112	1959–61
E445	1113	1959–61
E446	1114	1959–61
E447	1115	1959–61
E448	1116	1959–61
E449	1117	1959–61
E450	1118	1959–61
E451	1119	1959–61
E452	1120	1959–61
E453	1121	1959–61
E454	1122	1959–61
E455	1123	1959–61
E456	1124	1959–61
E457	1125	1959–61
E458	1126	1959–61
E459	1127	1959–61
E460	1128	1959–61
E461	1129	1959–61
E462	1130	1959–61
E463	1131	1959–61
E464	1132	1959–61
E465	1133	1959–61
E466	1134	1959–61
E467	1135	1959–61
E468	1136	1959–61
E469	1137	1959–61
E470	1138	1959–61
E471	1139	1959–61
E472	1140	1959–61
E473	1141	1959–61
E474	1142	1959–61
E475	1143	1959–61
E476	1144	1959–61
E477	1145	1959–61
E478	1146	1959–61
E479	1147	1959–61
E480	1148	1959–61
E481	1149	1959–61
E482	1150	1959–61
E483	1151	1959–61
E484	1152	1959–61
E485	1153	1959–61
E486	1154	1959–61
E487	1155	1959–61
E488	1156	1959–61
E489	1157	1959–61
E490	1158	1959–61
E491	1159	1959–61
E492	1160	1959–61
E493	1161	1959–61
E494	1162	1959–61
E495	1163	1959–61
E496	1164	1959–61
E497	1165	1959–61
E498	1166	1959–61

Illustration

The main picture shows no. E464 at the Salt River Depot, Cape Town, on 7 January 1966. The Series 1 locomotives served only in the SAR livery with whiskers, be it bottle green, Gulf Red or Blue Train blue.

• 
  Shells of numbers E397 and E461 in SAR blue and whiskers, as clubroom at Sentrarand Depot, 22 September 2009.
• 
  No. E445, at the time still in bottle green livery, at Salt River Depot, Cape Town, 7 January 1966.^[3]
• 
  No. E496 in a MetroRail shop livery at the Salt River MetroRail Depot, Cape Town, 6 November 2014.

References

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