1Co Co1
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Under the British and Imperial classification scheme of locomotive axle arrangements 1Co+Co1 is a classification code for a locomotive wheel arrangement of two eight-wheeled
bogie A bogie ( ) (or truck in North American English) comprises two or more Wheelset (rail transport), wheelsets (two Railroad wheel, wheels on an axle), in a frame, attached under a vehicle by a pivot. Bogies take various forms in various modes ...
s with an articulated inter-bogie connection, each with three axles powered by a separate traction motor per axle and with the fourth non-powered axle in an integral leading pony truck to reduce the axle load. The similar classification is in the same axle configuration, but without the inter-bogie connection.South African Railways Index and Diagrams Electric and Diesel Locomotives, 610mm and 1065mm Gauges, Ref LXD 14/1/100/20, 28 January 1975, as amended Other equivalent classifications are: * AAR classification: 1-C+C-1 *
UIC classification The UIC classification of locomotive axle arrangements, sometimes known as the German classification''The Railway Data File''. Leicester: Silverdale, 2000. p. 52. . or German system,Kalla-Bishop P.M. & Greggio, Luciano, ''Steam Locomotives'', Cr ...
: (1′Co)+(Co1′)


Overview

The 1Co+Co1 wheel arrangement for electric and diesel-electric locomotives was a development of the
Co+Co CO or variants may refer to: Chemistry * Carbon monoxide (CO), a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas * Carbonyl group, composed of a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom: C=O * Cobalt, a chemical element, symbol Co Computing and te ...
wheel arrangement to enable a relatively heavy locomotive to work on light rail by reducing the
axle load The axle load of a wheeled vehicle is the total weight bearing on the roadway for all wheels connected to a given axle. Axle load is an important design consideration in the engineering of roadways and railways, as both are designed to tolerate a m ...
. This was accomplished by the addition of a non-powered axle in an integral pony truck to the three
traction motor A traction motor is an electric motor used for propulsion of a vehicle, such as locomotives, electric vehicle, electric or hydrogen vehicles, or electric multiple unit trains. Traction (engineering), Traction motors are used in electrically powe ...
ed Co powered bogie. In the
United States of America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...
, the South African Class 32-000 is credited with being a major factor in the demise of the
American Locomotive Company The American Locomotive Company (often shortened to ALCO, ALCo or Alco) was an American manufacturer that operated from 1901 to 1969, initially specializing in the production of locomotives but later diversifying and fabricating at various time ...
(ALCO) and the rise of
General Electric General Electric Company (GE) was an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1892, incorporated in the New York (state), state of New York and headquartered in Boston. Over the year ...
(GE) in the locomotive building business. In 1957, the South African Railways (SAR) called for tenders with two options. * 115 locomotives with a 1Co+Co1 wheel arrangement. * 230 locomotives with a Co+Co wheel arrangement. The SAR was not very enthusiastic about the General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD)
two-cycle engine A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a power cycle with two strokes of the piston, one up and one down, in one revolution of the crankshaft in contrast to a four-stroke engine which re ...
s and had a strong preference for ALCO's Model 251 engine and GE's transmission systems. As a prior supplier of steam locomotives for the SAR, ALCO appeared to be virtually assured of receiving the order. General Steel Castings had a design on paper for a 1Co bogie which could be utilised by either ALCO or GE and which would enable the SAR's specification to be met for the heavier units. The SAR made it clear that, despite the two options afforded by the tender, its strong preference was for a 1Co+Co1 locomotive. However, the use of a bogie with an integral pony truck was not universally accepted by ALCO's engineering management. The result was that ALCO bid on only the Co+Co option and lost out to GE, who had bid on both options. In South Africa, this virtually opened the floodgates for GE, since more than half of the SAR's vast
diesel-electric locomotive A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the power source is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving whee ...
fleet which would be acquired between 1959 and 1981 were GE products.


Usage


South Africa

The 3 kV DC Class 4E electric locomotive was designed for the SAR by the
General Electric Company The General Electric Company (GEC) was a major British industrial conglomerate involved in consumer and Arms industry, defence electronics, communications, and engineering. It was originally founded in 1886 as G. Binswanger and Company as an e ...
(GEC) and was built by the
North British Locomotive Company The North British Locomotive Company (NBL, NB Loco or North British) was created in 1903 through the merger of three Glasgow locomotive manufacturing companies; Sharp, Stewart and Company (Atlas Works), Neilson, Reid and Company (Hyde Park W ...
(NBL) between 1952 and 1953. The Class 4E was amongst the most powerful electric locomotives in the world at that time and at , it was a heavy locomotive for . The reasons for the leading pony truck were both to improve stability at speed and to reduce the axle load. Between 1959 and 1961, the SAR placed 115 high-nosed Class 32-000 GE type U18C1 diesel-electric locomotives in service in
South West Africa South West Africa was a territory under Union of South Africa, South African administration from 1915 to 1990. Renamed ''Namibia'' by the United Nations in 1968, Independence of Namibia, it became independent under this name on 21 March 1990. ...
, where very light rail conditions necessitated lighter axle loadings which could not be achieved with conventional three-axle bogies under a heavy locomotive. In June and July 1966, ten low-nosed Class 32-200 GE type U20C1 diesel-electric locomotives entered service on the SAR. The Class 32-200 was actually a Class 33-000 locomotive on the 1Co bogies of the Class 32-000, which reduced its axle load from the of the Class 33-000 to . Apart from the bogies, which necessitated a smaller fuel tank, its physical dimensions and exterior appearance were identical to that of the Co+Co Class 33-000 and it used the same V12 prime mover.


Japan

A number of Japanese electrics from the 1930s, also on Cape gauge, such as the EF10 also used this arrangement.


References

{{Reflist Commonwealth classification