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 9 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 uloliwe@gmail.com September 2013
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All photographs carry copyright by their respective photographers.
Contents All photographs carry copyright by their respective photographers. .....................................................................................................................2 Welcome .............................................................................................................................................................7 Front Cover – Voorblad:...................................................................................................................................8 Editorial – Redaksioneel...................................................................................................................................8 Gautrain is World Class .................................................................................................................................10 ‘n Spoorwegman se Gebed: Johan van Rensburg.......................................................................................10 Wepener’s Perambulations and … some Railway History .......................................................................11 •
20130808................................................................................................................................................11
•
20130814................................................................................................................................................14
•
201308 16...............................................................................................................................................15
•
20130818................................................................................................................................................17
•
20130830................................................................................................................................................19
•
20130906................................................................................................................................................20
Nostalgie: Pie-en-Gravy Asseblief: Thys du Plessis ...................................................................................24 Old Steam Machine: Nottingham Rd: Toffie Risk ......................................................................................27 Linda Jansen van Rensburg [JvR Photo-Art] ..............................................................................................28 •
Deal Party .............................................................................................................................................28
•
Follow the Train.....from Uitenhage to New Brighton ...................................................................30
•
Railway Tourism Knysna...................................................................................................................31 2
Natal Main Line: Jacobus Marais ..................................................................................................................33 Brits Line: Jacobus Marais ..............................................................................................................................37 Natal Main Line: Rudi Venter .......................................................................................................................39 •
20130804................................................................................................................................................39
•
20130808................................................................................................................................................40
•
20130818 NGR Water Column Estcourt ...........................................................................................40 •
Save the NGR Water Colmn (HBH) .............................................................................................41
•
20130824: Chieveley station English war graves (Anglo Boer War ) ...........................................41
•
20130825 Bayhead Yard......................................................................................................................42
•
20130826 Views from the Driver’s Seat ............................................................................................43
•
20130826 NG Bird Cage ......................................................................................................................46
•
20130907 Talana Museum 12R ..........................................................................................................47
Nostalgia ..........................................................................................................................................................48 On the way to Potchefstroom: Eric Samuels. ..................................................................................48
•
Natal: Bill Deyzel ............................................................................................................................................50 •
Bergville Sta .........................................................................................................................................50
•
Wasbank Area......................................................................................................................................53
Western Cape: Francois Mattheüs ................................................................................................................54 Eastern Cape: Robbie Green ..........................................................................................................................55 • •
Feedback on staged locomotives: Les Pivnic ..............................................................................55 Monkey Business: Jack the Baboon ..................................................................................................56
Kruidfontein Railway Houses: Magda Gerber ...........................................................................................59 Western Cape: Leeu-Gamka: Morne Haasbroek ........................................................................................60 3
Western Cape: Vredenburg Sta: Paul Eybers ..............................................................................................61 Northern Cape: Kimberley Breakdown & Recovery at Bellville: Garth Killian .....................................61 View from the Cab: Willie Liebenberg.........................................................................................................63 Western Cape: Willie Marais .........................................................................................................................64 •
Western Cape: George Museum: Hein Truter ................................................................................64
•
Western Cape: Bennie Matthee .........................................................................................................65
•
Cape Town Sta: Stefan Andrzejewski ..............................................................................................66
•
Western Cape: Klein Brak River: Bridge: Tubby Myburgh...........................................................66
Rhodesian Railways........................................................................................................................................67 •
RR 9TH and 10TH Classes – Richard Clatworthy...............................................................................67
Spoornet in Zambia ........................................................................................................................................69 Armchair Travel & Railway History ............................................................................................................70 American Transcontinental Railroad (Part 1): Richard Clatworthy ....................................................71 Rail Immigrants fron NZ: Mel Turner & QT ...............................................................................................76 SA Metro Rail...................................................................................................................................................77 Linda Jansen van Rensburg [JvR Photo-Art] ..............................................................................................77 •
Metro: Despatch ..................................................................................................................................77
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Metro: Durban: Inland on mainline: Rudi Venter ..........................................................................82
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Metro: Western Cape: Francois Mattheüs .......................................................................................82
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Metro: Western Cape: Willie Koorts.................................................................................................83
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Metro: East London: Dave Settle.......................................................................................................84
Eastern Cape: Noel Welsh .............................................................................................................................85 The Saldanha – Sishen Line ...........................................................................................................................87 4
Historic Photos: JP Bester ...................................................................................................................87
•
Gautrain............................................................................................................................................................88 Gautrain News: Compiled by Jeanette Jacobs ........................................................................................89 •
For Women's Month we interviewed Maryka Bronkhorst – Train conductor ...........................89
•
Bombela Operating Company (BOC)...............................................................................................91
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Coffee Run............................................................................................................................................91
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Steam Train Rides ...............................................................................................................................91
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A Big Train With A Golden Heart ....................................................................................................92
Railway People – Spoorwegmense ...............................................................................................................93 Late Driver Kennedy – Jan van Wyk ................................................................................................93
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Previous issues of Uloliwe .............................................................................................................................95 Rail Humour ....................................................................................................................................................95 Book Shelf.........................................................................................................................................................95 •
Leon “Div” de Villiers’ Books: Cape Town .................................................................................95
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Werna Maritz ...................................................................................................................................95
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Railways in Southern Africa 150 Years (Locomotives and Trains) ..........................................96
Legal Africa ....................................................................................................................................................101 Law & Rail..........................................................................................................................................101
• •
Forensic Law Principles & the Railways: J Kotze .....................................................................101
Railway History Group: Wally Greig ........................................................................................................104 RMIG: L Penning...........................................................................................................................................105 Natal Newsletter No 180 ..............................................................................................................................106 South African Airways .................................................................................................................................108 5
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A320 SA ZS-SZA – Johannes Botha ................................................................................................108
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Jan Smuts Airport: Paul Mills..........................................................................................................109
Railway Modeling: ........................................................................................................................................110 Model German Railway Gun ..................................................................................................................110 Shosaloza Meyl: Johannesburg – Durban (1) ............................................................................................111 Shosaloza Meyl: Johannesburg – Durban (2) ............................................................................................118 News ...............................................................................................................................................................121 •
20E Launched ................................................................................................................................121
Press release ...................................................................................................................................................122 •
South Africa’s Transnet Engineering (TE) .....................................................................................122
Pandora’s Box ................................................................................................................................................124 •
Snow Train .........................................................................................................................................124
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Anybody for a Braai? P Eybers .......................................................................................................125
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New Underground? – P Eybers ......................................................................................................125
Railway Archeology .....................................................................................................................................125 Mail bag ..........................................................................................................................................................126 •
Sex and the Railways ........................................................................................................................126
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Fake Townhouses ..............................................................................................................................126
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Pre-1910 time tables ..........................................................................................................................127
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35 SD40-2: J & J Wepener ................................................................................................................127
A Must See - A 35 SD40-2 Locomotive Power Move! ..............................................................................127 •
Sleeper Carriage ................................................................................................................................127
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Nols Fourie .........................................................................................................................................128 6
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Mel Turner (NZ) via J & J Wepener................................................................................................128
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Old Footplate memories: Richard Niven .......................................................................................130
Stop Press .......................................................................................................................................................130 •
Rail Tour .............................................................................................................................................130
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Margate ...............................................................................................................................................130
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(Late) Banana Express Video ...........................................................................................................131
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Santana: Margate ...............................................................................................................................132
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Fist Train at Luau: A van Schalkwyk .............................................................................................134
Disclaimer and Greetings.............................................................................................................................135 Annexure “A” ................................................................................................................................................135
Welcome Welcome to our September 2013 issue. During the past weeks I have used the Trans-Natal from Johannesburg to Durban and back twice! It has been a nice experience! In both instances I have travelled with friends. So my time was taken up “riding on the rails” and you will not know how dangerous it is to take photographs! I was nearly arrested for taking pictures at Durban station. However one has to laud the SAPS for being wide awake and diligent. On Gautrain I had no hassles with photographs! There is a list of things posted the length of my arm of what one can’t do on the Gautrain – apparently one may take pics without fear! However security and SAPS (Railway Police) think otherwise. When I was accosted by the policeman in mufti with a great big firearm on his chest, I got a fright. He wanted to know if I had permission to take pictures. I explained the law as I knew it; things do change. But he was not satisfied with my explanations until he asked me who I was and I told him. I was like a little schoolboy, let off with a friendly warning. (The rule: Even in a public place, obtain permission to take a photograph.) While going down memory lane and visiting the Durban Harbour ‘security’ would not allow us to take a photograph of a tug in the harbour. “Times have changed” he said in his defence. I explained that I was a retired policeman and that the area was part of my former ‘beat’ which I was showing to my friend, a retired Jeppe-policeman. After we became friendly, we could enter the area on foot 7
without our car and cameras. The security officer did not know what happened to the old SAR & H ferry; however he said there were harbour cruises. We wanted to take the ferry to Wests. R60-00 (each) later we took a harbour cruise and took all the pictures of the Bluff and harbour we wanted!
Front Cover – Voorblad: Piet van Zyl’s first (railway) photograph! “Keep on clicking, Piet!”
Editorial – Redaksioneel If ever there was a time for railway expansion in South Africa it is now! African neighbours are expanding and modernising their lines! What will I do if I was appointed Minister of Transport? - I will go back to basics, back to the things that the ordinary railway man can understand and relate to. - I will instil a sense of proprietary in the railways, airways and harbours. Bring back pride! It was a great pleasure to the inward eye to watch the Gautrain operation and to compare it to the ‘normal’ railways. The railways might be efficient, but their stations are dirty, some locomotives are dirty, some coaches are tatty! Many Blacks travel by train!!! Why should they suffer the indignity of travelling in shabby coaches? - I will not allow foreign heavy vehicles to trample our lovely freeways. At each port of entry you will find trains waiting to convey heavy freight vehicles and their drivers to our harbours. Drivers could drive their trucks onto the trains and then get a seat in a passenger coach to a harbour, say Durban. There they could off load and up load and back by train to e.g. Beit Bridge. - I will strive to make the railways the national carrier.
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- To-day we have computers and specialised rolling stock. No reason why freight cannot be speedily delivered. - Branch lines must be reactivated and our “platteland” must be urbanised. The railways have a role to play, like in days of old! As minister I will work closely with the ministries of tourism, mining, industry. - Tourism has great potential and we must use every opportunity to induce tourists to visit our lovely country. On a recent trip we met three generations of Pakistanis who live in the UK. They are using the train to see the country. They were seasoned train travellers. - As far as safety is concerned I have seen the Gautrain security staff to be more active and interested in passenger safety. A lone SAPS-officer was “invisible” on the Gautrain. (He might have come from night duty? His whole demeanour lacked pride and élan. He was lounging in his chair looking bored!) In contrast the Gautrain Security moved up and down the train. - We had SAPS-security and Railway Security on the trains between Durban and Johannesburg. In our 4 and 6 sleeper sections the police moved in a group. Even with them on board we suffered mild disturbance from inebriated passengers and continual singing and shouting during the night. To me it appeared that the police were not properly briefed as to their duties on a passenger train. - Toilets on passenger trains should be cleaned more often. I must amid there is great improvement as far as sanitary conditions apply. - The dining car on our last trip was a feather in the railway’s cap. Much must be done to make the catering services world class! My last idea for the short term is: All chiefs on the railways should travel by train and they should have their own departmental carriages. With chiefs on the rails one will expect a better railways and a better and speedier service! You are cordially invited to enjoy this magazine for your looking pleasure!
