Nongqai Vol 15 No 4D

Hennie Heymans.

The Nongqai is a national security history magazine which includes the history of the South African Railways Police (SARP).The SARPhas been amalgamated with the former SouthAfrican Police Force. With the amalgamation of the SARP with the former SAP, the focus of the SARP shifted from specifically serving the Railway Administration and its vested interests, it changed into part of a national police force which served the public in general. Physical security on the SAR and its needs were performed by various security companies. Over the years the infra structure, buildings and the actual railways have been damaged and severely plundered.

Had the old SARP been in place one doubts whether the theft, damage and neglect would have been so severe? It is costing the railways billions of Rands to refurbish the present complete railway infrastructure. The railways are currently unable to perform any strategic duties like the transport of troops in case of an emergency. During the Anglo Boer War, the 1914-rebellion, the first world war, the second world war and during the so-called bush war the SAR and the SARP performed magnificently! One saw they had troop trains, hospital- and ambulance trains, troop trains, armoured trains and the SAR workshops produced war materiel. Today they don’t have the artisans and knowhow of yesteryear.

It is a pity that our railway heritage will be lost for coming generations! Mr Pivnic wrote (letter shortened) to us and our circle of railway historians:

“Thanks for sharing the sad (actually disgusting) photos of Bloemfontein Loco Depot and Yards. I was personally involved with selecting many of the so-called ‘Museum locos’ in the 1970s that are now derelict in Bloemfontein. I have attached a listing of the locos that I immediately recognized as being part of the collection for the planned major S A Railway Museum and I have indicated why I selected the items for preservation. At the time in the 1970s, when I was actively selecting exhibits for the planned Museum, I had no way of knowing that I was in fact, wasting my time and the time of many railway colleagues who restored the exhibits on the Museum’s behalf.”

P.S. Hopefully with your approval, I have included Wilfred Mole of Sandstone with this email.

Today it is mainly up to private individuals, like Mr Mole of Sandstone to preserve our national heritage.

PART 1: FORMER SA RAILWAY MUSEUM:

NATIONAL COLLECTION AT BLOEMFONTEIN

HL Pivnic: Retired Assistant/Acting Curator of the SA Railway Museum, Johannesburg.

Comments on the set of photos taken by Jacque Wepener on his recent visit to the Bloemfontein Locomotive Depot and Yards.

My on the set of photos taken by Jacque Wepener on his recent visit to the Bloemfontein Locomotive Depot and Yards. My comments are not confined to the locomotives (steam, electric and diesel) that were originally part of the National Collection for the planned major SA Railway Museum.

Before starting with the first photo in need of comment, I have to say that this signboard reflects what has happened to the entire railways in South Africa – Executed!

The photo gives a rather favourable impression of how museum engines are being cared for while in storage at Bloemfontein Loco Depot. This impression will soon be destroyed as we progress with Jacque’s photos.

This derelict 15AR as an example of her class, begins to tell the true story of how museum exhibits have simply been vandalised and left to rot.

A class 9E from the Sishen- Saldanha AC electrification was saved as a future exhibit in the planned museum. While still restorable, its future is bleak!

Another photo of the 9E.

In the next photo we see a relatively young class 14E dumped due to a lack of spares and maintenance know-how – also left to rot.

We now see below, the class ES electric shunter that was saved for the National Collection – totally derelict!!

Jacque’s photos of her cab speak for themselves!

The priceless example of a class 1E (in service 1924) to represent her class that was destined for display in our planned museum has also ended up derelict in Bloemfontein!

The 1E’s interior defies description!

Our class S1 No.375 – another rusting hulk!

The next photo shows our class 4E No.258 specially selected as the final member of the class and carrying an early form of yellow striping on the green body for the National Collection, that was initially stored at Bellville, but her fate was sealed.

258’s cab – still restorable if she was shipped back to her place of birth in the UK!

Here is 3E No201 which was used to haul General Smuts’ funeral train in 1950 and stationed at Braamfontein ERS, was regularly booked to work the Blue Train to Klerksdorp.

A class 5E also kept in storage at Belleville in the Cape in working condition, was destined to end up derelict in Bloemfontein.

A representative of the highly successful class 31 diesel loco class was also selected for display in the planned museum as one of the early diesel loco types to enter service on the SAR in 1958.

