6E1 unit as an AC locomotive trial loco

[John Ashworth]

Class 6E1 unit as an AC locomotive trial loco, stands at Koedoespoort works.

Photo Hennie Heymans 05/11/2004

[Luca Lategan]

What a shame, looks so old, nothing like the picture in "Locomotives of the South African Railways" by Leith Paxton... Isn't this just like any other 25kV loco that can be put to good use elsewhere?

According to the guide:

No doubt it is the same loco, just in much happier times! Look at the reflextion of the trees in the bodywork. Was all loco's this shiny?

WS Loko.jpg (47.84 KiB) Viewed 1506 times

"In 1975 an order was placed for a single experimental 25kV ac 50 Hz electric locomotive. Essentially a modified Class 6E1 design, it has a single-arm pantograph. The locomotive, Class EXP/AC, tilised a thyristor/diode rectifier set for the traction motor supply. The mechanical components were supplied by Union Carriage an dthe electrical equipment, with the exception of the traction motors, were supplied by the 50c/s Group. It was used for testing and elimintating potential problems which might have arisen with the new system of 25kV high-voltage electification; however, it never entered revenye service."
(no technical detail is given)

Looks like it already stood idle when the book was written in 1984.