#4351
South African Class 9E, Series 1
🇿🇦 South Africa ·built by Union Carriage & Wagon· from 1978· class of 25 South African electric locomotives
10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. SAR Class 9E Series 1 E9016: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2. Class 9E E9003: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 3. Class 9E E9024 Wabco air dryer: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 4. SAR Class 9E Series 1 E9006 SAR: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 5. SAR Class 9E Series 1 E9007 Blue: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 6. SAR Class 9E Series 1 E9012: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 7. SAR Class 9E Series 1 E9001: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 8. SAR Class 9E Series 1 E9002: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 9. SAR Class 9E Series 1 E9003: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 10. SAR Class 9E Series 1 E9005: Col André Kritzinger· CC BY-SA 3.0
what is it?
The South African Railways Class 9E, Series 1 of 1978 is an electric locomotive. In 1978 and 1979, the South African Railways placed twenty-five 50 kV AC Class 9E, Series 1 electric locomotives with a Co-Co wheel arrangement in service on the Sishen-Saldanha iron ore export line.
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 48 years ago, in 1978.
- Weighs about as much as 28 African elephants (~6 t each).
electric locomotive: Draws power from overhead wires or a third rail and pulls separate carriages.
spec sheet
- built
- 1978–1979
- in service from
- 1978
- number built
- 25
- kind
- Electric
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇿🇦 South Africa
- builders
- Union Carriage & Wagon
- designer
- General Electric Company
- operators
- Transnet Freight Rail, South African Railways and Harbours Administration
- top speed
- 90 km/h
- power
- —
- gauge
- 1,067 mm Cape gauge
- electric system
- 50 kV AC 50 Hz catenary
- wheel arrangement
- Co'Co'
- weight
- 166 t
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q2204925, Wikipedia: South African Class 9E, Series 1 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.