#4873
South African Class 38-000
🇿🇦 South Africa ·built by Union Carriage & Wagon· from 1992· class of 50 South African electro-diesel locomotives
10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. SAR Class 38-000 38-003: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2. SAR Class 38-000 38-012: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 3. Class 38-000 38-012: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 4. SAR Class 38-000 38-041: Logan Stone· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 5. SAR Class 38-000 38-001: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 6. Class 38-000 38-004: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 7. SAR Class 38-000 38-008: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 8. SAR Class 38-000 38-011: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 9. Class 38-000 38-014: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 10. Class 38-000 38-020: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
what is it?
The Spoornet Class 38-000 of 1992 is a South African electro-diesel locomotive. Between 1992 and 1994, Spoornet placed fifty Class 38-000 dual mode locomotives in service. They are still the only dual powered electro-diesel locomotives in use by Transnet Freight Rail, capable of running either on 3 kV DC electricity off the catenary or on diesel fuel alone.
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 34 years ago, in 1992.
- Weighs about as much as 12 African elephants (~6 t each).
electric locomotive: Draws power from overhead wires or a third rail and pulls separate carriages.
spec sheet
- built
- 1992–1993
- in service from
- 1992
- number built
- 50
- kind
- Electro-diesel
- traction
- bi-mode
- origin
- 🇿🇦 South Africa
- builders
- Union Carriage & Wagon
- designer
- Consortium, led by Siemens
- operators
- Transnet Freight Rail, South African Railways and Harbours Administration
- top speed
- 100 km/h
- power
- —
- gauge
- 1,067 mm Cape gauge
- electric system
- 3 kV DC catenary
- wheel arrangement
- Bo'Bo'
- weight
- 74.7 t
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q7565523, Wikipedia: South African Class 38-000 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.