The Uloliwe Vol 3 No 11 by Hennie Heymans, Nongqai Publications

THE ULOLIWE SOUTH AFRICA – SUID-AFRIKA A monthly railway historical and research publication ‘n Maandelikse spoorweg historiese en navorsing publikasie Vol 3 No 11 Un-official / Nie Amptelik - Gratis Everything to do with the former SA Railways: i.e. lighthouses, harbours, staff, photos, books, RMT, stations, tugs, SAR Police, SAA, catering, pipelines, stamps, models, rolling stock, armoured trains, diagrams, etc

Hennie Heymans, Pretoria, ZA heymanshb@gmail.com November 2012

Contents Welcome .............................................................................................................................................................8 Front Cover – Voorblad:...................................................................................................................................9 Editorial – Redaksioneel...................................................................................................................................9 International.................................................................................................................................................11 1947 Royal Tour: SA Railways & SA Police Horses ...............................................................................11 Wepener’s Perambulations and … Railway History .................................................................................14 One down, more to go? Viginia – Glen Harmony Branch is no more!...............................................14 Typical Afican scene ...................................................................................................................................15 Sightings .......................................................................................................................................................17 Articles from our readers ...............................................................................................................................23 Les Pivnic: SAR & H Magazine 1957-01- 250 ..............................................................................................23 Patron................................................................................................................................................................24 Correction: Bloemfontein: 31st of May 1960: 50 years of Union: Les Pivnic...........................................24 Princess Alice Hospital Train (sic): HBH .................................................................................................25 Princess Christian Hospital Train: Ray Ellis (Australia) .......................................................................26 Commenting on the photos: Ray Ellis..................................................................................................29 Grave: Christian Victor - Prince of Schleswig Holstein (HBH) ................................................................35 Graf: Christian Victor - Prins van Schleswig Holstein (HBH) ..................................................................35 Touwsrivier / Touws River : PS “Piet” Venter ............................................................................................37 Gwanda: Richard Clatworthy .......................................................................................................................38 Ten-Coupled Good? Richard Clatworthy ...................................................................................................41 1957 Steam Locomotives: Speed Indicators.................................................................................................44 Braamfontein Rapport 18-421– Dr V Mostert .............................................................................................44 2

New Prasa Livery ........................................................................................................................................44 Loliwe: KwaZulu Natal Tourist Train .....................................................................................................47 A Unique Baldwin 2 Foot 4-6-2 still steams - Bob Hogan (USA) ............................................................48 Greg Hart sent this KwaZulu- Natal report ................................................................................................73 Karoo rambles – Pierre de Wet......................................................................................................................78 Railway History of South Africa –HBH .......................................................................................................81 CGR: 1st Class: Beyer Peacock...................................................................................................................81 NGR: 8-Wheeled Coupled Tank Engine ..................................................................................................81 Cape Town Station - What has happened to Blackie? ...............................................................................82 OVS Staatspoorwegen (OVSS) ......................................................................................................................82 ABW: Capt Ironside’s White Horse at Bloemfontein (Naval Hill)...........................................................83 NZASM.............................................................................................................................................................83 Anglo Boer War ...............................................................................................................................................84 Boer Engine Driver: Mr A M Venter - SAR & H Magazine 1957-01-87 ...............................................84 NGR ..................................................................................................................................................................84 Railway Stations ..............................................................................................................................................85 In this case a few “Old SAR Halts” – Col A Kritzinger (SAAF Ret) ....................................................85 - Hexpas (in English: Hex Pass?)...........................................................................................................85 - Osplaas (Lit: Ox Farm) .........................................................................................................................86 - Tunnel.....................................................................................................................................................87 Merrivale – Howick – Greg Hart ..............................................................................................................88 SAR: RMT .........................................................................................................................................................88 SAR: World War 1 ...........................................................................................................................................88 3

SAR in GSWA: WW1 ..................................................................................................................................88 WW1: Kaffrarian Rifles Memorial - Col Andre Kritzinger (SAAF Ret) ..........................................89 SAR: World War 2 ...........................................................................................................................................90 SAR Railway Lines: 1956/7: Doubling of Eastern Main Line ....................................................................91 SAR Traction and Rolling Stock ....................................................................................................................92 Transnet Traction and Rolling Stock ............................................................................................................93 Hennenman - J Wepener ............................................................................................................................93 SA Metro Rail...................................................................................................................................................94 Cape Town: Monte Vista Line – Stefan Andrzejewski ..........................................................................94 Durban Metro – Greg Hart ........................................................................................................................97 Gautrain..........................................................................................................................................................101 Photo reports .................................................................................................................................................101 Robert Maidment-Wilson ........................................................................................................................101 Jez Smith (UK) ...........................................................................................................................................102 35-266 ......................................................................................................................................................102 E7-068 ......................................................................................................................................................103 Natal Midlands - Jacobus Marais............................................................................................................103 The Blue Train: Francois Mattheüs (Cape Town) .................................................................................103 A Mixed Bag – Lourens Sturgeon ...............................................................................................................104 De Beers’ Private Pullman - Kimberley .................................................................................................104 White E1’s ????? .........................................................................................................................................106 Ethekwini – photo by Lourens Sturgeon ...............................................................................................106 Kei-Rail: Lourens Sturgeon ..........................................................................................................................107 4

Green F15 – Adrian Hill ...........................................................................................................................107 Piet Venter: Op die sif trein na Umlazi ......................................................................................................108 Waterfall near Delvillewood ...............................................................................................................109 Namibia ..........................................................................................................................................................110 Railway People – Spoorwegmense .............................................................................................................110 John Davis ..............................................................................................................................................110 Johan Kotze ............................................................................................................................................111 Piet Venter – Metro Driver from Durban ..........................................................................................111 Kyk Spoorwegman, ek skryf en bid vir jou! – Koot Swanepoel .............................................................112 Water Police ...................................................................................................................................................113 Previous issues of Uloliwe ...........................................................................................................................113 Rail Humour ..................................................................................................................................................113 Book Shelf.......................................................................................................................................................113 Road Motor Transport Service [RMT]........................................................................................................113 South African Airways .................................................................................................................................113 SAA History : 1957 ........................................................................................................................................113 Harbours.........................................................................................................................................................116 Backround on Durban Harbour (Port Natal) ....................................................................................117 Catering Division ..........................................................................................................................................118 Railway Police ...............................................................................................................................................118 Railways: Tourism, Steam, Preservation, Societies & Clubs...................................................................118 Rovos Rail...................................................................................................................................................118 RRL Grindrod ............................................................................................................................................118 5

Atlantic Rail Cape Town .........................................................................................................................118 Rhodesia Railways, National Railways of Zimbabwe – J Batwell & Phil Braithwaite....................118 RR Memorial: Bulawayo ..........................................................................................................................123 Memories: Bosveld Train Safaris – HBH ...............................................................................................123 Railway Society of Southern Africa Natal – A Peter ............................................................................123 Reefsteamers:– Lee Gates .............................................................................................................................123 Reefsteamers: Contact details ..................................................................................................................123 Umgeni Steam Railway: GMAM 4074 ...................................................................................................123 Paton’s Country Railway .........................................................................................................................123 Patons Country Railway: Annual Aloe Train Trips .........................................................................123 Umgeni Steam Railway - Ashley Peter ..................................................................................................124 Friends of the Rail (FOTR) .......................................................................................................................124 FOTR Calendar – Nathan Berelowitz.................................................................................................124 FOTR – Nathan Berelowitz ..................................................................................................................124 Cullinan 2 Sept 2012 – Nathan Berelowitz ............................................................................................124 Enquiries Friends of the Rail ...............................................................................................................126 Sandstone ...................................................................................................................................................126 JB Tours: Treintoere in Suider Afrika .........................................................................................................126 Railwayana.....................................................................................................................................................126 South African Models ...................................................................................................................................126 Scalecraft: - Adrian Hill ............................................................................................................................126 Contact Scalecraft ..................................................................................................................................129 Scalecraft news ..........................................................................................................................................129 6

Shaun and Rinke’s contact information is as follows ......................................................................130 Scalecraft product information ...............................................................................................................130 Dream Trains – Wynand Vermeulen .....................................................................................................131 Hopefield: Terry Rowe ............................................................................................................................131 Lionel Penning: Railway Modellers’ Information Group: Contact Details ......................................131 From the Press ...............................................................................................................................................131 Fish and chips for breakfast on train to Soweto ...................................................................................131 China slaan kontrak vir lokomotiewe los ..............................................................................................133 SA RAILWAY RELATED INTERNET GROUPS......................................................................................134 •

Suid-Afrikaaanse Spoorweë / SA Railways / Ulolwe (sic) ......................................................134

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Yahoo: SAR-Miniatures – Adrian Hill .......................................................................................134

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Facebook: ‘RHODESIA RAILWAY’ Group - John Batwell ....................................................134

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Website for Reefsteamers: Lee Gates ..........................................................................................135

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Well worth a look ..........................................................................................................................135

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Andre Kritzinger ...........................................................................................................................135

•

Adrian Hill says:............................................................................................................................135

Angola: Nostalgia Old CFB Coaches (part 2) - Anton van Schalkwyk .................................................136 Map: Bruno Martin ...............................................................................................................................136 CFM: Lourenco Marques or Maputo..........................................................................................................139 Tanzam-line ...................................................................................................................................................139 Tanzam Map by Bruno Martin................................................................................................................139 “Hot off the press”: Liberia Map – Bruno Martin ....................................................................................139 Liberia – J Wepener .......................................................................................................................................140 7

Introduction: Relevancy? .....................................................................................................................140 Sierra Leone – HBH, John Nicholas Middleton & Bruno Martin ...........................................................144 Pandora’s Box ................................................................................................................................................147 Mail Bag ..........................................................................................................................................................149 Klipplaat’s abandoned locomotive: Hendrik Sharp.............................................................................149 Railways Gazette: Mark Robinson (CRA) .................................................................................................149 Some background on Bob Hogan (GA USA) ........................................................................................150 Terry Rowe: From the Rolls-Royce Staff Magazine Derby, England ................................................152 De Haviland Dove article - Wally Greig ................................................................................................153 The Paxton’s from Cape Town ................................................................................................................153 John Nicholas Middleton .........................................................................................................................154 John Nicholas Middleton: CC 1183 or CC1103? – Dries van der Merwe ..........................................154 Stop Press .......................................................................................................................................................154 Senwes at Wesselsbron.................................................................................................................................154 UK Steam Report: Richard Niven (Former SAR) .....................................................................................155 Disclaimer and Greetings.............................................................................................................................158

Welcome Once again, what an honour and privilege to bid you welcome to this very interesting edition of The Uloliwe! I am astonished to see what we ferro-equinologists can come up with each month! As compiler I find this task an honour and a unique privilege as so many rail-fans share their photographs, memories, stories and ideas with us. This makes my task more difficult. Thanks for your fantastic contributions! WE are becoming more international! Due to the diaspora a South African flavour is permeating through the world. We are not only in Africa, but in Australia and the UK while Southa Africa has railfans all over the globe! We should have kept steam alive! 8

Front Cover – Voorblad: Blue Train heading south just before Makwassie behind 2x 18E’s – photo by Jacque Wepener. When is the Blue Train not Blue? Lourens Sturgeon posed the question: “If the traction is not BLUE, is it legally speaking still the “Blue Train”?

