South African class 43-000 and General Electric C30ACi
Under the designation C30ACi, General Electric marketed a 3,300 hp six-axle diesel-electric locomotive for use on cape gauge lines. It is powered by the twelve-cylinder variant of the proven 7FDL engine and reaches a starting tractive effort of 548 kN or 123,000 pounds. The two prototypes and eight production locomotives were built by GE in Erie, Pennsylvania in 2010 and 2011. 193 more were built by Transnet Engineering at Koedoespoort, Pretoria.
Transnet designates them class 43-000. One of their tasks are the 342-car ore trains on the Sishen-Saldanha line. There they are used to assist the class 9E and 15E electric locomotives to prevent overstressing of the power supply. But in the last years, these trains generally use a larger number of electric locomotives and less diesel locomotives. Additionally to the locomotives for Transnet, six were built for Kumba Iron Ore and ten for the Mozambique Railways (Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique).
Technical data
General
- Built
- 2010-2015
- Manufacturers
- General Electric, Transnet Engineering
- Wheel arrangement
- C-C
- Gauge
- 1,067 mm (Cape gauge)
Dimensions and weights
- Service mass
- 126 t
- Adhesion mass
- 126 t
- Axle load
- 21 t
Power plant
- Engine
- GE 7FDL-12
- Engine type
- V16 diesel
Power
- Power source
- diesel-electric
- Indicated power
- 2,460 kW (3,345 PS)
- Top speed
- 100 km/h
- Starting effort
- 548.0 kN
Calculated values
- Factor of adhesion
- 1 : 2.26
- Power-to-weight ratio
- 19.5 kW/t
- Adhesive weight/Total
- 1 : 1.00