SAR RAILCAR

The South African Railways Clayton Railmotor of 1929 was a steam railmotor.

In 1929, the South African Railways acquired a single self-contained steam railmotor for low-volume passenger service. The vehicle was a vertical boilered steam locomotive with a passenger coach as an integral part of the locomotive itself. The vertical boiler of the engine was located to the rear of the front driving compartment and had an outer cylindrical shell and an inner firebox, with the middle portion of the firebox pressed into a square cross-section. The coal bunker and water tank were mounted on the power bogie and the bunker part was separate from the coach body to enable it to swivel with the power bogie. The engine unit had two cylinders with piston valves which drove a spur gear on the driving axle, while the two axles of the power bogie were connected with coupling rods. For bi-directional operation, the railmotor had a second driving cab at the rear end of the coach. The rear end of the railmotor rode on conventional passenger bogies. The coach had the capacity to seat 30 first class and 35 second class passengers in two compartments and it also had a baggage compartment immediately to the rear of the front driving cab and boiler. The vehicle was equipped with the old Johnston link-and-pin couplers instead of the new AAR knuckle couplers that were introduced in 1927. The reason was most likely that the commuter carriages in service at the time were all still equipped with the older couplers.The railmotor was initially placed in service on the Milnerton line for a brief period and often operated with a passenger carriage in tow. When this line was closed to regular traffic on 31 July 1930, the railmotor was transferred to the Cape Flats line. The railmotor fleet was reported as giving good results and accomplishing the objects of economical working and speedier and more comfortable travel compared to steam train services, since mixed trains on branch lines usually resulted in slower passenger service as a result of frequent stops to load or unload goods.The Clayton railmotor was later used on the Overberg line to Caledon. No more steam railmotors were acquired, however, and all subsequent railmotor models on the SAR were petrol-driven vehicles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Clayton_Railmotor

A rare photograph of one of the standard SAR Watson*-designed rail motor-coaches departing from Port Shepstone station in the late 1920s. The 27 000 candela Port Shepstone lighthouse, in use since 1905, is seen in the background. Note the 2ft gauge track running alongside the South Coast Line on a separate formation.

According to the 1929 General Manager’s Annual Report, RM 8, a 150hp petrol rail motor-coach, built in the SAR’s Durban mechanical workshops, was originally placed in service on the CreightonDonnybrook section of the Cape-Natal-Line in October 1927. It was subsequently transferred to the South Coast Line for service between Umkomaas and Port Shepstone during April and November 1928. The service was so well patronized that a second motor-coach was placed in traffic from July to September. Another new motor-coach built in the SAR’s Durban mechanical workshops was pressed into service on the Umkomaas-Port Shepstone run in January 1929.

*AllenGriffithsWatson,SARChiefMechanicalEngineer1929-1936andAssistantGeneralManager(Technical) 1934-1936.

Railcar 23 at Port Alfred in 1939. It was probably based at the RMT siding in Grahamstown although we don't have solid evidence for this, but we do know from the contemporary WTBs that they worked a complicated diagram of which the main feature was a daily (SuX) departure from Port Alfred at 08:15.

On Saturdays there was an additional one at 17:30 - the one in this incredibly rare photo unearthed and indexed by the DRISA crew. The following information has been gleaned from Les's Photo Journal No 9: "[Railmotor 23] represents the standard design of railcar which evolved on the SAR in the late 1920s to early 1930s. 16 or 17 of these 37 foot long vehicles were eventually placed in service. They were powered by two Hudson 6cylinder engines which could be used independently or in unison to propel the vehicle." The railcars were quick, cheaper than a train and liked by the public so we don't know why they were discontinued on this line c 1940.

Dream trains

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As in reality, you are now able to control road vehicles electronically also in the model. After a development period of more than 4 years, it is now possible to bring the streets of the layout to life in a user-friendly way and with realistic driving behaviour, even away from the track. In all this, our vehicles are compatible with other road systems with steel or magnetic tape guidance and electromagnetic stop coils.