Editorial – Redaksioneel Looking at the Blue Train (above); the premier train of South Africa; one is disgusted to find the one locomotive so dirty. What is the message being communicated to the travelling public? We don’t really care? If I came from the UK or USA I would have been disappointed. I would have complained to Transnet! A dirty locomotive on a prestige passenger (tourist) train spoils an expensive trip and the photographs are not what they should be! During the 1930’s – that was about 30 years after he Anglo-Boer War - we had a worldwide depression. Afrikaners were used as manual labour on the roads and the railways at 2/6- or 25 cents a day. No welfare was available. Our Afrikaans Churches had various labour colonies on farms where poor whites had to work and farm. Likewise our prisons produced food for the prisoners: beef, pork, chickens, vegatables and fruit! Today this is not done anymore! I think it affects their human rights! The Union Defence Force founded the Special Service Battalion. Here young Afrikaner boys became men. My father always said here they got: “Hell for sweets and bottle pieces for jam”. The SSB also trained young men for the railways. There was a dining coach at Roberts’ Heights and some of the men did basic training as waiters before being allowed to join the SAR. When trains went through large and important stations the waiters stood at 9

attention in the Dining Car. They also polished the under frame of the dining car. There was pride! My friend, Oom Gert, as a student earned his money as a SAR waiter. This work allowed him to complete his university studies. He told me how hard they had to work on the train. When no passengers aboard, e.g. after arriving at Mosselbaai, they had to polish the silver etc before they could leave the train. He retired as professor! Good military discipline also learns one to plan. (If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!) As part of planning there should always be, along the route, a set of clean locomotives for the Blue Train. We old chaps who served in the military, or in the South African Police, followed age old British traditions of clean barracks, clean stables, clean police camps, clean vehicles etc. “Camp inspection” is done every day at 12:00 and an entry is made in the Occurrence Book. All SAP vehicles are inspected daily and every week by an officer. With a little bit of discipline, command and control; or good manners and good management one can certainly have one of the best trains in Africa! Why is it that we lack pride in our work! Or, the motivation to be only the best? Workers are paid astronomical salaries and wages – for what? In days of old the men who performed the most menial tasks were always (more or less) very polite – think about the porters on the stations. We as young policemen were so poor we rather carried our own baggage, including our steel trunks, because we had no money to tip the porter. It was only when I became a commissioned officer that I found out that in the SAP Financial Orders one could claim for all kinds of things e.g. like porters. (But in those days the SAP would frown on any man claiming a tip for the porter!) It only when one works hard that one becomes proud – not conceited – but proud of your work and your station in life. As young policemen we were poor, but we were proud to be members of an elite force. Riding a horse at the opening of parliament or being part of a Royal Mounted Escort – money can’t buy that sort of experience and the thrill that you experience! We stood inspection every day, our equipment, vehicles and horses (even camels, oxen and donkeys) were clean.

It is time public servants realise that the party is over! They should start to work and be public servants in the best British tradition! We were all former British Colonies and when we became a Union we were a dominion (along with Canada, Australia and New Zealand from 1926) and part of the British Commonwealth – we should restore those basic values, those traditions which filled ourselves with pride! We should revive our corporate history. We should start with our schools and our various education departments to instil a sense of pride in our country and in the assets we manage on behalf of the public! See that trains, planes, public transport and also hospitals are clean and in order – we always said you could be poor but you can be clean!

International The world has become a global village! We do not live in an ivory tower and we should take note of what is going on in South Africa and in the rest of the world! Chinese locomotives for Transnet? What? Is this not a step backwards? Could we not use Transnet (Transwerk) or Union Carriage and Wagon in Nigel? What has happened to our expertise? Where are our men from Koedoespoort Workshops? I am sure as we always joked: “’n Boer maak plan, maar ‘n Engelsman het ‘n plan!” [A Boer makes a plan; but an Englishman has a plan!] What has happened with our Black Economic Empowerment programs? Our former SAR drivers and engineers all productively employed elsewhere.

1947 Royal Tour: SA Railways & SA Police Horses Yesterday (13 Oct 2012) I had the occasion to travel with two old policemen (and founder members of BfSS - beter known as BOSS) from Pretoria via Benoni, Brakpan, Springs to Nigel. (I had helped writing a book on Gen Mike Geldenhuys and we had the launch of the book in Nigel, where the General lives). We saw no trains on the way there or back - but we spoke of horses and trains. Les Pivnic has published a beautiful picture of the HMS Vanguard in Cape Town harbour during 1947 with the mounted section in extended order. Oom Swannie was there! He joined the South African Police during 1946 and he told us yesterday that he was one of the men on the Royal Mounted Escort.

Please allow me one or two anecdotes: Oom Swannie said they received a train full of remounts from Kamfersdam at the Police Depot that they had to train for the Royal Mounted Escort. After training the horses they went by train to Cape Town from Pretoria. He says the trip took seven days! Lots were drawn, who went in the passenger section and who travelled with the horses in the "Cattle" Trucks. There were four horses, two on each side in each truck. The horses were facing to the centre. Here in the centre the "mountie" had to settle down. There were cribs made of sacking in front of the horses. In the centre were bags of maize, oats and bales of lucerne for the horses. From the roof of the truck hanged his uniform! The horses stood all the way, however they stopped twice a day to "water" the horses. Train stopped at a siding and the other mounties brought water in buckets to each truck! I don't know why the trip took so long? There were many other trips each year with police horses for the opening of parliament. I never heard they took so long! When we came near Springs I recognised the rail bridge where the late Dusty Durrant had taken many photographs. Pat Senekal said he was once escorting a prisoner from Port Elizabeth to Pretoria, by train, when on his way back at Johannesburg Station he saw a mixed train with policemen and horses. He saw one of his former troop mates and asked where they were going. His friend was from the SAP Auckland Park Mounted Section (A few years back the old police station was still in existence - the South African Constabulary had their HQ there during and after the Anglo-Boer War. After Union, Trooper Dan Pienaar of the Natal Police did an artillery course at Auckland Park. Dan Pienaar was later transferred to the SA Mounted Rifles and became a famous General during WW2.) His friend said they were on their way to Witsieshoek (I presume to SAR Bethlehem) as there was trouble in the area, A few days later his friend and a Lt Jonker (a WW2 veteran) was dead - killed by a mob whilst they were mounted! As far as I can establish, as I have written in another book, that that fateful SAP Mounted Patrol used at Witsieshoek to attend to the disturbances there was the â&#x20AC;&#x153;last mounted patrol" in the British tradition! (Manner dating back to the AngloBoer War and the British Colonial tradition.)

It was after the war and the police

mechanised - sadly even the camels in the Kalahari were replaced by Jeeps! 12

Oom Swannie has published a few books - Really Inside Boss - is one of them. Salute! â&#x20AC;˘ If there is interest from our readers I can publish Oom Swanies personal, amusing, account of the 1947 Royal Mounted Escort and the SA Railways.

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(Free State - Photo HBH)

Wepener’s Perambulations and … Railway History One down, more to go? Viginia – Glen Harmony Branch is no more!

Typical Afican scene

Sightings

34 906 returning with the Welgelee pick-up near Kalkvlakte

34-906: Just arrived at Wesselsbron from Kroonstad and about to shunt

Southbound ore train at Makwassie at 90 Kmh

Bloemhof pick-up shunting at the silos (no further comment!)

Hi Guys. The mielie1 train is heading towards Wesselsbron between Welkom and Friedesheim. The Amatola, running late at speed, firstly at Bosrand and then at Jordaan. Cheers. Jacque

Maize or mealies in South Africa - HBH

SAR: All photos by J & J Wepener carry their copyright.

Articles from our readers [Last month whilst compiling the Uloliwe we had two power failures and sometimes one is not sure that everything is captured when the computer crashes. Sometime alterations made, are lost during such a crash. One or two of our articles were also â&#x20AC;&#x153;lostâ&#x20AC;? during the crashes.]

Les Pivnic: SAR & H Magazine 1957-01- 250

Filler: Villiers Station Master & Staff – SAR & H magazine 1957-0171. Today we see the border town of Villiers when we race on the N3 Toll Road to the coast – we only see the lovely train bridge over the Vaal on the left and the maize silos on the right. No time to stop – we are in a hurry. [This is only the 2nd Railway Staff picture that I have seen with a mascot in! Note the little dog!]

Patron Patron Our patron is Les Pivnic. He is a renowned railway photographer and author. His book on SAR Dining Cars is a classic book and by now Africana. He was assistant- curator at the old SAR museum in Johannesburg. He is one of the experts on the SA Railways as he has a lifelong interest in railways.

Correction: Bloemfontein: 31st of May 1960: 50 years of Union: Les Pivnic

Sorry, last month the gremlins refused to attribute this pres cutting to Les Pivnic - Hennie

Princess Alice Hospital Train (sic): HBH I am sorry for the Freudian slip up. (Buckingham Palace also phoned and I explained the situation; QE2, the Palace, and MI6 are happy!) However, our Pretoria Regiment2 is also known as Princess Alice's Own Pretoria Regiment – See e.g. Dudley Wall's Collection.3

With the recent name changes – I don’t know what the name of this illustrious regiment will be? - HBH

• This Regt had a SAR locomotive named after them.

Princess Christian Hospital Train: Ray Ellis (Australia) Uloliwe October 2012; pp. 42 - 47. Response from Ray Ellis, Australia: “Princess Alice”?? – think you meant “Princess Christian”!! We all have those “moments”!! The Princess Christian Hospital Train was not the first hospital or ambulance train in the world. Such trains, generally adapted from suitable rolling stock (parcels vans, and brake vans, were particularly popular because of their suitability), dated back to the FrancoPrussian War of the 1870s. Their early use was made possible by iron frames for ambulance-type stretchers of a French pattern which could be erected to be fitted into any available and suitable vehicle. An early convert to the concept of such trains was Sir John Furley, one of the founders, and British head of the Red Cross. For some years he urged the authorities to provide hospital trains for the troops in India, where fighting of one sort or another was almost always going on. Drawing on this experience, Furley was much involved in the planning, laying out, and construction of this, the first purpose built hospital train, for service in South Africa. There were other hospital trains in South Africa, but these were all adapted/rebuilt from existing vehicles, using equipment of the previously mentioned French pattern, a quantity of which was sent to South Africa at the start of the war. The Princess Christian Hospital Train was named after the Royal, Princess Christian (b.1846 d.1923), who was the third daughter of Queen Victoria (who died during the Boer War, in January 1901), and like many of her contemporary Royals, married into the German Royal Family in 1866, marrying Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, and having five children. The eldest son, Prince Christian Victor4, or “Christie” as he was known, became a British Army officer, and served with the 60th Kings Royal Rifles, who went to fight in the Boer War in 1900. In October that year he came down with malaria, and died of enteric fever that same month, aged 33, and was buried in Pretoria cemetery. A not uncommon fate for many participants in the Boer War.

3 4

http://empiretocommonwealth.webs.com/dudleywallpret.htm See photo of his grave at the end of this article - HBH

Princess Christian severed all ties with the German Royal Family in 1917 as a result of the First World War (she and her husband had always lived in England). She had and maintained a keen interest in nursing, and had much to do with the establishment of Army nursing, so it is not surprising that she and others contributed to this Hospital Train (PCHT 1), the first purpose built hospital train to see service with the British Army. It was a forerunner of many such, but much larger, standard gauge trains that saw service with the British Army (and the US Army) in the First & Second World Wars. What is not generally known, or accepted by some, is that there was also a Princess Christian Hospital Train in WW1, AT No. 15, which went into service in France on 1st June 1915, and was the second Princess Christian Hospital Train (PCHT 2). This was a totally different train to the 3ft 6ins gauge example which went into service in the Boer War in South Africa. This confusion was exacerbated by the caption to a photo in a book on the builder, the Birmingham RC&W Co., of Smethwick, near Birmingham, by the authors of the book on this builder, Hypher & Wheeler. Their caption to a photo of the WW1 standard gauge train says that it was the train used in the Boer War, and that it was destroyed by the Boers! [They tend to blame us for everything! LOL â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Hennie]

What is interesting, however, is that the South African Princess Christian Hospital Train was used as a prototype for the standard gauge examples built for a later conflict. The layout of the PCHT (1) was of made up of seven carriages, and Plumridge had this to say about it: 27

This train was specially constructed in England for use with the troops in the South African War. It was made up of seven bogie corridor coaches each about 36ft long and 8ft wide with a 2ft 6ins continuous passage running through the centre. With a total length of 250ft it accommodated 74 lying patients and its staff. It was painted white for identification purposes and when the coaches arrived from England the train was assembled at Durban in February, 1900.5 The first coach was divided into three compartments, one for two nurses, one for two invalid officers and the third for linen and stores. The next coach was similarly divided, the first compartment for two medical officers and the others for use as a dispensary and dining room respectively. The four ward coaches each accommodated eighteen patients and four orderlies. The beds which were in three tiers were so arranged that they could be lifted out of the coaches. They were fitted with cupboards and drawers for linen, clothing, medical and surgical supplies, crockery, cutlery, glass and provisions. There were two lockers in the roof also for linen. Each ward coach had a stove and washing and toilet facilities. The last coach was a kitchen with berths for two cooks and also a compartment for the guard. There were large cisterns for cold water storage and two large filters and a refrigerator on the train. It had enamelled white ironwork and fittings and bright draperies and was light and airy. To shelter invalids who were exposed to the sun when they were being entrained there was an awning suspended from hooks over the carriage doors supported by telescopic iron posts. In the centre panel on the outside of each coach was a Red Cross on a white background encircled by the words 'Princess Christian Hospital Train'. It carried the Union Jack and the Red Cross in sockets at the head displayed in accordance with Article VII of the Geneva Convention of 22 August, 1864. The second WW1 PCHT (2), in contrast, was made up of nine corridor cars, each 55ft long, with a total train length of 702ft!

