THE ULOLIWE
The Railways of Southern Africa: Past & Present SpoorweĂŤ van Suidelike-Afrika: Toeka tot Nou A monthly railway historical and research publication ‘n Maandelikse spoorweg historiese en navorsing publikasie Vol 4 No 7 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 July 2013
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Contents Welcome .............................................................................................................................................................7 Front Cover – Voorblad:...................................................................................................................................8 Editorial – Redaksioneel...................................................................................................................................8 •
Railway News ....................................................................................................................................8
•
Main Article: The Blue Train ...........................................................................................................8
•
The “new” Blue Train (1984) .........................................................................................................10
Blue Train Magazine .......................................................................................................................................18 Wepener’s Perambulations and … some Railway History .......................................................................18 •
26 May 2013......................................................................................................................................18
•
31 May 2013 (Zama-zama’s) ..........................................................................................................22
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31 May 2013......................................................................................................................................24
•
6 June 2013 (part 1)..........................................................................................................................27
•
Part 2 .................................................................................................................................................28
•
Part 3 .................................................................................................................................................29
•
12 June 2013......................................................................................................................................32
•
13 June 2013......................................................................................................................................36
•
19 June 2013......................................................................................................................................38
•
Wepeners & Keyser: 17 June 2013.................................................................................................40
•
All photographs carry copyright. .................................................................................................47
Uitenhage Old Railway Station Museum – L Jansen van Rensburg [JvR Photo-Art] ...........................47 Loerie NG Station: Linda Jansen van Rensburg [JvR Photo-Art]...........................................................51 The NG Apple Express (PE): Linda Jansen van Rensburg [JvR Photo-Art] ...........................................58 Port Elizabeth Harbour: Linda Jansen van Rensburg [JvR Photo-Art] ...................................................62 2
Brakpan Train Collission................................................................................................................................65 Mkuze: Ben Greyling ......................................................................................................................................68 Willie Koorts ....................................................................................................................................................72 •
Matjesfontein ...................................................................................................................................72
•
White Train / Wittrein (YouTube) ................................................................................................72
•
Matjesfontein (YouTube)................................................................................................................72
•
Day trip to Ceres (YouTube)..........................................................................................................73
•
Shosholoza Meyl .............................................................................................................................73
Soul of A Railway (SoAR): Q’s & A’s ...........................................................................................................74 Natal Midlands: Jacobus Marais ...................................................................................................................77 Western Cape: Francois Mattheüs ................................................................................................................82 •
18E .....................................................................................................................................................82
Touwsrivier/ Touws River: Willie Marais ...................................................................................................86 Photo Report: Piet Van Staden ......................................................................................................................97 •
Ashton...............................................................................................................................................97
•
Kleinplasie ........................................................................................................................................98
“Pretoria Brief”: June 2013: Rosa Swanepoel ............................................................................................104 •
10. Pretoria Gister en vandag. [Pretoria News 1988-04-22] ...................................................104
•
The Lynnwood Road Boom “Tings” no more ..........................................................................104
Info Wanted: History of the line from Hercules to Magaliesburg: Leon Bezuidenhout.....................105 1984 Keetmanshoop: Rossouw Kruger ......................................................................................................106 From the lens of Nic Oosthuizen ................................................................................................................106 •
Rovos Class 6 in US garb.............................................................................................................106 3
•
Sandstone .......................................................................................................................................107
SA Metro Rail.................................................................................................................................................108 •
Call to turn off stationary trains’ lights ......................................................................................108
Update: 6E1 & 18E’s: Col Andre Kritzinger ..............................................................................................110 Gautrain..........................................................................................................................................................110 Gautrain News: Compiled by Jeanette Jacobs ..........................................................................................111 Railway People – Spoorwegmense .............................................................................................................114 •
Les Pivnic .......................................................................................................................................114
•
Willie Marais (Western Cape) .....................................................................................................120
•
J & J Wepener (Welkom OFS) ......................................................................................................121
•
D Keyser (Welkom OFS) ..............................................................................................................121
Previous issues of Uloliwe ...........................................................................................................................122 Rail Humour ..................................................................................................................................................122 This is all you need to know to become an engineer. ......................................................................122 Book Shelf.......................................................................................................................................................125 Leon “Div” de Villiers’ Books: Cape Town .......................................................................................125 Legal Africa ....................................................................................................................................................125 Road Motor Transport Service [RMT]........................................................................................................126 Transport: Willie Marais ..............................................................................................................................126 •
Pre-SAR RMT.................................................................................................................................126
•
First RMT Bus Loeriesfontein 1930 .............................................................................................127
South African Airways .................................................................................................................................128 SAA History: 1960 Jan Smuts Airport (now O Tambo Airport): P Mills ..........................................128 4
Atlantic Rail Cape Town .............................................................................................................................128 Reefsteamers: Lee Gates ...............................................................................................................................129 •
ReeFreestate Explorer ...................................................................................................................129
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Shield Chemicals assisting Reefsteamers Association .............................................................130
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Shield Chemicals assisting Reefsteamers Association .............................................................131
Railway Society of Southern Africa Natal – A Peter ................................................................................132 Friends of the Rail (FOTR) ...........................................................................................................................133 Railway History Group ................................................................................................................................133 Sandstone .......................................................................................................................................................133 JB Tours: Train Tours in Southern Africa ..................................................................................................133 Franschhoek: Wine Tram .............................................................................................................................133 North British Locomotive Preservation Group ........................................................................................134 •
NBL Preservation Group: Newsletter ........................................................................................134
Railwayana.....................................................................................................................................................134 South African Models ...................................................................................................................................134 Scalecraft: - Adrian Hill ............................................................................................................................134 Scalecraft news ..........................................................................................................................................134 Shaun and Rinke’s contact information is as follows ......................................................................135 Scalecraft product information............................................................................................................135 Dream Trains – Wynand Vermeulen .....................................................................................................135 Railway Models Information Group - L Penning.............................................................................135 SA RAILWAY RELATED INTERNET GROUPS......................................................................................137 •
Suid-Afrikaaanse Spoorweë / SA Railways / Ulolwe (sic) ......................................................137 5
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Yahoo: SAR-Miniatures – Adrian Hill .......................................................................................138
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Facebook: ‘RHODESIA RAILWAY’ Group - John Batwell ....................................................138
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Website for Reefsteamers: Lee Gates ..........................................................................................138
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Well worth a look ..........................................................................................................................138
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Andre Kritzinger ...........................................................................................................................138
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Adrian Hill says:............................................................................................................................139
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Touwsrivier / Touws River ..........................................................................................................139
•
Soul of a Railway (SoAR) .............................................................................................................139
Geoffs Trains ..............................................................................................................................................139 Other Railway Websites: Rudie Venter .............................................................................................139 Shosaloza Meyl ..........................................................................................................................................140 Angola ........................................................................................................................................................140 Lourenco Marques or Maputo ................................................................................................................140 Tanzam-line ...............................................................................................................................................140 Liberia Railways ........................................................................................................................................140 Pandora’s Box ................................................................................................................................................140 Abandoned Line in Taiwan (via Okkie Pretorius) ...........................................................................140 Railway Archeology .....................................................................................................................................141 •
Train Cemetery, Bolivia................................................................................................................141
Mail bag ..........................................................................................................................................................143 •
From the desk of les Pivnic: .........................................................................................................143
•
From Koos Kotze in the Free State..............................................................................................143
Stop Press .......................................................................................................................................................143 6
Disclaimer and Greetings.............................................................................................................................143
Welcome Once again welcome to this issue, our ‘winter’ edition. The other day I visited Mervyn Emms that ‘fine old gentleman of antiquarian collections’. He has about a 120 different collections of various things that he has collected or discovered in various shops in his life. Personally I have never seen such a collection of artefacts AND Merv is an expert on the history of crime; especially murder most foul. His interest starts even before Jack the Ripper. Never the less; at last count, he had more than 4 000 books alone, in his library! What fascinates me is his collections of model ships all built in bottles. Merv is a true role model and knows the history of almost everything – electronics, cameras, old gramophones, antique music boxes, Africana, the Anglo Boer War etc. He has hundreds of photographs and old post cards. Well this is only in passing, when I visited this grand old gentleman the other day he gave me an old “Supplement” to the Weekend Argus dated 10 March 1984 inscribed: “Retain for Hennie.” I scanned the document and include it in this issue purely for your enjoyment. Lazy bones: I am Mr Lazy Bones – I need time to read, think, reflect, travel and laze about. One Chappy I miss in my life is our old “police filing clerks!” They could file everything away and like a magician bring them forward after years! (I hate filing and admin!) Coupled to that I don’t make printed hard copies of Uloliwe. Could somebody please tell me where I stopped with the series of old Cape and Natal railway locomotives? I have my (new) computer back and would like to continue the series.
