SARI - Volume 3 (October 2015) by South African Railways Illustrated

South African Railways Illustrated Volume 3

October 2015

South African Railways Illustrated Editor / Design & Layout

Charles Baker Email Telephone Cell

Photographers / Contributors

Fanie Kleynhans Greg Hart Lindsay Bridge Noel Welch James Lee Attwell Jacque Wepener Mark Berry John Middleton

Proof Reader

Dave Gallop

Advertising / Sponsorship

Charles Baker

sarillustrated@gmail.com

(031) 337-7760 082 923 4868 Joyce Van Der Vyver Japie Terblanche Chris Schutte Aidan McCarthy Charles Baker Les Pivnic Eddie Buckle

Front Cover Photo. The stunning ex South African Railways Class 5E1 Series 5 locomotive, E1123, now part of the Rovos Rail “Pride Of Africa” fleet, is pictured here at Krugersdorp Station in Gauteng. Photo – Fanie Kleynhans (2nd May 2014).

Back Cover Photo. Class 35, 35-026, leads a holiday special up the climb from Ashton towards Bonnievale in the Western Cape. Photo – Fanie Kleynhans (27th December 2005).

Special acknowledgement and appreciation to Col. André Kritzinger and the “List of South African Locomotives” on Wikipedia (the free online Encyclopaedia), the preferred SA locomotive reference and research source of SARI.

Contents – Volume 3 Page 4.

Editor’s Comment

Page 5.

KZN Black & White Photo Gallery

Page 10.

Class 43 Diesels 43 001 & 43 002

Page 13.

Featured Station Layout Diagram – Belmont

Page 15.

Steam Power on the S.A.R. (Part 1)

Page 23.

Free State Photo Gallery

Page 28.

KZN Colour Photo Gallery

Page 39.

Shutdown – Eagles Crag Station

Page 43.

The Lindsay Bridge Retro Photo Gallery

Page 45.

The Class 44 Arrival – Durban Harbour

Page 48.

Western Cape Photo Gallery

Page 54.

Saiccor No. 3 Ex SAR Class 19D No. 2767

Page 57.

Drawing – 2 Doll Bracket Home Signal

Page 58.

Highveld Photo Gallery

Page 67.

Rovos Rail Class 5E1 Series 5 Locomotives

Page 70.

The Class 22E Arrival – Durban Harbour

Page 72.

The Last Days Of The Class 5E / 6E Family

© COPYRIGHT STATEMENT All Rights Reserved. All the photos / images, sponsored adverts and text contained in South African Railways Illustrated are copyright, and remain the property of, and / or under the control of their original authors / photographers and South African Railways Illustrated. None of the content may be copied, saved (stored on a PC or / Retrieval System), shared or posted / distributed on other web pages or websites, either in part or in full, without the written permission of the editor of South African Railways Illustrated or the original author / photographer.

Editor’s Comment The contributors to South African Railways Illustrated Volume 3 (October 2015) have provided the content to, what I believe is, a wonderfully balanced, interesting and informative issue. My sincere thanks and appreciation to all involved! The regional photo galleries offer up a super mix of photos once again from around South Africa, showcasing a wide range of modern motive power and from some lovely locations around the country. The “Lindsay Bridge Retro Photo Gallery” contains just four photos, but they really are true gems in terms of subject, and I’m sure they will prove very popular with readers. South African Railway history enthusiasts and steam lovers are in for a real treat, with part one of a four-part series of articles entitled “Steam Power On The South African Railways”, originally released in the SASSAR magazines between April 1967 and September 1968. Also included in this issue is a photo report of the arrival of the first four Class 44 diesel locomotives in Durban, as well as the first batch of Class 22Es. In keeping with the theme of “new arrivals”, I included photos of the first two Class 43s, 43 001 and 43 002, as they left KwaZulu Natal on the 28th January 2011 for Koedoespoort. It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of the Rovos Rail Class 5E1 Series 5 locomotives, and much to my delight, they feature fairly prominently on various pages throughout this issue. Vintage electric classics, providing wonderful eye candy around the Highveld! Will the day ever come that they work the “Pride Of Africa” inter-regionally? The featured Station Layout Diagram this month is Belmont Station, situated on the line between Kimberley and De Aar. We finish off with an interesting look at “The Last Days Of The Class 5E / 6E Family”. Until next time, enjoy the read! Charles Baker

KZN Black & White Photo Gallery

Above: Class 6E1s and the daily working to NPC (Natal Portland Cement) at Simuma, headed by E1702, are pictured here passing through Hibberdene on the KwaZulu Natal South Coast (15th April 2011). Below: Class 18E, 18-411, with a load of containers (probably destined for Kazerne in Johannesburg) has just entered Estcourt Station from the Pietermaritzburg side (12th June 2011). Photos – Charles Baker.

