The Class 33-200 type GM-EMD GL26MC diesel-electric locomotive was designed and built for the South African Railways by General MotorsElectro-Motive Division and imported. They were delivered between October 1966 and May 1967 and numbered in the range from to 33-220.
The Class 33-200 was the first GM-EMD diesel-electric locomotive to be placed in service by the SAR. The Class 33 consisted of three series, the General ElectricClass 33-000 and 33-400 and the GM-EMD Class. Both manufacturers also produced locomotives for the subsequent SAR Classes 34, 35 and 36. Of the three series, the Class 33-200 was the only one to be delivered with a high short hood.
Service
South African Railways
The Class 33-200 locomotives spent their entire SAR working lives operating out of East London. After some of the locomotives were sold by the SAR, their dynamic braking equipment, located in the high short hood, was removed by some of the new owners and the short hoods were rebuilt to low noses. In the process their starting power output was reduced from. Between 1991 and 1992, the remaining Spoornet locomotives were similarly modified and placed in shunting service around East London. All of them were eventually withdrawn and sold by Spoornet and several are still operating in other parts of Africa.
Of the original twenty locomotives, eleven were still in service with Sheltam by 2010, two having first served at Douglas Colliery as numbers D8 and D9. Sheltam is a locomotive leasing and repair company. All their serving Class 33-200 locomotives have had their short hoods modified to low noses. Three more locomotives were bought by Sheltam for spare parts and are believed now to be scrapped. Sheltam initially numbered all their locomotives from no. 1 upwards, but have since renumbered them according to their horsepower.
The Class 33-200 builder's works numbers and disposition are listed in the table.
SAR No.
GM-EMD works no.
Post-SAR owner
Post-SAR no.
Sheltam new no.
33-201
31191
Sheltam
Spare parts
33-202
31192
SitaRail
CC 2001
33-203
31193
Sheltam
1
2001
33-204
31194
SitaRail
CC 2003
33-205
31195
Sheltam
14
2008
33-206
31196
Sheltam
8
2004
33-207
31197
D8
33-208
31198
Sheltam
Spare parts
33-209
31199
SitaRail
CC 2004
33-210
31200
Sheltam
15
2009
33-211
31201
D9
33-212
31202
Nkana
1
33-213
31203
Sheltam
13
2007
33-214
31204
SitaRail
CC 2002
33-215
31205
Sheltam
12
2006
33-216
31206
Sheltam
3
2003
33-217
31207
Sheltam
2
2002
33-218
31208
Sheltam
16
2010
33-219
31209
Sheltam
17
2011
33-220
31210
Sudan Ry
Illustration
The main picture shows Class 33-200 no. 33-212 on 8 January 1970 with its original high short hood and in the SAR Gulf Red livery, leading General Electric-built Class no. 33-023 on a passenger train near Vincent, Eastern Cape. The following pictures show some of these locomotives with low short hoods in various liveries.