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Front Cover – Voorblad:
Our photographer: Linda Jansen van Rensburg Greenbushes SAR NG Station
Editorial – Redaksioneel • Railway News During the third and fourth weeks of October a guest is arriving from Australia and I shall act as his host in this country. We would like to know what’s happening on the rail front in South Africa that we may visit such steam and railway events taking place. We have plans to visit the Cape. If you have any information please forward it to me (heymanshb@gmail.com) so that I may make the necessary travel arrangements. Thank you.
• Main Article: The Blue Train There’s been but one in the world: The Blue Train! The world famous Blue Train of the late South African railways was once regarded one of the best passenger trains in the world. During 1969 the American economic magazine FORTUNE discussed 40 of the best trains in the world. Amongst the best was the Blue Train of the then South African Railways. I do not know where in the world the Blue Train ranks to day. Does anybody know? I would guess and say that Rovos Rail is the premier train in South Africa. I have never travelled on Rovos Rail, but what I have seen is Mr Rohan Vos has captured the old Edwardian ambiance of the old British Empire and rekindled it aboard the “Pride of Africa”. Having grown up in Durban and had occasion to visit the Durban Club, or old Howard College of Natal University or even visiting Singapore and having a drink in the old Raffles Hotel – Rovos Rail conjures up old those old “British” memories of days gone past! The only thing missing is the Union Jack. On the subject of
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the British Empire three cities that are/were very much alike to me are/were Durban, London and Singapore (with old Hong Kong fourth place.) After doing a military course in Taiwan after a few months I spent time to explore the Far East and I visited Hong Kong; the red busses, the Royal Navy and the Royal Hong Kong Police were a welcome sight. (I forgot the name of famous old hotel in Hong Kong.) Come to think of it, life is full of irony: My brother-in-law works for Rovos Rail and he goes on all the trips. And me? after a few months I would have worked for nothing on Rovos Rail, just to see Africa, enjoy the culinary delights and hear the clickety-clack and take photographs!
This advertisement appeared in the Afrikaans weekly, Die Huisgenoot, dated June 1970. During 1970 the Diamond Jubilee of the South African Railways was celebrated. As South Africans we felt proud of our national symbols.
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• The “new” Blue Train (1984)
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12
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1
2
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3
15
4
Filler: Springbok badges
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5
7 6
Without you, I cannot do this magazine! Thank you for your support Gentlemen! 17
Blue Train Magazine Quite by chance I stumbled on the Blue Train’s magazine. Money to me; is like manure! You must spread it around to make things grow! I wish I had more talent and more money to spend on our emagazine. Please take the time and look at the Blue Train magazine on ISSUU – here is the link: http://issuu.com/tcb.publishing/docs/blue_train_april_13 Paging through the Blue Train magazine I must pay them a compliment! A thorough bred magazine, indeed!
Wepener’s Perambulations and … some Railway History • 26 May 2013 Hi guys. RRL's Hercules was caught at the Friedesheim exchange yard with a load of empty hoppers from 5 shaft and again near the shaft itself. The Queensland diesels have left Welkom. At Bloemhof a North bound load of ore wagons speeded through behind 4x blue 10E's. Later another load of ore wagons headed South behind 5x 18E's. The Blue Train was heading South just after Makwassie. Sheltams 31 was on its way to the exchange yard with Harmony Surface Rail. RRL's 31 were found at Niemandsland with empties returning from the gold plant. Yet another load of ore at Bloemhof behind 10E's South bound containers near Kingswood Mielies heading South near Drie Ruiters. Again, RRL near Friedesheim. Cheers. J & J.
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• 31 May 2013 (Zama-zama’s) Hi guys. This
is
what
happens
when
things
return
to
....,
once
the
-
no
let
me
rather shut up! The shots are of the old hostels, the workshops and gold plant. It looks like a warzone but this is the work of the zama zamas, and the scrap metal thieves. There is NOTHING left of the old loco shed, anyway it's too dangerous to go there as the road is now a dead end due to trenches caused by cable theft, so no "quick" escape by vehicle... Cheers 22
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• 31 May 2013 Hi guys. We got 34 409 returning from the branch at Whites with a load of mielies. Then 2x 6E's on a scrap train staging at Hennenman, these wagons are heading south
to
Bloemfontein.
We'll
see
another
auction
soon,
there
is
another
scrap train standing in Kroonstad yard. The next photo is near Holfontein these are the locos from the scrap train at Hennenman returning light to Kroonstad ERS. A load of fuel heading towards Bloemfontein this time at Virginia. Kalkvlakte,
the
scrap
train
continuing
on
its
south
ward
journey,
here
at
Kalkvlakte. This train is restricted to 30KM/h and the guys tell me it is a killer of a train to work! Lastly - containers heading north through Hennnenman. Cheers. J & J.
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25
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• 6 June 2013 (part 1) Hi guys. Quite a lot - so 3 instalments. Got a load of empty coal wagons heading north near Theron, these wagons come from Transwerk in Bloemfontein. Greetings from the crew. At Friedesheim we got Eugene Armer and his group of European rail fans. RRL's 31 came past with a load of hoppers for 5 shaft. E 1588 was staged at Hennenman. Harmony Surface Rail was caught near their depot. Again we caught up with Eugene and RRL at the exchange yard near the show grounds. Had a quick footplate ride to Welkom station. Part 2 to follow.
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• Part 2 Hi guys. E1461 and orange sister were caught on a northbound load of empty fuel tankers between Whites and Hennenman.34 031 came back light loco from the branch at Whites West, hoots from the crew. Harmony Surface Rail en-route to their depot. A north bound load of CAR wagons near Boskuil. Mielies also heading north near Drie Ruiters. Yet another north bound load at Kingswood. Part 3 to follow.
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• Part 3 Hi guys. RRL's
31
class
heading
towards
Odendaalsrus,
seen
here
near
Friedesheim.
We were told that 3x EXXARO locomotives from RRL were heading down to Port Elizabeth to be shipped onwards to the DRC. These diesels left Pretoria on Wednesday morning and due to Transnet pilot problems only reached Kroonstad around midnight. They were supposed to get to Kroonstad at around 1700 and continue, thus we would have missed them. towards were
Bloemfontein
no
pilots
so
near it
Kalkvlakte,
seems
the
We caught them today heading
EXX-3004/5/6.
journey
is
going
At to
Bloem,
again
there
be
long
one...
a
At Whites the pick-up from the branch was waiting for the car train to proceed
to
Kroonstad.
At
Virginia
the
stolen
handrails
are
being
replaced 29
over the Sand River bridge, hence the wrong road working of the car train. Cheers. J & J. IMPORTANT Jacque Thanks so much for these, can I ask though PLEASE if anyone gets up close to these to record the serial numbers / dates from the RRL worksplates. RRL are really moving now, these are 3005 and 3006 only 4 weeks ago on 3rd May. Cheers John
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• 12 June 2013 Hi guys. I have just been sent proposed running times for trains between Klerksdorp – Kroonstad – Klerksdorp. I have been told there will be 3x return workings a day, seven days a week. Still don’t know what will be transported or when this will start or where the trains come from or where they are heading. Will keep you updated. Cheers.