Above: Class 39s at the Richards Bay Locomotive Depot at Nsezi, 39-239 / 39-203 / 39-241, await their next duty assignments. Below: Class 11Es, headed by E11032, on the Richards Bay Coal Line, working empties through Ulundi Station. Photos – Charles Baker (10th March 2012).

Above (Top): Empangeni Station from the footbridge (10th March 2012). Above (Bottom): Class 43 and Class 39 diesel locomotives at the Richards Bay Locomotive Depot at Nzezi – 43 005 and 39-248 (10th March 2012). Below: Class 34 (200) diesel locomotives, 34-232 & 34242, working a short timber waste train in the rain at Richards Bay (16th December 2010). Photos – Charles Baker.

Above: Class 6E1s, E1557 & E1524, are passing through Umlaas Road with a load of cement. Shortly after this photo was taken, the Class 6E1s were totally withdrawn from freight duties on the Natal Main Line (9th October 2010). Below: Class 18E, 18-096, enters Glencoe Station in Northern KwaZulu Natal with a grain train (12th February 2011). Photos – Charles Baker.

Above: A load of Toyota Hilux bakkies, headed by Class 18E, 18-161, passes through Balgowan in the KwaZulu Natal Midlands bound for Johannesburg (12th February 2011). Below: Class 19Es and an empty coal train pass through Nsezi in Richards Bay, headed by 19 010, while Class 37, 37-052, moves some empty timber wagons (8th December 2013). Photos – Charles Baker.

Class 43 Diesels 43 001 & 43 002 On the 28th January 2011, the first two Class 43 Diesel Locomotives (GE C30ACi), 43 001 & 43 002, were dead hauled from Durban up to Koedoespoort. They had arrived by sea a few days earlier in Durban Harbour from America. Class 18Es, 18-248 & 18-265, were assigned the duty of getting the much talked about locomotives to their destination in Pretoria, for their acceptance trials and testing before entering service. (Photos – Charles Baker).

Above & Below: The first glimpse that we had of Transnet Freight Rail’s brand new Class 43s, 43 001 & 43 002, on their journey out of Durban through to Koedoespoort in Pretoria, with Class 18E, 18-248 in charge, was at Delville Wood Station near Shongweni. The empty timber wagons were part of the consist purely for braking system purposes. At this stage of the journey the “Class 43 Special” was running bang on time according to the running time schedule that the RSSA had kindly put out to enthusiasts, but a CTC problem in the KZN Midlands a little later, saw trains standing all over the place, which naturally affected the special’s running times.

Above (Top): “Class 43 Special” at Willow Farm Crossing in Umlaas Road. Above (Bottom): “Class 43 Special” at Boughton Station in Pietermaritzburg. Below: The weather had improved a lot when the “Class 43 Special” made a brief stop at Lions River Station in the KwaZulu Natal Midlands so that 43 001 and 43 002 could be given a quick inspection / check.

Above & Below: A CTC / Signalling problem, that was affecting the entire KwaZulu Natal Midlands (and beyond), saw the “Class 43 Special” having to make a stop on the Balgowan side of Lidgetton Station. This was to be the last stop for us following the train, as it was getting late, the weather was worsening and there was no end in sight to the CTC / Signal problem.

Featured Station Layout Diagram - Belmont Above: Greg Hart has, as always, beautifully redrawn the station layout diagram of Belmont Station, situated 89 kilometres out of Kimberley in the Northern Cape, on the line heading towards De Aar. Below: Class 7E, E7078, heads one of the big manganese trains (104 Wagons), which are regular traffic on the line through Belmont Station from Kimberley to Port Elizabeth (29th December 2010). Photo – Charles Baker.

