#2570
South African Class 2E
🇿🇦 South Africa ·built by Henschel & Sohn· from 1937· class of 3 South African electric locomotives
2 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. SAR Class 2E E13x: Unknown author Unknown author· Public domain
- 2. SAR Class 2E: Rollo Dickson· Public domain
what is it?
The South African Railways Class 2E of 1937 was an electric locomotive. In 1937, the South African Railways placed three German-built Class 2E 3 kV DC electric locomotives with a Bo+Bo wheel arrangement in mainline service.
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 89 years ago, in 1937.
- Served for 36 years (1937–1973).
electric locomotive: Draws power from overhead wires or a third rail and pulls separate carriages.
spec sheet
- built
- 1937
- in service from
- 1937
- retired
- 1973
- status
- retired
- number built
- 3
- kind
- Electric
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇿🇦 South Africa
- builders
- Henschel & Sohn
- designer
- Siemens-Schuckert
- operators
- Transnet Freight Rail, South African Railways and Harbours Administration
- top speed
- 72 km/h
- power
- —
- gauge
- 1,067 mm Cape gauge
- electric system
- 3 kV DC catenary
- wheel arrangement
- Bo+Bo
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q7565500, Wikipedia: South African Class 2E (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.