Burnt out 6E1

[Eugene Armer]

While driving from Wellington to Worcester on 6th Feb this year I spotted this 6E1 sitting in Voelvlei siding, near Gouda on the Cape main line. When returning this way the following day, it was gone, presumably moved to Belville. Must have been an electrical fault that caused the fire. There were two security guards in the rear cab, not a nice way to spend an evening!

Eugene

[Chris Janisch]

Would like to see more of this. Their time will come too!

[Stefan Andrzejewski]

They should have already started replacing the 6E1's. Most of them average 40 years old. There were over 1000 of these built and run. Some have been rebuilt. To replace this class is going to be a huge task. Something that I don't think that Transnet are able to at this point.

[Jez Smith]

To replace this class is going to be a huge task. Something that I don't think that Transnet are able to at this point.

I agree with the sentiment, Stefan, but the blame must rest on the old SAR/SAS, as they knew what they were in for - Transnet/Spoornet inherited a lame animal, and it will take a very experienced vet to get this racehorse running at full speed once more.
In the UK, many early electric classes were prone to burning out, but there was a replacement building programme implicated when the early classes were under 30 years old. Now we have spare electric power, while South Africa is in kak.
If the power shortage becomes too much, may I suggest that there are a great many steam locomotives still available for return to service(?)

[Eugene Armer]

If the power shortage becomes too much, may I suggest that there are a great many steam locomotives still available for return to service(?) [/color][/i][/b]

In your dreams Jez.....
No matter how much many of us would like to see it happen, it would take an inconceivable change in thinking with top management for anything close to it to actually happen. Remember, the people in charge now have very little or no experience of steam, except as something that mostly white folks want to keep alive. I'm an optimist at the best of times, but this is one thing that ain't going to happen.

Eugene

[Nathan Berelowitz]

Wonderfull to see this. Pity the whole thing did not burn out. Probably the assistant left the hotplate on and the pap caught fire!

[Adelbert Stigling]

Jez - your statement that SAS/SAR is responsible is a bit off the mark I would say, not even Transport Services, the demise started with Transnet.

[Dylan Knott]

There already was a fire damaged 6E1 at Bellville. Probably same one on way to Koedoespoort for scrapping.

[Derek Walker]

A few weeks back there was an article in the Sunday times
http://www.timeslive.co.za/business/mon ... 353950.ece
that seems to ring bells when you think of how much it would cost to relace all those 6E1's
It could be that the non replacement of them is part of a long term strategy of heading more for diesel and away from electric seeing as cable theft and electricity prices could be staring us all in the face.

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

Interesting little article. Thanks Derek.

But, would it make sense, despite the problems, to move away from electrification?

In terms of global and industry trends, the move is actually towards electrification and South Africa having a network many countries would give their eye teeth for, means that the country has already got the cake and most of the icing in place.

Increases in electricity costs are not the be all and end all - cost effectiveness for operation hinges on a number of other factors - including maintenence, downtime, turnaround, power to train ratios etc etc.

The USA, China, Russia and India have all put plans in place in for further electrification which see the demise of the majority of diesels............ These plans are very long term, but their major stumbling block is the need to defray the capital infrastructure cost over a long period of time. Here we have the infrastructure already in place - even if wire does go missing.

In the long term electricity will also be king - long term infrastructure and capital investment geared toward petrolium based power is not happening elsewhere - due to fears that as fuel supplies and sources diminish costs will escalate. Note that in terms of fuel reserves we are believed to have passed the peak and now be going downhill globally. While the latter is still open to a degree of debate, resources available to be tapped have nevertheless dwindled, while optimists on the other hand continue to maintan that vast undiscovered untapped reserves remain - somewhere....... This issue is however more complex, and relates to the increase in consumption, use currently of oil fields, and the number of available fields left, coupled with the on-going rate of discovery of new fields.

Have a look here for a peak oil explaination http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil and here for a prediction of timing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predicting ... f_peak_oil

The OPTIMISTS say a peak by 2020, but it could be a lot sooner.

So, any move to dispense with an electrical infrastructure would probably be pretty rash!

[Stefan Andrzejewski]

I read that full article. The efficiency of Electric over Diesel is staggering. It would push the cost of heavy freight by tenfold.

[Steve Appleton]

Paul Ash's statement in his "The Times Live" article contains some poorly researched or misunderstood 'journalese'. The statement "Brent crude was trading at $80.25 barrel on Friday - electric traction is much cheaper than diesel traction, at one kilowatt per hour against 11 kilowatts per hour." does not make either engineering or monetary sense.

First, electrical energy consumption is not measured in "kilowatts per hour". Instantaneous power consumption is measured in watts or kilowatts (= watts x 1000), full stop. Taking the slightly different (mostly increased) current flow due to the load's "power factor" into account that would be measured electrically as kiloVolt.amps (kVa) - for most simplistic purposes, 1 kVa approximately equals 1 kW.

Total energy consumption (not instantaneous power) is measured (integrated) over time as: power x time, and expressed as kilowatt.hours (kWh). That is also the unit in which your household consumption is measured.

Second, I have never heard of a unit of currency called a "kilowatt per hour". So I doubt that is how the cost of Transnet's haulage energy consumption is measured or paid for!

For me, these kind of errors always devalue the overall veracity of this type of article. The question is, how do I trust the rest of the information provided?