Note the width of our coaches; SAR rolling stock were fitted with 4’ 81/2” bogies in some cases in the UK and

taken to harbours for export to South Africa. See Les Pivnic’s book on SA Dining Cars - HBH

There was also a Princess Christian Hospital in Natal. This was located at what is today Fairydene Village, a retirement complex for senior citizens, and is situated in Pinetown on the old NGR main line, a short distance from Sarnia station where, the PCHT, and other hospital trains discharged. The patients were then taken by road up the hill to the hospital.

Commenting on the photos: Ray Ellis Page 42: Taken at “Pretoria Siding” – does anybody know exactly where this was? Presumably somewhere near Pretoria NZSM station in the centre of Pretoria. There was a “No. 7 General Hospital” listed in Pretoria, maybe this was it? This appears to be a different location to the “Hospital Siding” shown in the later photos. Page 43: The sister is holding a fox terrier dog (maybe the train mascot?). Animals were very popular with the troops in the Boer War, and there are a number of photos which show animals with the troops, particularly dogs6 (small dogs like a foxie were particularly popular). Note the platform; is this the same platform as seen in other photos one wonders? It appears longer than the one in Photo 45. Page 44: A nurse, maybe Sister Jones, sitting by the PCHT Train doing the paperwork maybe? Page 45: Note the platform (quite short), the white painted stones marking the entrance, the hospital is presumably off to the right. This may have been a “tented” hospital in contrast to a permanent building as such. Also, note the additional van attached at the head of the train. Such a vehicle appears in other PCHT photos, and would appear to be a standard NGR brake van or luggage van. It is still in the NGR livery for such vehicles and has not been painted white, so maybe it was

In the British Colonies of Southern Africa dogs were plentiful as mascots. In most group photos the dogs

also appear. “Just Nuisance” (a Great Dane) was one of the most famous mascots in South Africa. He was a regular passenger on the Simonstown train.

Shetland ponies, goats and other animals were also used.

However wild animals like Springbuck, baboons and monkeys were also used as mascots - HBH.

not a permanent fixture of the train. It likely carried additional food & medical supplies, as well as soldierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kit, over and above what could be accommodated in the main train Page 46: Sister Jones herself, beside the train. Note the coverings fitted over the quarterlights. Page 47: The PCHT at the Hospital Siding? Note the platform. Note that in all these photos the train has been painted white, as required by the Geneva Convention for such trains.

A general view of part of the train, and shows one of the awnings provided to give shade to the wounded as they were carried onto the train. One wonders how often these awnings were deployed?

On the left is the ding compartment, and on the right the kitchen, were fitted and equipped to a very high standard.

The upper beds for the wounded were hoisted into position by an arrangement of pulleys.

On the left is Sir John Furley of the British Red Cross Society who planned the train. On the right are nurses dressed in the uniforms used on the train. (left for work, right, a matron or formal dress?)

The Princess Christian Hospital Train crossing the wooden deviation bridge across the Tugela River at Colenso on 19th March 1900 on its way to Ladysmith, and was the first train to enter that town after the lifting of the siege.

Car 1 of the Princess Christian Hospital Train.

Car 3 of the Princess Christian Hospital Train, one of the ward cars. Sources - The Princess Christian Hospital Train, by G.J. Stoker, Railway Magazine, February 1900. - Princess Christianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital Train, South African Transport, April 1997. - Hospital Ships and Ambulance Trains, by Lt. Col. John Plumridge, 1975. - Princess Christian Hospital Train, The Locomotive, 15th May 1915. 34

- Hospital Train for South Africa, The Locomotive, January 1900 - Detailed History of the Railways in the South African War, 1899-1902. Vols. 1 + 2; Royal Engineers Institute, 1904. - Wikipedia, Princess Christian and family. - Princess Christian Hospital at Pinetown Bridge, by S.A. Watt, Military History Journal, Vol. 11, No. 1, June 1998. - SA Rail, various issues, but particularly Vol. 44, No. 4, 2006. - Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Co. – A Century of Achivement – 1855-1963, by John Hypher, Colin & Stephen Wheeler, 1995. - British Carriage & Wagon Builders & Repairers – 1830 - 2006 by Chris Sambrook, 2007

[Lt-Col Eric Samuel (SADF) is an expert on this subject, however he is not on e-mail – HBH]

Grave: Christian Victor - Prince of Schleswig Holstein (HBH) Once on a visit tot he Pretoria Grave Yard I took a picture of the grave of Prince Christian Victor, grandson of Queen Victoria. (I doubt whether the metal enclosure is still there. Many grave as plundered for the metal value.)

Graf: Christian Victor - Prins van Schleswig Holstein (HBH) Hieronder verskyn ‘n foto van die Prins se graf naby die Helde Akker in Kerkstraat (wes). Meeste grafte is geskend en die metaal is vir skroot verkoop. Die owerhede het vergeet dat grafskending ‘n gemeenregtelike misdryf is. Talle historiese grafte is reeds geplunder en die koper, staal of yster is verwyder deur skroot-diewe.

An unpretentious grave for a Royal - HBH

Touwsrivier / Touws River : PS “Piet” Venter The Touws River station was burnt down on 29 September 2012. Touws River was one of those railway towns in South Africa – because of the railways there was a thriving community! Inhabitants and former inhabitants who spent their lives, or spent their youth, there are heartbroken that the historic building burnt down. Photo: PS Venter

Touws River railway station was built in c1877. It was the first major locomotive depot after Cape Town.

Saterdag (29 September 2012) kort ná 22:00 het die historiese Touwsrivier spoorwegstasie van afgebrand.

There is a site for Touws River on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/77640489112/ if you visit it you will see pictures of the old station in its former glory. Railway Philately Stan Kantor has sent some SA railway philately. See our next issue.

Gwanda: Richard Clatworthy In the knowledge that Robert Maidment-Wilson did not get photos in Gwanda, so I can’t steal any thunder, I am submitting some of historical interest.

The one of Gwanda station illustrated an article “How the Railway came to Gwanda” in Heritage (publication no 4), the History Society of Zimbabwe’s successor to Rhodesiana.

Gwanda 6th Class No 538 The others are a photo sent to me, of unknown provenance, by the late Rev. Ted Hamer and selective enlargements from it. The hill in the right background is Mount Cazalet, named for an early police officer whose regular recreation/exercise constituted a run from the Umtjabezi River behind it to the summit. However it is the loco in the enlarged extract which is of interest, not being of the expected 7th class (no “bell” shape to the front). The photo came with the caption “6th class No. 538” and 538 was a 6th class but of the later type with high running plate, later SAR class 6J.

Gwanda 6th class 39

Enlarging the buffer-beam number suggests that the first digit might be 2 (the 3 and 8 seem confirmed) and 238 was a low running plate 6D (all thanks to D.F. Holland).

In passing, buffer beam numbering was apparently not common on CGR – Holland 1 shows 7th class 393 but plenty of others without, though most photos are side-on or with the beam shaded. I wish the practice had been more common, I’m glad RR used it. The question now becomes: what was a CGR loco doing at Gwanda on or after August 25th 1903 (opening date of line) when the Mashonaland Railway had taken over operations north and east of Bulawayo on May 1st that year (dates from Croxton)? (Up to that date CGR had operated the lines to Gwelo and Mambaje on the Vic Falls line). The CGR still operated the Vryburg-Bulawayo line so CGR locos would have been working into Bulawayo. It is reasonable that the ceremonial opening of the line called for the hire of a “posh” loco From CGR (and RR’s 7th class fleet was no doubt heavily committed), and many of the numerous people attending are in “posh” clothes, but why is the passenger stock not at the platform? Was it further down the track, beyond the goods stock the loco was probably fetching from the goods siding (which was still the same in the 1970s and presumably so today). The station building looks unchanged except I think the creeper had gome when I was there – no doubt an attractant for snakes. But the building must have been in place for a while for the creeper to cover so much of it. An alternative possibility is that it might have been on hire to Paulings when they built the West Nicholson extension in 1905. I don’t suppose anyone can provide the solution now. 238 were in CGR stock in 1910 to become SAR 569 (Holland 2 table). Cheers Richard Clatworthy. 40

Ten-Coupled Good? Richard Clatworthy In recording my sorrow at Dusty Durrant’s untimely death I would like to comment on what I had perceived to be a hobby-horse of his, namely his (possibly iconoclastic) contempt for the 19D, and his advocacy of ten-coupled power. This would have been well reflected in a comparison of the class 19 4-8-2 line, represented in Watson’s reign as CME by the 19C, and the class 20 2-10-2, possibly modified in the proposed production run following the single prototype. (It is to Dusty that I owe the information that numbers were allocated for a further 20 of them). On Watson’s retirement this order was not proceeded with, his successor Day committing himself heavily instead to a Walscheartfitted 19D (the 19C and 20 having RC poppet valve gear). In trying to read between the lines regarding motivation, I am assisted by information supplied by Holland vol. 2 and Pieter Aucamp, that Day’s intended class 23 would have had 5’6”coupled wheels, in the event perforce restricted to 5’3”. (Further the prospect of war with Germany called for the speedy acquisition of locos to an available, slightly modified design - the 15F, again with Walscheart gear instead of RC poppet valves. Would any 15Fs have otherwise been built, I wonder, or would that line have terminated with the 15E?).7 Anyway this goes to show that Day believed in big coupled wheels so he went for 4 (pairs) x 4’6” over 5 x 4’0”.8 In the event the class 20 had excessive power for the available SWA (now Namibia) traffic, so it returned to the Eastern Transvaal, where its 11 1/2 ton axle-load could safely have been increased by the use of the standard boiler in the production run, instead of the slightly smaller 19A boiler (the 19AR took the standard I have since found out that the 1938 NBLC order for 15Fs was for 44 locos, the same number as of 15Es, so I think a comprison was envisaged and the 15F was in fact planned for – the threat of war led to an urgent demand for more, and ironically German builders were best able to supply – RC. 8 I have since seen it suggested that Day might have had a “newly victorious lion killing the cubs” attitude to some other ten-coupled proposals - RC. 7

boiler). The production run would have incorporated Walscheart gear, as did the class 21 when delivered. These locos would have allowed comparison with the 19C, plus sufficient 19Ds to afford a fair match of like with like. I believe that on undulating terrain (gradients steeper than 1 in 80) the superior adhesion and “lower gear ratio” would have more than outweighed any loss of top speed. Considering other South African ten-coupled designs: the NGR Reid 4-10-2T was clearly an axle too far for track conditions of its time (the phrase “the turn of the century” now needs qualification!).

Watson’s class 21

2-10-4 was a straightforward locomotive with an

unconventional tender and comment seems to centre on the tender rather than the locomotive. This did of course incorporate South Africa’s first mechanical stoker on a freefollowing tender (there were “rigid” ones on the U and GH and over a Garratt articulation on the GL) and excessive caution may have inhibited the design, otherwise 3-axle bogies might have been used.9

Although designed for RC poppet valves the class 21 was

delivered with Walscheart gear;

its 4’6” coupled wheels would have earned Day’s

approval, but its fixed wheelbase would have been proportionately increased over the 19D. (Fixed wheelbases: 19D 14’5”, 20 17’0”, of course be resorted to.