Hi Jacque I heard there was going to be a passenger service on this line..... but I have no idea if there is any truth in this. Cheers Eugene Armer
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34
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• 13 June 2013 Hi guys. 34 406 was returning from the branch at Friedesheim with a short load of mielies. This train also cleared the Mondi timber siding before leaving for Kroonstad. Near Erfdeel 34 453 was heading towards Wesselsbron with an air-braked load of mielies. In the old Western Transvaal we had quite a good day. At Bloemhof a North bound load of ore wagons came past behind 4x 10E's. A short while later another 4x 10E's headed South with more ore trucks. Then the Johannesburg bound Trans Karoo made an appearance, about 6 hours late. At least the train looked quite full. Grasslands saw 2 x orange 6E's heading South on a load of mielies. A short while later 5x 18E's also headed South with a load of CAR wagons. Close to Kingswood yet another Southbound load, this time empty DLJ's. Just
before
Daalder
a
load
of
blue
"Skiptainers"
headed
south,
the
first
time we see these on the rails?
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At Eersteling a load of coal wagons headed South behind 5x orange 6E's. Between Leeubos and Leeudoringstad we got the Blue Train bound for Cape Town, she was about an hour late. Back in the Free State at Kalkvlakte a North bound load of Mielies trashed past. 34 406 was staged at Welkom station. A first for us - ALL the crews waved/hooted. We have seen "YQ's" of planned goods train between Klerksdorp and Kroonstad, 3 trains a day - both directions, seven days a week. Don't know where they will come from or where they are headed. If they actually run is also open to debate... Cheers.
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• 19 June 2013 Hi guys. 34
031
was
returning
from
the
ballast
siding
at
Virginia,
here
she
is
standing at Whites, waiting to proceed to Hennenman to shunt at the silos. This loco later failed at Holfontein and was hauled back to Kroonstad by another 34. 38
Then, wagons
the
scrap
headed
train to
at
Kalkvlakte
heading
Bloemfontein a couple
of
to
Kroonstad.
weeks
earlier?
Strangely Why
they
these are
heading back to Kroonstad is anyone's guess? Cheers. J & J.
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• Wepeners & Keyser: 17 June 2013 Hi guys. Depart Welkom onwards to Odendaalsrus, Allanridge. First stop at a deserted and destroyed Bothaville station. Third member of our group was stationed here from 1985 to 1991, mentioned very sad to see station so run down. Onwards to Milner and Vaal Bridge, latter newly painted with new safety railings,
done
whilst
rest
of
line
re-laid
with
96kg/m
track
ex
-
uplifted
Glen Harmony line. Have tentative YQ's for proposed train service Klerksdorp to Kroonstad plus return workings. Did
not
stop
at
Orkney.
Ariston,
nothing
left.
At
Klerksdorp
we
were
informed "Trans Karoo" running very late. Got permission to photograph 8th Class
on
platform.
In
clean
condition,
complete
with
brass
fittings.
CTC
Klerksdorp mentioned "Trans Karoo" two hours away, but ore train coming to Klerksdorp.
Stilfontein
and
Koekemoer
nothing
left
at
these
halts/sidings.
Got goods train here with a few brand new stainless steel "Boepens" wine tankers plus empty
AY/DZ
Potchefstroom,
a
8th
forecourt,
class
Difficult
in to
get
lime to
trucks.
train was bad
Cachet.
Battled through "Khaki Bos".
Then to
standing
shape.
Just
Walked
Crescent
in the missed
quite
a
nothing
station. an
ore
distance
A train
to
left.
Dash
to
photograph of near
Cachet
Cachet. platform.
Old subway from platforms to residential areas
half filled in with demolished building rubble. Many SADF hired suburban sets took ACF members from Milner Park Show Grounds siding. Diesel hauled to Braamfontein shorter
yard,
training
then
camps.
Motor New
coaches,
subway
to
Cachet,
for
their
visible
between
University
initial
or
residences.
Got the Trans Karoo here. Stopped at Tarentaal siding in middle of nowhere, only small goods shed intact, and no name board. Then to Klipdrift again only shed found, no name board, at Enselspruit we found a name board. At Raatsvlei shed and badly weathered name board. Two CALJ trucks standing here for a long time, break down crane having placed them next to each other in veld.
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On contacting CTC at Potchefstroom, told no trains so far today running on Cachet to Houtkop section. In 1965, this dead end line to Fochville [Built 1925 Union No. 33. Opened 14th
April,
1928.
51km].
Was
extended,
doubled
and
electrified
[1963
Republic No. 52. Opened 19th July, 1965, 38km]. Onwards to a tri-angle at Houtkop. The reason being the appearance of sink holes in the Obeholzer area on
the
two
lines
to
Bank
and
Randfontein.
Between
Raathsvlei
and
Bloekomheuning we saw the head light of an approaching Cachet bound train. 18's hurtled
past
at
high
speed,
one
of groups cap
went
flying.
Lots of
hooting and waving from locomotive. Nothing at Bloekomheuning halt. Signals here not operational, had regulatory white wooden "X" over lenses. Travelling onwards still along
the
railway
pathway,
we
had
another
train coming
at
speed. A bit further on we came across concrete sleepers blocking the road. One had been removed and vehicle tracks could be seen. We proceeded but a short
distance
ahead
the
reason
for
the
barrier
was
found.
A
low
level
bridge had been washed away, the stream was actually raw sewage which had eroded the far side earth bank, no way we could climb it. We turned around, with the arduous trip back to Raatsvlei, not far along the track we saw a tipper truck travelling along a track with in the veld, we used this track to get back onto the tarred Vereeniging road. We could not get near Van der Byl or Houtkop sidings, but saw the bridge at Van der Byl. On reaching Leeuhof we saw three 43 Class diesels with a very long load of ore
wagons.
On
getting
to
"Kontrole
Punt-Middel"
the
train
started
to
depart, a quick turn around and we stopped on the grass between the four lane road over rail bridge. A quick decent to track level and photographs were taken. Last stop Vereeniging station for photograph of very sad looking 6th class. Then off over the Vaal River, back into the "Oranje Vrystaat". Cheers. J & J & Dawid Keyser.
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43
44
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46
•
All photographs carry copyright.
Uitenhage Old Railway Station Museum – L Jansen van Rensburg [JvR Photo-Art] In 'n kwessie van 'n paar weke kon ek duidelik sien hoe die plek agteruit gegaan het. Dit is bitter hartseer. As jy verby die stukkend en die hartseer kyk sal jy ook die mooi sien wat ek probeer raak vang het met my kamera. Hier is baie kosbaarhede. Die vraag is hoe lank gaan die goed nog behoue
In a matter of a few weeks, I could clearly see how the place has deteriorated. It is very sad. If you look past the broken and sad you will see the beautiful I'm trying to get caught with my camera. Here is very pleasant. The question is how long will the well preserved for future generations .... 47
bly vir ons nageslag.... By: Jvr Photo-Art Photos: 137
By: JVR Photo Art Photos: 137
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49
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Loerie NG Station: Linda Jansen van Rensburg [JvR Photo-Art]
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52
53
54
55
56
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The NG Apple Express (PE): Linda Jansen van Rensburg [JvR PhotoArt]
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Port Elizabeth Harbour: Linda Jansen van Rensburg [JvR PhotoArt]
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Rinke Blok Geniet die week! Enjoy your week! The Modeltrain Shop www.modeltrainshop.co.za
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Brakpan Train Collission
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http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/531766-Train-Crash-at-Brakpan-Station-FourInjured?p=10411040
JOHANNESBURG - Two trains have collided at a station in Brakpan on Gauteng’s East Rand on Tuesday. 67
Four operators have been injured in the collision. One person is in a critical condition. Ekurhuleni Emergency Services spokesperson William Ntladi said all the injured people were taken to hospital. “They have been transported to Glynwood Hospital by ambulance. For now, the train line operating between Brakpan and Springs is the only one that’s operational.” It is still not clear what caused the collision. Police are investigating the incident. http://ewn.co.za/2013/05/21/Trains-collide-in-Brakpan
Mkuze: Ben Greyling
68
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Any time is Tea Time!
