South African Class 18E, Series 2

The 3 kV DC Class 6E1 electric locomotive was built for the South African Railways (SAR) by Union Carriage & Wagon (UCW) in Nigel, Transvaal, with the electrical equipment supplied by the General Electric Company (GEC). Eleven series of Class 6E1 were delivered between 1969 and 1984, with altogether 960 units built.[2]

Rebuilding to Class 18E, Series 1 locomotives ceased in 2009 with 446 units rebuilt, the last Series 1 locomotive being no. 18-525. The rebuilding to Class 18E, Series 2 locomotives commenced in late 2009 and was done by Transnet Rail Engineering (TRE), now Transnet Engineering (TE), at its Koedoespoort shops in Pretoria. For Transnet Freight Rail locomotives, the Series 2 number range begins with no. 18-600.[1][3]

In 2012 and 2013, fifteen Series 2 locomotives were also rebuilt for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). These were numbered in the range from 18-421 to 18-435 and were delivered in a new light blue and charcoal livery designed by Peter Stow.[1][3]

By the time the rebuilding to Class 18E, Series 1 ceased, all available Class 6E1, Series 9 to 11, nearly all Series 8 and several Series 6 and 7 locomotives had been rebuilt. Most of the Class 18E, Series 2 locomotives were therefore rebuilt from Class 6E1, Series 2 to 7 locomotives and two Series 8 locomotives.[1]

Beginning in 2009, before rebuilding to Series 2 commenced and in an attempt to reduce theft, the 110 V battery bank was relocated from the locomotive sides below the frame and between the bogies to cab 1, where the toilet occupies less than half of the available space. On the Series 1 locomotives, this appears to have been done only with numbers 18-510 and later. Identifying features are a small grille to the left of the cab 1 side door and, in most cases, the remaining battery box frames without side covers.[1]

The rebuilding project was abruptly terminated in January 2015, with 31 locomotives still on the Class 18E rebuilding line at Koedoespoort, possibly to vacate the assembly line for the construction of the new Classes 21E and 22E locomotives. Of these uncompleted locomotives, three were dispatched to Transwerk's Durban shops for their rebuilding to be completed, while those Class 6E1s which were still on the stripping, shell rewiring and equipment installation production lines were to be removed and scrapped. The last Class 18E to be completed at Koedoespoort was no. 18-863.[1]

With one exception, all the Class 18E, Series 2 locomotives were rebuilt from Class 6E1, Series 2 to 8 locomotives. No. 18-862 was rebuilt from the scrapped Class 18E, Series 1 no. 18-040, which had originally been rebuilt from Class 6E1, Series 10 no. E2131 in 2002.[6]

Class 18E, Series 1 no. 18-040

Since TFR, PRASA and TE are separate corporate entities, serviceable Class 6E1 locomotives for rebuilding are sold to TE and rebuilt Class 18E locomotives are then sold back to TFR or PRASA. Profit-wise, it is to TE's benefit to also use the shells of wrecked or burnt locomotives to rebuild, depending on the condition of the shell. Since 2003, when Series 1 numbers 18-066 and 18-075 were built from burnt Class 6E1 shells, several locomotives had therefore been rebuilt from wrecked or burnt and scrapped shells.[1]

No. 18-040 had been left parked on a siding in the veld. When a crew went back to start it, they found virtually an empty shell, completely stripped by metal thieves. Since TFR considered the locomotive not economically repairable, it was scrapped. The shell, with the bogies, was bought by TE since it was already modified to the Class 18E specifications, and was used to build no. 18-862. Since it had been scrapped, the 18-040 number could not be used again.[6]

The table shows the original Class 6E1 number, series and year built for each Class 18E, Series 2 locomotive, as well as the year it was rebuilt to Class 18E. All the table columns are sortable.[1][3]

The Class 6E1 series lineage identification features are illustrated in the following pictures. Note the external compressed air pipe on the right side of locomotives rebuilt from Class 6E1, Series 2 to 7.

Rebuilt from Class 6E1, Series 2

• 
  No. 18-751 (E1268) at Capital Park, Pretoria, 26 December 2015

Rebuilt from Class 6E1, Series 3

• 
  No. 18-706 (E1331) at Beaufort West, Western Cape, 10 October 2015
• 
  No. 18-432 (E1434) in PRASA blue livery at Sentrarand, 28 September 2015

Rebuilt from Class 6E1, Series 4

• 
  No. 18-425 (E1460) in PRASA blue livery at Sentrarand, 28 September 2015
• 
  No. 18-843 (E1513) at Warrenton, Northern Cape, 19 September 2015

Rebuilt from Class 6E1, Series 5

• 
  No. 18-668 (E1561) at Pyramid South, Gauteng, 7 May 2013
• 
  No. 18-725 (E1546) at Sentrarand, Gauteng, 28 September 2015

Rebuilt from Class 6E1, Series 6

• 
  No. 18-617 (E1739) at Koedoespoort, Pretoria, 9 October 2009
• 
  No. 18-690 (E1733) at Beaconsfield, Kimberley, 17 September 2015
• 
  No. 18-611 (E1677) at Warrenton, Northern Cape, 21 May 2013

Rebuilt from Class 6E1, Series 7

• 
  No. 18-613 (E1820) at Koedoespoort, Pretoria, 2 October 2009
• 
  No. 18-609 (E1882) at Warrenton, Northern Cape, 8 October 2015
• 
  No. 18-649 (E1812) at Capital Park, Pretoria, 26 September 2015

Rebuilt from Class 6E1, Series 8

• 
  No. 18-608 (E1896) at Pyramid South, Gauteng, 14 May 2013

Media related to South African Class 18E Series 2 at Wikimedia Commons