Power type Diesel-electric Build date 1976-1978 | Model GM-EMD GT18MC | |
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Designer General Motors Electro-Motive Division Builder General Motors South Africa Serial number 103-1 to 103-50, 110-1 to 110-50, 111-1 | ||
The South African Railways Class 35-600 of 1976 is a branchline diesel-electric locomotive.
Contents
Between September 1976 and June 1978, the South African Railways placed one hundred Class 35-600 General Motors Electro-Motive Division type GT18MC diesel-electric locomotives in branchline service. In 1977, one Class 35-600 locomotive was also built for Columbus Stainless in Middelburg, Transvaal.
Manufacturer
The Class 35-600 type GT18MC diesel-electric locomotive was designed by General Motors Electro-Motive Division (GM-EMD) and built in two batches for the South African Railways (SAR) by General Motors South Africa (GMSA) in Port Elizabeth. Fifty were delivered between September 1976 and May 1977, numbered in the range from 35-601 to 35-650, and another fifty between May 1977 and June 1978, numbered in the range from 35-651 to 35-700.
In addition, another single Class 35-600 GT18MC locomotive was built new in 1977 for Columbus Stainless, a large stainless steel plant which was established in Middelburg, Transvaal in 1965.
GE and GM-EMD designs
The Class 35 locomotive group consists of four series, the General Electric (GE) Classes 35-000 and 35-400 and the GM-EMD Classes 35-200, 35-600 and 35-800. Both manufacturers also produced locomotives for the South African Classes 33, 34 and 36.
Distinguishing features
Of the GM-EMD Class 35 locomotives, the Class 35-200 and 35-600 are visually indistinguishable from each other.
Service
The Class 35 family is South Africa’s standard branchline diesel-electric locomotive. The GM-EMD Class 35-600s were designed for light rail conditions and they work on most branchlines in the central, eastern, northern and northeastern parts of the country.
Works numbers
The Class 35-600 builder’s works numbers are listed in the table.
Illustration
The main picture shows no. 35-662 in Spoornet orange livery, at Vryheid in Kwa-Zulu Natal on 15 August 2007. An overhead view and some other liveries which were applied to Class 35-600 locomotives, are illustrated below.