Above & Below: Belmont Station on the 30th December 2010. The station was still in pretty good shape at the time these photos were taken, due to the fact that the last official Station Master still lived on the property and kept a watchful eye on things. Photos – Charles Baker.

Steam Power on the South African Railways By H.L. Pivnic A brief study of the evolution of the standard gauge steam power on the South African Railways. This series of articles originally appeared in the SASSAR Magazine between April 1967 and September 1968.

(Part One – April 1967) The evolution of the steam locomotive in South Africa is indeed a part of the history of South Africa itself. The “iron horse” was one of the major contributing factors to the growth of our fair land. In the annals of South African history, railways and thereby the steam locomotive, played a major role in the building of this country to what it is today. However, it is not only those early pioneering locomotives which can lay claim to fame, indeed, the glory must be shared by the magnificent family of locomotives which followed in their footsteps. It is the evolution of these more recent S.A.R. standard gauge locomotives that the writer will deal with in this series of articles. Taking up the story at the time of Union in 1910, let us first review what the late Mr. D.A. Hendrie, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the newly formed S.A.R., had at his disposal in the form of existing motive power. Dealing only with the more important locomotive types contributed by the pre-Union systems, let us begin with the locomotives from the Cape Government Railways. By far the most important contribution of the C.G.R., was the various locomotive types forming the S.A.R. Classes 6, 7 and 8. These locomotives, designed by the late Mr. H.M. Beatty, had already given some years of stalwart service; however, on the S.A.R. they were to prove absolutely invaluable in the years to come. In fact even now, there are still a number of 6th, 7th and 8th Class locomotives in service after, in some cases, no less than 75 years. Another two important contributions from the C.G.R., were the S.A.R. Classes 4 and 5. The original Class 4 was improved upon soon after Union, which resulted in the Class 4A. The ten Class 4As, which have all been reboilered (thus Class 4AR), are still doing useful work, mainly shunting, and are stationed at the Krugersdorp Running Sheds. The 5th Class was subdivided into Classes 5A and 5B. Strangely, the Class 5 itself was the last and therefore the latest of the 5th Class variations to be placed in service. Similarly to the Class 4A, the Class 5 was also an improvement of her type introduced after Union. The 5A and 5B were nicknamed the “Karoo Class” and were intended for express passenger work between Touws River, De Aar and Kimberley. They were also the first tender locomotives 15

in South Africa to have the Pacific 4-6-2 wheel arrangement. The 5th Class was a bigger variation of the 5A and 5B and was thus known as the “Enlarged Karoo”. This type was a departure from the usual C.G.R. locomotive practice, in that it had a Belpaire firebox. A number of these locomotives were also reboilered with Watson’s standard boiler, resulting in Classes 5BR and 5R. Of the whole 5th Class family, there is only one locomotive left in service, which is 5R No. 781 stationed at Capital Park sheds in Pretoria. The Natal Government Railways’ locomotive contribution was less spectacular than that of the C.G.R., mainly due to the fact that the N.G.R. operated a large number of tank locomotives which, although excellent machines in their own right, were not of much use except for shunting on the newly formed S.A.R. system. However, let me hasten to add, that of the ex N.G.R. tender locomotives, the “Hendrie A” (S.A.R. Class 2) and the “Hendrie D” (S.A.R. Class 3) were to be the basis for the designs of the S.A.R. Classes 16 and 12 respectively. It need hardly be added that the Class 12 and 16 were to prove brilliantly successful in S.A.R. service.

Above: S.A.R. Class 1A No. 1300, built by North British Locomotive, which entered service in 1910 as N.G.R. No. 24. An N.G.R. (Natal Government Railway) contribution. Even the famous “Hendrie B” (S.A.R. Class 1) has proved extremely useful on the S.A.R. In all fairness it should also be added that the tank locomotives, particularly the “Reid” tanks (S.A.R. Class H) have and still are rendering useful service on shunting duty. Soon after Union Mr. Hendrie introduced an improvement on his Class 3. Classified Class 3B, these locomotives entered service in 1912. 16