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A night photo by Linda Jansen van Rensburg
Gautrain is World Class I do not know who the chief of security is on the Gautrain. However he and the training officer should be complemented on their excellent security staff. Their turnout is a benchmark of quality. All other Gautrain staff is also world class! Both Metro and the SAPS (Railway Police) should emulate the Security Staff on the Gautrain; there is much room for improvement!
‘n Spoorwegman se Gebed: Johan van Rensburg ‘n Ou spoorwegman het op ‘n byeenkoms tot bekering gekom en is gevra te bid. Hy het ‘n oomblik geaarsel en toe eerbiedig met ‘n bewende maar helder stem begin bid: ‘’O, Here, noudat ek die vlag gestryk het, bid ek U, neem my voete van die ruwe ou spoorbaan af en plaas hulle veilig bo-op die trein van redding, laat wysheid my handlamp 10
wees en die Bybel my hooflig. Laat die trein gekoppel wees met die sterk skakel van liefde, en Hemelse Vader hou alle wissels gesluit wat na sylyne uitdraai en veral die wat lei na ‘n doodloopspoor. ‘’O, Here as dit U wil is, laat elke sinjaal langs die lyne die witlig van hoop vertoon sodat ek die lewensreis kan aflê sonder om stil te hou, en Here laat die tien gebooie my diensrooster wees, en wanneer ek die reis volgens roostertyd afgelê het en in die groot donker stasie van die dood ingetrek het, mag die Hoofbestuurder van die Heelal sê: ‘’Mooi so, goeie en getroue dienaar, kom teken die betaalstaat en ontvang jou loon van ewige geluksaligheid.” AMEN Johan van Rensburg Foreman (In Service) Transnet Freight Rail Wagon Maintenance Nelspruit Without you, I cannot do this magazine! Thank you for your support Gentlemen!
Wepener’s Perambulations and … some Railway History • 20130808 Hi guys. Lots of trains were missed and the photo opportunities were bad... RRL are hiring a 35 class from TFR in Kroonstad again. Their 31 needs some repairs to the compressor. I have heard that one of their own 35's is coming this way soon. Also that a "bigger" Queensland diesel is being sent this way for testing? Will see soon enough. Harmony Surface Rail near the diesel depot. The hired 35 at Welkom station and the Hercules taking fuel.
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RRL's 31 near Friedesheim, then the Hercules near the Show grounds. Another HSR loco near the Gold plant. Virginia ballast shunt. Mielies heading through Virginia en-route to Kroonstad, pity they planted a street light in front of the unit!! Then what's left of the old side door suburban coach at old Brand loco shed. Don't think this will be here for much longer; the surrounding area is being demolished. One bogie has a spoked wheel and dates to 1918. Les - can you identify which year the different emblems on the windows come from? Cheers. J & J.
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IMG_3170 & IMG_3171
IMG_3172 & IMG_3174
Hi Jacque, As with coaching stock liveries, the emblems also didn't change spontaneously but I can provide a rough guide as to when the different types were used. You need to bear in mind that older emblems remained in use if the window glass was still serviceable. So the older emblems didn't suddenly disappear when the new emblems were brought into use. Image 3170 - Introduced from 1927 - 1950 and retained where still serviceable. Image 3171 - Introduced 1950s in SAR Shops as replacements. 13
Image 3172 - Introduced from 1910 - 1927 and retained where still serviceable. Image 3174 - Introduced from 1950 (imported stock) up until final orders for coaching stock from UCW by SATS. Cheers Les
• 20130814 Hi Guys. Just received this: Apparently a coal truck did not stop at the level crossing and the train slammed into it. This is near Balfour on the Natal main line at around 17:00. According to a bystander Transnet said the line would be closed for close to a week! Cheers, J&J
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• 201308 16 Hi Guys. Got
a
load
of
empty
petrol
tankers
returning
to
Kroonstad
near
Virginia,
first time behind 4x 6E's. The
Bothaville
and
Wesselsbron
pick-ups
were
combined
at
Welkom
and
staged,
time up. This load was still standing here this afternoon minus the diesel. 34
906
from
was
the
returning
crew.
If
with
you
the
look
Bothaville
behind
the
pick-up roof
at
line
Rooiblom of
the
/
train
Ancona,
hoots
on
curve
the
shots, you can make out where the now uplifted leg of the tri-angle was. Protespan
saw
the
Bultfontein
pick-up
waiting
for
the
spoorbaan
to
clear
out
of the way before proceeding. The ballast tamping machine is busy on the Welkom - Whites section. Two photos of Harmony Surface Rail at the Gold plant. Sheltam at Erfdeel 4 shaft loading waste rock. Some old
news power
from
the
station
is
re-laid also
to
Westleigh be
-
re-laid.
Orkney Coal
is
line going
is
that to
be
the
line
mined
to
the
again
at
the old colliery. Cheers. J & J.
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• 20130818 Hi Guys. I
have
just
returned
from
Welkom
station
to
see
RRL's
new
arrival.
They left Cor Delfos yesterday at 09:00 and due to TFR pilot problems at Leeuhof and Sasolburg they only arrived here this morning at 01:30. This loco is going to be here for a month for tests. It is going to do the Dar es Salaam trip for Rovos Rail I am told. Had some foot-plating while the other drivers were getting some training. The 35 07 is clearly stuck over "RM****P01". Some more news from the Westleigh - Orkney line is that early next we can expect 3x 120 truck coal trains per day on this line, increasing as the output of the mine does. Kroonstad are getting class 43 diesels for this.
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Cheers. J & J.
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• 20130830 Hi guys. Welkom station is being cleaned up. Don't know why. All the beautiful trees in front of the station are now gone... We
have
been
told that
there
is
now
a
daily
mielie
train
on
the
Westleigh
-
Orkney line. Harmony surface Rail near the exchange yard with Sheltam. 34 093 at the ballast siding in Virginia. Sheltam at 4-Shaft with a load of ore ex 5-Shaft en-route to the exchange yard. CS
90
is
still
on
track
for
November/December
2013
between
Kroonstad
and
Bloemfontein. Cheers. J & J.
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• 20130906 Hi guys. The gold mining strike means the ore haulages are non-existent as can be seen by the photos taken at the gold plant. Almost all the hoppers are staged there. Wesselsbron is where the two 34's are shunting, ready to push back into the silos. An overhead catenary inspection trolley was standing at Bloemhof under the 20
old goods shed. The 6E1's are heading south near Grasslands with a load of containers. Boskuil has now been cleared / cleaned of all the accident debris following the coal train derailment several months back. Some of the damaged wagons are still standing at Makwassie. The next lot are all at Leeudoringstad within about 45 minutes, not too bad, even with a crossing... 1) A Southbound load of hoppers behind 2x 6E1's, hoots from the crew. 2) Another Southbound load being looped for the crossing. 3) Northbound, plenty of hoots from the crew, they haven't seen me line side for several months! 31 class at Sheltam's depot. Cheers. J & J.
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Nostalgie: Pie-en-Gravy Asseblief: Thys du Plessis Ai, wat praat ek nou. Daar was geen plek ooit weer wat vir jou ’n vleispastei kon doen soos die spoorweg. Die regte ‘Pie-enGravy’. Daar sal menigte met my saamstem op daardie roep. Daar was soveel dinge wat eie was aan die spoorweg kultuur wat ons ou volkie beleef het. Omtrent elke stasie het sy eie eetplek gehad. Om daar te gaan sit en teug aan ’n koppie koffie was darem te lekker. Regte, egte moerkoffie. Min plekke se koffie het so gesmaak. Vandag is daar ander plekke wat spog 24
met hul koffies. Ek dink nog, geen koffie was so huislik soos ’n koppie spoorweg koffie nie. Dit was soos huis weg van die huis af.
Photo by Thys du Plessis: Senekal, OFS So is daar dan ’n dag. Jy kom die stasie binne gestap. So ’n ouwêreldse gevoel kry jou beet en jy voel sommer nostalgies tuis daar binne die stasie. Die heel eerste stop is die stalletjie met die koerante en tydskrifte. Eenkant toe staan die blommestalletjies. Vars blomme elke dag. Koop ’n koerant en stap dan eers na die groot inligtingsbord. Die treintye word bekyk en jy sien, die Trans-Natal moet 10 uur arriveer. Jy kyk die horlosie en sien, nee wat. Baie tyd oor. Jy trek jou das so bietjie reg, al is hy nie skeef nie. Mag van gewoonte. Seker maak jy is netjies. Jy begin beslis mik na die spoorweg eetsalon. Net so ’n paar treë en jy steek vas. Jy 25
draai terug na die stalletjie. ‘Lexington 30 asseblief’. ‘Plein meneer?’ ‘Nee, gekurk asseblief.’ Die sigarette gaan binne die baadjiesak en die tripens se kleingeld hou jy in die hand. Jy stap nou maar eers na die fontein en gooi die tripens in en skiet maar so ’n wens op. Binne in jou glimlag jy aan die gedagte dat dit ook maar sommer bygeloof is. Dan vat jy weer besliste rigting na die eetsalon. Jy gaan sit by een van daardie tafels. Netjies is dit. Spierwit tafeldoeke is op elke tafel. Vandag is daar so ’n koningsblou kleur linne servette op die tafels. Die suikerpotte is NPS of soos die Engelse dit genoem het ‘nickel plated silver’. Dit het later EPS geword. Alles is so perfek netjies en skoon uitgelê soos wat in enige hotel verwag kan word. Groot silwer messe en vurke was ook uitgelê gewees. So in die agterkant van die eetsalon, agter die toonbank, kon jy al die gedoentes sien waar die mense rond skarrel om kos reg te kry vir die dag. Groot sous-antie wat in beheer is van die kombuis. Rooi in die gesig van die hitte daar agter. Jy staan op gaan na die toonbank toe.’n Ander tannie kom nader: ‘More meneer. Kan ek help? Miskien een van ons ontbyte geniet?’ Jy besef jy kyk eers nie na die borde met die geskrewe spyskaarte nie. Jy weet wat wil jy hê. ‘Pie-en-Gravy asseblief. O ja, en koffie ook.’ Die tannie glimlag. ‘Sit maar meneer, ons bring dit vir jou.’ Jy neem plaas by ’n tafel naby die groot venster wat uitkyk na die beweging van ander mense buite. Jy vou jou koerant oop maar begin nie dadelik lees nie. Jy verstar jou aan die mense se gedrag en bewegings. Jy weet jy gaan ’n paar minute wag. Voor jy regtig kan begin lees is jou kos en koffie daar. Dit is so welkomend soos om Ma se kos te kry as jy gaan kuier. Elke hap van die ‘Pie-en-Gravy’ word met oorgawe geniet. En dan die perfekte afronding vir ’n perfekte ete, die koffie. Regte moerkoffie met room. Jy sien dit is amper 10 uur en jy staan op. Jy vou die koerant onder die arm in. Ja gaan betaal en stap dan uit. Jy gaan eers na die blommeverkoper se stalletjie. Die mooiste vars blomme is daar. Elke dag vars blomme. Jy soek ’n mooi groot bos rooi-angeliere uit. Hulle haal dit uit die emmer en draai die stengels toe met koerant. Jy vat dan rigting na perron 1 & 2. Dit is waar die trein sal inkom. As jy op die perron kom is die reuk van staalstof opvallend. Kenmerkend van die treine se remme. 26
Dan kom die trein aan. Die hele perron staan vol mense wat wag. Jy rek ongesiens ’n bietjie om beter te kan sien. Die trein kom die stasie binne en stoomwalms blaas teen die kante op as die trein die perron binne stoot. En dan sien jy haar en so ’n skamerige glimlag breek oor die gesig. Jy groet en gee die blomme gelyk aan as sy afklim. Jy neem haar bagasie en stap dan uit die stasie. Maar sonder dat jy dit besef is daar ’n herinnering wat gevorm het. Ja. Herinneringe kan baie lewendig wees. En daar is een wat my altyd sal bybly. Die spoorwegstasies se eetplekke. Die ou eetsalonne. ’n Spesiale romanse. Ja. ‘Pie-en-Gravy’, asseblief.
