The Transnet Freight Rail Class 44-000 of 2015 is a South African diesel-electric locomotive operated by

Transnet Freight Rail Transnet Freight Rail is a South African rail transport company, formerly known as Spoornet. It was part of the South African Railways and Harbours Administration, a state-controlled organisation that employed hundreds of thousands of people ...

History

In 2014,

ordered 233 GE ES40ACis from

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable en ...

.Transnet: 1,064 locomotives, $5 billion
''

Railway Age ''Railway Age'' is an American trade magazine for the rail transport industry. It was founded in 1856 in Chicago (the United States' major railroad hub) and is published monthly by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation. History The magazine's ...

'' 17 March 2014 The first six were built in the United States by General Electric in

Erie, Pennsylvania Erie (; ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 ...

, in April and July 2015. In October 2015 the first of 227 locally-built locomotives was nearing completion at the Koedoespoort shops in

Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends eastward into the foot ...

, while the first two of the six imported locomotives were undergoing testing on the line between Pyramid South and Warmbad.Transnet Loco Acquisition
''Railways Africa'' 3 March 2015 The core components, such as the GEVO-12 prime movers, were manufactured in the United States, with locomotive construction and final assembly taking place at Koedoespoort. The contract required a minimum local content for rolling stock of 55%.

References

External links

{{GE diesels Cape gauge railway locomotives Co-Co locomotives Diesel-electric locomotives of South Africa General Electric locomotives Railway locomotives introduced in 2015 Transnet Rail Engineering locomotives