Above: Class 10B, a Central South African Railways (C.S.A.R.) masterpiece. The two mallet types contributed by the N.G.R. (S.A.R. Classes MA and MB), unfortunately, like most of the other mallets, proved to be of little value, hampered as they were by their small coupled wheels. The Central South African Railways (late Imperial Military Railways, late NZASM), contributed a fantastic contrast in steam motive power. Their contribution ranged from hopelessly outdated (for main-line work) tank locomotives such as the ex NZASM 46 ton 0-4-6 tank, to the magnificent Pacifics such as the S.A.R. Class 10B, which comfortably handled crack main-line expresses. Here again I must add that the ex NZASM 46 ton tanks, were also in their own right wonderful locomotives; a statement which is borne out in the fact that some of these old timers are still rendering useful service on various mine properties along the Reef. However, the C.S.A.R.’s most valuable contribution was undoubtedly Classes 10, 10B and 10C, and to a slightly lesser extent, the Class 11. At this juncture, it should be added that deliveries of Class 10B locomotives continued after Union, in fact the last Class 10Bs entered service in 1912. The Class 10 locomotives are still hard at work (mainly shunting) around Port Elizabeth, while the remaining 10Bs now reboilered (thus 10BR), are still handling passenger trains between Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage. The Class 10C locomotives were actually ordered by the C.S.A.R. Administration for suburban work between Randfontein and Springs. However, these locomotives were only delivered after Union, whereupon Mr. Hendrie decided better use could be made of them, handling main-line passenger trains on the light 60lb rail section between Klerksdorp and Kimberley. All the 10C locomotives save two, have been reboilered with the standard Watson boiler. The reboilered locomotives classified Class 10CR, have given years of stalwart service on suburban work around Cape Town, while the two unreboilered Class 10C locomotives have also given excellent service and are now employed on shunting duty at Coligny in the Western Transvaal. The 2-8-2 Class 11, which incidently was the heaviest locomotive of its type on 3 ft. 6 in. gauge in the world when built, has also proved extremely useful through the last sixty odd years of service. They can still be seen at work in the yards at Kimberley, Port Elizabeth, 17

and Klerksdorp etc. Two C.S.A.R. contributions of little value were the S.A.R. Class 9, a 4-6-2 of doubtful merit, and the S.A.R. Class F tank, nicknamed the “Chocolate Box” and used for a time on Reef suburban work. Also of little value were the C.S.A.R. mallets, S.A.R. Classes MD, ME and MF. Like their N.G.R. sisters, they were too clumsy on the road and lacked the speed of their nonarticulated sisters. The mallets were however, impressive for their size if nothing else; in fact the Class MD struck the sides of tunnels on her way up to the Reef from Durban, after assembly in the latter’s railway workshops. The Class MF, ordered by the C.S.A.R. but delivered after Union, was rather interesting in that it was the only mallet type designed expressly for experimental branch line service. Only one of this type was built, but she also fell into disfavour and was scrapped. The C.S.A.R. also contributed variations of the Beatty designed S.A.R. Classes 6, 7 and 8. However, as these types were originally C.G.R. locomotives, it is unfair and indeed incorrect to regard them as basic C.S.A.R. designs.

Above: The last surviving 5th Class, 5R No. 781 at De Aar. Photo – © The Late Alice Pivnic. From the foregoing, it can be readily appreciated that the late D.A. Hendrie had at the outset quite an assortment of motive power under his wing. However, he was not slow to appreciate the urgent need for bigger and more powerful locomotives, to meet the needs of the newly born and already growing Union of South Africa. Having dealt with the locomotives contributed by the pre-Union systems, and also with those improved versions of pre-Union types, let us turn our attention now to the locomotive designs, which were to flow from the drawing boards of the S.A.R.’s Mechanical Department under the extremely able direction of the first Chief Mechanical Engineer, Mr. D.A. Hendrie. 18