21 18’9”. Thin flanges or flangeless treads may

Watson’s class 22 proposal called for five 5’ coupled wheels in

line (21 ft. fixed wheelbase)!) In passing, I wonder if anyone has access to Day’s Garratt proposal for the Mafeking line which was vetoed by the Civil Engineer - Dusty would have been just the person to find out, and perhaps he did. I presume it had 4’6” coupled wheels - if Day had been prepared to accept 4’0”, a prewar GEA with mechanical stoker might have been designed within

I now recognise that straightforward three-axle bogies could be overlong for sharply-curving track (as on

Zeerust-Krugersdorp) – hence the articulated Buckeye bogies introduced on the 19D, 24 and S2. Rigid-frame three-axle bogies were OK on the 23 and later 25 (and RR 19th) on main-line curvature - RC.

axleload limits. In the event, the GM class introduced a new category of articulated locomotive, the Tender-Garratt, with its water (apart from a very limited personal supply) in a trailed tank, the type being represented by the GM and its successors the GMA and GO only, though other Garratts (and Straight engines) often trailed supplementary tanks. Reverting to ten-coupled locomotives, the CFM used 2-10-2s, acquiring ten from Baldwin between 1915 and 1919 and a further three in 1945. In the 1930s nine 0-10-0T shunters were acquired from Henschel. All these were for the lines from Lourenco Marques (Maputo) the Beira-Umtali line was then part of RR. In 1951 six larger 2-10-2s were acquired from Henschel, and a further order for 22 of them in 1955 would appear to establish their worth beyond question. Further north, just qualifying for inclusion within Southern Africa, were the lines of the former Belgian Congo. The Katanga railway had two one-off prototypes, 2-10-4 in 1938 and 2-10-2 in 1947. The Congo railway, by-passing rapids near the mouth of the river, got three 2-10-0s in 1930, three more in 1938, and six more in 1947, again indicating appreciation of the type. This information, of course, I must acknowledge to - who else but Dusty?! R.I.P. Thanks Richard Clatworthy! More from Richard next month!

1957 Steam Locomotives: Speed Indicators

Braamfontein Rapport 18-421â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dr V Mostert New Prasa Livery

Loliwe: KwaZulu Natal Tourist Train Seeing that our government now has a train named Loliwe: KwaZulu Natal Tourist Train. I think I should put that German lawyer on them! When I used the words South African Railway Gazette – Suid-Afrikaanse Spoorwegnuusblad I was nearly in big trouble! (The words “railway gazette” carries an international copyright.) I think the Zulus and I can come to an understanding: They can pay our magazine a small monthly royalty for using our word Loliwe – don’t worry about the missing “u” – isiZulu is like Latin, the stem stays the same. There are various suffixes and prefixes in isiZulu. Or even better: They can buy our magazine and give as all shares in the business and free passes.

A Unique Baldwin 2 Foot 4-6-2 still steams - Bob Hogan (USA) Hidden away in a northern industrial district of Port Elizabeth was probably the least photographed and most unique of South Africa’s surviving two-foot gauge steam locomotives in 1973. A Baldwin built 4-6-2 Pacific continued to operate in August of 1973 doing what it was designed to do, hauling heavy limestone trains for its owner. Amazingly, Eastern Province Cement Company’s little Baldwin #2 outlasted newer replacement power, survived a career ending wreck and continues to steam today, albeit in tourist service in Wales, no longer hauling stone in the Republic of South Africa. The Eastern Province Cement Company built a new cement factory in the New Brighton district of Port Elizabeth in 1927. Additionally, the EPCC built a twelve mile industrial railroad to supply limestone, the major ingredient in cement, by connecting the New Brighton plant with the South African Railway’s two-foot Avontuur rail line at Chelsea and the limestone quarries beyond. This new industrial line was built to two-foot gauge and ran westward on a nearly continuous grade (of up to 1 in 45) through the Papenskuils Valley, rising 630 feet with sixty curves, to reach the SAR at Chelsea Junction. Our author – Bob Hogan The initial motive power for EPCC’s

new

line

was

locomotive #1, a second hand Bagnall-built SAR Type “B” 46-0.

The little Bagnall had

previously worked the SAR’s Avontuur line until replaced by heavier

Baldwin-built

Class

NG-9 (called the “forties” by crews) 4-6-0’s and Class NG-10 (dubbed the “Sixties”) 4-6-2’s. The EPCC railroad’s operation initially favored the smaller Bagnall as loaded gondolas of limestone traveled down-grade to New Brighton and the empties returned up-grade to Chelsea Junction.

By 1929, however, the demand for

limestone had increased significantly and the SAR’s first NGG-13 Garrett locomotives had arrived to handle the increased tonnage demands on the Avontuur limestone trains, replacing the lighter Baldwin locomotives. 48

By 1930 the EPCC’s little Bagnall was worn out and had become undersized for the ever increasing demand for heavier tonnage limestone trains.

Rather than make the heavy

repairs necessary to keep Bagnall #1 operating, the Company chose to order a new, heavier locomotive to better handle the larger tonnage trains. The decision was made to go with an older, yet proven SAR design. EPCC ordered a new 4-6-2 Pacific type locomotive to be built based on the old 1916 built Class NG-10 “Sixties” engines. The new Baldwin #2 was built to the same basic mechanical specifications of the SAR’s previous NG-10, but was trimmed out to a more typical “American” design, having Baldwin style steam and sand dome (2) covers, a straight stack, a turbo-generator and Sunbeam headlights on both the engine and tender. Baldwin construction #61269 was completed July 25, 1930 and delivered to East London, SA sporting olive green paint with aluminum lettering and striping on the locomotive and tender.

With a light engine weight of 60,000 pounds, the EPCC spent several weeks

rebuilding the twelve mile rail line with heavier rail to accommodate their new locomotive. The new Baldwin #2 was built as a coal burner with 36 inch drivers and operated with 160 pounds of boiler pressure.

She produced a tractive force of 12,350 pounds and was

designed to operate on 35 pound rail, grades of 1 in 60 and traverse curves as tight as 160 feet radius of the EPCC’s line. Baldwin #2 proved to be a good choice and put in twenty years of hard work for the EPCC, but by 1949 she was in need of an overhaul. The Company (now called Pretoria Portland Cement) ordered her replacement, a new, heavier 2-8-2 type locomotive from Hunslet. Locomotive #3 was built new in 1949 for EPCC and, with an increased tractive force of 15,200 pounds, she could haul heavier 150 ton trains of empties up-grade to Chelsea and 400 ton loaded trains down-grade to the cement factory. Baldwin #2 was placed in standby service to be used only when the newer Hunslet #3 was down for maintenance at New Brighton or at the SAR’s Humewood Road depot. In 1957 a new replacement boiler from Hunslet was installed on the #2, dramatically changing her appearance with a different style steam dome, smoke box front, balloon stack and sand boxes mounted on low running boards in the British tradition. Following a series of grade crossing accidents she was also repainted into a new red livery with polished copper boiler bands. The Hunslet #3 2-8-2 was not an unqualified success on the EPCC, however, and subsequently did not fare as well as the older Baldwin #2. By 1964 she too was showing 49

her age and EPCC replaced her with a new Hunslet-Taylor (the Johannesburg subsidiary of Hunslet) 0-6-0 diesel, Class GwDM (c/n #6357) #4.

Hunslet steamer #3 was then

downgraded for use as the reserve engine and continued to operate occasionally until December 1967 when she was withdrawn from service and subsequently scrapped. With the demise of Hunselt #3 the aged, but still surviving Baldwin #2 again became the standby locomotive for EPCC, the last of her type in service. It was only by luck that we received a timely phone call from a South African friend while at our Port Elizabeth hotel on August 16, 1973. We were on a four week South African visit and were in PE to photograph both the SAR’s “Cape Gauge” (3 foot, 6 inch) Pacifics heading the PE-Uittenhage commuter trains as well as the two-foot gauge Avontuur line Garretts and Mikados. “Good news,” said our friend. “The Baldwin is running!” “What Baldwin?” was my response until he quickly reminded me of EPCC and their old #2 Baldwin Pacific. I quickly changed my plans and my friend picked me up early the following morning when we headed off to New Brighton for a rare opportunity to catch the #2 in action. Little did we know it was to be one of the very last operating days on the EPCC for the then 43 year old Baldwin. In 1973 the EPCC railroad operated with a three man crew: a driver, fireman and brakeman.

When we arrived, the venerable Baldwin was sitting outside the modern

engine house at New Brighton as the fireman set about getting the engine up to its 160 pound operating boiler pressure.

The Hunslet diesel was in its stall inside the engine

house with a major mechanical failure, the cause of bringing the Baldwin #2 back into service this day With steam pressure up, the #2 departed the engine house area and then backed down to the cement plant to the east to make up its train of empty SAR DZ type gons for the trip up to Chelsea Junction. Once the switching was done at the cement plant, the #2 quickly headed west out of the New Brighton yard with its 30 car train. The crisp staccato exhaust “bark” was clearly audible as the ltttle red Baldwin put on a good show on her way up the 1 in 45 grade of the Papenskuils Valley passing the many residences in this suburban Port Elizabeth neighborhood. This was to be our final image of the #2 as we headed out to see the SAR’s Avontuur line at Loerie.

It wasn’t until we returned to the States that we learned that the #2 had suffered a wreck only three days after our visit.

The venerable Baldwin was allowed to “run away”.

According to the Port Elizabeth Evening News, on the morning of August 20, 1973, the cement company locomotive ”ran into a reinforced concrete wall and buffer at the end of the line and ran off the end.” The “end” indeed, as the damaged Baldwin #2 was returned to the rails but put into storage at New Brighton, never again to operate in South Africa. The following year the damaged and out of service Baldwin was sold for insurance scrap value to a group developing a new tourist railroad in Wales. On May 21, 1974 she was loaded on board the City of Wellington as deck cargo and shipped to the UK, arriving in Liverpool on June 17, 1974 to await the next chapter in her long and charmed life. The site chosen for the new Brecon Mountain Railway two-foot gauge tourist railway was Merthyr Tydfil in Wales.

Located on the edge of Brecon Beacons National Park and

surrounded by beautiful mountain, lake and forest scenery, the old roadbed of the abandoned (1964) Brecon and Merthyr Railway provided the ideal situation. The original Brecon and Merthyr Railway had fought its way through the Brecon Beacons on steep grades and through the Torpantau tunnel, which at 1,131 feet was the highest railway tunnel in Great Britain. A five and a half mile stretch of the abandoned roadbed between Pant and Torpantau was selected for the new tourist railway. Grading and track laying began in 1979 and included the repair or replacement of seven bridges. By the late summer of 1980 track work was complete and the Brecon Mountain Railway operated its first trains. Initially a former Graf Schwerin-Lowitz 0-6-2 well tank locomotive, built in 1908 by Arn Jung of Germany, handled the Brecon Mountain trains while the damaged Baldwin #2 remained in storage with the other steamer locomotives in the railway’s collection. The Brecon Mountain Railway developed and currently operates an extensive modern workshop where maintenance is carried out by a paid staff. This workshop performs the routine repairs and maintenance for the railway and, in addition, does complete locomotive rebuilds for both the Brecon Mountain locomotives as well as other steam tourist railways.

The shop does major boiler work, tank and cab riveting, wheel turning

and built the five operating carriages currently in use on the railway from parts obtained in South Africa. Four new passenger cars were designed and built by the shop crews and a new caboose was constructed to the original 1903 drawings for a Sandy River Railroad car. 51

In 1990 the Brecon Mountain Railway shops began a major mechanical and cosmetic overhaul of the Baldwin #2. This extensive rebuild would eventually take seven years to complete and ultimately returned the little 1930 Baldwin Pacific to a nearly “as-built” appearance and condition. Two new Baldwin style sand domes and a steam dome were cast and machined. The running boards were raised and a new single-phase air pump added to the left side along with air tanks in the Baldwin style (the engine was built with vacuum brakes, but the Brecon Mountain operates with air brakes). A new Baldwin style smokebox front, Baldwin spot number plate, American style headlights on both the locomotive and tender, a bell and American style pilot were added. In 1997 the celebrated 45 ton Baldwin #2 Pacific was returned to steam for the first time since August 1973 and placed in regular service hauling passengers over the scenic Brecon Mountain Railway, the last of its kind still operating. For Baldwin two-foot gauge steam lovers there is still more good news to come. For several years the Brecon Mountain Railway shops have been rebuilding another Baldwin two-foot steamer, this one a 41 ton 2-6-2 built in 1898 for Brazil’s Mogyana Railway. Following the completion of a new boiler and cab, the little 2-6-2 is expected to return to steam and join the #2 by the end of 2012. She will carry the #1 on the Brecon Mountain Railway, being older than the #2 by 32 years. There is still one surviving example of the SAR NG-10 Class Baldwin 4-6-2 Pacific’s that the EPCC #2 was patterned after. Following many years of display outside in the damaging coastal air of Port Elizabeth, SAR number 61 (#42633/1915) is currently under the care of Sandstone Heritage Trust in South Africa and is being evaluated for possible restoration and/or operation by their Bloemfontein Shops. Sandstone is the premier organization in SA for the acquisition, restoration and operation of southern Africa’s two foot railway heritage.