Old Steam Machine: Nottingham Rd: Toffie Risk
27
Linda Jansen van Rensburg [JvR Photo-Art] • Deal Party Na 'n lang soektog oor hoe om te sien wat se treine of trokke hier is kom ons af op ‘n klein ingang na die brug.... die reëlings is al afgesteel en dit maak my ongemaklik voel. Ons moet oor roldrade klim wat hakies aan het om op die brug te kom. Die trappe het 'n gaping na die platform bo, nie groot nie maar vir iemand wat ly aan hoogtevrees - nie lekker nie! Ek voel uiters ongemaklik en skrikkerig, dalk net effens meer as gewoonlik omdat dit nou behoorlik reën en die sig nog moeiliker maak. Maar nou ja, ek soek die foto's en moet maar braaf staan. Mmmmm het gehoop om meer te kry, maar nou ja nou hoef ek ook nie meer te wonder wat daar is nie. Hier staan soveel trokke en goed wat net staan en vergaan van die roes. Ook die vorms wat gebruik is om die dolosse mee giet staan hier nou totaal verroes.
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29
• Follow the Train.....from Uitenhage to New Brighton It is quite a cold day in Port Elizabeth and we decide we are going to do something different today. The question was.... WHAT? All of a sudden we saw a train leave Uitenhage station and we decided..... “THIS IS IT" we are going to follow the train and see where it will take us and how many action shots we can get at different spots. So here is our shoot for the day, with a beautiful train.... The drivers noticed us and waved as they passed us on each different location. We have found that Train Drivers are very friendly and we love them! Thanks guys, you made our day!!! We regret not getting the drivers names as we would love them to see our photo's....
30
• Railway Tourism Knysna. Dis 'n koel wintersoggend toe ons Knysna stasie besoek het. Wat 'n mooie stasie! Mens kan verwag dat die Choo-tjoe enige oomblik om die hoek kan verskyn..... Wat ek nou wel mis is die mense wat wag vir die trein, die fluitjie van die Choo-Tjoe, die stoom en dan die trein se wiele wat tik-tik tikketikketik tikketik oor die spore rol. Alles pragtig en skoon soos dit hoort. Ons het geen sekuriteit hier opgemerk nie. Dit is moeilik om te verstaan dat sommige stasies so mooi kan bly en so skoon en ander stasies wat dit nie maak nie en wat geplunder word. Ons sien dat hier wel groot busse staan. Hier is ook 'n Translux kantoor na aanleiding van die bordjie op die gebou. Knysna kan trots wees op hul stasie. 31
32
Natal Main Line: Jacobus Marais
33
34
35
Rovos Rail being hauled by Transnet
36
Brits Line: Jacobus Marais
37
38
Natal Main Line: Rudi Venter • 20130804
Above: Braiside crossovers. Below: Lowlands reparing tunnel foundation
39
• 20130808
34-629 at Cato Ridge
• 20130818 NGR Water Column Estcourt
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• Save the NGR Water Colmn (HBH) It is our prayer that this water column be placed for safe keeping with somebody like Sandstone, Rovos Rail, Reefsteamers or Friends of the Rail for preservation and for the enjoyment of railway historians. Just think of the memories a NGR water column at Estcourt can conjure? Even Sir Winston Churchill could have filled his water bottle here before being caught at Chievely.
• 20130824: Chieveley station English war graves (Anglo Boer War )
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• 20130825 Bayhead Yard
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• 20130826 Views from the Driver’s Seat
Cedara Railway Houses
Colenso Railway Houses
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Colenso Power Station
Lion’s River Sta
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Mooi River Sta
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• 20130826 NG Bird Cage
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• 20130907 Talana Museum 12R
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Nostalgia • On the way to Potchefstroom: Eric Samuels. I arrived at Potchefstroom by goods train at approximately 0lh00 on Friday 11 October 1958. To be exact I did not arrive in the station proper but only at the outer home and distant signals which were at danger. I was very much pleased with that as it saved me from walking an additional two kilometres to my sleeping quarters and bed at the School of Artillery and Armour which was situated directly opposite Safarcamp station.. Had the train stopped at Safarcamp station, I would have climbed out of the van on the offside, clambered over a few loop lines, gone through a gate, crossed a seldom used track, climbed between the two leaves of a tall gate giving access to a landing field, crossed that field, climbed through another similar gate and walked a few hundred meters to my room. The distance between those two places in a straight line is less than one kilometre. I jumped out of the guard's van, slamming the door behind me and therefore frightening the poor guard out of his wits as he did not know that I had been in the van. Now I faced a walk of approximately 11km along the Potchefstroom- Ventersdorp road to reach my bed. How did it happen that I was on that train on that date and at that time? The reason is that Thursday 10 October 1958 was a public holiday, Wednesdays in the Defence Force was a half holiday; personnel were expected to participate in sport in the afternoon but nobody worried about the fact that a specific member did not participate at all. A contributing factor was that there was a serious lack of facilities to keep a person busy on a public holiday or even a Sunday at that school. I put on my smartest uniform and hitch-hiked to visit my parents in Pretoria. At approximately 16h00, that Thursday afternoon I moved off from my parents' home in Villeria. I walked round and about 700m to a bus stop and caught a bus to Church Square. Another bus took me to Pretoria Station. After travelling in an electric suburban train I reached Johannesburg station. Now I had to walk to Johannesburg's City Hall. On Sunday evenings there would have been a bus waiting to take soldiers and students of both the University of Potchefstroom and the Teachers' Training College to Potchefstroom. It ran all the way to the School of Artillery and Armour. A mistake! A big mistake! There was no bus! I had now two options: First of all I could return to Johannesburg Station and take the slow train to Cape Town. The second option was to walk along the road to Potchefstroom with the hope in mind that I may get a lift.
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I discarded the first option because the possibility existed that by the time I had returned to the station, the train would have already departed. I would then have been worse off than I had been before. The second option required me to pass through Soweto - not a very healthy place at night! None the less I started walking along the route. I arrived at a garage. There was a man working on a car. This car bore Carletonville number plates - bless the authorities who decided in those far-off days that all vehicles should carry number plates identifying the place of registration of a particular vehicle! I helped him to fix his car and begged a lift to Carletonville. As we approached Carletonville we saw a passenger train moving along the hills on the opposite side of a valley. It was the train to Cape Town! He dropped me off at Oberholzer Station. I went into the station. The ticket office was open. I asked the clerk if there is a train in the near future to Potchefstroom. He told me that I had just missed the train and that the next one is only due at 12h15 the next day. I went back to the main road running to Potchefstroom and tried to hitchhike. To no avail. It was a pitch dark night and no car stopped. I noticed later on that people were going to the station. I went back into the station. The ticket clerk was still in his office. I said to him that I had noticed that a train was due at any moment. I asked him where it was going. He said it was going to Lichtenburg. I said: "Fine! Please give me a second class single ticket to Welverdiend� [Welverdiend is the next station along the line and a junction for the line to Lichtenburg.] I paid the princely sum of one shilling and sixpence [15c] for that ticket. When the train arrived I found a whole compartment for my exclusive use. Arriving at Welverdiend I went to the signal cabin. I asked the signal man if there was a train to Potchefstroom in the near future. He said that there was no train immediately. He also said that I must wait a bit. Looking down from the signal cabin I noticed that three goods trains were standing on adjacent parallel loops waiting for their locomotives. I went back to the platform and sat down for about twenty minutes on a bench. After that time I went back to the signal cabin. Again I enquired about a train to Potchefstroom. This time I was lucky. There was a train! It was the centre train. The signalman said that I could climb into the van in the meantime. I did so and sat quietly in a corner in the passenger 49
compartment of the van. Soon I heard footsteps approaching and I heard somebody climbing into the van. In the meantime I heard a steam locomotive passing by on the open track adjacent to the platform. A few minutes later the whistle of the locomotive blew and the train moved off. That was the way I arrived in Potchefstroom. The rest of this story had already been told. I believe that a Higher Being guided my steps that night and protected me. HE also arranged that my whole journey went smoothly. Praise the Lord! I am sure that my journey to Potchefstroom warrants an entry in the Guinness Book of Records just for the sake of the various forms of transportation I had to use to cover a straight line journey of approximately 170km between my parents' home and my bed at the School of Artillery and Armour. Just to recap two separate busses; an electric train; a motor car; an all stations and halts mainline passenger train; a goods train and some serious walking were deployed- that is seven different forms of transportation! P.S. The next morning on parade at roll call, a number of our fellow course mates were absent. Later on a message came through: They had been stranded at Welverdiend station. They slept overnight in the waiting room and took the train to Potchefstroom, when it had arrived. Just after lunch they arrived at the School looking a bit sheepish. I am not sure if we had been at that station at the same time! Eric Samuels. April 2013. •
Eric Samuels is a retired Lt-Col of the old SA Defence Force and an amateur railway historian.
Natal: Bill Deyzel • Bergville Sta
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• Wasbank Area
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Western Cape: Francois Matthe端s
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Johan Erasmus and assistant 3 Sept 2013
Eastern Cape: Robbie Green • Feedback on staged locomotives: Les Pivnic
Thanks Jacque for forwarding the latest Railway Gazette - very interesting as usual! The Derelict GDA at Grahamstown There was a time back in the 1970s when Jan Coffee (Curator) and I (Assistant Curator) S A Railway Museum were busy building the National Collection for the planned major SAR Museum and we were also placing locos on plinths at major stations around South Africa the GDA amongst them. If only we could have foreseen what the future held! We were 55
wasting our time and effort! I remember even back in those far-off days, I walked into my colleague's office in the Museum and I said to him - "Mnr Coffee, ons sal moet oorweeg om stop te sit met hierdie loko-monumente! Hulle word nie in 'n goeie toestand gehou nie!" Prophetic words indeed if I may say so myself! We eventually did change our policy and with the GM's approval, further requests for loco monuments on plinths were refused. Will somebody please put that poor old GDA out of its misery - take it away and scrap it! Let us rather remember them in their days of glory!
• Monkey Business: Jack the Baboon Good day,
Dagsê daar,
Here with I share a well known story in our Ek deel ‘n bekende storie in die geskiedenis van South African Railway history.
ons spoorweë in Suid Afrika.
We have a saying –‘’Do not fetch the baboon Daar is ‘n gesegde: ‘’moenie die bobbejaan agter from behind the mountain’’
die berg gaan haal nie.’’
During Field Ranger training in the Eastern Met my veldwagter opleiding in die Oos-Kaap Cape in July exactly that happened.... Since I can remember I collected skulls of all
in Julie was dit wel die geval tydens ons besoek aan die ALBANY MUSEUM.
animals and birds and they attract me like a Van kindsbeen af het ek begin skedels versamel magnet. Our visit to the ALBANY MUSEUM revealed a
van enige dier of voël. As daar ‘n skedel in die omgewing is trek dit my aan soos ‘n magneet ...
surprising link into my interest in skulls, the Die verassing, die skedel en storie van Jack die skull and story of the Famous Baboon –JACK.
bekende bobbejaan.