1912 witnessed the first S.A.R. type to be placed in service. This was the Class 12, a 4-8-2 goods locomotive, the design of which was based on the Class 3B. The Class 12 proved to be an immediate success, a fact which resulted in repeat orders being delivered over a period of 10 years. The 12th Class locomotives were intended mainly for coal traffic between Witbank and Germiston, and did indeed spend most of their time handling heavy coal trains on this section. Like most “Hendrie” locomotives, the “Twelves” have also been reboilered and are now classified 12R. After reboilering they have continued to give useful service and can still be found hard at work (mainly shunting) in various parts of the country. For numerical convenience, we must at this stage very briefly deal with a type which was introduced by the C.S.A.R. in 1905. Classified 13 after Union, these tender locomotives were originally “Reid” tank engines, however, in order to cope with longer runs, it was found necessary to modify and attach tenders to them to supplement the water and coal supplies. The 13s gave excellent service even after being relegated to shunt duty. They have now all been withdrawn and scrapped. At this comparatively early stage of locomotive development, Mr. Hendrie decided to persevere with mallet type articulated locomotives. This gave rise to the birth of the Class MC, a mallet type placed in service in 1912. These locomotives were to prove quite useful, in fact, it was even decided to order an improved version, which resulted in the Class MC1 being placed in service in 1914. Soon after Union heavier and more powerful locomotives were required for the Natal Main Line. Mr. Hendrie overcame this problem in an extremely simple way; he affected certain modifications to his 12th Class design, which basically entailed reducing the size of the coupled wheels from 4 ft. 3 ins. (Class 12) to 4 ft. The resultant shorter coupled wheelbase was ideally suited to the sharp curvature encountered on the old Natal Main Line. This modification of the 12th Class design was in fact, the birth of the Class 14. The first Class 14 entered service on the Natal Division in 1913, followed by additional locomotives of this type up until 1915. This Class, like the Class 12, also proved brilliantly successful, and was destined to give years of stalwart service. The 14th Class locomotives have since been reboilered and are thus known as Class 14R. These “Striped Tigers” as they were nicknamed are still giving valuable service, particularly on suburban work around Durban. Probably the most significant year in the entire history of S.A.R. locomotives was 1914. In spite of the outbreak of World War I, that year was to witness the birth of Hendrie’s famous 15th and 16th Class locomotives. In 1914 Mr. Hendrie also introduced a lighter version of his 14th Class. This new type classified 14A was fitted with a slightly smaller boiler, thus permitting the locomotive to run on light rail sections in the Eastern Cape and Eastern Transvaal. These locomotives also proved successful and are now all fitted with standard Watson boilers. They are all still hard at work, particularly in and around Pretoria. With the Class 14 taking care of Natal, new locomotives were urgently required to cater to the needs of both the Cape and the O.F.S., while the Transvaal also needed additional motive power. In answer to this call, Mr. Hendrie introduced a mountain type 4-8-2, with 4 ft. 9 in. coupled wheels, which was to be the birth of the famous 15th Class locomotive 19

family. He also introduced a Pacific type 4-6-2 with 5 ft. coupled wheels, which was to be the birth of yet another famous family of locomotives, the Class 16. As already mentioned, these two types were introduced in 1914. The 4-8-2 Class 15 was intended for, and did indeed spend the prime years of its life, on the lower sections of the Cape Main Line, more specifically between Cape Town and Kimberley. In 1914 the first development of the original 15th Class was also placed in traffic. This development known as the Class 15A embodied an improvement to the design of the firebox. Briefly, the new firebox was fitted with a combustion chamber. In other respects the 15 and 15A were virtually identical. The 15A with its improved firebox proved to be far more successful in service than the original Class 15.

Above: The first S.A.R. design, the Class 12. The foregoing statement is verified by the fact that no further orders were placed for Class 15 locomotives, while repeat orders for 15As were being placed in service right up until 1925. The 15A did prove to be one of Hendrie’s finest steam designs. A roomier cab was embodied in the design of the later orders of Class 15A locomotives. The 15As were to be the backbone of steam power on the Cape Main Line (south of Kimberley) for many years. All except six of this Class have been reboilered with Watson standard boilers, resulting in the well-known Class 15AR, all of which can be seen at work on various Systems of the S.A.R. At this point, it must be added that all the original 15th Class locomotives have also been fitted with standard boilers, which has brought them into line with the Class 15AR. In fact to all intents and purposes, the 15R and 15AR are 20