With nine miles of railway and their highly skilled Bloemfontein shops

workforce, Sandstone has performed major restorations of everything from former sugar cane hauling 0-4-T’s to modern SAR NGG-16 Garratts. The legacy of both Baldwin and South African two-foot gauge steam in general lives on at Sandstone and now in Wales. The Brecon Mountain Railway looks quite American with its little #2 and soon to be added #1. The Welsh Highlands Railway looks like the SAR’s Avontuur line “north” with its current three operating former SAR NGG-16 Garretts and two NG-15 2-8-2 locomotives under major restoration. 52

Hennie... I have resend 4 emails with the B&W photos as jpegs. Please note that all of these images were taken on August 17th, 1973 at the New Brighton engine house, yard, cement plant and east-bound train on the climb through the Pappenskuils Canyon with 30 empty cars bound for Chelsea Junction and the SAR connection. Please let me know if you need anything resent or in a larger image size. The previously send colour photo of the re-built #2 on the Brecon Mountain Railway is courtesy of Brecon Mountain Railway and should be noted as such. The wreck photo of the #2 is also courtesy of Brecon Mountain Railway and credit should also be given. All other photos are mine. I'm also going to send you the scans of the Baldwin Specifications book that came with the 58

#2 to EPCC in 1930. Best regards, Bob

The wreck photo of the #2 is courtesy of Brecon Mountain Railway and credit should also be given.

The colour photo of the re-built #2 on the Brecon Mountain Railway is courtesy of Brecon Mountain Railway and should be noted as such.

Greg Hart sent this KwaZulu- Natal report

Above Cedara and below Colenso. At first the power station was a SAR power station for electrification of the Natal line, later transferred to Electricity Supply Commission â&#x20AC;&#x201C; HBH.

Old & New PRASA livery

Mooi River (Lit: Beautiful River)

Between Chievely and Frere â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Greg Hart. Below a filler from Stan Kantor.

Karoo rambles â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Pierre de Wet We all have our worlds where we are reminded of trains. Some worlds are rainy and cold much of the time, while others are hot and dry. Being a South African, qualifies my world of trains with the latter. Kimberley, De Aar, Beaufort West for instance. With such places as Belmont, Hutchinson or Victoria West filling the large, dry spaces in between. Charlie10 and Les'11 salute to the steam engines of Beaufort West came just before my wife and I travelled the road to this small Karoo town and its beautiful National Park in the Nuweveld Mountains. There, while traversing the roads of the Park, I was able to look back on many years of passing through the town with the flat topped mountain range so typically of the Karoo, accompanying us for many kilometres.

But to get there, we had to pass through George first of all where the spectacular Montagu Pass, the scene of so many struggles by Garratt-hauled trains haunt the line and where today, just silence reigns. As we were on our way to a game reserve, the observation that a certain Mr (name withheld) was recently fined R60 000 in George for being illegally in possession of 1069 crocodiles, passed fleetingly through my mind. Oudtshoorn station eventually loomed on my right, a deserted and forgotten nonentity with the forlorn yard completely empty. By now I am used to seeing this but I never have got used to accepting it. As the 7000ft Swartberg range was passed through by way of the exquisite Meiringspoort, I put the once busy memories of the Port Elizabeth, Cape Town line and its miserable aftermath, out of my mind and concentrated on the road snaking up onto the Great Karoo. It wasn't long before the sparse brown veld of the Karoo proper was to be seen and the towering Swartberg and its tinkling waters left behind. In the middle of nowhere, we crossed the Traka River, a bed of sand meandering between banks of newly green Acacia Karoo or Soetdoring. This set me thinking once more of the SAR's dining saloons, so aptly named after our rivers, even the dry ones. As we trundled along, the rivers of the district sprang to mind, Kammanassie, Dwyka, Gamka. I remembered travelling from Kimberley

10 11

Charlie Lewis Les Pivnic

to the Reef one night in 1956 behind a bustling Class 25NC and partaking of fruit salad and fresh cream which I'll never forget, on the half diner, Traka. The withered countryside of our Khoi people is reflected in these names and appropriately so as these names are of our earliest, given by our original inhabitants. How well they fitted the wooden diners with the aromas of breakfast, lunch or dinner beckoning. The linen and the silver, with rocking gait and the Karoo rolling by. After about 4 hours of driving, the blue strip of the Nuweveld range challenged the sear browns of the veld around us and soon we could see the shining roofs of Beaufort West. Founded in 1820 and named after the Duke of Beaufort, Lord Charles Somerset's father, it proudly became the first municipality in South Africa, beating even Cape Town to it. For the lover of railways, it once boasted some of the largest steam locomotives on 3ft 6ins gauge in the world. For students of medical history, it could brag about being the birthplace of Dr Christiaan Barnard and for â&#x20AC;&#x153;JCâ&#x20AC;? and his 709 ivory figurines, it was the end of freedom and the road from Zimbabwe as he was apprehended here and fined R20 000 for ivory dealing. For me, it was a confirmation of Charlie's photographs of Class 25 Condensers whining north and southwards. How satisfying it was looking through that immaculate collection and remembering. Remembering waiting, waiting on a siding in the quiet of the night with a myriad stars overhead and just a few voices now and then from our train, footsteps on the gravel, a dog barking in the distance. Then, a wail far away and a headlight, bright, then dipped, shimmering on the rails alongside, then a vibration and the wail becoming a high-pitched scream, louder and louder, the headlight swaying, and the deafening roar and blackness and heat and wind. The wind tore at us, throwing up dust and grit as the fish train hammered through, leaving behind a faint marine odour in the air as it clattered into the distance. We whistled and then followed rather meekly by comparison.

Now, as I gazed at Hartebeest grazing peacefully on the plains of the Karoo National Park, I thought back to Beaufort West station. The beautiful old 1950's SAR photograph showing the platform strollers, the saloons of the main line train drawn up at the platform and the yards packed with goods trains. The old CGR station building. I thought back to the many 79

times we had pulled into Beaufort West, after breakfast, travelling northwards to De Aar and eventually, South West Africa. Charlie mentions the 18 minutes allowed for an engine change. I liked that. It gave one time to stretch one's legs and to walk along to the engine shed, so thoughtfully placed right next to the station and nicely below platform height, so that the viewer had an uninterrupted low-flying bird's eye view of row upon row of Condensers lined up for duty. It was a smoky, wonderful place for people who liked trains, especially big steam locomotives. So too, the memories of our southbound trips sprang to mind. Arriving there in the evening with the station and yard lights on and the evening rush, to the dining saloon for a scrumptious dinner or to scramble aboard. The engine change, the bustle. The wooden saloons, so much more full of character than the later Union Carriage whimps. I also thought back to a time when the Pivnic’s and my family stayed overnight at a hotel in Beaufort West. We walked to the station only to find no station. The old CGR building was no more. Bulldozed, eradicated. Before 1994. Just like the old Cape Town station was. And so we look at Les and Charlie's great photos and we see how it was as we see how it now is and there is very little to be happy about. I rode over the bridge over the railway line to put in some diesel before the trip back home. I saw many empty railway lines in the middle of a crippling, nationwide truckers' strike. I also saw lots of trucks - on the roads. The railways weren't working, some trucks that weren't supposed to be working, were, while other truckers held the country to ransom and shot themselves in the foot at the same time. The Railways should have been taking traffic from the trucks, but that wasn't happening as three colourful class 18's lying dead in the yards, testified. The truckers know this; they're not worried about rail competition obviously. I can still hear the turbine wail of the 25's near Beaufort. I can hear them up at the station at night. I can hear the ear-splitting sound of safety valves going off and the clang of couplings. I can hear them leaving, whistling, whistling and wailing. It is like ghosts in the night. Perhaps it is. Pure ‘railway” prose! Thanks Pierre! We are eagerly waiting for more!

Railway History of South Africa –HBH CGR: 1st Class: Beyer Peacock

CGR No’s 39, 40, 43, ??, 46 &47

NGR: 8-Wheeled Coupled Tank Engine

Cape Town Station - What has happened to Blackie?

Photo - HBH

We wish a spokesperson for Transnet will inform our readers about Blackie’s future! Blackie is in “hiding”. We must keep “Blackie” on the agenda.

OVS Staatspoorwegen (OVSS) Private Saloon: Pres MT Steyn The Oorlogsmuseum in Bloemfontein has no information on Pres Steyn’s saloon. They only have information on Pres SJP Kruger’s saloon. Please keep youe eyes and ears open for more information 82

on this historic coach! •

We will keep this important coach on the agenda for a while ...

ABW: Capt Ironside’s White Horse at Bloemfontein (Naval Hill)

During 1900 a certain Capt Ironside had the men lay out a white horse of loose stones on the South Eastern Side of Naval Hill. The only reason was so that men knew where to take their horses to be shod. The historical artwork is about 60 feet high by 120 feet long. The name “Capt Ironside” is a well known name in South African military history. During WW1 he was a spy who spoke Dutch-Afrikaans fluently and operated in GSAW. The Cape Mounted Police saved his life when he fled from SWA. He was a victim of thirst. He became a British Field Marshall during WW2. (If my memory serves me correctly another Ironside was the victim of the 1922 Rebellion.)

NZASM -

Anglo Boer War Boer Engine Driver: Mr A M Venter - SAR & H Magazine 1957-01-87 Translation Mr Andries Michiel Venter: born 1881 in Colesberg, Cape Colony. Joined the Nederlandse ZuidAfrikaansche Spoorwegen Maatschappij at age of 16 as a stoker. Took part in the Anglo-Boer War. Recalled for railway duty. He had to convey injured Boers to Johannesburg from Potchefstroom. Arrested by the British and detained in the Fort at Johannesburg. He was also the driver of the PPR’s Nylstroom and the locomotive plinthed at Pretoria station.

•

Comments by HBH: I think she was NZASM Engine No 242. The NZASM loco and Middelberg’s coach were used to celebrate the 100 years of the Oosterlyn (Eatern Line). I think Mr Mandela was guest of honour. I think the coach and locomotive is now in the George Railway Museum.

NGR My guess: NZASM Locomotive covered in Union Jack & other flags with NGR Coaches. Photo could have been taken anywhere between Charlestown and Elandsfontein (Germiston) – HBH

Railway Stations In this case a few “Old SAR Halts” – Col A Kritzinger (SAAF Ret)

Col A Kritzinger

Photographer’s enemy

- Hexpas (in English: Hex Pass?)

- Osplaas (Lit: Ox Farm)

Please read above photo in conjunction with Pierre de Wet’s – Karoo Rambles (p 78)

- Tunnel

Merrivale – Howick – Greg Hart

Merrivale: 130 km to Durban – Junction for Howick – Alititude: 1046 m – Greg Hart

SAR: RMT -

SAR: World War 1 -

SAR in GSWA: WW1 -

WW1: Kaffrarian Rifles Memorial - Col Andre Kritzinger (SAAF Ret)

Troop Train Accident: Site of a railway accident 1914 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1918. Passengers were from the Kaffrarian Rifles â&#x20AC;&#x153;THE REGIMENTS PART IN TWO WORLD WARS When The Kaffrarian Rifles arrived in Cape Town after the Hex River disaster, the battalion camped in the historic grounds of Groote Schuur, where final intensive training proceed, reorganisation was effected and the brought up to strength by the arrival of drafts from the Border. On September 29, 1914, the Regiment embarked in the Armadele Castle for German South West Africa, and arrived at Luderitz on October 1, forming part of the 2nd Infantry Brigade 89

of Brigadier General Sir Duncan Mackenzie's Division, together with the Kimberley Regiment, and at Koeman's Kop, the battalion occupied the advance position of the Brigade, a distinction maintained until the conclusion of active operations, which culminated in the attack upon Aus on March 31, 1915. The whole campaign was fastmoving and was essentially a mounted infantryman's war. The Regiment experienced considerable hardships in this desert campaign. Among important works undertaken by the battalion was the re-construction of the railway line between Aus and the base, destoryed by the enemy in his retirement. Work was done under the supervision of the late Liuet.-Col Sir George Farrar, Bart, D.S.O. – himself an honorary officer of the battalion who, on the night before his tragic death, delivered a valedictory address, eulogising the work of the battalion. With the assault upon Aus, in which the battalion sustained one casualty (Rfn. Wattmore, killed) the operations of the division ceased and the Regiment embarked for home in the City of Athens, arriving at East London on May 31, 1915. ....”12

SAR: World War 2 -

Filler - Model: Bot River Railway Museum – HBH [One wonders where these coaches are today?]

http://www.krs-bvrs.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2 date captured: 23 Oct 2012

SAR Railway Lines: 1956/7: Doubling of Eastern Main Line

• Today the Gautrain runs adjacent to the above tracks - HBH

SAR Traction and Rolling Stock

This is a rather “famous” photograph – I have seen it used many times – HBH

Transnet Traction and Rolling Stock Hennenman - J Wepener

Pictured at Hennenman â&#x20AC;&#x201C; rail workers workshop, a former Guards Van. They were busy lifting rails.