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Old Mkuze
43’s at Mkuze
71
Willie Koorts • Matjesfontein
A picture of a picture of Matjesfontein which hangs in the Lord Milner Hotel at Matjesfontein. Unfortunately no information on it, sorry. Probably not much after turn of the 19th century? — at The Lord Milner, Matjesfontein. • White Train / Wittrein (YouTube) So van die Wittrein gepraat, op hierdie video wys footage (vanaf minuut 05:30) van die oorspronklike Wittrein wat destyds die staatspresident vervoer het. Dit wys CR Swart (dink ek) wat op Touwsrivier bene gerek het.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Nv0KS4kuOg • Thanks for sharing Willie, I enjoyed the movie on YouTube. It is indeed state president CR Swart stretching his legs on the platform. I also noticed the Railway Policeman minding his own business on the platform – HBH • Matjesfontein (YouTube) Willie Koorts 72
Kom geniet 'n virtuele toer van Matjesfontein onder begeleiding van die legendariese Johnny "Baiepraat" wat Afrikaanse volksliedjies (en Jazz!) sing, begelei op 'n antieke klavier in die geskiedkundige kroeg van die Lord Milner Hotel. http://youtu.be/oSlW6-bEdoU • Day trip to Ceres (YouTube) Willie Koorts Back in June 1996 the Worcester branch of the ATKV organised a daytrip to Ceres. Although it was advertised as a steamtrain, "Big Bertha" (SAR Class 16D No 860) only took us as far as Wolesley, apparently because the bends of Michells Pass were too tight for her. The Wolesley-Ceres leg through this scenic pass was thus done by diesel. Sadly, this line had been closed since, so this amazing trip is not possible today any more. Enjoy. http://youtu.be/eyUAD5RLnd4
• Shosholoza Meyl
Terwyl ons in Augustus 2009 op die Hexpass Express op die ou spoor net buite Osplaas stasie was, het die Shosholoza Meyl onder ons op die nuwe spoor verbygekom. Dié wye skoot wys die tipiese sandsteenkoppies van die Hexrivierpas met Matroosberg wat in die agtergrond troon - as jy mooi kyk kan jy die matrosie agter die stuur van sy skip net-net op die horison uitmaak.
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Soul of A Railway (SoAR): Q’s & A’s Correspondence between Hennie Heymans on the one side and SoAR of Les Pivnic and Charlie Lewis: Gentlemen, This is an excellent series - SA Railways at its best. Every month I anxiously wait to see when Durban & Natal is going to feature? (I am a Banana Boy!) I use to love the trains at old Durban Station and along the S Coast line and then of course Van Reenen where Oupa & Ouma lived. I played many days on the station; I had to fetch the newspaper every morning - The Volksblad - which came by passenger train from Bloemfontein. I remember there was a steel ladder at the old station and the SM used to climb up to see where the train was (or whatever he did ...). Wests (on the Bluff) also has a special place in my heart. Our Durban jail was near the Durban SAR Workshops and I had difficulty in keeping my eyes on the road when officially visiting the jail... Interesting rolling stock staged near the entrance to the jail. I worked with two officers who were stationed at Paddock and they had to travel (sometimes with awaiting trail prisoners) to Port Shepstone. Times have changed! Time is everything. I have a question re the development of steam heating passenger trains: Am I right in thinking that steam locomotives provided the heat in passenger trains and only certain good trucks could be attached on a passenger train e.g. post & milk wagons (and in case of the White Train - car wagons up front). When electric units came they had a problem and only much later (end of the 1950's) we got the steam heating cars. They were first in green livery. I remember in the Photo Journal there was an unusual steam heater. (See photo 1.) Was there a development of steam heaters? Do any of you know what the situation in the UK or USA was regarding the heating of passenger carriages?
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Please allow me a stupid question: I have a photo of the Drakensberg with an extra Guards Van - why would an extra van be attached to the train? Keep up the good work HBH Dear Hennie, Glad you like Soul of A Railway, we love Uloliwe! At the moment Les is probably just waking up in Sydney so I will say a few things in the meantime, though Les is much more clued up about such things. I don't know for sure what arrangements were made in USA and GB about train heating but I believe the passenger units had steam-heating boilers built in. For the first 30-odd years of SAR mainline electric traction they put vertical boilers inside conventional goods vans to provide the heating, excepting for the Johannesburg-Welverdiend section where the 3Es ran, they had built-in steam-heating boilers (Les will probably know more about this, but certainly on my first visits to Natal in the 1950s when we were pulled by 1Es they had no boilers). I remember lying on my stomach on the middle bunk as we came down Van Reenens Pass as we entered curve after curve it was fascinating to watch the glow of the fire in the steamheating boiler as they shoveled in the coal (the doors seemed to be kept open all the time). Les will answer your question about when he is going to start on the Natal chapters - they will be done by him. With thanks for attaching that great photo of the Drakensberg Express with an ordinary baggage van, again I don't know why it was attached on this occasion but at a guess it would seem that the normal van was in for repairs. And you keep up the good work, Charlie Afternoon Gents, Hennie, thanks for your complimentary remarks regarding SoAR - much appreciated!
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I agree with Charlie in response to your various questions. Regarding steam heating on the SAR - yes, the steam locos provided the steam for heating of passenger trains. At East London, main line passenger trains were pre-heated in the yard in steam days because the loco working the train had the steam-heating shut-off because it hit the stiff grade immediately upon departure and all available steam was needed for traction! Once the engine warmed up, higher up the line, the driver would tell his mate to open up the steam heating valve. In Natal it was as Charlie described with coal-fired boiler wagons providing for steam heating because the 1Es never had boilers. In fact, it was only the 3Es that had steamheating boilers on board. It was quite fascinating to see a 3E "blowing-off"! The VapourClarkson steam heating units which replaced the old coal-fired wagons were extensively used on trains hauled by electric or diesel traction. The motor car wagons used on the White Train must have been "piped" for steam heating to reach the rest of the train. Regarding your Drakensberg photo, I would agree with Charlie in that one of the regular vans must have been stopped for repairs and this resulted in a standard van being used when that photo was taken. The Drakensberg was worked with a van at each end on the Durban - Cape Town sector. On the Johannesburg - Durban section it worked with the addition of two "DD" wagons for passenger's cars. That is why the train was sometimes called the "Green Mixed"!! DD wagons on a passenger consist! Regarding SoAR and the Natal System, I have done some preliminary work on selecting photos but I'm still busy with the Western Transvaal and there is still a lot of stuff to show on that System before we can set off for Natal. Cheers Les Dear Charlie & Les, Thank you for your replies - it is a pity as a child I never saw the coal fired boiler wagons. I have only seen one or two photos of these trucks - one at the back on a Natal train (the smoke was at the back) and a nice photo in the Photo Journal.
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Thanks - and take care! Morning Hennie, Please find attached - the three photos as requested. The DD wagon and the Blue Train are SAR photos and the steam heat wagon was taken by Dave Parsons. All the photos from my collection. There is a measure of uncertainty about the 3E photo in that it is thought to be the unit that is "blowing off" but there is a possibility that the steam is coming from a steam loco in the background that is obscured. Enlarging the photo has failed to prove conclusively that it is a steam loco in the background. Regards Les
Early steam heat wagon and DD-truck for passenger use.
Left 3E blowing off steam and Drakensberg with two guards vans.
Natal Midlands: Jacobus Marais 77
6,9 km tunnel at Cedara, one can actually see right through Shelters for railworkers
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Nr Cedara
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Sugar
Western Cape: Francois Mattheßs • 18E
You, Rudi Venter, Jade Wilson, Jacobus Marais and10 others like this. Adrian Hill Die voorste vensters is baie opvallend - is al die 18E's se vensters so vierkantig.
