© FACULTY OF ENGINEERING, UNN, 2021 Locomotive Engines and the Future of Railway Automotive Power in Africa: A Review I. I. Ozigis 1 , J. I. O. Oche 2 and N. M. Lawal 3 *,1,3 Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Abuja, NIGERIA 2 Nigerian Railway Corporation, Ebute Metta, Lagos, NIGERIA. Abstract This work presents the review of locomotives and the future of railway automotive power in Africa. Locomotives down time on account of inadequate spare parts still remains a challenge in African. It is thus, imperative to review the locomotives in African, to establish the current capabilities as well as provide recommendations to bridge the gaps and its extrapolated trends in future. Firstly, the comparison factors were track length, electrified rails, number of locomotives and yearly passengers on each of Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia rails. Secondly, the focus was on engine parameters from literatures and maintenance logbooks of locomotives. From available data, it was found that South Africa and Egypt have more advanced rail system than the rest four selected countries. It was also found that additive manufacturing, 3D printing, ductile cast iron and die- forging can be used to produce the engine body for diesel engine using steel and aluminum alloys while aluminum silicon and tin doped with copper are good for reciprocation mechanisms. And finally, increased reliability of locomotives can be guided by an engine selection matrix, while use of renewable and energy hybridization are needed to meet the expansion of railroads in Africa. Keywords: Automotive power, locomotives, manufacturing, renewable energy, train density. 1.0 INTRODUCTION Rail transport is a means to transfer passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails in which the rolling stocks are guided. In rail transport, rolling stocks (RS) implies all vehicles such as locomotive engines, rail cars, power cars, baggage vans, coaches and wagons on bogies/wheels, that moves on rails [1] The tracks (steel rails, concrete slabs, sleepers, ties and ballast), signaling system, electric wire networks and stations constitute the infrastructure. Diesel electric locomotive (DEL) consists of diesel engine which drives main generator and in turn provides power for traction motors geared to the wheels. There is no gear box between the diesel engine and the main generator. DEL is the prime mover for train. DEL can be found in front, rear, or as in diesel multiple units (DMU) or in the middle (for multi-heading locomotives). The diesel engine obtains its energy by combustion reaction between atomized fuel and compressed air, and then coverts to mechanical energy via a rotating shaft output. The burning of fuel-air mixture inside the combustion chamber raises the temperature and pressure that slides the piston up and down. The reciprocating effects causes the crankshaft to rotate as the engine output. The automotive power (AP) in railway system is the source of power for the propulsion of locomotives. *Corresponding author (Tel: +234 (0) 806 298 4934) Email addresses: idris.ozigi@uniabuja.edu.ng (I.I. Ozigis), alloys2020@yahoo.com (I.J.O.Oche), nasir.lawal@uniabuja.edu.ng (N.M. Lawal). The types available include: the on board prime movers which can be coal, diesel or gas turbine AP. Other types have no on-board prime movers but pantograph linkages whose operations are based on electromagnetic flux. These group include: electric drivers, which can be single or multiple units type and battery powered AP. Both gas turbines and electromagnetic flux AP technologies are not yet in Nigeria. In South Africa and Egypt, electric locomotives (EL) have begun to replace DEL, particularly for commuter lines [2, 3]. However, short distances or inter-city travels still use DEL. In Europe, for example, there is coordinated efforts to increase electrified rails in compliance to carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reduction policy on global warming [4] . Manufacturing and availability of diesel electric locomotive parts are still at inadequate level in Africa particularly in Nigeria despite the introduction of rail locomotive transport in the country as early as 1884, following that of South Africa and India in 1862 and 1853, respectively. Since then, South Africa railways has 22,051 km rail tracks and India railways has manufactured over 3000 LE via American Locomotive Company (ALCo) [5]. Presently, Nigeria railways corporation (NRC) has over 40 serviceable DEL, some of which, may have been retired, sold as scrapped or undergoing refurbishment. However, NRC with the support of China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), a subsidiary of China Railway Construction Company (CRCC), has set up her coaches and wagons assembly plant at Kajola, Ogun State, Nigeria but no mentioned of the locomotive engine and/ or engine components Nigerian Journal of Technology (NIJOTECH) Vol. 40, No. 4 July, 2021, pp.660 – 673 www.nijotech.com Print ISSN: 0331-8443 Electronic ISSN: 2467-8821 http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njt.v40i4.13