1062 EMD 12-645E3B engine rebuilt by NRZ & GMDL
NRZ 1062 GMDL GT22LC-2 2250 hp Co-Co. Photo from Daniel Osborne
1062 (1803/1814) was built by Soefame in Portugal in 1973 for Rhodesian Railways as it was then known, with typical for the time negative rake windscreen and double cab.
According to an article in Developing Railways 1990, this unit was rebuilt
with a GM 12-645E3B engine, AR6/CA5 Generator and this work was carried out
in November 1988 by a team of Candian Engineers and local NRZ staff at Bulawayo Loco
shop from 1814 and the cab of 1803.
It was redesignated as Class DE10B and was the only one
done.
Eljas P–lh– writes: 1062 was damaged beyond repair on 21 March 1991 when she ran into
the back of a stationary train between Cement and Heany Junction. In her 16
months of service # 1062 had covered 83,000 miles.
As with things in Africa, the idea was good and I think the results were
positive however politics lack of money and inertia killed the project. As
by 1999 of the 58? Alsthom Class DE8 / A / B most if not all had been
withdrawn and scrapped. These locos just ran out of time.
As an example NRZ have 10 GE U20C's which were re-engined this process took
over six years to do!!, this was not a major rebuild or chop down but a
refurb and engine swap!!!
Note that the attached photo is a scan (retouched to remove some
advertising) from the front cover of Developing Railways 1990 published by
Railway Gazette and is probably a GM photo though no credit is given.