A South African coal producer’s fleet of six Class 8E locomotives has commissioned Booyco Engineering to upgrade the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system installed in the driver’s cabs.
The facilities in Germiston owned by Booyco Engineering are where the HVAC systems are created. However, the maker informed Railway Gazette International that a non-disclosure agreement prevented them from naming the operator.
In order to reflect a number of advancements, including a more energy-efficient refrigerant compressor, Booyco Engineering has updated the original Class 8E HVAC equipment. Additionally, the heating capacity has been enhanced, and the electrical switchgear has been changed to railway-rated versions.
According to Managing Director Brenton Spies, “We first developed an HVAC system for this class of locomotive almost 20 years ago, and we have supplied close to 100 units to South Africa’s main freight rail operator. A special design was required and was initially installed in 2003 in order to achieve the reliable performance and longevity that was expected.”
According to Executive Director Grant Miller, “Due to our narrow gauge rail specifications, there are also space constraints to consider when designing for locomotives in the South African rail sector.”