Look forward to a new way of setting vehicles into motion – Technology and price – simply ingenious! Premium models with further groundbreaking, innovative solutions are currently under development. Our basic models can be upgraded to Premium models in the future with an expansion set.

All vehicles of the CarMotion series have the following functions:

- Charging connection - Short charging times due to modern lithium polymer batteries

- Easy on-off switching thanks to a reed contact under the cab‘s roof and magic bar, telescopic magnetic bar item 8410, remote control item 8402

- Infrared transmitter/receiver for distance control (conditionally compatible with other IR systems)

- Realistic braking resp. accelerating action and configurable speed due to speed-controlled motor

- Free cargo area due to underfloor drive unit

- Cabin lighting - Braking and reversing lights

- Direction indicators right/left and warning lights controllable

- Low beam / high beam light - Clear see-through driver‘s cab with figure

- 5-pole plug-in coupling for the connection of CarMotion trailers or semi-trailers

- Compatible with existing systems with contact wire or magnetic tape

- Control by remote control, permanent magnets in the road and electromagnetic stop coils.

Watch video here: https://youtu.be/IBQif-Wbg9U and visit their website here:

PHOTOGRAPHY”byBrooksStover,MMR www.buffalocreekandgauley.com

This photo was taken on Jim Clements’ HO/HOn3 Sugar Spring Mining Company Railroad. The caboose was included specifically to add color to the scene and the name on it clearly identifies the railroad. The lone crewman brings a little life (and his red neckerchief is nice) although a second figure near the caboose might have been a nice addition. The beautifully modeled felled logs and aspens provide plenty of visual interest.

BC&G #14 is climbing up grade through Cressmont en route to the mine at Widen. The two crewmen of the rail bus, parked on the siding, have taken position on either side of the main to inspect the train as it passes. This image was taken from a higher than normal level in order to include a clear view of the two structures beyond the tracks. The diagonal of the track draws the viewer in and there is adequate visual interest in the triangular space on the lower left. The orange truck was intentionally selected to add a splash of color. From this distance only the two figures in the foreground are really visible. The locomotive smoke was added and a ‘corner’ in the painted backdrop was removed in Photoshop.

This image was taken on Phil Maaske’s

HO layout during an operating session, demonstrating that if the room lighting is good, auxiliary lighting is not needed. The loading dock and boxcar nicely fill the triangular space in the lower right.

The water tank breaks up the long horizon. A figure working on the dock and perhaps a couple of more items on the dock or on the ground would add interest.

The small size of my point and shoot camera allowed placing it inside a curved trestle, a place not normally visible. The figures add interest, particularly the fellow barely visible in the boxcar. The bare tree was temporarily added for texture and compliments the texture of the trestle. The smoke was added using the ‘airbrush’ tool in Photoshop

It’s been a long day and the crew is glad to be putting BC&G #13 away for the night. Dinner is waiting at home. The value of having the layout powered up is apparent in this image as the illuminated lamps add interest. A single photo light was placed low to the left to create the appearance of a setting sun. This is a good example of the depth of field possible with a Point-and-Shoot camera when the minimum aperture is used.

The track plan above, prepared by Kalmbach, correctly illustrates the major elements of the plan. BC&G engines arrive at Dundon from BC&G Yard (staging) and pick up cars from the interchange. Leaving Dundon, the main line crosses the Sand Fork Bridge and then disappears. It emerges at Cressmont where there is short siding. The track disappears again, starts a 3% grade, and emerges near Avoca Junction (the junction with the log branch), crosses over itself and arrives at Swandale. The track continues past Swandale into hidden staging that represents the track to Bone Town Gap and the now unused track to Widen. The layout occupies three walls of the layout room and along the fourth wall is a desk and display shelves. The room is carpeted and illuminated by ceiling mounted fluorescent fixtures..