Yes, the real McCoy, all on display ... Not from Hierdie is nie sommer n bobbejaan van agter die behind the mountain.
berg nie, nee die ware Jakob!
Read and enjoy the story, it can only happen in Lees gerus weer die storie ... net in ons Afrika. our AFRICA. Regards
Groetnis Robbie Green.
Robbie Green.
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Kruidfontein Railway Houses: Magda Gerber
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Western Cape: Leeu-Gamka: Morne Haasbroek My ouers het in die laat 1960's begin 1970's in die spoorweg huis op Leeu-Gamka gewoon. My Pa was laaimeester op Leeu-Gamka stasie.
My Pa se werksarea in die begin 1970's. Dis hartseer om te sien hoe verwaarloos die plek vandag daarna uitsien. Dit was die laaiblad by Leeu-Gamka stasie. 60
Western Cape: Vredenburg Sta: Paul Eybers
Northern Cape: Kimberley Breakdown & Recovery at Bellville: Garth Killian
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View from the Cab: Willie Liebenberg
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Western Cape: Willie Marais
A relic of the past: A steam engine watering station now situated in the vineyards
• Western Cape: George Museum: Hein Truter
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• Western Cape: Bennie Matthee
1629 at Touws Rivier B Matthee
Touwsrivier se Hextontonnel
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• Cape Town Sta: Stefan Andrzejewski
6E1's awaiting Shosaloza Meyl duty at Cape Town
• Western Cape: Klein Brak River: Bridge: Tubby Myburgh
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Rhodesian Railways • RR 9TH and 10TH Classes – Richard Clatworthy
The attached photo shows RR 10th class no. 102 (NBLC 20,000/1913) at Plumtree sometime in the late 1940s. Her tender shows unmistakeable CGR derivation, part of the heritage passed on to what was initially effectively a northern extension of the CGR, a private company in which Cape politicians and railway officers had a major interest. Therefore in it’s early years the locomotive stock was almost exclusively CGR-based – a fleet of 7th class (1896 version, SAR class 7A) followed 67
by some 8th class, ten in 1904 and a further seven in 1910, the latter with some differences but I cannot determine which SAR sub-class each was equivalent to. However in that year the Union of South Africa was formed, the CGR was merged with the NGR and CSAR so an enforced weaning took place and RR, in need of further locomotives, was forced or free to choose it’s own designs. It so happened that Mr. Beatty, CME of the CGR, had under development two suitable designs. Beatty, with a good stock of “really useful engines”, had set out designing modifications to some types, producing singletons or pairs which the SAR classified as “Experimental”, classes EXP1 to 6. One of them Beatty had actually classified as 9th class, and was based on the 2-6-2 version of the 6th class with another coupled axle, 2-8-2 with 4’ 6” coupled wheels (EXP5). Another, his 10th class, was an 8th class with larger bore clinders (EXP6). After an unfortunate experience with a smokeboxfitted superheater in a 6th class, Beatty had remained faithful (“hung-up”?) to saturated stem and slide valves (worked by Stephenson gear). RR, in conjunction with NBLC, obviously saw the potential of a beefed-up and modernised 8th class, and a locomotive was designed which happened to match the specification of the EXP6, with superheater, piston valves and Walschaert gear.
I don’t know whether NBLC received the
drawings of Beatty’s 10th class from Kitsons or whether they designed their own changes, it is immaterial. This new 4-8-0 was the RR 9th class and was successful, with repeat orders by RR and its adoption on the Benguela Railway.
Later Watson rebuilt some SAR 8th class with larger
cylinders and piston valves to match the specification. Beatty’s 9th class, with a combustion chamber in the firebox, was good steamer but the need for a leading bogie was apparent. Thus one of Beatty’s final designs was for a 4-8-2 version, of which two were built, delivered after Union and classified class 4. With the limitations of saturated steam apparent, the design was modified with superheater, piston valves and Walschaert gear.as class 4A (NBLC built all three versions). A lighter version of this (13.5 ton acle-load against 15.5ton) was also built (first) for RR as their 10th class, as you see in the picture. This picture affords an interesting comparison with those on p.23 of Holland 2. In fact Mr. Holland was deceived by the similarity: “[The class 4A] went to the Karoo, working between Touws River and Kimberley, and also over the Mafeking line.” They would not have worked over the 60lb/yd RR-owned VryburgMafeking line (though decades later I saw, between Zeerust and Krugersdorp, a “19D” with a break between running plate and buffer beam and realised it was a 4AR). A passing point of interest: Beatty’s intended 9th and 10th classes were reversed in sequence by RR. The first seven RR 10th were divided between Mafeking and “RR proper”. A further six in 1922 were similarly divided but after another was delivered in 1924 they were all based at Mafeking, being joined by a further six in 1930. The 20 10th class were the exclusive power on the Vryburg68
Bulawayo section (two being written off in a 1938 collision) until some 12th class were drafted in during the war years. The later batches had bigger tenders similar to the SAR MP1. The photo shows a long rod linking the cut-off lever to the valve gear (as on the 4A) – the later batches had a steam servo mechanism. They all had side feed – a pair of pipes on the left, compared to the 4A’s one each side – but in their final years some were converted to top feed. After 45, 36 and 28 years (for the various batches) of service the locos were “Set aside” in 1958. Four of the second batch went to the Zambezi Saw Mills railway and one (156), purchased by British artist David Shepherd, survives workable to this day. The other earlier ones were scrapped in 1961, the 1930 ones being cut up in 1972. Of the 30 9th class, all but four were reboilered with a wide firebox above the rear coupled wheels ( with the same barrel mounted higher) to become the 9B class. The four unaltered examples passed to the Zambezi Saw Mills railway. One 9B (115) is preserved steamable by the Bulawayo Railway Museum. Six Alco-built 9A class remained unconverted.
Spoornet in Zambia
Filler by David Settle 69
Armchair Travel & Railway History Hi Hennie, You may have noticed a post on the Facebook Rhodesia Railways group requesting another Uloliwe article. It so happens that I was stimulated into researching the meeting of the two limbs of the American Transcontinental Railroad and wrote it up and I hope it might be suitable. It is quite long – 11 pages of single-spacing A4 – and I have suggested division points, 4-4-3 pages. If you divide it, please include the map with the first. I am sending it with single spacing for compactness – you may care to spread it to one-and-ahalf for ease of reading and editing. Please let me know if you regard it as suitable, or any problems. Best Regards, Richard
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American Transcontinental Railroad (Part 1): Richard Clatworthy
This article was stimulated by a passage in Christian Wolmar’s book “Blood, Iron and Gold”, a review of the development of railways worldwide, here relating to the completion of America’s “first” transcontinental railroad (I will explain the inverted commas later). My former view, which I think is the commonly held “perceived wisdom”, was that the track-building gangs – Central Pacific from California and Union Pacific from Nebraska - approached each other, and where they met was the meeting point – the place where two American-style 4-4-0s faced each other, with jubilant people around and on the engines, while ceremonial spikes were hammered into the final cross-tie. In fact this was far from the truth, as is evident from the following extract: “The wasteful competition between the Union and the Central came to a head in the plains where the railways effectively bypassed each other, unwilling to recognise their rivals’ existence. For long distances the two lines ran parallel, and while the Central was working out its route through Utah, already long completed by the Union, the latter in turn sent its surveyors almost to the Californian 71
border. The ultimate irony was in the Promontory Range where the Central Pacific crossed a deep valley with a large embankment, only for the Union Pacific to ford it with a precarious trestle bridge 50 yards away. The spur for this wasteful duplication was the generous government funding of $32,000 for every completed mile, which was far more than the actual construction costs on the flat desert section of the Great Basin, especially as huge curves were created to avoid any expensive incline.” Having been stimulated into research I will say that the above is an over-simplification, “Central was working out its route through Utah, already long completed by the Union, . . .” this should have been qualified “eastern Utah” where the Central was grading formation alongside the Union’s (incompletely) prepared roadbed – the Union Pacific did not penetrate west of the Great Salt Lake beyond the survey stage, other than an isolated site to be described in due course. It is immediately necessary to distinguish the three separate stages to be considered in comparing how far one company had progressed against the other. Firstly the surveyors ranged far ahead, marking out a line towards the next immediate objective, as direct as possible within the limits of permissible gradient and terrain features. Behind them came what I, for convenience, will refer to as the construction gang, levelling the roadbed (or grade or formation – I shall use any of these terms), following a contour line or cutting through ridges and building up embankments (and tunnelling, though none was necessary in the Utah basin). Finally came the tracklaying gang. All the overlapping work referred to above was roadbed preparation, not tracklaying.
Once the
financiers found out what was going on they ordered a suspension of tracklaying while they decided where the official meeting point was to be. I have followed numerous Google links without recording them so I have found out many facts, with the occasional conflict which I have usually been able to resolve through other links. For example, statements of the distance of overlap vary from 250 miles down to 20 miles. The former represents the limit of surveyors’ overlap and an application not proceeded with. The latter figure is over-conservative - the distance of duplicated formation credibly visible on Google Earth is almost 30 miles. Of course the whole section was by-passed in later years and the track taken up until the late ‘60s, when a short length of track was relaid at the Historic Site, where the tracks were joined, for the Centenniel celebration in 1969, with a pair of disguised locomotives for display and re-enactment of the ceremony (later repica locos were built). I will give an outline of the background to the need for a Transcontinental railway, then briefly describe the commencement stages, and then focus on the “overlap” stage, within the territory of Utah (which became a State in 1896).
