Between 1925 and 1945 the South African Railways placed altogether one hundred and seventy-two Class 1E electric locomotives in service, designed by Metropolitan-Vickers and spread over seven orders from four manufacturers (Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works, Metropolitan-Vickers, Nederlandsche Fabriek van Werktuigen en Spoorwegmaterieel and Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns). They were the first main-line electric locomotives to be introduced in South Africa and were subclassified and numbered in seven series (Series 1 E1 to E78, Series 2 E79 to E95, Series 3 E98 to E102, Series 4 E103 to E122, Series 5 E139 to E160, Series 6 E161 to E180, and Series 7 E181 to E190).
See also the Wikipedia article on the South African Class 1E. |