identical locomotives. A rather interesting anecdote surrounds the six 15A locomotives, which were not fitted with standard Watson boilers. Of the six engines, five had the wide and roomier cab, while the sixth locomotive is one of the original type 15As placed in service with the narrow and smaller cab. This “Narrow-cab” 15A is indeed a rarity, as it is the last and only locomotive still in service on the S.A.R. fitted with Hendrie’s original “Narrow-cab” design. This particular 15A is stationed at Breyten in the Eastern Transvaal. While on the subject of locomotive cab design, it might be of interest to add at this point, that drivers and firemen frowned on the Hendrie “Narrow-cab”. Their complaints concerning these cabs were fully justified, as they even had to resort to homemade leather pads, which they strapped to their legs to prevent them from burning. The confined space in these narrow cabs necessitated the seats being placed too close to the firebox backplate, which resulted in uncomfortable working conditions. Mr. Hendrie unfortunately fitted these narrow cabs to no less than seven of his original S.A.R. designs. These were Classes 12, 14, 14A, 15, 15A (first order only), 16 and 16A. However, Mr. Hendrie was not slow in responding to the numerous complaints received from running staff about working conditions on these locomotives. He promptly redesigned the cab making it wider and thus roomier, and thereafter specified this new “Wide-cab” design for all subsequent locomotive types ordered. Numerous examples of the wide cab can still be seen on those Class 12A locomotives, which have not been fitted with the standard boiler. There are of course, those five 15A locomotives already mentioned. Strangely enough, Mr. Hendrie made no effort to alter the existing narrow cabs in the railway workshops, a modification which could have been easily accomplished when the locomotives came into “Shops” for overhaul. However, his later designs, including Classes 16B, 16C, 15A (repeat orders), 12A, 12B etc, were all fitted with the wide cab.

Above: A Class 15A with the narrow cab. 21

The reader might be surprised to learn that there are still two Classes to deal with, which were originally placed in service in 1914. One of these is the Class 16. This highly successful 4-6-2 was to be the first of a long line of illustrious Pacifics on the S.A.R. The Class 16 originally entered service on the easier sections of the Johannesburg – Durban main line, while they also worked in the O.F.S., and between Johannesburg and Klerksdorp. In later years, particularly the early Thirties, they were employed on the Johannesburg – Pretoria passenger trains. The Class 16 locomotives have all since been fitted with standard boilers, resulting in the Class 16R, a locomotive type which we will deal with later. Today the 16R locomotives are employed on various light duties around Durban, Pretoria and on the Reef. 1914 also witnessed the birth of a mallet type, which was to outlive all other mallets on the S.A.R. This was the Class MJ. A repeat order for this type was delivered in 1920. Unlike the other mallets, which fell into disfavour, examples of the Class MJ were destined to serve the S.A.R. for more than 46 years. It is quite significant that the last two surviving MJ locomotives drew praise from the public in the final days of their lives. They spent this “Eleventh Hour” of their lives shunting at Cambridge near East London. It was while the MJ locomotives were employed on this work, that members of the public wrote to the Administration, praising the quite operation of the shunting locomotives at Cambridge. In fact, when the old MJ locomotives finally “gave up the ghost”, the residents of Cambridge complained bitterly of the quiet locomotives being replaced by noisy ones! The unusually quiet exhaust-bark or “bark” is an inherent characteristic of the mallet principle. No one can deny that although the Class MJ was the last survivor of an unpopular family of locomotives, they certainly met with public approval, right to the end of their long if not illustrious lives. To be continued in SARI Volume 4 (November 2015).

Free State Photo Gallery Above: Class 35 (200), 35-213, in her new PRASA (Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa) livery is pictured here at Bloemfontein Locomotive Depot. Below: PRASA AFRO 4000 locomotives, 4006 / 4004 at Bloemfontein Station. Photos – Jacque Wepener (26th June 2015).

Above: Class 36, 36-038, looking great in her new Transnet Freight Rail livery at Bloemfontein Locomotive Depot. Below: Class 34 (100), 34-108, in the purple Shosholoza Meyl livery at Bloemfontein Locomotive Depot. Photos – Jacque Wepener (26th June 2015).

Above: Class 6E1, E1317, heads an East London bound “Amatola” through Rooiwal (March 2013). Below: Class 6E1, E1317, heads the “Algoa” bound for Port Elizabeth, as it departs Koppies (May 2014). Photos – Jacque Wepener.