Finally I will outline subsequent events in the area,
culminating in the preservation scene. 72
It was the California gold rush of 1849 which brought to public attention the problems of travelling from one side of the North American continent to the other. To travel from east of the Mississippi to the west coast, one had three options: a) to travel by water as far west as possible (Independence on the Missouri River was a popular jumping-off point) then join a wagon train on one of the recognised trails – slow and hazardous through accidents or native-American attack. b) to travel by sea around Cape Horn – slow and through notoriously hazardous sea. c) to travel by sea to Panama, cross the isthmus by canoe, catch another ship northwards – the quickest route but hazardous through weather and disease, especially mosquito-borne. In 1855 the Panama Railroad was completed (47 miles, the first transcontinental railroad!), reducing the journey time and period of exposure to disease but not eliminating the hazard. In 1850 a Commission had met to study possible transcontinental routes and discovered six possibilities, one of which was westward from Omaha on the Missouri River, across the prairies, over the Continental Divide, across the Salt Lake and Humbolt basins and over the Sierra Nevada into California. This was favoured by the Federal government and financiers were found. Two companies were formed; the Union Pacific (UP) to build westward from Omaha, and the Central Pacific (CP) to work eastward from Sacramento, the capital of California, some 50 miles inland on the navigable American River. This latter company was headed by a group of businessmen who earned the title of “The Big Four”: Leland Stanford, Collis Huntington, Charles Crocker, and Mark Hopkins. The Central Pacific was first off the mark with the first sod being turned on the 8th of February 1863 at the wharf on Front Street at the end of K Street in Sacramento, with the first rail being laid on 26th October and the first locomotive being delivered on 10th November. As work progressed numerous Chinese workers were recruited and they came to constitute the majority of the workforce and proved their worth. The railway, from the outset, was confronted with the challenge of crossing the Sierra Nevada mountain range – an epic task too extensive to be covered here beyond noting that it used the Donner Pass, named for an emigrant party who in 1845 had been caught there by the early onset of winter, with many perishing. Beyond the Sierra, there was more level but arid terrain to be traversed through the territory of Nevada and western Utah. The Union Pacific Railroad was constituted in 1st July 1862 and at the relevant time was under the control of Dr. (but not practising) Thomas Durant as Vice-President. UP President John Dix was apparently Durant’s appointee and does not feature in the story. In 1866 Durant appointed Major General Grenville Dodge as Chief Engineer, the other name to feature (the two men often had 73
serious disagreements). Durant also controlled Credit Mobilier which was involved in financing the enterprise. In 1863 ground had been broken at Miller’s Wharf on the Missouri but the aftermath of the Civil War held up progress and it was only in 1865 that the first rail was laid. However construction across the prairies was easier than the terrain initially faced by the Central Pacific and good progress was made, in spite of attacks by natives angered by the disruption to their hunting of bison herds. The workforce contained a large Irish contingent and was famously rowdy. The Continental Divide was easier to cross than the Sierra Nevada had been, and the line descended from the Wasatch mountains through the canyons of the Echo and Weber rivers, debouching near the settlement (“City”) of Ogden toward the northern end of the Great Salt Lake. Salt Lake City lay at the southern end and it was considered more worthwhile to build the line around the northern end of the Lake than to take in Salt Lake City, to the chagrin of the city authorities. The Central Pacific was building north-eastward toward the northern end of the Lake. The CP had applied to build to Echo, at the confluence of the Echo and Weber Rivers, but the application was not proceeded with. However it provides a basis for the claim of 250 miles of overlapping work, with UP surveyors at work in Nevada. Here I will introduce Google Earth references, which I will be citing frequently later on – Echo is at 40-58-37N/111-26-35W, the figures recording degrees, minutes, seconds. In future I will omit the N and W. Continuing with the UP, from Ogden the line ran north for a bit, then swung north-west and crossed the Bear River to a site where a town named Corinne was founded in March 1869, in response to the UP’s approach. In fact this was the crossing point with the Montana Trail, from Salt Lake City to Idaho and Montana, a passageway for miners and Mormons travelling to settlements to the north, and a canny group recognised its potential as a trans-shipment point. These people were in fact non-Mormon “gentiles” seeking escape from the pervading religion of the majority. The name Corinne derived from the leader’s daughter. More about Corinne later. From Corinne the line headed west then turned north-west past a site where today there is an industrial complex which will feature later, but then of course it was empty desert. At this bend the line crosses a watercourse named Blue Creek. Then the line turns south west, and it is along here, at 41-39-09/112-28-04 that a second formation becomes evident on the north-west side, and this becomes definite at 41-38-42/112-28-27 where a second formation diverges to the south, both then passing through cuttings. From this point the UP formation is to the south of the CP one, or to the west on a northerly stretch. Immediately following this, centred on 41-38-29/112-28-45, the CP line is on a high, curving, embankment while in the valley below, on the UP route, are the marks of trestle footings. This site is The Big Fill and is a candidate for the scene described by Wolmar, except that the track centres 74
are 100 metres apart - possibly 60m from foot of embankment to trestle base. Another candidate site further on is no nearer to the alleged 50 yards. A bit futher on, to the north of the CP track, is a natural rock arch at 41-37-42/112-29-30, named Chinese Arch or Chinaman’s Arch and regarded as a memorial to the Chinese workers on the CP. A bit further on, centred on 41-37-37/112-29-51, is the other embankment/trestle candidate site. Here the track centres are 80m apart, with a similar 60m between bases. A Panoramio picture at the scene is captioned “Site of the wooden trestle built by the Union Pacific work crews in thirty-six days” but I would require confirmation – I feel that feat could just as likely refer to the Big Fill scene. The tracks, now aligned south-east to north-west, diverge fairly widely with a road between them, then both curve west and south-west. Here the UP formation is badly eroded, having become a watercourse. The formations converge to merge at about 41-37-39/112-32-00, and for about 2km down to the historic meeting site only one formation is evident. There is a legend, cited by Wolmar, that somewhere where CP Chinese and UP Irish construction gangs were working alongside in terrain requiring the blasting of cuttings, a UP gang thoughtlessly or deliberately detonated charges without warning the CP gang and the latter later retaliated by showering rocks into a UP cutting, burying some workers. The hostilities were reportedly stopped before they got out of hand. This is disputed, as I will discuss later. In January 1869 the duplicated effort came to the attention of the Federal government and the financiers, and a moratorium on tracklaying was ordered while a Commission was appointed to decide on the meeting place. The UP was ordered to suspend grading at a place called Monument Point, a bit to the east of the northernmost extremity of the lake (which point is obscured by salt deposits). At Monument Point a short peninsula jutted into the lake with a hill at the end, at 41-4211/112-50-38. A photo shows the hill linked to the “mainland” by a narrow strip of land with in the foreground a westbound wagon train meeting a CP train facing eastward, dated 8 May 1869. The base of this peninsula is the limit of visible duplicate formation on Google Earth. In passing, the northernmost point on the CP was at 41-45-19/112-59-46. From here westward toward the Utah-Nevada border only one formation is evident. This runs generally straight southwestward with two significant northward diversionswhich are Wolmar’s “huge curves created to avoid any expensive incline” - both of them go round significant ridges, the northernmost one saving an 800ft tunnel.
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From Monument Point eastward the paired lines crossed the salt-encrusted north-eastern corner of the lake and turned southward for a distance before turning north-east toward the meeting point mentioned above. To digress with a bit of geographical description: the northern end of the Great Salt Lake is intruded into by a promontory, and it was in the crossing of the high ground running from the tip of this promontory northward that the gangs were working alongside each other. The Commission was now trying to determine a point which was to be the “official” meeting place, and the top of the ridge, at an altitude of 1,500m (according to Google Earth), provided an arguable physical basis for what had to be an arbitrary decision. Accordingly the site was fixed at 41-37-05/112-33-06, at 1,497m altitude, about 250m (horizontally) west of the true summit, the place being named Promontory Summit.
There was some variation among press reports, with Promontory and
Promontory Point also being used, the latter being particularly unfortunate because a later railway crossing the lake made a brief landfall at the point of the promontory, which validly took that name, to the confusion and confoundment of historians ever since. (End of Part One)
Rail Immigrants fron NZ: Mel Turner & QT On 22 August 2013 13:50, Mel Turner wrote: Hennie, http://www.qt.com.au/news/old-trains-make-tracks-and-head-to-south-africa/1993558/ If you use it please credit QT. Below are the locos that the dealer Apex purchased in May 2012, and left in storage at Redbank. Sold units stored at Redbank, waiting for shipment by Apex: 2 x 2100 Class Clyde/EMD GL26C. 2102H 70-713 1971 2121F 72-749 1972 4 x 1720 Class Clyde GL18C 1722D 66-504 1966 1727D 66-509 1966 1747D 67-561 1967 1750D 67-564 1968 There are no reports on Australian groups re 3100 Class electrics being included in this week’s shipment. The BBC CAROLINA is due in Durban on 16/09/2013 http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/shipdetails.aspx?MMSI=305078000 Note that the BBC Carolina was formally the Beluga Fantastic FYI copy of the Aurizon 2013 loco disposal tender attached 76
I took the attached photo of 2160 at Redbank on 12/05/2013, if good enough feel free to use, also “Snagit” edit. 2159 and 2160 have been reported from multiple sources as sighted in transit to Brisbane docks, and included in shipment. As additional numbers and intelligence come to light will forward. Updated 2012 shipment list (with quite a bit of input from JM) also attached. Mel Turner
SA Metro Rail
Linda Jansen van Rensburg [JvR Photo-Art] • Metro: Despatch Die eerste ding wat ons opmerk is die bordjie om te sê, dat hier aan die stasie gewerk word. Ons is opgewonde hieroor en kan nie wag nie. Tot ons verbasing word hier ernstig gewerk en die stasie begin mooi lyk, al is die werk nog nie voltooi nie. Ons kom hierheen met 'n "missie", want die son sal sak in die selfde rigting as die spoorlyn en behoort 'n mooi foto te kry vanaand. Half sewe kom die trein die stasie binne, skielik is daar lewe op hierdie mooi stasie. Die maan loer vir my deur die brug se diamant-vorms, dit is regtig spesiaal. Wanneer laas was ek in die aand op die stasie? Baie opgewonde oor die mooi prentjie wat ons nou sien, gaan ons op die brug en neem 'n paar nag foto's. Ons is te vrede met ons taak, dit was nou regtig die moeite werd! Dit het sommer gemaak dat ons weer lus kry vir trein ry en mag dalk binnekort vir 'n rit op die trein gaan - sommer net omdat ons dit weer wil ervaar, sommer net hier rond...... sommer net omdat ons kan. 77
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• Metro: Durban: Inland on mainline: Rudi Venter
Nr Georgedale in KZN
• Metro: Western Cape: Francois Mattheüs
Brackenfell: 20130903
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Seen in the Western Cape
• Metro: Western Cape: Willie Koorts
Observatory 26 Jun 2013 83
• Metro: East London: Dave Settle
33-505
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Eastern Cape: Noel Welsh
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The Saldanha – Sishen Line • Historic Photos: JP Bester W/O (SAP – Ret) Jan van Wyk has informed Mr Petrus Johannes Bester about the exsistance of the Uloliwe. Mr Bester has been sharing historic photos with us. Of this photo Mr Burger says: “The French are testing the ore line.” “Die Franse toets die
ertstrein se spoor.”
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PJ Bester: Eerste erts trein vanaf Sishen 226 trokke 6 diesels. PJ Bester:The first ore train from Sishen, 226 trucks pulled by 6 diesels.
Gautrain
Both sides of the Gautrain Card. 88
Gautrain News: Compiled by Jeanette Jacobs
• For Women's Month we interviewed Maryka Bronkhorst – Train conductor
Maryka in front of the train
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• Give us a brief background of yourself Maryka? I’m 20 years old and started working for the Bombela Operating Company a year ago. I’m very passionate about my job and enjoy learning new things every day. After school I decided to come work for Gautrain as a conductor and they were kind enough to grant me the opportunity to grow. • Tell the readers what does a typical day at work entail? In this role time management is key – you have to ensure you come to work on time, not a minute late, then following the signing on procedure and making sure I’m fit for duty. After that I get a daily driving sheet informing me of which trains I will be conduction from where and when. I must make sure I’m on my train on the exact time stipulated on my driving sheet where I can then make sure the passengers embark and disembark safely. Furthermore, my duties are to make sure passengers are safe, happy and comfortable with our service. • What was your greatest motivation for taking this career at Bombela Operating Company? I believe it runs in my blood; I’m from a family with a railway history. I was introduced to trains at a very young age and instantly fell in love with the idea of pursuing a career in the railway sector. Job satisfaction is very important to me and what I receive from my career here at Gautrain is pure satisfaction and enjoyment. • What did you have to study to get here? After matriculating in 2011 at High School Montana, I did a flight attendant course where I did things like first aid training and fire fighting. • What is the best tip you can offer to Gautrain passengers? It’s pretty necessary to know what time the train arrives and departs at/from your station. Also a handy tip is to subscribe to the SMS notification service by sending “alert” to 32693 at a once- off fee of R1.00. This service will allow you to be informed when we are experiencing delays or when there are any service changes you need to be aware of. • What would you like Gautrain customers to know about you? I value our customers and like to go the extra mile to make their day. If I can do anything to make their day - I will do my best. • What do you want to achieve in the Gautrain?