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Francois Mattheüs Ja Adrian, mens kan nogals sien dis 'n groot verskil van die 6E's... Francois Mattheüs Nodat ek die twee vergelyk... sjoe. Goed opgelet! Johan Nel ja, maar daar is ‘n probleem met hierdie vensters. Wanneer die son onder gaan en dit is in jou gesig, kan jy niks sien nie? Francois Mattheüs Johan, ek dink dis hoekom die 18E's se vensters heelwat "getint" is. Ek was al in die kajuit en die sonlig wat inkom was baie min... maar dis maar my opinie. Ek kan bietjie uitvind of dit 'n nadeel is Francois Mattheüs Johan, ek antwoord maar aangesien ek jou stelling as 'n vraag interpreteer... Is dit jou ervaring? Bill Deyzel Dit is Lexon glas, amper so iets soos perspex. Hy breek nie wanneer die mense jou met klippe gooi nie. Francois Mattheüs Ek het by skoonpa gevra - Die feit dat die vensters getint is, blok baie sonlig ens. uit. Hy het nog nie ondervind dat dit hom pla nie. Johan Nel ek vind dat my baie pla, so gesê so gedaan. Ek het ‘n loko gekry wat ek nie die sonskerm gekry het nie. Een of ander bliksem het hom gebreek, soos dit gaan, voordelele is nie vir ons almal nie. Francois Mattheüs Johan, dit sal natuurlik help ja, indien die sonskerm ook werk/daar is! Ek reken tog dat wanneer mens die son sleg vang van voor, gaan dit maar lol. (Sterkte! Hoop daai loko se skerm is reggemaak of dat jy dit nie gou weer kry nie!)
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6x 18E's (5de & 6de dooie lokos) - 18097, 18682, 18699, 18684, 18163 (Natcor) (reeds 2 maal gesien laaste paar dae) en 18712. Brackenfell 17 Junie 2013.
Steve Compion comments: N V.I.S ; Vehicle Identification System.
18-698 met Rovos - Brackenfell 17 Junie 2013
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Rovos Rail Natcor in the W/Cape
One minute sunshine; the next rain!
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Touwsrivier/ Touws River: Willie Marais Willie wan’ts to save Touws River. Here is a collage of Touws River from him. 86
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1965 90
1965 – The Station
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Photo Report: Piet Van Staden • Ashton
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• Kleinplasie
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Old SAR Loco at Worcester
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“Pretoria Brief”: June 2013: Rosa Swanepoel We quote from the above newsletter with permission from Rosa Swanepoel:
• 10. Pretoria Gister en vandag. [Pretoria News 1988-04-22]
• The Lynnwood Road Boom “Tings” no more The persistent “ting, ting … ting, ting” ringing of a bell signaled that the booms were coming down as a train was approaching. Judging by today’s Pretoriana Picture, not many drivers at the time had to wait for the booms to lift again. This picture was taken in the 1940’s when Lynwood Road was known as Struben Road. It is believed that the city council later renamed the street so that it would not be confused with Struben Street in the centre of Pretoria. The cabin on the right of the picture housed the mechanism which operated the booms, and which was manned day and night by a railways operator. Passenger and goods trains travelled along this line between Pretoria and Lorenco Marques (now Maputo) in Mozambique, Today’s Picture (on next page) shows the remarkable change after the level crossing made way for a subway and other developments in the area. 104
(Pretoriana picture submitted by Tom Andrews, of Douglas Street Colbyn. Text by staff writer Daan de Beer,) So het die in 1988 gelyk: Ongelukkig het ek geen verdere inligting oor die kruising nie.
Here ends Rosa’s report. •
Here Lynnwood Rd runs from west to east. These days the Gautrain also goes over this brige right next to the SAR Line. The SAR line on the west (i.e. near side) and the Gautrain Line on the eastern (far) side of the bridge - HBH
Info Wanted: History of the line from Hercules to Magaliesburg: Leon Bezuidenhout Leon Bezuidenhout has contacted me. He is looking for information on the line from Hercules to Magaliesburg. I know that Eric Samuels has told me that the line from Koedoespoort to Hercules was built to by-pass war traffic from Cullinan & Zonderwater for “up north”. From Hercules the line went to Magaliesburg – here the line from Johannesburg met the Pretoria line for the northwestern line from Cape to “Cairo”. I have been on the line a few times with steam excursions and 105
Rovos also used this line to Victoria Falls. Today some parts of the line is stolen (and exported.) It was called the “Patat Express” (Sweet potato Express).
1984 Keetmanshoop: Rossouw Kruger
From the lens of Nic Oosthuizen • Rovos Class 6 in US garb
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An American film was shot at Cullinan. Lourens Stugeon and I went out to shoot some pictures. All the American decals had been removed from the Rovos locomotive, the coaches and trucks. Ons was a “horse truck” in the US fashion while the other was a TZ – goods truck for the conveyance of milk products.
• Sandstone I met Nic Oosthuizen at Cullinan and he sent some
of
his
excellent
photo’s
for
our
enjoyment! Thanks Nic – as I had a spot of bother with my new computer, your photos came in handy! We hope to see more of yur photographs in the Uloliwe!
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SA Metro Rail
• Call to turn off stationary trains’ lights May 29 2013 at 10:58am. By Louise Flanagan: Independent Newspapers
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Johannesburg - Turn off the lights in the trains at night, fix the taxi recapitalisation programme and get rid of the e-tolls, opposition parties told the minister of transport on Tuesday. “While Eskom is begging everyone to switch off their heaters and geysers, Metrorail is leaving several hundred trains switched on all night, with motors running, lights on in all carriages and in some cases even the heaters are switched on, heating empty trains all night,” said DA MP Ian Ollis. At Elandsfontein station in Ekurhuleni, Ollis found the lights on at 10.30pm on Friday, long after drivers had gone home. “I have met with Metrorail staff, who tell me that trains are kept running 24 hours a day with lights and heaters on because maintenance is so bad that if they switch trains off, they cannot get them to start in the morning. We need an urgent investigation into how much money and electricity is being wasted by this poor maintenance,” said Ollis. Ollis also raised problems of vandalism of road infrastructure. “When the transformer for the lights on the R21 highway in Gauteng has been stolen three times, one realises how bad crime is. You need a crane and a flatbed truck to remove these electrical transformers,” he said, calling for more money in the budget for transport infrastructure security. Cope MP Pakiso Mbhele criticised the e-tolls, saying that just because people owned cars didn’t mean they were wealthy, and he criticised the taxi recapitalisation programme as inadequate. “The picture of public transport is not impressive at all,” he said. IFP MP KhethamabalaSithole also criticised the e-tolls, saying the roads could and should be maintained from current funds. He raised the problems in the taxi industry of unlicensed drivers and the difficulties of getting licences, and called for a relook at the system. The MPs were responding to Minister of Transport Dikobe Ben Martins’s budget vote speech. Martins tabled a budget totalling R42.275 billion. This includes R18.85bn for road maintenance (this goes to provinces and municipalities); R21.94bn to state-owned agencies; and R921m for policy development and oversight. The main areas of spending are maintaining the roads, upgrading rail networks, and building and operating public transport infrastructure. The state-owned Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) gets R3.678bn for current operations and R7.481bn for capital spending.
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Prasa’s programme of renewing its fleet is under way, and in the past year, 579 coaches were delivered to Metrorail, three coaches to Shosholoza Meyl, and nine locomotives were upgraded. Nationally, 49 stations were upgraded. The SA National Roads Agency gets R3.454bn for current operations and R7.043bn for capital spending. Taxi recapitalisation gets R522m. The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) gets R167m, and has upped its work targets from stopping and checking a million vehicles a month to 1.1 million. On Monday, the minister said in a written response to a parliamentary question that the cabinet had not yet taken a decision on whether to close the RTMC, after the RTMC shareholders’ committee – which includes the minister – recommended its closure. louise.flanagan@inl.co.za http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/gauteng/call-to-turn-off-stationary-trains-lights1.1523645#.Uca1rTvFle4
Update: 6E1 & 18E’s: Col Andre Kritzinger André Kritzinger Ek het bietjie agter geraak met al die redigering aan die 6E1s en wiefer een waffer 18E geword het, maar die oplaaiery van nuwe fotos het nou weer so bietjie stoom opgetel. Have a look at: http://grela.rrpicturearchives.net/updateThumbs.aspx
Gautrain
Both sides of the Gautrain Card.
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Gautrain News: Compiled by Jeanette Jacobs
• Winter Warmer Blanket Run in support of Children at Play (CAP). On a cold day this past June , the children of Loxton in the Northern Cape were hugely grateful for the 417 blankets donated by Gautrain passengers and staff. Thank you to everyone for contributing towards the eNuus Winter blanket run. 111
• Public Awareness Campain In the spirit of ongoing support to our loyal passengers, the Gautrain is embarking on a public awareness campaign to ensure that all of its users are fully aware of the implications for not using the system correctly. Please be aware that each and every passenger is responsible for ensuring that you tag in and tag out of the fare gates, the busses and the parking gates. When you validate your Goldcard at any of the gates you will hear a beep and see a green light that shows that you have correctly validated your Goldcard.