The next photo of class 23 No.3300 shows an engine that was well-known stationed at Kroonstad Loco in the later years of her life and used regularly on special trains. Certainly, still restorable but like her sisters, faces an uncertain future – probably the scrapheap like Jacque says!

My final selection from Jacque’s photos is of a derelict class 25NC which is also probably destined for the scrapheap!

The major political changes that occurred in South Africa in 1994 brought an end to the world-wide criticism of South Africa but it also led within 30 years, to the virtual destruction of the well-established Railway Service that the Country had previously enjoyed.

Those of us in the SA Railway Museum in Johannesburg were the first to feel the effect of the decision by the Administration, that no further expansion of non-essential Departments would be approved from the early 1980s and this included the planned major railway museum. A compromise museum was established in George in the Cape, but it fell far short of what we had planned.

Les Pivnic

Retired Assistant/Acting Curator of the SA Railway Museum, Johannesburg.

PART 2: BLOEMFONTEIN IN THE OLD DAYS:

A PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY

Photos by Charlie Lewis, Les Pivnic & Peter Stow.

Photographic essay published with written permission from the above gentlemen. These photographs originally appeared in SoAR: System 5 Part 1b: Hump retarder yard, Running Sheds & Mechanical Workshops: Photos 49, 52. 52a, 53, 54, 65, 68. 72, 138 &163. Ref: https://sites.google.com/site/soulorailway/soul-of-a-railway/system-5-orange-free-state/part-1b-humpretarder-yard-sheds-workshops

These photos reflect on the past.

Is this how it going to end up?

The End of Part 2

PART 3: PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY

This is a photographic essay to illustrate how South African Railway stations have been vandalised and totally trashed over the last 30 odd years.

The stations illustrated have been randomly chosen that were situated on the Bloemfontein – Aliwal North line and in the Eastern Cape, on the Maclear branch line. Two or more photos of the same station or halt are used to illustrate the massive destruction that has occurred. The first photos of each station were taken by me in 1974 when we still had a fully functioning railway. They are followed by Jacque Wepener’s photos of the same station or halt taken in the 2020s, after our railways were allowed to degenerate into a total disaster.

We kick-off with a halt named ‘Rusfontein’ in 1974. Rusfontein

‘Rusfontein’ today

Like all of Jacque Wepener’s photos in the 2020s, they speak for themselves…

Dewetsdorp in 1974 - neat, tidy and well-maintained under SAR & H control.

Dewetsdorp

Dewetsdorp today…

Dewetsdorp in 2020 beggers belief!!!!!!

Jammerdrif

Jammerdrif in 1974

This is nothing – it gets worse!

Jammerdrif in 2018!

Even the bridge at

is vandalised!

Jammerdrif

Wepener

Wepener in better times in 1974…………………….

Burgersdorp

Burgersdorp in 1974.

In 2018 Burgersdorp – don’t be fooled, at a glance it looks ok but on closer inspection, the loco monument has disappeared and tracks that previously served the island platform have disappeared. I

suppose that we must be thankful that the station building is still standing – probably due to private people renting the office space – hence a car parked on the main platform!

I wonder if the ‘Taal Monument’ in Burgersdorp, photographed in 1974 has survived?

Ugie

This essay concludes with photos of Ugie on the Maclear branch in 1974.

Ugie in 2014 below, tells a different story…

South Africa must be one of the only countries world-wide where stations on disused railway lines have been totally vandalised. In other countries, such buildings are put to alternative use – not destroyed!!!!!!

This sad and disgusting state of affairs applies to country stations throughout South Africa today.

This essay has been published in ‘Soul of a Railway’ to show how the ‘SOUL’ of a Railway has been ripped apart!

Compiled

by Les Pivnic.

Photographs taken by Les Pivnic and Jacque Wepener.

Last word

Dear All,

‘Soul of a Railway’ has taken on the mantle of showing what a fine railway we had in South Africa from before the turn of the century, up until 30 or more years ago. The previous SAR & H Administration’s string of accomplished Chief Mechanical Engineers and their Drawing Offices had achieved many great technical goals during their tenure of office. The recent successors to that Administration have not added anything to those achievements – on the contrary, they have ripped the very SOUL out of the previously proud Administration! This photo-essay just provides just a fragment of what has transpired country-wide to our once-proud railways. SAR & H – R.I.P.

The link to the Essay is:https://sites.google.com/view/soulofarailway-heartsoulripped/home

Regards,

Les Pivnic

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