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I would like to go as far as possible as I can. Everyday while I’m still where I am now it is my duty to ensure the satisfaction, happiness and safety of our valued customers, fellow employees and employers.
• Bombela Operating Company (BOC) Promise that your safety and security is their most important consideration. In the last year the Gautrain carried about 12 million train passengers and recorded only one incident when a passenger's physical security was threatened. In the same period only about 20 incidents of property crime have been reported. That's not a lot by any standards but it's worth just reminding oneself to always lock your car in our parking areas and to keep your handbags and cellphones close. If you ever feel threatened or unsafe please don't hesitate to call the closest security guard or call 011 253 0006
• Coffee Run Did you enjoy your free hot cup of coffee as you exited Rosebank station in the mornings? We have added three other Gautrain stations to the Chaywa coffee run during the month of August. Hope you enjoyed the refresing hot cuppu!
Brought to you by Chaywa in partnership with Gautrain.
• Steam Train Rides On Saturday 27 July Reefsteamers held their annual open day. The Gautrain also participated and left for Rhodesfield station. From Rhodesfield Reefsteamers transported passengers to their yard by steam train. It was a wonderful family day out.
91
The old and the new
Gautrain fans had an excuse to ride their favourite train! – It was a fun day starting with a Gautrain ride followed by a steam train ride and ending again with a Gautrain ride. Best of the old and the new in one day and they were also lucky enough to see a strongman pull an old train, wow! what strength that took!
• A Big Train With A Golden Heart Four-year old Stiaan Scheepers couldn’t believe his eyes when Bennie Jordaan, Route Supervisor from BOC, opened the Gautrain drivers cab at Hatfield Station on Monday 26 August 2013.
Bennie Jordaan with Stiaan
Stiaan immediately jumped on “Oom” Bennie’s lap and listened closely as he explained the function of the controls on the dash. The little boy was a natural from the start and was quick to tell Oom Bennie when to slow down and when to speed things up. Stiaan was diagnosed with 92
Leukemia in July 2012, but this little fighter is determined to one day become the number one Gautrain driver. Thanks to GMA and BOC, he got the upper-hand with one day’s training behind the back. Thanks to all the BIG hearted people at the GMA and BOC, Stiaan’s dream came true and he drove the beautiful, fastest gold and blue.
Railway People – Spoorwegmense • Late Driver Kennedy – Jan van Wyk
19C – 2469: Driver Robert Kennedy and Stoker Maans Zandberg of Klawer Robert Kennedy the one in overalls, is the driver, and his stoker Maans Zandberg sitting. (Maans is still living in Klawer 2013.) Robert did the Namaqualand route as far as Bitterfontein.
All the infois in the book of his that Iris has a copy of. I will look for more photos
can just find them now. Groete Lorraine.
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Granddad Kennedy and grandson Nicol
Driver and his daughters; Iris, Jean, Grace and Dad.
W/O (SAP: Ret) Jan van Wyk has sent me a copy of Robert Kennedy’s manuscript and a photo of a painting by Lorraine Spangenberg dd 2013.
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Previous issues of Uloliwe For previous all previous issues of Uloliwe click on: http://issuu.com/hennieheymans/docs
Rail Humour Wat is Railway Romance?......
Dit is wanneer jy vir die stasiemeester se dogter ‘n love letter op ‘n
trokkaart skryf!
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)
• Werna Maritz Werna Maritz <wernam@vodamail.co.za>has sent the following information about railways books in South Africa:
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â&#x20AC;˘
Railways in Southern Africa 150 Years (Locomotives and Trains)
A hard cover 416 page book, beautifully illustrated and printed on glossy paper. a Certain must for every railway enthusiast Here is a beautiful book that portrays the history of South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s railways in the ultimate pictorial and written record of all times. This is an extensive coverage of locomotives and trains, not only of those in South Africa alone but also in neighbouring countries. The book contains many black and white and coloured photographs and is believed to be the most comprehensive technical book on this subject. Other books about Railways in Southern Africa are
- The Ysterwiele series by Werna Maritz; as well as the book of - Boon Boonzaaier, Tracks across the veld in English, and - Spore oor die veld, in Afrikaans.
The Book: Railways of Southern Africa 150 Years 96
As the title implies, this book deals not only with the motive power and trains on the South African network, namely the South African Railways or SAR but also those of specific neighbouring countries, namely Swaziland, Lesotho, Namibia and Botswana, all of which have experienced various periods of SAR administration. In addition, some private railway systems are featured, which includes special sections on the provincial Gautrain and Kei Rail systems. Going back before Union in 1910, the obsolete motive power of the Central South African Railways (CSAR), Natal and Cape Governments Railways (NGR and CGR respectively) and the Transvaal railways (NZASM) also feature, since many of the steam locomotive classes from these administrations no longer existed after the SAR was formed in 1910. In recent years, the state controlled transport organisation has been restructured and its name changed to Transnet, with the railways division, initially known as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Spoornetâ&#x20AC;?, later also changed to Transnet Freight Rail (TFR). The book documents in great detail all the various designs and classes of steam locomotives to have been placed in service between the years 1860 and 1968, as well as the electric locomotive series (from 1925) and diesel locomotives range from 1938. In addition, the electric multiple unit designs (EMU) for the high density commuter services have also been given due recognition, an area ignored by most previous publications on the subject of railways in South Africa. This service now falls under the Department of Transport: the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) which now also encompasses the long distance Shosholoza Meyl and upmarket Premier Classe passenger services (the world famous luxury Blue Train operation was still in 2012 being operated by Transnet itself). Metrorail is the operator of the commuter services. The author, Jean Dulez, railway photographer since 1964 and also video producer since the early 1980s, has left no stone unturned in coverage of all the relevant subject matter. In total, over ten years of research, accumulation of photographic material and information has been amassed, with the assistance of prominent authorities within various areas of the topics of Southern African motive power and railways; specifically Richard Clatworthy, Les Pivnic, Tony Elliot, Leith Paxton, John Middleton and the late Malcolm Bates, to mention but a few of the major contributors. In addition the above mentioned, other well known photographers of the Southern African railway scene have also provided contributions, namely Peter Stow, Eugene Armer, Dennis Moore, Charlie Lewis, David 97
Benn, Bill Botkin and yet several more. The former Transnet Heritage archive collection (now functioning under the TFR library) has provided an invaluable source of photographs and drawings, as such also containing the collections of Frank Holland and Frank Garrison. The collections of the late Dusty Durrant and Boon Boonzaaier have also been sourced in order to provide many more railway images. The book contains many unpublished photographs and comprises: 416 pages, 30cmx24cm format, hard cover Approximately 848 black and white photographs and 885 colour images 391 technical drawings 11 special regional maps by Bruno Martin 23 major tabular reference layouts We believe that this is the most comprehensive technical book on this subject, dealing with the entire period 1860 to 2011, to have appeared to date and deserves a prominent place in any Southern African railway enthusiast’s library.
The DVD programme: South African Railways 150 Years For those who cannot spend the time reading or who would like to see some action of the type of scenes statically depicted in our hard copy publication, Vidrail have released a twin DVD disc 450 minute mega programme. This presentation, therefore, complements the book “Railways of Southern Africa 150” but may also be viewed entirely on its own. The two part programme commences with a review of the ancient steam locomotives of the very first standard gauge railway companies in the Cape and Natal colonies, followed by the development of steam motive power under the various regional governments in South Africa. This followed the decision, taken in 1875, to continue railway construction according to a narrower track gauge, namely the so called “Cape” (1067mm). The main operations took place under the Cape, Natal and Transvaal government railway administrations (CGR, NGR and NZASM). The latter, together with the Orange Free State railway, were operated by the Central South African Railways or CSAR after the end of the Anglo-Boer War, in 1902.
98
Following amalgamation of the previous four regional governments into the Union of South Africa in 1910, all the regional railways were further consolidated into the South African Railways or SAR. This state transport organisation has recently been restructured, as detailed above. In addition, this review has a look at some private and provincial systems, such as the various mines and the recently opened Gautrain system. These developments are in line with what has been outlined for the book itself. However, the DVD programme focuses specifically on the railway systems within South Africa itself, with the other countries in the region (Swaziland, Namibia and Botswana) being featured in some detail within various of our other video programmes (details on request) The SAR and Transnet locomotive classes featured are as follows (both through static records or movie sequences, wherever possible): Steam : Classes A to K, 1 to 26, S to S2, KM, MA to MJ, GA to GO, FD, FC, HF, U, NG1 to NGG16 and also various unclassed locomotives prior to 1910 Diesel: Classes DS, 31 to 43, 61 and 91 Electric: Classes ES, 1E to 19E Electric Multiple Units (EMU): 1M to 10M series
The presentation also features much interesting archive movie film action, as well as more recent general video review of both steam and modern trains in operation around the country. This extensive presentation, therefore, provides one of the best balanced and broadest coverage of the railway scene in the country, both past and present. Hence, recommended are our other programmes: Twin Steel through Namibia; Modern Traction in Southern Africa; Best of S A Steam 1983-1990; SAR Railway Roundabout (from 1990), full listing on our website. In addition, for interest further afield , productions on Zimbabwe steam are also available, which would supplement the section on Botswana, whose railway system fell under both Rhodesian and Zimbabwian national railways administration for a long period, from 1899 until 1982. SAR 150th Anniversary Postage Stamps and First Day Covers The author was privileged to have worked on this 2010 stamp issue design and artwork, in conjunction with the late Boon Boonzaaier and the well known SA Post Office stamp design artist, Hein Botha. Some of the images in the book were in fact employed as subjects 99
for the final locomotive and train scenes. We have a limited stock of these also available for resale Stamp sheetlets, comprising ten designs, featuring steam and modern traction, plus marginal drawings R60 per sheetlet. Set of two first day covers, with five of the above stamps on each, plus information card R60 per set Other train/locomotive sets from the region are also available on request Railway Postcards We have stock of approximately 40 different Vidrail and other SAR/NRZ (Zimbabwe) postcards also available at R10 per set of 4 different cards. Details on request (or check our Website) ORDER FORM AND DETAILS Name and address _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Tel No_______________Postal Code____________email_________________ Please supply the following: (Prices exclude VAT, where applicable) Book: _ copies of Railways of Southern Africa 150 at R495 per copy …………..Total R DVD: _ copies of South African Railways 150 Years at R280 per set ……………Total R Special Offer: _ sets of SAR 150 Book and DVD at special price of R650 /set…Total.R Stamps _ commemorative SAR150 mint sheetlets at R60 per sheet…………....Total R _ first day covers (set of two) at R60 per set……………………………...Total R Postcards_ sets of 4 cards (specific subject/ref) at R10………………………….Total R Add postage: R60 within South Africa for book + DVD etc or R20 for DVD/stamps/cards alone. (overseas rates on request)……………………………………………………………..R VAT .....................................................................................................................(included) Grand Total R
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Payments : Direct deposit to account J A Dulez, Standard Bank of SA Branch code (01) 8305 Account No: 02 249 283 6 Cheques: (made out to J A Dulez) please post to: Vidrail, P O Box 75169, Garden View, 2047, South Africa Email: enquiries@vidrail.co.za Website www.vidrail.co.za Telephone :Mobile +27 83 441 5488 Credit cards will only be processed for overseas orders; please supply card number (Visa & M/Card only), expiry date and 3 digit security code on reverse of card; for security it is recommended that these details be phoned in directly. Please allow 2-3 weeks for local delivery. International: airmail 2-3 weeks and surface 8-10 weeks