From the South West African Division(sic): Aris– now Coal Link but in Hennenman

SA Metro Rail

Cape Town: Monte Vista Line – Stefan Andrzejewski 94

Hi Hennie You were looking for photos of Metroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Here are some from Cape Town - Monte Vista Line Groete, Stefan

Durban Metro â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Greg Hart Durban's first revamped 5M2A number 19618 (From C.T.E. Masons Mill, PMB)

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Gautrain

Both sides of the Gautrain Card.

I have to report that all over Pretoria I see the large Gautrain buses - but alas no passengers inside! Can't they use smaller buses during off peak periods? I think they were having a few strikes by bus drivers in the beginning and the public has lost faith in them. My son works in Sandton, travels with the Gautrain from Hatfield - but he says he does not use the bus because he can't depend on them. The other problem - and I am a supporter of the Gautrain - is that they stop very early in the evening - especially from the airport. I think the last trip leaves at 20:30. What happens if your flight is delayed and you arrive at midnight? South Africa, sadly, is a gangster’s paradise and there is no public transport available from the airport after hours. At the time of writing the committee investigation the toll fees in Gauteng has recommended that toll fee be implemented – another reason why we should support the Gautrain! So let’s plead to get the Gautrain running for 24 hrs a day! • We need a Gautrain correspondent - HBH

Photo reports Robert Maidment-Wilson -

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Jez Smith (UK) 35-266

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E7-068

Natal Midlands - Jacobus Marais -

The Blue Train: Francois Mattheüs (Cape Town) Francois reports:

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14104 & 14110 met Bloutrein 24/10/2012. Ongelukkig nog geen teken van die bykomende strepe nie.

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14104 & 14110 with the Blue Train on 24/10/2012, however no sign of additional gold stripes. 103

A Mixed Bag – Lourens Sturgeon De Beers’ Private Pullman - Kimberley

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White E1â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ?????

When the above photogrpah is carefully studied it appears that the two E1 locomotives were painted white during a Royal Visit c1925 - HBH. Lourens Stugeon and I would like to know if they were indeed painted white. What measures did they take to heat the train?

Ethekwini â&#x20AC;&#x201C; photo by Lourens Sturgeon

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Ethekwini in Zulu this means: “Durban”. Note the Spingbok sandblasted into the window HBH

Kei-Rail: Lourens Sturgeon

Kei-Rail with a white SA Police Service Coach. (Travelling charge office & holding cells?) They were planned for the world Soccer Cup. I don’t know what happened to them, or if they were ever used.

Green F15 – Adrian Hill Adrian is buiding 15F’ and is looking a Green 15F. • Please send us your pics of green 15F’s so that we could get the correct green colour! - HBH There is photo of a GREEN 15F in: Paxton, Leith & Bourne David: Locomotives, Of the South African Railways, A Concise Guide, Struik, 1985, ISBN 0 86977 211 2, page 124. I think this is the correct shade of green.

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Piet Venter: Op die sif trein na Umlazi

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Piet Venter on the Umlazi – Durban Metro line busy sifting ballast

Waterfall near Delvillewood Goeie more Hennie Hier is ‘n foto van die Waterval tussen die 2 tonnels by Delvillewood - Nou net geneem Groete Piet The wonder of technology! While working on Piet’s contribution he sends us a photograph from his train by cellular phone while passing the waterfall between the two tunnels at Delvillewood.

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Namibia -

Railway People – Spoorwegmense John Davis Yolanda Joubert Du Plessis: “Hallo ek is opsoek na John Davis, hy het jare terug by die Spoorweg gewerk as 'n siviele ingeneur. Hy is seker al 80 jaar oud.”

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Yolanda Joubert Du Plessis writes: “Hallo I am looking for John Davis, he was a civil engineer with the SAR and he must now be about 80 years old.” Alida van der Linde antwoord: Hy het in die tyd van mnr Aereboe te Elandsfontein, Siviel gewerk .... Die hele afdeling is 1975/76 oor Germiston Meganiese depot toe.. Alida van der Linde replied: That Mr John Davis was transferred from Elandsfontein to Germiston Mechanical Depot c 1975

Johan Kotze Rosette Visser Hawla berig op October 18 at 4:23pm via BlackBerry: Ek wil net met julle meedeel dat Johan Kotze wat vir metro spoorweë gewerk het, vanmidag oorlede is. Sterkte aan sy familie!Antionette Rosette Visser Hawla reports on 18 October 2012 that Mr Johan Kotze of Metro has passed away. He will be sadly missed by all!

Piet Venter – Metro Driver from Durban Goeie more! Hier is my oorsig: Ek het 13 Januarie 1986 begin werk op Richardsbaai Dieseldepot as leerlingtreindrywer op diesels. Gedurende Februarie het ons klas toe gegaan te Wentworth kollege. Middel April klaar gemaak en prakties gedoen. Gedurende November 1986 doen ek die 7E. 13 Januarie 1990 trou ek. Gedurende Junie 1990 gaan ek drywersklas toe, my instrukteur daar was mnr Gibson. Voltooi drywersklas begin Oktober en gaan terug Richardsbaai toe vir deel 4. Saam drywer JP van Dyk slaag ek al die eksamens en toe is ek ‘n bedryfsdrywer. Ek skryf die 7E in my eie 111

tyd en slaag met goeie punte. Die eksaminator was mnr "Ting Tong" Barnard. Hy was streng gewees. Ek is blykbaar die eerste persoon wat die 7E in my eie tyd geskryf het.

Ek kry my aanstelling in 1993 Oktober as drywer op Richardsbaai. Gedurende April 1994 word daar 54 drywers teruggesit as bedryfsdrywers. Ek was een om plek te maak vir anderkleuriges. Gedurende 1997 kry ek my aanstelling op Metrorail te Durban waar ek nog tans is. Groete, Piet Venter.

Kyk Spoorwegman, ek skryf en bid vir jou! â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Koot Swanepoel

U kan Koot direk kontak by 082 041 9123 U kan Koot per epos kontak by: J.C. Swanepoel koots@telkomsa.net 112

Water Police -

Previous issues of Uloliwe For previous all previous issues of Uloliwe click on: http://issuu.com/hennieheymans/docs

Rail Humour -

Book Shelf -

Road Motor Transport Service [RMT] -

South African Airways -

SAA History : 1957

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Harbours

Above: This is how I remember Durban Harbour as a boy! I loved visiting the harbour and loved the smell of the salt water and the many little fish swimming along the wharfs. I also 116

remember the Mangrove swamps towards the then Salisbury Island where we as kids loved to play. (Maybe we were trespassing? But it was before the revolutionary onslaught!) We also tried fishing from the Wests area on the Bluff. It was only when I joined the SA Police that I discovered all the dark and evil secrets of the harbour: Smugglers, prostitutes and drunken sailors fighting with taxi drivers. Later when we were in the midst of the “Total War-” and “Total Strategy-” eras that I really discovered the strategic importance of Durban Harbour and the danger it posed to all concerned. One can only salute the SA Navy and their Marines who were responsible for the seaward defence while the SAR Police covered the landward defence, not forgetting Civil Defence. All concerned performed sterling service.

Backround on Durban Harbour (Port Natal) After the Great Trek the Voortrekkers, now called Boers, settled in Port Natal and wanted this as the first Boer Harbour. The Royal Navy was ruling the waves and would not allow such expansionistic ideas! (They had also denied the Germans, and the rest of the world for that matter, the use of Walvis Bay.) After various attempts and looking at various harbours, Oom Paul and his burgers (citizens) settled for the NZASM (Railway Company) using the Portuguese harbour of Delagoa Bay. It must be remembered that the Portuguese have been the allies of the British for more than 700 years. This is Wikipedia says about the world’s oldest allienace: “The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance, ratified at the Treaty of Windsor in 1386, between England (succeeded by the United Kingdom) and Portugal is claimed to be the oldest alliance in the world which is still in force — with the earliest treaty dating back to the Anglo-Portuguese Treaty of 1373. This alliance, which goes back to the Middle Ages, has served both countries. It was very important throughout history, influencing the participation of the United Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsular War, the UK's major land contribution to the Napoleonic Wars and the establishment of an Anglo-American base in Portugal. Portugal aided England (and later the UK) in times of need, for example, in the First World War.” Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Portuguese_Alliance During the Anglo-Boer War even the harbour at Beira was used for supplies to Mafeking. 117

Catering Division -

Railway Police -

Railways: Tourism, Steam, Preservation, Societies & Clubs Rovos Rail -

RRL Grindrod -

Atlantic Rail Cape Town Contact Tel: (021) 556-1012 or info@atlanticrail.co.za or visit their website at www.atlanticrail.co.za

Rhodesia Railways, National Railways of Zimbabwe – J Batwell & Phil Braithwaite Hi Hennie, Just for a change of photographer in November won’t you ask my old mate Phil Braithwaite for four colour, captioned pics. of his NRZ steam pics. of the 1980’s – I don’t want to hog the scene as there are other great pictures around - John Batwell Welcome to Phil Braithwaite!

Hi Hennie It would be my pleasure to forward you 4 photos of NRZ in the 1980's. 1) SA 466 - 14th class No: 507 on Bulawayo turntable, 1986. 2) RR 005 - 14th class No: 507 and 190 on a special to Bala Bala in August 1986. 3) RR 033 - 20th Class No 720 at Victorai Falls station 1986. 4) RR 026 - 16th class No; 605 in 1986.. Any further details on these locations, John Batwell would be willing to enlarge on. 118

Best Regards Phil Braithwaite

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[Victoria Falls station and Bosveld Train Safaris - HBH I will always remember this platform and the heat! Nor will forget the day when I and had to do the cooking! It was in the beginning of Bosveld Train Safaris and Boon Boonzaaier invited me along at “cost price”. He had a few other passengers (let’s call them tourists). He did not at that stage hire his own coaches, nor did he have a cook aboard! But he had Hennie on the trip who was only to glad to be there! Well, we got on the train in Pretoria (it had departed from Johannesburg) and it went north through Beit Bridge and from there to Bulawayo. A long, very long, platform! Some parts were polished in Sunbeam red! Here we had our first stop. We left our luggage in the train. The Zim police very, very neat and helpful. We visited the Railway Museum and we went in local taxis to Matapos and a Game Park. Well the night we departed for “Vic Falls” our luggage was still intact. Most chaps who did a stint of border duty landed at Vic Falls before on their way to or from Bulawayo and Salisbury (Harare).

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Well had our enjoyment of seeing the falls and then it was time to do the cooking. I had bought the bread rolls ... and the meat ... and the firewood .. and the drinks â&#x20AC;&#x201C; BUT alas, the station master was on holiday. He had forgotten to leave his braai stand which had promised to lend to Boon. Boon was in a fix. I said not to worry; I found two large stones or rocks and then the scouting started. Soon I found a drain cover made from cast iron which suited the intended operation perfectly! In a few minutes I had lovely coals and then braai-ed the meat! Real lovely old Rhodesian beef! Everybody enjoyed themselves. Boon and I had each had a large steak with a bottle of Pinotage (ox blood) we then cleaned up and replaced the drain cover! What a braai! Life is an adventure!]

