South African Class 32-000

The South African Class 32-000 type GE U18C1 diesel-electric locomotive was designed and built to South African Railways (SAR) requirements by General Electric (GE) and imported. They were numbered in the range from 32-001 to 32-115.[1]

The Class 32 consisted of two series, the high short hood Class 32-000 and the low short hood Class 32-200, both GE products and both with a 1Co+Co1 wheel arrangement. The short hood end was the front on both versions and both had single station controls.[1]

In the United States of America, the South African Class 32-000 is credited with being a major factor in the demise of the American Locomotive Company (Alco) and the rise of GE in the locomotive building business.[2]

In the late 1950s South Africa, at the time one of the last bastions of steam traction, planned to embark on a massive dieselisation program. A SAR technical team was sent to Europe and the United States to prepare an assessment of design alternatives, finalise specifications and compile a list of qualified bidders.[2]

In the United States only Alco, GE and General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD) were considered to be qualified bidders. The SAR was not very enthusiastic about two-stroke cycle prime movers and had a strong preference for Alco's Model 251 prime mover and GE's transmission systems. As a long-time prior supplier of steam locomotives for the SAR, Alco appeared to be virtually assured of receiving the order.[2]

The SAR's tender for bid was issued in 1957, with two options:[2]

• 115 1,800 horsepower (1,300 kilowatts) locomotives with a 1Co+Co1 wheel arrangement; or
• 230 1,000 horsepower (750 kilowatts) locomotives with a Co+Co wheel arrangement

1Co bogie on no. 32-047

These units were intended for operation in South West Africa under very light rail conditions that necessitated lighter axle loadings which could not be achieved with conventional Co bogies under a heavy locomotive. General Steel Castings had a design on paper for a 1Co bogie, a Co bogie with an integral pony truck, which could be utilised by either Alco or GE and which would enable the SAR's specifications to be met for the heavier 1,800 horsepower (1,300 kilowatts) units.[2]

The SAR made it clear that, despite the two options afforded by the tender, its strong preference was for a 1Co+Co1 locomotive. The use of a pony truck was not universally accepted by Alco's engineering management, however, and the result was that Alco bid on only the Co+Co option and lost out to GE, who had bid on both options.[2]

In South Africa, this virtually opened the floodgates for GE since more than half of the SAR's vast diesel-electric locomotive fleet which was acquired between 1959 and 1981 were GE products.[2]

The class 32-000 were delivered in the new Gulf Red livery with yellow side-stripes and a yellow V on each end. They wore this livery throughout their SAR and Spoornet service life.[5]

Four of the Class 32-000's have been preserved.

• 32002 incorrectly numbered 32001 is plinthed in Windhoek in Namibia.
• 32029 is preserved at The Railway Museum in George.[8]
• 32042 is preserved at the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe Railway in George.[8]
• 32047 preserved at Voorbaai Loco Depot.[8]

The Class 32-000 builder's works numbers and known disposition are listed in the table.

• 
  No. 32-042 on the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe, 16 February 2005
• 
  No. 32-002 renumbered to 32-001 and plinthed in Windhoek, 20 February 2006[3]
• 
  No. 32-047 staged at Voorbaai Depot near Mosselbaai, 15 April 2013