Failure to do so will result in you receiving a fine and may lead to your card being blocked. We thank you for your ongoing support and your efforts to ensure that Gautrain remains the safe and reliable system that you have become accustomed to.
• Travelling News It was great to see so many of you on the Gautrain to the rugby test at Loftus on between the Springboks and Samoa on Saturday 22 June! We were also proud to transport the Springbok Sevens team to the airport on Sunday 23 June on their way to Moscow. Good luck guys!
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• Inaugural Gautrain Bookclub Thank you to those who joined us on the inaugural Gautrain book club from Rosebank station to Pretoria station. If you are interested in future Gautrain book clubs please provide us with your contact details on: http://eepurl.com/AT-bX We wish Redi Tlhabi the best success with her book "Beginnings and Endings".
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Inaugural Gautrain Bookclub with Jenny Crwys-Williams & Co. featuring Redi Tlhab's book "Endings & Beginnings" — at Gautrain station - Pretoria
Redi Tlhabi with her book "Endings & Beginnings" at the inaugural Gautrain Bookclub. With JCW Books are Redi Tlhabi at Gautrain station - Pretoria.
Railway People – Spoorwegmense • Les Pivnic Hello Hennie, The following is a brief summary of my "Railway Career": My involvement with railways started long before my official employment with SAR. A childhood love of trains grew into a serious study - especially of locomotives and I 114
would spend virtually all my spare time photographing trains and especially locos in Depots etc. As a young adult, I was one of 5 founder-members who started the Railway Society of Southern Africa. Initially we called it the Railway Photographic Society of Southern Africa but soon dropped the word "Photographic" because we started to attract people who were not really interested in trains. Cameras played a very big part of my life and developed into another passion that survives to this day. My darkroom skills reached a point where I could offer professional-level printing services and I was contracted for awhile to do the photographic printing for the Transnet Heritage Library and the Military History Museum in Saxonwold, Johannesburg. I also made balsa-wood models of locomotives - culminating in a model of a class 15E that won a silver award for excellence at the Rand Society of Model Engineers at the Rand Easter Show. In the early 1960s I became a regular contributor of technical/historical articles to the SAR & H Magazine. My articles dealt with Locomotives and other rolling stock - especially passenger coaches and dining cars. As a result of this, I became well-known to SAR Management - especially the technical and publicity staff. In 1969, a special trip was arranged by the Historic Transport Association and the SAR's Publicity & Travel Department to run the Blue Train from Johannesburg to Cape Town and return behind steam traction all the way! Special locomotive arrangements were made which even included the temporary transfer of two class 16Es from Bloemfontein to Krugersdorp Loco - one of the 16Es (no.855) would haul the train from Johannesburg to Klerksdorp - the second engine would follow the train as reserve power should any problems occur with 855. During the course of this trip I was approached by Mr Le Fras Strydom, Manager, Publicity & Travel and Mr Reg Tarpey, AGM Tech, SAR, about the possibility of joining the Service. I was elated at the prospect of becoming a professional railwayman! I had trained in the private sector asa display artist and the Administration thought that I would be useful in that field as well. Then a long period of waiting in limbo began. A post of Assistant 115
Curator at Assistant Superintendent-level was created in the S A Railway Museum and in accordance with standing instructions, the post was advertised in the Weekly Notice. I believe that several people applied but they lacked the knowledge of SAR history etc. I was offered the post in early 1972 and I accepted without hesitation! Imagine turning a hobby into one's livelihood! I reported for duty at the SA Railway Museum which at that time was situated under the Rissik Street Bridge at Johannesburg Station. My whole life turned around and this was in no small measure, thanks to my better half Carol! She supported me all the way even though initially, it meant a drop in household income. But, after a bit of a shaky start - getting used to the Government Service and having to improve my use of Afrikaans, I settled down into a life of working bliss! My first boss was the genial Jan Coffee who was Curator and he soon had me roped in doing all sorts of clerical work in the Museum Office. Then came my first big assignment: Minister Ben Schoeman had announced in Parliament that the SAR would set aside historical locomotives for a so-called "National Collection". These locomotives would be joined by coaches as well as a few goods vehicles and the whole lot would be placed on display at the planned major Railway Museum that was going to be established on a 103 acre site adjoining the Railway College at Esselen Park. Due to dolomite problems at Esselen Park we switched to a new site - the old Pretoria Mechanical Workshops which were still largely intact and with several major buildings still in place, ideally suited to house the exhibits under cover. This site was objected to by Pretoria City Council but that is another story........... I was part of an ad-hoc committee which included Jan Coffee and (briefly) Charles McLean from
the
Museum,
George
Barclay
from
the
GM's
Motive
Power
Office
and a representative from the CME's Office - if I remember correctly, a certain Mr Fowler. When a locomotive was released from traffic for no further use, an internal letter would be sent to the Museum offering the item "for Museum purposes". I would then advise Jan Coffee as to whether it should be set aside for the National Collection or released for scrapping by the CME. Mr Charles McLean had left the committee due to on-going health problems. 116
In this way we slowly but surely built up the National Collection. A similar arrangement was put in place for other rolling stock. We arranged for the selected locomotives and coaches to go to De Aar - the locomotives to the care of Alec Watson, Loco Foreman and the coaches to the Bridge Yard to the south of the Loco Depot. The coaches suffered terrible vandalism in the Bridge Yard but that is another long story................ So there I was in the middle of a process whereby locomotives were being set aside for preservation. In this process, we naturally retained all the prime examples for our own Museum, only releasing others to private preservation groups that had sprung up around the Country. Jan Coffee was also very keen on placing retired locomotives on plinths at stations and he acted on my advice as to what locomotive would be suitable at which station. Due to a general lack of on-going maintenance of these plinthed locos, the policy was eventually dropped at my instigation. We were ending up with semi-derelict locos all over the place. With the major Museum still very much on the cards, I was sent overseas in 1981 and again in 1983 to participate in the annual Conference of the International Association of Transport Museums - IATM. In 1981 we met in Bremerhaven at the German Maritime Museum and in 1983, at the Science Museum in London. During both these trips I visited several railway museums in the UK, France, Switzerland, Holland and Germany. My Reports on these visits would form the foundation of the planned major SAR Museum. My work entailed Country-wide inspection trips visiting all stations on several Systems in search of museum-worthy exhibits. Initially I travelled by train but this was not ideal and my friend Jeff Wilkinson, Inspecting Engineer, Chief Civil Engineer's Office, arranged for me to travel with System Civil Engineers on their inspection trips by motor trolley. This proved to be much better, allowing me enough time at stations to look for potential museum material. At a later date with a measure of regret, I switched to using System pooled motor cars which gave me total freedom of movement - even more so than travelling by trolley. One of my highlights of my railway career was the research and writing of my reference work on SAR dining cars. After five years of careful research and writing, my book was published in 1985 by South African Transport Services. It has remained the only published
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work on the subject of coaching stock used by the SAR's Catering Department - dining, kitchen and lounge cars as well as associated services. In late 1984, the Museum now known as SA Transport Services Museum was transferred to the control of the GM's Parliamentary Section. I didn't realise it at that time but it would prove to be the end of my happy days in the Museum. Due to the loss of my elder daughter and unpleasant occurrences related to my Museum colleagues, my levels of stress reached a point where my doctor recommended Boarding from the Service on pension. This happened in 1989. I still had 9 years of service to go but I found myself on pension and forgotten by my previous colleagues. Unfortunately, a sad end to a wonderful period of 17 years in my life. After going on pension I worked for 6 years in an Advertising Agency to bolster my SATS pension but I never lost my total devotion to railways. In the 1990s I published a black & white magazine that portrayed the old SAR & H in all its various facets - railways harbours and road motor services for two years. Unfortunately, a lack of sufficient support forced me to cease publication. I also had an abiding love for those "classic swans" - the majestic salvage tugs that doubled up as harbour tugs owned by the SAR Administration. So the grand old SAR & H in all its facets has been my abiding passion all my life! Les Pivnic PS: Hennie: The photo of me next to the trolley was taken on one of my museum inspection trips on the Cape Midlands System. The second photo is of a press cutting - selfexplanatory. These two photos represent very happy times in my Railway Service!