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RR Memorial: Bulawayo -

Memories: Bosveld Train Safaris – HBH -

Railway Society of Southern Africa Natal – A Peter RAILWAY SOCIETY OF SOUTHERN AFRICA NATAL •

Founded 1960

P. O. BOX/POSBUS 33202, MONTCLAIR, 4061

SPOORWEGVERENIGING VAN SUIDELIKE AFRIKA NATAL

Dear Ashley– thanks for the Natal Newsletter - HBH

Reefsteamers:– Lee Gates Reefsteamers: Contact details Bookings : bookings@reefsteamers.com Reefsteamer Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/reefsteamers/ Depot Mobile: 083 651 5424 (Attie de Necker) Depot Phone: (011) 025-4363 Enquiries: chairman@reefsteamers.com Marketing: marketing@reefsteamers.com Postal Address: P.O. Box 1736, Germiston 1400 Reefsteamers Web Master: webmaster@reefsteamers.com Reefsteamers Web Site: www.reefsteamers.com

Umgeni Steam Railway: GMAM 4074 Contact Mr. Rob McGregor at Tel: 031-303 3003; 082-353 6003 or 087-808 7715 or robbie@umgenisteamrailway.co.za or visit their website at www.umgenisteamrailway.co.za

Paton’s Country Railway Patons Country Railway: Annual Aloe Train Trips 123

Umgeni Steam Railway - Ashley Peter -

Friends of the Rail (FOTR) FOTR Calendar – Nathan Berelowitz Hi Hennie, if you can open this could you publish the calendar advert in the next issue.

I will also

post you a complimentary copy if you send me your postal address please. Cheers, Nathan Nathan trainman@friendsoftherail.com

FOTR – Nathan Berelowitz

Cullinan 2 Sept 2012 – Nathan Berelowitz

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FOTR: New drivers - 1 Sept 2012 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Nathan Berelowitz.

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(Above) Seen here on Friends of the Rails class 19D number 2650 are Tony Attwell and Gabor Kovacs, the new steam train drivers now joining the holy few of those who can still master these machines â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Nathan Berelowitz

Enquiries Friends of the Rail Contact Mr. Arno Victor at Tel: 082 293 4616 or sales@friendsoftherail.com or visit their website at www.friendsoftherail.com

Sandstone -

JB Tours: Treintoere in Suider Afrika JB Tours issue a lovely program with beautiful pictures. Unfortunately I cannot copy, save and paste it as a word.doc/x . Please subscribe to their annual program! For full 2012 year programme here is the email adres: info@jbtours.co.za ; www.jbtours.co.za ; Tel 011 913 2442; 086 152 8687; Fax: 086 687 7344; 011 913 0552

Railwayana -

South African Models Scalecraft: - Adrian Hill

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Class 6J loco. The model is based on a Frateschi chassis. We rip all the bodywork off and replace it with our own. I spent countless hours experimenting to work out how to do the rivet detail. Lots of R&D, different materials and methods and then one day it all came together. We are now able to add rivet detail to the models quite easily. Take a look at the tender; it has rivet detail all round â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Adrian Hill.

Class 8X locomotive. The locomotive is very similar to the 6J. The wheel arrangement is different, the cowcatcher and cab is also different â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Adrian Hill. 127

A 4 wheel milk wagon with open doors. This model could be used in a diorama with men offloading milk â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Adrian Hill.

A 4 wheel milk wagon with closed doors â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Adrian Hill.

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The 4 wheel guards van that I've been working on. There are two version of the model available, one with open doors and one with closed doors. I am in two minds about the white section. It looks correct as per the photographs I have but I don't know whether it should be so bright or if it should be silver. This model also has proper rivet detail. I drew the model in 3D and then cut each side on a mini CNC milling machine using a 0.1mm cutter. (Many hours of R & D to figure out how to sharpen the cutter by hand) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Adrian Hill.

Contact Scalecraft www.scalecraft.co.za http://www.facebook.com/Scalecraft info@scalecraft.co.za 021 592 72 69 +2721 592 7269

Scalecraft news Locomotives, locomotives, locomotivesâ&#x20AC;Śthat is our war cry for the foreseeable future. Our model of the iconic Class 15F has become highly sought after. The model runs well and blends in nicely with our range of rolling stock. So where to from here, well, we have the 129

Class 23, Class 16E, 6E, 6E1, 5E, 5E1 & 18E on the drawing board. The 23 and the 6E will be available shortly with the rest following shortly thereafter. Our steam locomotives are built around Mehano running gear and the electric locomotives are built on Bachmann. We install either constant current lighting or DCC depending on user preference. Keep in mind that the models are designed and assembled in such a way that DCC can be fitted later on if not factory fitted. Our aim is to provide the avid modeller with products of the highest quality that are an asset to their collection. We have decided to appoint two official agents with this in mind. Our agents will ensure that your SAR modelling needs is met. Scalecraft products are only available via three channels, namely; ourselves (of course), Mr. Shaun Le Roux of Cape Model Trains and Mr. Rinke Blok of The Model Train Shop. Shaun and Rinke’s businesses are the ONLY two official Scalecraft representatives so please feel free to speak to me, Adrian, Shaun or Rinke should you be interested in our products.

Shaun and Rinke’s contact information is as follows Shaun le roux Cape model trains 081 475 4786 Shauncarl.leroux@capetown.gov.za Rinke Blok Model Train Shop Tel: 011 795-3270 info@modeltrainshop.co.za www.modeltrainshop.co.za

Scalecraft product information Scalecraft product information is available in the following publications: • The Uloliwe13 • RMIG (Railway Modeller’s Information Group Newsletter)

We are honoured, Adrian Hill! – HBH.

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Dream Trains – Wynand Vermeulen 16 Besembos Avenue, Pellissier, 9301 Bloemfontein, South Africa PO Box 32882, Fichardtpark, 9317 www.dreamtrains.co.za

Hopefield: Terry Rowe -

Lionel Penning: Railway Modellers’ Information Group: Contact Details

From the Press Fish and chips for breakfast on train to Soweto I was part of a group from the Cape that travelled by train to Johannesburg last week for the test between the ‘Boks and the All Blacks in Soweto. With all the negative publicity about PRASA, we were quite astonished when the train arrived punctually at Bellville station. We were also pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of the compartments – and the friendliness of the train personnel who welcomed us aboard. 131

Unfortunately this great feeling did not last long. The condition of the stations on the main line to Johannesburg was shocking. Buildings were in ruins, with roof sheeting, doors and window frames stolen. The gardens, once the station masters’ pride, are non-existent, and there is litter everywhere. Only the larger stations like Worcester, Beaufort West and Kimberley appear to have escaped this orgy of vandalism and neglect. The good impression created on board the train was also only of short duration. Our first visit to the dining car for dinner was met with dirty tables, food-stained seats and surly staff. The menu was extremely limited and the service pathetic. The next morning there was no milk for the coffee and breakfast couldn’t be served as they had run out of food! Our only choice ended up being chips, or fish and chips... The pride and dedication of the railwaymen of yesteryear has long been forgotten. Train trips were always a respite for the soul, but now they just revive the good memories of a past era. Pieter van der Westhuizen Brackenfell Translated from a letter that appeared in Die Burger of 6 October 2012 and was submitted by Leonard du Preez – Ashley Peter

Vis en tjips vir ontbyt op trein na Soweto

deur Pieter van der Westhuizen 2012-10-12 02:00 Ek was deel van die groep Kapenaars wat verlede week per trein Johannesburg toe is vir die toets tussen die Bokke en die All Blacks in Soweto. Met al die negatiewe publisiteit oor Prasa was die verbasing groot toe die trein stiptelik was. Ons was ook verras hoe skoon die kompartemente was en hoe vriendelik die treinpersoneel ons verwelkom het. Dié goeie gevoel was ongelukkig van korte duur. Die toestand van die stasies op die hooflyn na Johannesburg is skokkend. Geboue is bouvallig met dakplate, deure en 132

vensterrame wat gesteel is. Die tuine, vroeër jare die stasiemeesters se trots, bestaan nie meer nie, en vullis lê oral. Die groter stasies soos Worcester, Beaufort-Wes en Kimberley het in ’n mate hierdie orgie van vandalisme en afskeping vrygespring. Ook die goeie indrukke van die trein was van korte duur. Met ons eerste aandete is ons begroet deur vuil tafels, banke vol kosvlekke en nors personeel. Die spyskaart was uiters beperk en die diens pateties. Die volgende oggend was daar nie melk vir die koffie nie en kon ontbyt nie verskaf word nie omdat die kos op was! Ons keuse was toe aartappelskyfies of vis en aartappelskyfies. Die trots en toewyding van die spoorwegpersoneel van vroeër jare is lank vergete. Treinritte was altyd rus vir die siel, maar dis nou net ’n goeie herinnering aan ’n era wat verby is. Pieter van der Westhuizen Brackenfell http://www.dieburger.com/MyDieBurger/Briewe/Vis-en-tjips-vir-ontbyt-op-trein-naSoweto-20121011

China slaan kontrak vir lokomotiewe los Dinsdag, 23 Oktober 2012 06:57 SAPA Die regering het 'n kontrak aan 'n Chinese konsortium CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive (CSR), toegeken om 95 elektriese lokomotiewe te bou. Die lokomotiewe sal deur Transnet se vragvervoer ingespan word, het Malusi Gigaba, minister van openbare ondernemings, verklaar. CSR sal saam met Matsetse Basadi, 'n Suid-Afrikaanse sakeonderneming, die bou van die lokomotiewe onderneem. CSR besit 70% en Matsetse Basadi die res. Die lokomotiewe sal glo tussen Desember 2013 en September 2014 gelewer word. Die eerste tien lokomotiewe sal in CSR se fabrieke in China vervaardig word, en die res plaaslik. Die Suid-Afrikaanse regering het 'n hoë plaaslike inhoud vereis en plaaslike verskaffers moes 60,5% van die totale waarde van die kontrak hou. Die lokomotiewe is deel van Transnet se beleid om vragvolume binne sewe jaar van 201 miljoen ton per jaar tot 350 133

miljoen ton te verhoog. Die maatskappy belê tans R300 miljard in 'n beleggingsprogram van sewe jaar. Nog kontrakte vir die vervaardiging van 465 diesel-lokomotiewe en 599 elektriese lokomotiewe sal aanstons bekend gemaak word. http://praag.co.za/nuus-magazine402/sake-magazine-398/12541-china-slaan-kontrak-vir-lokomotiewelos.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+praag+ %28Pro-Afrikaanse+Aksiegroep%29

SA RAILWAY RELATED INTERNET GROUPS • Suid-Afrikaaanse Spoorweë / SA Railways / Ulolwe (sic) Visit our website: http://www.facebook.com/groups/74709226744/ It is an “open group” on the railways in South Africa. Keep abreast with the latest developments of the railways in South Africa. It was started by Hennie Heymans some years ago. Johannes Marais is co-administrator. No politics or no language questions. Keep it simple: only one thing on the agenda: Railways in Southern Africa. 672 Members

• Yahoo: SAR-Miniatures – Adrian Hill Please join us on our mailing list http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sar-miniatures/join We not only talk about modelling SAR but also about modelling in general. The list is free of politics and bickering and our aim is not only to advance SAR modelling but also to exchange ideas and techniques.

• Facebook: ‘RHODESIA RAILWAY’ Group - John Batwell A recent innovation on Facebook has been the start and rapid development of a RHODESIA RAILWAYS site. Started by former railway employee Eddie Roussot, the site has grown in leaps and bounds and has over 260 members already and a plethora of photographs which depict the historical milestones and development of the small country’s railway since those pioneering days back in 1897. Besides photos of stations, sidings, locomotives of all types of traction, there are a number of photos posted too depicting the human resources of the railway. The facility has enabled so many folk spread far and wide across the world to reunite electronically and share their nostalgic and contemporary photographic records and short comments of another time and age working on one of Southern Africa’s most efficient rail systems. The facility also enables technical questions to 134

be shared and responses offered, new publications to be marketed, as well as a catch-up time with old friends and work colleagues of yesteryear.

