Based on the success of the GE HVAC system supplied for the Class 43 locomotives, Booyco Engineering was awarded the contract to design and manufacture the air conditioning units for Transnet’s Class 34 locomotives.

“This contract forms part of an upgrade project being undertaken by Transnet and will see Booyco Engineering fulfilling an order for five air conditioning systems. We will leverage the experience we gained on the Class 43 locomotive installations to custom engineer the system for the Class 34 locos,” Pieter de Koning , managing director of Booyco Engineering, explains.

The tried and tested design of the inverter driven system, which was engineered for the Class 43 loco, has been incorporated into the Class 34 loco air conditioning system design. “All components for our air conditioning systems are selected to deliver high levels of reliability under extremes of shock and vibration, dust burden, temperature and humidity. The Class 34 loco inverter driven system will provide Transnet with absolute reliability and optimum performance,” he continues.

The units will be engineered and supplied over a nine month period in strict accordance with the requirements of ISO 9001:2008. Performance testing will be undertaken in Booyco Engineering’s in-house climate chamber to verify that these units meet all the operating parameters. Each unit will then be certified to ensure compliance with the relevant specifications

De Koning points out that, in addition to the type testing that the first unit of each new design undergoes, each subsequent unit is run and key parameters are recorded (routine testing). “In this way we are able to ensure each unit is commissioned to the same specification as the test unit. A further test on the first installed unit will verify the performance of the air conditioner in situ.

“It is critical that Transnet’s Class 34 loco drivers operate in an environment that is conducive to safe working practice and comfort. Long haul routes and high external ambient temperatures mean that the absence of a reliable and robust air conditioning system results in locomotive driver fatigue and distress. The incorporation of Booyco Engineering’s tried and tested solution will increase the productivity levels and wellbeing of the train drivers,” de Koning concludes.