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• Willie Marais (Western Cape)
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Willie Marais
Jacque Wepener
John Wepener
David Keyser
• J & J Wepener (Welkom OFS) Hi Hennie. Hier is J & J se foto’s, Dawid s'n sal kom. John het in 1963 by die Spoorweë begin op Germiston, nou afgetree. Het eie Spoorwegmuseum waarvan hy die kurator is. As familie het ons almal vir die Spoorweë gewerk. Jacque se eerste treinrit was toe hy 6 weke oud was op die destydse Trans Karoo toe John verplaas is Worcester toe. Iets moes toe daar "plaasgevind" het want tot vandag is die Spoorweë nog diep in sy bloed! Groete. J & J.
• D Keyser (Welkom OFS) Ek het groot geword in die spoorwegdorpie Touwsrivier. As kinders het ons baie met “Makadas” gery aangesien ouma in Ladismith gewoon het. My spoorweg loopbaan het begin in Virginia O V S in 1974 en klaargemaak in Welkom. Spoorweg is in my bloed.
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Previous issues of Uloliwe For previous all previous issues of Uloliwe click on: http://issuu.com/hennieheymans/docs
Rail Humour This is all you need to know to become an engineer. You’ll love the logic here!
The U.S. standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet, 8.5 inches. That's an exceedingly odd number. Why was that gauge used? Because that's the way they built them in England , and English expatriates designed the U.S. railroads. Why did the English build them like that? Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that's the gauge they used. Why did 'they' use that gauge then? Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they had used for building wagons, which used that wheel spacing.
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Why did the wagons have that particular Odd wheel spacing? Well, if they tried to use any other spacing, the wagon wheels would break on some of the old, long distance roads in England , because that's the spacing of the wheel ruts.
So, who built those old rutted roads? Imperial Rome built the first long distance roads in Europe (including England) for their legions. Those roads have been used ever since, and the ruts in the roads? Roman war chariots formed the initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying their wagon wheels. Since the chariots were made for Imperial Rome, they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing. Therefore, the United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches is derived from the original specifications for an Imperial Roman war chariot. In other words, bureaucracies live forever.
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So the next time you are handed a specification, procedure, or process, and wonder, 'What horse's ass came up with this? you may be exactly right. Imperial Roman army chariots were made just wide enough to accommodate the rear ends of two war horses.
Now, the twist to the story: When you see a Space Shuttle sitting on its launch pad, you will notice that there are two big booster rockets attached to the sides of the main fuel tank. These are solid rocket boosters, or SRBs. The SRBs are made by Thiokol at their factory in Utah.
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The engineers who designed the SRBs would have preferred to make them a bit larger, but the SRBs had to be shipped by train from the factory to the launch site. The railroad line from the factory happens to run through a tunnel in the mountains, and the SRBs had to fit through that tunnel. The tunnel is slightly wider than the railroad track, and the railroad track, as you now know, is about as wide as two horses' behinds. So, a major Space Shuttle design feature of what is arguably the world's most advanced transportation system was determined over two thousand years ago by the width of a horse's ass. And you thought being a horse's ass wasn't important!
Book Shelf Leon “Div” de Villiers’ Books: Cape Town AFRICANA & OTHER BOOKS BOUGHT & SOLD, including: Book Collections, Manuscripts, Maps, Paintings, Prints, etc. Pertaining to our Literature, History, Historic Buildings & Places, Hunting, Nature, Wildlife, Railways, Maritime, Military, Wars, People etc. as well as related Topics on the African Continent. Contact Leon at TEL/FAX: 021 592 3460 CELL: 084 436 0842 e-mail: australb@mweb.co.za http://antiqbook.com/bookdealer.phtml?o=australafrica http://www.bidorbuy.co.za/seller/435994/Boekesmous http://www.facebook.com/africabooks (Free advert for our readers)
Legal Africa
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http://www.jklsafrica.com/
Road Motor Transport Service [RMT]
Transport: Willie Marais • Pre-SAR RMT
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Mule wagon pre-SAR Road Motor Transport (note the skin on the wagon)
Die muilwa wat eers die vervoerwerk tussen Klawer en Loeriesfontein verrig het voor die koms van die Spoorweg bus/ trok in 1923. Foto verskaf deur Victor Haupt.
• First RMT Bus Loeriesfontein 1930
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Die eerste spoorwegbus/trok tussen Klawer en Loeriesfontein in 1930....Passasiers, velle en goedere vir mark vervoer tussen Loeriesfontein en Klawer waar die naaste spoorstasie was...foto verskaf deur mnr Victor Haupt, eienaar van Spar op Loeriesfontein, asook 'n inwoner wie se familie diep spore in Loeriesfontein getrap het en wat ook die geskiedenis ken.
South African Airways SAA History: 1960 Jan Smuts Airport (now O Tambo Airport): P Mills
Atlantic Rail Cape Town Contact Tel: (021) 556-1012 or info@atlanticrail.co.za or visit their website at www.atlanticrail.co.za
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Reefsteamers: Lee Gates • ReeFreestate Explorer Dear Reefsteamers and Friends of Steam, South African Rail Steam Tours is pleased to formally announce a traditional long distance steam rail tour running from 16 November to 26 November 2013. This tour is to be known as the ReeFreestate Explorer – exploring the Reef and the Freestate! Passengers will stay on board the Reefsteamers sleeper coach train as their steel-wheeled hotel, as they meander around the country for 11 days. The train is to be fully serviced in terms of bedding and meals. Just enjoy hours of steam train rides, take millions of photos, enjoy the sights and otherwise … hey, just relax. Enjoy the hospitality of Reefsteamers, Friends of the Rail and of Sandstone Estates as they proudly show off their steam machines and associated heritage equipment. The trains will run between Germiston and Koster (A bit beyond Magaliesburg), Germiston to Pretoria and return through Springs, Pretoria to Cullinan and return (Friends of the Rail) and then for a long trip to just beyond Ficksburg from Germiston. Highlights of the tour will include : · Depot and Steam Workshop Visits. · A ride on the modern Gautrain to-and-from Rhodesfield to the airport. (A logistic move that will also give you a jolting contrast in technology!) · A visit by bus to the Pilanesberg National Park, which hosts examples of the fourfooted Big Five. Includes a bush lunch. · Overnight at Hermanstad (Friends of the Rail) and a traditional South African braai. (BBQ). · A whole day visit to the Sandstone Estates – a environmentally-conscious commercial farm which also hosts the largest 2-foot narrow gauge railway collection in the world, as well as an impressive collection of other heritage machinery and vehicles. · We will run both passenger trains and goods consists. · A visit to the old mining town of Cullinan, including lunch. · A visit to arty Clarens for lunch after the train has serviced and laid-over at 129
Bethlehem. · Traditional South African food to is be served on board the coaches. (The catering and housekeeping staff will be professionals rather than volunteers.) · We will offer a range of South African beers, including speciality micro-brewery beers, as well as a selection of South African wines. · Traditional photo-stops and run-bys at strategic locations. Please refer to the attached brochure for details. The bookings for this tour are being arranged by SAR Steam Tours and NOT by Reefsteamers. Thus, please contact SAR Steam Tours directly at tours@sarsteamtours.com for enquiries. A detailed description of the tour, as well as the payment details, can be found at http://www.sarsteamtours.com/Steam%20Tours%20description-e.html
• Shield Chemicals assisting Reefsteamers Association Hello there!