Legal Africa â&#x20AC;˘ Law & Rail â&#x20AC;˘ Forensic Law Principles & the Railways: J Kotze The principles of Forensic Law is applicable universally and has almost nothing to do with what is known in public as "forensic investigations" and done by every second law firm and tens of thousands "private detectives." Within the extremely limited scope of this article it is sufficient to say that forensic principles will look at legal risk and reduce the legal risk for the client for many things can go wrong when you deal with trains. For instance what will legally happen if the train is in an accident and you suffer injuries? Or you wake up the next morning and your shoulder bag is missing! A simple claim for damages? Not really. I assure you your legal options would be limited by the waivers or indemnities put in place by the Railways and all other businesses in existence. You have seen these waivers before as it is everywhere from your local pub to your garage mechanic and for many decades they were taken on face value. However, things are slowly changing as more is expected these days than just a waiver or indemnity stuck against a wall. The Railways will have to 101
show that they did more than that to safeguard themselves and to protect you from injury. For instance they have to be totally compliant in all SHEQ regulations and all other laws in place to ensure the safety of the passengers. Compliance is the new buzz word in African legal jurisdictions. It may be something simple as indicating if the water is drinkable to more serious matters like emergency evacuation. Failure to comply is the Achilles heel of all business and the single greatest failure by their lawyers who will tell you forensic law principles do not exist since they never heard of it before. Many Directors seem to believe that Africa has no laws and thus they relax their standards which are insulting to Africa in general for it shows complacency or racism in some instances. Hence they take it easy and do not implement the same recommendations as they would have done in Europe. It is also a well-known scam to create internal chaos to steal more easily. (For more of this see my free eBook Tricks of Trade - Memories of a Rogue Lawyer.) The law is neutral meaning it may be used for or against you. Take an abused woman (or anyone else) as an example...unless she complains the law cannot help her. Yes, if the abuse takes place in front of a policeman he may (in fact has to) act to defend her but as you know, these things take place behind closed doors. Thus you need to do something also for the law to assist you against the corporates like the Railways. It cannot be otherwise but your problems start when you try to enforce your rights! Then you will run into many tactics designed to make the process as difficult as possible for you. How do the big corporates get away with legal claims against them? In general they use the age old (and legal) tactics of hiding behind red tape under which the indemnities is included. And their overly paid lawyers who keep on delaying matters and issuing their own threats in the form of counter claims with huge (unnecessary legal bills). Last but not least, they take out insurance to cover any losses and ring fence themselves in such a way 102
that they are virtually untouchable. (See more in my free eBook Your Worst Enemy which deals with banksters and their hounds of hell known as debt collectors.) There is nothing preventing you from doing the same. Take out insurance and ensure that you understand the terms and conditions written in impossibly small print at the back of your ticket (designed to make it as hard as possible for you). Ask the train officials to explain the emergency procedures to you (if they don't it is in your favour afterwards and if they do you may not need my forensic principles to start with). Also ensure you are complying with your own insurance by telling them the truth so that they are able to evaluate the risk of insuring you. In these things it is not a matter of maybe but of actual fact. Dishonesty is never the best policy. The above is not meant to start silly and indeed rash proceedings against Railway Companies but to explain that you have many legal rights and that the waiver against the wall will not save them under all conditions. The Railways have to take more responsibility for you, the paying passenger, than just a waiver against the wall.
http://www.jklsafrica.com/ 103
Railway History Group: Wally Greig
Bulletin No. 119 September 2013
The first train from Salisbury to Umtali, photographed at “BBY” Station on 22 May 1899. Does anyone know where “BBY” Station was? The locomotive is Mashonaland Railways No. 1, named “Cecil J. Rhodes”. It is an ex Cape Government Railways 4th class converted Joys. Although not clear, in the photo, the tender was filled with wood. The three coaches are a mystery. They have an unusual roofline and are unlike any other coaches in Southern Africa. Can anyone throw any light on them? Photo: Kimberley Africana Library
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RMIG: L Penning
105
Natal Newsletter No 180
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107
South African Airways • A320 SA ZS-SZA – Johannes Botha
108
â&#x20AC;˘ Jan Smuts Airport: Paul Mills
109
Railway Modeling: Model German Railway Gun
Johannes Botha
Who can identify this railway gun? 110
Shosaloza Meyl: Johannesburg â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Durban (1)
Gautrain Park Station is right next to Johannesburg Park Station (sic)
Willie du Plessis who toured with me.
111
Mosaic of the old South African Coat of Arms â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Johannesburg Sta
We made friends on the train. We also travelled back to Jhb together. He was very funny and we called him Mr Botha â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Mr Pik Botha. The interior
of
the
passenger
coaches in the new livery.
112
113
A walk along the Victoria
Embank-
ment. The subway and
toilets
were
100% clean!
A little piece of Eden in the harbour. A little river that flows into the harbour and mangrove trees. A Kingfisher is drying in the sun after breakfast. Note the crest of the old â&#x20AC;&#x153;Durban Corporationâ&#x20AC;? on the fence.
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The police in harbour appear to be on their toes and they were friendly!
“N” Goods Shed of the “old” SAR & H.
115
The Maritime Museum must have been a wonderful place a few years ago. Exhibits are neglected
and
tatty.
The
museum lacks professionalism. Where have all the sponsors gone?
We drove along the South Coast and then I saw smoke! That familiar steam enige smoke of years gone bye. What a priviledge to see a functional steam engine in 2013.
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“NATAL” the “senior” locomotive in South Africa – Our first operational revenue earning steam engine plinthed in Durban Station. We arrived in Johannesburg after we had lovely time in Durban. This is how one should look after a holiday!! Willie leaving
Park
Station
while
walking
to
Gautrain
Park
Station. There is building construction in the area. Hopefulley it is to connect the two stations.
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Shosaloza Meyl: Johannesburg â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Durban (2)
118
Our train manager: She deserves a gold star! Mrs Notshokobu is totally devoted to her career in Soshaloza Meyl. She is very caring and is also worried about the dirty exterior of some trains. She really did a good job on the train and she called on us twice to make sure we were comfortable. She hails from Ventersburg in the Free State. Nearly arrested for taking the following pictures!
119
South African Police Service; Railway Police Durban
120
News â&#x20AC;˘ 20E Launched
121
Photos were posted on internet and sent around in the public domain – photograher “unknown”
Press release • South Africa’s Transnet Engineering (TE) (via J & J Wepener) South Africa’s Transnet Engineering (TE) is assembling 30 General Electric-branded C30ACi dieselelectric locomotives at it Koedoespoort facility, east of Pretoria, for African railways customers and has entered into a partnership with the US multinational to jointly market the solution across the region. Transnet CEO Brian Molefe confirmed the orders at a briefing held to announce the extension of a R1.1billion Nedbank loan (with a guarantee from US export credit agency Ex-Im) for 53 of the 143 C30ACi locomotives that have already been introduced into Transnet Freight Rail’s (TFR’s) fleet. The 30 locomotives, he reported, would be built on the same production line that had been established to assemble C30ACi locomotives for TFR. TE CEO Richard Vallihu said there was a “great deal of interest” in the product, with the initial locomotives “at various stages of completion”. There was also interest arising for some of TFR’s older locomotives, which were being refurbished and sold to customers across the continent. 122
The South African engineering services unit was aiming to increase its third-party sales to railways customers to R6-billion a year by 2018/19 – an aspiration that has been criticised by some private enterprises, which have expressed concern that the State-owned company could crowd out their efforts to penetrate the African market. Speaking at the same event, GE South Africa president and CEO Tim Schweikert said the C30ACi was the first GE locomotive to incorporate the Cape Gauge standard, which was common to many parts of the region, together with the group’s latest traction technology. “This product fits perfectly in places such a Mozambique, Angola and Botswana,” he said, adding that the association with TE was in line with its strategy to localise its products in key markets. Producing at Koedoespoort, Schweikert stressed, also made sense from a quality, delivery and cost perspective, with the locomotives being operated by TFR achieving availability rates better than 96%. “That’s as good as any fleet that we have operating anywhere in the world.” The revitalisation of South Africa’s locomotive manufacturing capacity was, in Molefe’s view, also critical to reinvigorating rail across the continent and he indicated that Transnet was willing to partner with other original-equipment manufacturers. The group is currently in the process of procuring 95 dual-electric locomotives from China South Rail, which had completed a prototype that was currently being tested by TFR. The first 10 locomotives will be built in China, with the balance to be assembled in Koedoespoort. 1 064 LOCO UPDATE In addition, Transnet was currently adjudicating bids for the supply of 599 dual-voltage electric locomotives and 465 diesel locomotives, which could involve an investment of around R35-billion. Molefe said the group would “ideally” like to announce the outcome of its adjudication process for the procurement of 1 064 new locomotives “by Christmas”. However, he cautioned that the documentation associated with the proposed acquisitions was voluminous and that the group was, thus, officially aiming to announce the contracts only by the end of the group’s financial year, which ran to March 31, 2014. The locomotive programme made up a significant portion of the group’s R307-billion, seven-year investment programme, with TFR rolling stock and infrastructure projects comprising 65% of the overall investment programme. 123
Molefe said he could not comment further on the adjudication for the sake of the integrity of the process. Bids were submitted on April 28, but the identities of the bidders have not been released, nor has the procurement value. “The comprehensive capital expenditure programme is supported by a board-approved and shareholder-endorsed funding strategy. Although we are a State-owned company, we are proud to point out that our funding initiatives are on the strength of our financial position, and are not guaranteed by the fiscus,” he said. Last year the group raised R14.6-billion and during the current year it intends raising R15.6-billion from a range of sources. To date, R10-billion has been secured.
Pandora’s Box • Snow Train
124
• Anybody for a Braai? P Eybers
• New Underground? – P Eybers
Railway Archeology -
125
Mail bag • Sex and the Railways Hallo Hennie, Ek is op die oomblik in Basel vir 'n konferensie. Ek het vandag sit en gesels met 'n ou van Wits, Andrew MacDonald. Hy doen ondersoek na die grensbewaking tussen die destydse Portugees Oos Afrika en die SA Unie. Hy vertel my dat hy op 'n storie afgekom het wat hom so intrigeer dat hy wil kyk of hy verder inligting daaroor kan kry: Blykbaar was daar in die jare '20 'n aantal dames wat as escort girls gewerk het, op die treine tussen Johannesburg en Lourenço Marques. En daar was op 'n stadium 'n redelike skandaal toe dit aan die lig kom, omdat een van die meisies dood is êrens by Komatipoort of so ‘n plek. Die polisie moes die saak ondersoek, waarna geblyk het dat dit 'n gevolg was van malaria. Weet nie of ek die storie nou heeltemal reg het nie, maar ek het vir hom gesê ek ken iemand wat alles weet van polisiesake en nog meer van treine. Kan ek hom maar in kontak sit met jou? Groete en mooi bly! Anon. The gist of the letter refers to ladies of the night active during the 1920’s on the railways between Johannesburg and Lourenco Marques. There are, however, many stories to be told about prostitution in Johannesburg. I have also found interesting true stories about spies, diamonds, gold and murder on our rails; however prostitution is a first! • Any news about prostitution on the railways will be appreciated.