• Website for Reefsteamers: Lee Gates You can find the latest information (albeit a bit scattered) on the 15F 2914 on our Facebook Page at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/387773301244867/

• Well worth a look Reefsteamers Website is : www.reefsteamers.com Reefsteamers Page is : www.facebook.com/groups/reefsteamers/ Reefsteamers Locomotive Restoration Project Page (15F 2914) is: www.facebook.com/groups/387773301244867/

• Andre Kritzinger André Kritzinger, Cape Town, Website: http://mysite.mweb.co.za/residents/grela/chessie01.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Locomotives_of_South_Africa http://grela.rrpicturearchives.net/ http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=12115 •

Adrian Hill says:

“Take a look at my website www.scalecraft.co.za “ Railway Groups NOT mentioned above: You are welcome to ad your group’s particulars here ...

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Angola: Nostalgia Old CFB Coaches (part 2) - Anton van Schalkwyk Map: Bruno Martin

You can't imagine the wonderful memories I had taking photos of the insides of these old coaches and the smells that I was so very much used to more than 40 years ago. This was really special to experience. There is a great need in Angola for restoration of some of these coaches. The guy who made this possible had a father who was the CFB GM for 40 years. (On the above note we continue looking at the old nostalgic wooden coaches – HBH) (What

lovely

coach! Wish it was mine! It looks like the “Rat Catcher’s Coach!?” - HBH)

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Does anybody have a crest of the CFB? (There was a SADF covert action to supply Dr Jonas Savimbi with a steam locomotive. (All SAR fittings were removed. This was confirmed to me by a General. Last word on the locomotive it was staged at Kimberley. I think it was a class 25NC?)

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CFM: Lourenco Marques or Maputo -

Tanzam-line Tanzam Map by Bruno Martin

“Hot off the press”: Liberia Map – Bruno Martin Greetings Hennie, A JPEG file showing the railways of Liberia is attached “hot off the press”. Not knowing the contents of John’s notes on the former LAMCO railway – looks like Mittal has taken over – I assume this line is back in action after having closed down in 1989 – as all of the rotting rolling stock is beyond salvaging! Groete van huis tot huis, Bruno Martin

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Liberia – J Wepener Introduction: Relevancy? Jacque Wepener sends us some photographs from his “Liberian” contacts. Although we are nominally interested in the railways of Southern Africa, the diaspora of the South African railwayman has caused us to broaden our horizons. South African railwaymen are now practically all over the globe. 140

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Sierra Leone â&#x20AC;&#x201C; HBH, John Nicholas Middleton & Bruno Martin

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During a visit to Rovos Rail with Lourens Sturgeon we saw the following locomotives at Rovos and the photos were immediately shared with JN Middleton for identification purposes:

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Hennie, Many thanks (and particularly for the works plate detail - hard to get info, very useful as we now know RRL are numbering locos sequentially and these are the 28th and 29th built). They are part of the follow on order of 14 (1201-1214) for African Minerals Ltd (AML) in Sierra Leone where they will work on the reopened and extended Marampa Mines Railway. May be I should write a short piece for you on this line given the new SA connections. Regards, John 146

Greetings Hennie Thanks for forwarding the images – very interesting to see the development of new railways in West Africa (and all of the derelict ones rotting away!). I’ll draw up a map of Sierra Leone for you over the weekend – I had a look at the Marampa Mines website and found some useful information. Cheers Bruno

Pandora’s Box Anything can come out of Pandora’s Box; here are some pictures we received this month:

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Mail Bag Klipplaat’s abandoned locomotive: Hendrik Sharp Hendrik Sharp: More Oom, dis sleg om te sien hoe staan ‘n stoomloko so verlate op Klipplaat. Het ‘n paar jaar daar gebly toe dit nog baie stoom was. My pa was stoker daar in die sewentigs. Baie swaar tye maar lekker gebly! Henrik Sharp: Translation – Goodmorning, it is sad to see the deserted steam locomotive at Klipplaat. We stayed there a few years when there was much steam. During the 1970’s my father was a SAR fireman. Many very hard times but we enjoyed our stay there!

Railways Gazette: Mark Robinson (CRA) Good Day Hennie, While we have been aware of your Railway Gazette it was only recently that we obtained Vol.1 No.1 ans we are impressed with what you have gathered together. Two questions arise - have you produced further issues and how do we get onto your mailing list? We would, of course, be happy to add you to our newsletter mailing list if you are interested, this being published roughly every 10 / 12 weeks. Regards Mark Hallo Mark Here is the link to the latest issue: http://issuu.com/hennieheymans/docs/uloliwe_3_no_10 I had to change the name because the words 'railway gazette' are copyrighted world wide. So I chose the Zulu name for Railways. So that the Afrikaans title could also fall away! All the magazine's are renamed Ulolwe (sic) and later Uloliwe and can be found at: http://issuu.com/hennieheymans/docs Too receive notification of new issues you just have

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to subscribe to ISSUU - its free. Mark I think we once met on the BTS with Boon Boonzaaier! O yes, before I forget - If the CRA need's any free publicity - we will "advertise" your organisation every month free of charge! Greetings, Hennie Heymans

Hi Hennie Thank you very much - I am now a subscriber and am impressed with the amount of material you are getting published. We did indeed meet on one (or even two) occasions when I was Boon's guest for the odd day on the train from time to time and it is good to be back in touch. Regards Mark

Some background on Bob Hogan (GA USA) Hennie... Uggg! We always hate to see photos of ourselves! Here are three quick ones to select from. As you can see, I'm also an avid model railroader and this photo was taken in the dedicated building I have for my 20 X 23" S scale and Sn3 layout. There's a little bit of the old SAR in the background with a GF number plate. Also have plates for a Class 23 and Class15E. For background: I am a native Californian having lived most of my life in the San Francisco Bay Area. I'm a retired marketing executive (30 years) with a speciality in chain restaurant marketing, strategic planning and brand building. I currently consult for several small restaurants in the Atlanta, GA area as well as for our local newspaper (Morgan County Citizen) and its sister publication, a life-style magazine called Lake Oconee Living. That keeps me as busy and "in tune" with what is going on as I wish to be. My wife and I

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currently live in the small (3,700 people) historic town of Madison, GA about an hour outside of Atlanta. We have two grown children here in the USA.

I've always had an interest in history, travel and railroads. I've had hundreds of photos published in magazines and books, both in the USA and internationally and have one book to my credit: Mallet to Mogul...Tourist Steamers of the Pacific Coast. I've "chased" and photographed railroading, especially steam locomotives, across North America (USA, Canada, Mexico), Europe, Asia and Africa. I have been an active model railroader for over 30 years with layouts/models featured in Model railroader, Railroad Model craftsman, Sn3 Modeller, S Gaugian and others. My current layout is modelled on the Southern Pacific railroad's crossing of the Sierra Nevada on Donner Pass in California. It is S standard gauge with a small amount of Sn3 narrowgauge logging. I even have a small amount of Sn42 SAR equipment, including a nice Class 24. Finding old SAR model kits in Sn42 is really tough these days, as most modelers in the RSA have switched to HO, but I keep looking. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you need anything else. 151

Best regards! Bob Dear Bob, Thanks for your delightful article: A Unique Baldwin 2 Foot 4-6-2 still steams. Now that we have met you and seen you: Welcome to our Circle of railway friends! [Next time you go to Stone Face Mountain, please take some pictures of the mountain and the old passenger train operating there.] Kind regards, Hennie

Terry Rowe: From the Rolls-Royce Staff Magazine Derby, England Hi All I know this is a little off-line but involves railways and even if it is not true makes a good story..... It was sent to me by a friend who works on Network Rail. Sometimes it does take a Rocket Scientist!! (true story)... Scientists at Rolls Royce UK built a gun specifically to launch dead chickens at the windshields of airliners and military jets all travelling at maximum velocity. The idea is to simulate the frequent incidents of collisions with airborne fowl to test the strength of the windshields. American engineers heard about the gun and were eager to test it on the Windshields of their new high speed trains. Arrangements were made, and a gun was sent to the American engineers. When the gun was fired, the engineers stood shocked as the chicken hurled out of the barrel, crashed into the shatterproof shield, smashed it to smithereens, blasted through the control console, snapped the engineer's back-rest in two and embedded itself in the back wall of the cabin like an arrow shot from a bow.. The horrified American engineers sent Rolls Royce the disastrous results of the experiment, along with the designs of the windshield and begged the British scientists for suggestions. You're going to love this...... 152

Rolls Royce UK responded with a one-line memo: "Defrost the chicken." Terry Rowe

De Haviland Dove article - Wally Greig Dear Hennie, Thanks for publishing this article. I was quite absorbed by it. Regards, Wally •

Thanks Wally!

The Paxton’s from Cape Town Hello Hennie, I trust you are keeping well. Just to let you know, I have set up the PC in bed, and I have started, but it is going very slowly. I am a draughtsman, not a writer! But please don’t give up on me. Regards, Leith Paxton

Dear “Old” Leith As we said in the classics: "Vasbyt". We are continuously thinking of you and your health – we all pray for your recovery! It would really be nice to get something from you for publication! (What about a few diagrams?) We wish you best of health and happiness! 153

I am feeling much better - my tendon is painful, I battle to walk around the block - otherwise I am fine! Salute, Hennie

John Nicholas Middleton Hi Hennie - thanks very interesting - the loco is CC1103 (the number is in the panel either side of the headlight) - it’s one of 4 built new by RRL in 2011 for the CFCO in CongoBrazzaville. CC1101 and CC1102 were delivered in July 2011. CC1104 was seen stored at the RRL works in July 2012 but I didn't know where CC1103 had gone - now we know, it’s being used by RRL! Best regards and keep up the good work with Uloliwe - first rate material well put together.

John Nicholas Middleton: CC 1183 or CC1103? – Dries van der Merwe Dear John, A correpondent, Dries vd Merwe sent me this pic - he says it might be CC 1183 or CC1103: Dries van der Merwe wrote: More Hennie, Die blou loko wat ek voor die Rovos het is CC1183, oppad na Dar es Salaam. Dit kan ook CC1103 wees?

Greetings HBH •

Hennie - I confirm its definitely CC1103 - John Nicholas Middleton.

Stop Press Senwes at Wesselsbron Hi guys. 154

We found this loco at the silos today, all nicely re-sprayed and fixed up. For quite a long time she was standing out of use with the engine removed. She looks quite good in the new livery. Cheers. Jacque & John.

UK Steam Report: Richard Niven (Former SAR) Steam over the Forth Bridge, Edinburgh Scotland â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Richard Niven. (This is an example of what South Africa could do!)

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Thank you Richard! [I think I once met you while on a Bosveld Train Safari with Boon Boonzaaier. Two trains stopped. Boon had a chat with you – somewhere north of Kimberly – when drivers were exchanged.]

Disclaimer and Greetings We don’t like legalize, but it has to be there, so read the small print …. Readers and/or Viewers may use content from The Uloliwe for non-commercial purposes on condition that such material is attributed to The Uloliwe and appropriate acknowledgement is given to the author and source. Where it is clear that any material and/or comment is not made by The Uloliwe, this must be clearly stated. The Uloliwe makes every reasonable attempt to screen or edit content in The Uloliwe by third parties, but does not accept any liability for illegal, defamatory or obscene content. Readers and/or Viewers are encouraged to inform The Uloliwe of any content that may be offensive or illegal.

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Save where the views expressed are clearly those of The Uloliwe, no responsibility is accepted for the view of other contributors. The Uloliwe does not accept any liability, nor will it be responsible for any damages howsoever arising when this information is obtained and/or utilised in an unauthorised and/or illegal manner. All advertisements are placed in the interest of our Readers and/or Viewers. Such advertisements are placed free of charge at the discretion of The Uloliwe. The Uloliwe does not accept any liability nor will The Uloliwe be responsible for any damages howsoever arising from such advertisements. The main purpose of adverts is to be of an informative nature.

Goodbye from Blue Train heading south just before Makwassie behind 2x 18E– J & J Wepener

The next issue of “The Ulolwe” will be Vol 3 No 12 and will be published, DV, sometime during December 2012. Please send in your comments, anecdotes and photographs. Take care! Issue / Volgende Uitgawe Stuur solank u stories, herinneringe en eie foto’s aan heymanshb@gmail.com in jpg-formaat Hennie Heymans – Pretoria, ZA

2012

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