Shield Chemicals are kindly assisting Reefsteamers Association with the raising of funds for repairs to our 87 year old Class 15CA Steam Locomotive No.2056. She is a good, strong steam locomotive which hasn’t been able to run for over four years due to some expensive repairs needed to the boiler, and we need to get her out onto the rails again! Shield Chemicals are sponsoring and hosting an SMS-based competition to help raise funds for those repairs. Shield Chemicals specialise in automotive cleaning and paint care products. You will see their products at retailers, autofactors and hardware stores country-wide. Please help us raise those funds by participating in the 15CA SMS Competition. Simply SMS the word 'Sheen' to 33729 to be put into the draw for a R10 000 prize! SMSs are charged at R1.50 each. You can send in multiple SMSs if you like! The prize draw will be on 1st September 2013. The competition is officiated and it will be audited. All queries relating to this competition can be directed to Simon Bennett, Shield Customer Care Line 083 256-3708 (8am-5pm on weekdays only, please.) The Terms and Conditions for the 15CA SMS Competition can be found at our website 130
at http://www.reefsteamers.com/css/News/Shield%20SMS.html#ShieldSMSCompetition a nd also on the Reefsteamers Facebook Site https://www.facebook.com/groups/reefsteamers/ All proceeds will go towards replacing the boiler flues on the Class 15CA locomotive. Go on! Send in a quick SMS and help Reefsteamers to get their No.2056 back on the highirons again! Please feel free to forward this email to your friends, family and associates. Reefsteamers Association NPC (Non-Profit Company) is incorporated under New Companies Act 71 of 2008 and is operated by unpaid volunteers. Our Company Registration = 1995/002590/08 Lee Gates Stubbornly unrepentant ferro-equinologist ! Owns 1:12 scale 10BR No.751 ‘Little Empress.' Steam Power – It’s the Wheel Thing!
• Shield Chemicals assisting Reefsteamers Association Hi everyone! Everyone on this list should be aware by now that Shield Chemicals are sponsoring Reefsteamers with an SMS-based competition to raise funds for the 15CA’s boiler flue project. Please pass on the email that you received from me earlier, including the contact links for the Terms and Conditions. I am going to be doing a short printing and laminating run tonight to make some more posters for the Day Sitter Train. If you would like a laminated poster for display – contact me before end-of-business today and I’ll print you one. Any help in publicizing the competition will be appreciated, but only ask for posters if you are genuine about arranging to display them. (No time wasters, please, I’m busy enough as it is!) I cannot do bulk prints. Simon Bennett is dealing with the bulk print-outs. I’ll be at the depot tomorrow for a Marketing Meeting at 10am, and will be staying until about 3pm. (I need to do office work in the evening.) You are welcome to come and pick up your poster(s) from me tomorrow. 131
You may as well get involved with the Sleeper Coach train while you are there! The work has now spread out to two teams working in two coaches and one on the ground, so there is plenty of space for more people to work on the project. If you plan to come and visit/work, don’t forget to bring some money for lunch and have it readily available.
Railway Society of Southern Africa Natal – A Peter RAILWAY SOCIETY OF SOUTHERN AFRICA NATAL
Founded 1960
SPOORWEGVERENIGIN
P. O. BOX/POSBUS 33202,
G
MONTCLAIR, 4061
VAN SUIDELIKE AFRIKA NATAL
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Friends of the Rail (FOTR) Friends of the Rail: 012 7678145 Contact Mr. Arno Victor at Tel: 082 293 4616 or sales@friendsoftherail.com or visit their website at www.friendsoftherail.com
Railway History Group
Bulletin No. 114 January 2013
Sandstone -
JB Tours: Train Tours in Southern Africa JB Tours issue a lovely program with beautiful pictures. Unfortunately I cannot copy, save and paste it – I work in word.doc/x. Please subscribe to their annual program! For full 2013 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
Franschhoek: Wine Tram 133
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North British Locomotive Preservation Group • NBL Preservation Group: Newsletter Ken Livermore Hon. Secretary NBL Preservation Group www.nbloco.net
Railwayana -
South African Models Scalecraft: - Adrian Hill
www.scalecraft.co.za http://www.facebook.com/Scalecraft info@scalecraft.co.za 021 592 72 69 +2721 592 7269
Scalecraft news Locomotives, locomotives, locomotives‌that 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 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 134
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 Uloliwe • RMIG (Railway Modeller’s Information Group Newsletter)
Dream Trains – Wynand Vermeulen 16 Besembos Avenue, Pellissier, 9301 Bloemfontein, South Africa PO Box 32882, Fichardtpark, 9317 www.dreamtrains.co.za
Railway Models Information Group - L Penning
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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. 803 Members A special word of welcome to Rollo Ravenscroft who shared some of his great grand father’s photographs with is:
Alexander James Knight, Jacobus Marais, Nico van der Westhuis and 4 others like this. Hennie Heymans Hallo Rollo Ravenscroft - are you by any chance related to TD Ravenscroft the famous photographer? Hennie Heymans Rollo Ravenscroft thanks for sharing these "atmospheric" photos with us. Rollo Ravenscroft Great Grandson of TD. Frank Graham Mannnnnnnnnnn ... just too wonderful. Hennie Heymans Rollo Ravenscroft you can see we are starved for time honoured pics of the past! Rollo Ravenscroft The picture depict such a feeling of reality you feel like you there whem they were taken. Rollo Ravenscroft Would love to have been on the platform in the picture. Hennie Heymans These old pic on the glass plates have captured the past even better than our new "instamatic" and digital cameras. I have been paging through two old NGR Tourist Guides and one CGR Tourist guide - that same atmosphere is captured there!
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• 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 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 138
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 “
• Touwsrivier / Touws River Touws River on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/77640489112/
• Soul of a Railway (SoAR) https://sites.google.com/site/soulorailway/home/system-7-1 Railway Groups NOT mentioned above: You are welcome to ad your group’s particulars here ...
Geoffs Trains Geoff’s Train’s Limited 69 Pitt Street, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY10 2UN, England Phone: 01562 632000 geoff@geoffs-trains.com www.geoffs-trains.com
Other Railway Websites: Rudie Venter http://www.flickr.com/photos/alfav8/sets/72157613413717211/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/8541017@N05 http://perthtrains.nachohat.org/ http://www.pixhunter.com/ http://www.northeast.railfan.net/steam5.html http://www.northeast.railfan.net/home.html http://www.sa-transport.co.za/trains/train_index.html http://steam-locomotives-south-africa.blogspot.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/42309484@N03/sets/72157622477648751/ And don't forget to follow the South African site that's under construction https://sites.google.com/site/soulorailway/home 139
Shosaloza Meyl http://hellopeter.com/search-reports?keyword=Shosholoza+Meyl&keywordint=825154
Angola
Lourenco Marques or Maputo -
Tanzam-line -
Liberia Railways -
Pandora’s Box Abandoned Line in Taiwan (via Okkie Pretorius)
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Railway Archeology • Train Cemetery, Bolivia Send in by Piet (“Walk Tall”) van Zyl One of the major tourist attractions of southwestern Bolivia is an antique train cemetery. It is located 3 km (1.9 MI) outside Uyuni and is connected to it by the old train tracks. The town served in the past as a distribution hub for the trains carrying minerals on their way to the Pacific Ocean ports.
The train lines were built by British engineers who arrived near the end of the 19th century and formed a sizable community in Uyuni. The rail construction started in 1888 and ended in 1892.
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The trains were mostly used by the mining companies. In the 1940s, the mining industry collapsed, partly due to the mineral depletion. Many trains were abandoned thereby producing the train cemetery. There are talks to build a museum out of the cemetery.
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Mail bag • From the desk of les Pivnic: Thanks for the latest Uloliwe Hennie and thanks Jacque for forwarding it. Full of interesting stuff as usual. Just one small item - 3472 is a 25NC - not a 15F. I particularly enjoyed seeing the Orient Express shots - I have seen similar stuff before but these photos were new to me - thanks! Cheers Thanks Les, •
Sorry it was a slip between the hand and the brain! HBH
•
From Koos Kotze in the Free State
He refers us to: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2335785/Floating-311mph-JapaneseMaglev-bullet-train-undergoes-successful-test-run.html Snaaks genoeg ek het in st 2 al 'n opstel geskryf oor treine wat op magnetisme sweef sonder wiele – “D” gekry.
Stop Press -
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. 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.
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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.
The next issue of “The Ulolwe” will be Vol 4 No 8 and will be published, DV, sometime during late August 2013. Send in your comments, anecdotes and photographs please. 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
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