• Fake Townhouses When a house is not a home: The fake townhouses that are just a front for hidden portals into an underground world Even the most cunning of estate agents would have trouble selling this Greek Revival brownstone 126
townhouse... because it's not a house at all. Full Story:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2388179/When-house-home-The-faketownhouses-just-hidden-portals-underground-world.html 10 August 2013
www.dailymail.co.uk
• Pre-1910 time tables Dear Hennie, Do you have any pre-1910 time tables? If you do, you will be able to provide great assistance on our Luxury Trains book. Regards, Wally Greig.
• 35 SD40-2: J & J Wepener A Must See - A 35 SD40-2 Locomotive Power Move! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MonfXuKuDU
• Sleeper Carriage “K” brought the following under our attention:
Now THAT'S a sleeper carriage! Inside the train bought on eBay that's been converted into luxury accommodation for railway enthusiasts • David and Lizzy Stroud bought disused train station in Cornish village • Discovered railway siding while converting building into home • Bought a railway carriage for £170 for visiting friends to stay in • Idea spiralled into a thriving family business in St Germans Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2397842/Inside-eBay-train-thatsconverted-luxury-accommodation-railway-enthusiasts-Cornwall.html#ixzz2ehdXC1Vr Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2397842/Inside-eBay-train-thats-converted-luxuryaccommodation-railway-enthusiasts-Cornwall.html
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â&#x20AC;˘ Nols Fourie Hallo Hennie, Ek stel baie belang in van hierdie stof waarvan jy hier praat. Ek het al my lewe op stoom lokomotiewe gewerk, en wonder soms of daar nog oor is, indien wel, waar orals in ons land. Hoe maak ek nou om meer van hierdie inligting wat ek hier sien, te kom? Ek het in Greyville loko te Durban my opleiding gedoen, en is toe daarna Glencoe-noord Natal toe waar ek afgetree het. Ek sal dit baie waardeer indien jy my sal kan laat weet hoe ek hierdie interessante leesstof kan bekom. Groete Nols Fourie
â&#x20AC;˘ Mel Turner (NZ) via J & J Wepener Hi guys. I received this from Mel - see how things can be done! Cheers. Jacque. Subject: Re: Uloliwe. Jacque, Thanks for the link. Reading Uloliwe makes me realise just how far Australia has moved since our Federal Parliament drafted Competition Laws, with our High Court then declaring
illegal
context)
monopoly
loss
making,
the on
various rail
overstaffed,
State
transport.
above
rail
Governments The
States
operations,
(think
Provincial
immediately and
rolled
sold their
in
SA
off
their
below
rail
assets into a national network. The private operators are working with one quarter
to
one
third
of
the
State
headcount,
what
passenger
rail
remains 128
gives way to express intermodal, the freight operators are profitable so can afford to pay the track Quango a surcharge to maintain right of way over long distance passenger, which is now relegated to the status of slow freight! Now with open access, any taxpayer has a legal right to run their own trains (subject across
to
certified
the
locomotives,
network
from
liability
private
to
insurance,
private
and
siding.
licensed
This
ensures
crews) that
all
rail movement is block load. There is no interchange between operators, no pick up or drop off, just blocks of identical wagons from private siding to private
siding.
refuelling, crew,
so
and
Transcontinental
pull
can
fuel
freight
bowsers,
transit
the
and an
continent
locomotives accommodation
without
scheduled
now
have
coach
for
stops,
inline off
crews
duty
can
be
rostered for up to 8 day shifts. Accommodation barracks are all closed, and the
company's
fly
crew
from
are
required,
The
larger
well
financed
locos
and
rolling
stock,
apparently
coastal
cheaper
than
operators to
capital
cities
maintaining destroy
inhibit
the
(or
when
inland
crew
bases
sell
entrance
changeovers up
overseas)
of
"el
country.
withdrawn
cheapo"
niche
operations, and live in perpetual fear of their customers laying their hands on rollingstock. Xstrata and the BHP-Mitsubishi Coal Alliance, plus a couple of local miners have purchased locos and wagons, and are now running their own rail operations over the open network on the east coast. Chicago Freight Car
Leasing
now
has
over
100
modern
locomotives
in
its
Australian
hire
fleet, and over 1000 wagons. I act as the local factor for an overseas railway (Latin Anerican), so keep a close watch on used loco pricing, and have contacts in the industry. A recent
tender
electrics)
is
in
Queensland
rumoured
buyers. The
by
for
35
company
3'6"
insiders
gauge to
locos
have
(inc
gone
15
to
3100
South
Class African
prices being paid by South African's is scary. For example in
2002 my principals paid US$1.9 mil FOB Brisbane for 10 GL26C (same as the 3 purchased rebuilt
by
prime
SAFLog movers,
currently prepped
at and
Modderfontein). undercoated,
The
and
$1.9
re-gauged
mil to
included meter.
I
inspected the 10 GL26C in the current tender in Brisbane in May, all had been cannibalised, and 3 with minor accident damaged, all considered beyond economic group
repair/rebuild
averaged
in
US$220k
Australia. each!
We
Industry purchased
insiders a
unit
are
saying
that
the
in
similar
condition 129
(without
prime
mover)
in
Q3
2010
at
scrap
plus
buyer's
premium
(under
US$35k) the Moz coal boom, plus DRC hire contracts must be behind this price escalation? Mel
• Old Footplate memories: Richard Niven Hi all Here is a short clip taken from the DVD called “Ribbon of Iron” which is about two travellers who done Africa by rail in about 1991. Somehow they ended up on our footplate of our then pride regular engine no 3488. Click link to watch clip http://youtu.be/eSLFwG1GcZI Cheers Richard
Stop Press • Rail Tour On demand of friends I am planning a tour/s for Veterans of the Security Forces and other seniors to travel from Johannesburg and Pretoria to Durban and Margate. We will travel in a group by train and bus. One night on the train, five nights in Margate and one night back on the train. We take our kosmandjies to eat on the train like in days of old. Two meals a day and padkos for the journey back home will be provided. Should you be interested in a short safe and affordable railway vacation please contact uloliwe@gmail.com or heymanshb@gmail.com for further details. (Phone: 012 329 4229.)
• Margate While at Margate I met by chance representatives of eHowzit. After a few minutes of talking we all knew about one other and the next day I took part in a TV series about Margate and why we visited the resort called Santana. Len will be remembered as “Lencel” who drew the pinups and jokes books during the “border war’. He told me he was the “most” banned artist in the world! He even gave me a couple of “pin up” books and signed them for my library – a library which has all kinds of interesting books. 130
Mr & Mrs “Lencel” Len Cilliers and former SABC TV; Johan Pretorius Lencel also gave me permission to quote the following video he made about the Banana Express – truly a remarkable and professional piece of work! (I do hope Charlie Lewis enjoys it!)
• (Late) Banana Express Video
131
9/15, 9:01am
Lencel Celliers Hi, no time to draw a new one, (meaning a railway cartoon) but you welcome to use: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMzCm0 XU3s8 with credit to lencel features, and ehowzit
Banana Express narrow gauge steam train Memory www.youtube.com LMI Studios is an affiliate of Lencel Features. This video was produced to try and save the Banana Express narrow gauge Tourist Attraction, but to â&#x20AC;Ś
â&#x20AC;˘ Santana: Margate
The managers Jannie & Talana Loots of Santana.
The view at the back, SANTANA is built on the foreshore. gave them a shield in The
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We stayed in the top right-hand corner; below are some pics taken at Santana. There were also policemen taking part in the national rugby championships. They rewarded SANTANA with a shield in recognition for services rendered.
133
â&#x20AC;˘ Fist Train at Luau: A van Schalkwyk
134
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. 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 10 and will be published, DV, sometime during late October 2013. Send in your comments, anecdotes and photographs please. Take care! Issue / Volgende Uitgawe Stuur solank u stories, herinneringe en eie foto’s aan uloliwe@gmail.com in jpg-formaat Hennie Heymans – Pretoria, ZA
©
2013
Annexure “A” (I tried my best to copy Annex “A” ) 135
Rebuilding
UMBILO -1892-
136
Built in 1892 by the DĂźbs Locomotive Company in Glasgow England, No. 88 is one of the oldest surviving locomotives in South Africa and played a major role in the initial development of the country. In her many years of service she has served under various railway administrations starting life out on the Natal Government Railways. For all we know, this may have been the very train Mahatma Gandhi was traveling on, bound for Pretoria and the famous incident that took place on the Pietermaritzburg platform in 1893. Surviving the Anglo Boer War, she was then again employed to help rebuild a country torn apart by war. In 1910 these engines were absorbed by the unification of the colonial railways into the South African Railways and given the classification of Class A. When they were eventually overpowered by bigger locomotives they were all sold off into industrial ownership by 1962 or scrapped. No 88 was bought by Eskom to shunt wagons at the old New Germany power station near Pinetown before finally being donated to the then newly formed Umgeni Steam Railway preservation society in 1984 where she was named â&#x20AC;&#x153;Umbiloâ&#x20AC;?. Now over 120 years old and after being out of service for over 20 years, Umbilo is in desperate need of a complete overhaul and remanufacturing of major components. Even after being placed in safe storage, she suffered vandalism and theft of mostly brass and copper components, some of which has been retrieved and locked away ready to be refurbished and fitted to the engine. A complete strip down and assessment of the engine has now been done ahead of the monumental task of putting it all together again. At the same time a full set of mechanical drawings is being made up from historical documents and measuring off the existing components to aid in the manufacturing of accurate historical replica parts.
137
Work done so far: Complete strip down of the locomotive Removal of boiler tubes and preparation for boiler inspector Remove, Sandblast and machining of main driving wheels Building of a new cab and rear coal bunker Storage of important salvageable components Upcoming work: Sandblasting of main engine frame and replacement of critical plate work Adding additional steel work to strengthen the deteriorated frame Replacing of all white metal bearing surfaces and machining of axleboxes Servicing and repair to both front bogie and rear bissle truck Repair and re-bushing of all mechanical drive mechanism and valve gear Replacing of brake shoes and braking system Tensioning of all spring gear and repair to couplers Building new side water tanks and associated plumbing Major boiler repair and welding, replacing of all boiler tubes. Refurbishing of all boiler brass components and replacing all plumbing Making all new boiler cladding and isolating material Building a new smokebox and authentic 1890â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s style headlamp All in all the engine will have to be completely rebuilt but once the project is finished, she will last another 100 years. USR & volunteers have up to now provided all the muscle power and finance to make a start to this project. Unfortunately other more pressing issues have to be tended to like maintenance of the branch line track we use that does not fall within the Transnet core line maintenance plan. On top of track issues, all USRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current available funds and manpower is being used to maintain the current operational steam locomotive and rolling stock used to fund our endeavors.
138
My name is Andries Keyser and for as long as anyone can remember I have been unable to keep my hands off steam locomotives. Having completed a 1/3 live steam locomotive in 2012, a project that took 5 years, I have now set my sights on something bigger. I have always yearned for the opportunity to build a full size locomotive. I truly believe that a locomotive of this historical significance is just the candidate for such an ambitious restoration project to get it into pristine serviceable condition and give it a chance to exist another 100 years. A running locomotive of this age will draw visitors from all over the world to experience the opportunity to travel back in time, the possibilities are endless!
If you would like to get involved in making history, please get in touch 082 557 2119 andrieskeyser@yahoo.com
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