Above: PRASA Class 18E, 18-430, heads an East London bound “Amatola” near Leeustroom between Greenlands and Koppies (May 2014). Below: PRASA Class 18E, 18-426, and the old "Zastron" train departing from Koppies (April 2015). Photos – Jacque Wepener.

Above: Class 18E, 18-830, heads a Pretoria bound Blue Train through Jordaan. This photo was taken during the April 2015 shutdown of the Kimberley – De Aar line. Below: Class 34, 34-417, and the return working of the Welgelee pick-up (August 2015). Photos – Jacque Wepener.

KZN Colour Photo Gallery Above: Class 18E locomotives, headed by 18-681, with an empty “Python” are stopped at a red signal at Cato Ridge Station (20th June 2012). Below: Class 18E, 18-169, heads a mixed consist out of KZN over the Mooi River in the Midlands (13th October 2012). Photos – Charles Baker.

Above: 37-095, heads through Pennington Station on the South Coast with a load of empty DJ Wagons for NPC Simuma (2nd November 2012). Below: A Type 10M5 Metrorail set, Train No. 0741, arriving Platform 10 at Durban Station (3rd March 2013). Photos – Charles Baker.

Above: The RRL Grindrod / Exxaro Mining Group diesels, staged along Maydon Wharf awaiting the arrival of a ship to take them on to Brazzaville - Republic of the Congo (21st April 2013). Below: Class 43s, 43 022 / 044 / 034, at Richards Bay (5th May 2013). Photos – Charles Baker.

Above: 18-265, with a load of sugar wagons entering Colenso Station from the Durban side (15th June 2013). Below: Class 6E1s, when they still worked on the KZN South Coast, are passing through and bound for NPC at Simuma (15th April 2011). Photos – Charles Baker.

Above: A Durban bound container train, headed by 18-512, entering Pentrich Station in Pietermaritzburg (5th January 2014). Below: Class 36 (200), 36-257 / Class 8E, E8032 / Class 6E1, E1511 at Bayhead (4th March 2011). Photos – Charles Baker.

Above: Transnet Freight Rail's Phelophepa Health Train passing through Umkomaas at sunrise with Class 37s, 37-048 & 37-044 (22nd February 2014). Below: 18-258 and a container train climbs away from Georgedale up towards Cato Ridge (17th May 2012). Photos – Charles Baker.

Above: A short cement train, with Class 18E 18-237 in charge, climbs away from Georgedale up towards Cato Ridge (17th May 2012). Below: The same short cement train as above, with 18237, and 18-639 (in the red TFR livery) working as the second unit, has worked its way through Cato Ridge / Umlaas Road / Ashburton / Pietermaritzburg and is now negotiating the top balloon at Boughton, Pietermaritzburg (17th May 2012). Photos – Charles Baker.

Above: Class 18Es, headed by 18-636, are outward bound from Durban and passing through Umlaas Road with a load of containers (12th April 2013). Below: The same container train as above passing through Balgowan (12th April 2013). Photos – Greg Hart.

Above: Class 6E1, E1394, dead hauling (the still non-operating) KZN Business Express through Ashburton Station to Pietermaritzburg (26th February 2013). Below: Five Class 18Es have just cut off their load of C Type Wagons at Glencoe Station (4th May 2013). Photos – Greg Hart.

Above: Class 18Es and the Blue Train, headed by 18-773, passing through Umlaas Road (17th November 2013). Below: Class 18Es, headed by 18-515, with a Durban bound container train, are working down through Balgowan in the Midlands (15th October 2014). Photos – Greg Hart.

Above: Class 37, 37-082, at the Wentworth Locomotive Depot (6th July 2013). Below: Class 18Es, 18-328 and 18-387, have just cut off from the Blue Train in Durban after turning the train around through Bayhead for its return trip to Pretoria (6th July 2013). Photos – Greg Hart.

Shutdown – Eagles Crag Station The line through Eagles Crag Station in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape was a hive of activity during shutdown on the 19th August 2015, when a new crossover point was installed. Noel Welch worked two shutdown related works trains with Class 34 locomotives. The first was a rail train with Class 34, 34-031, offloading new rails between Middleton Station and Golden Valley Station. The second was a ballast train to Eagles Crag Station with 34-115, and he managed to capture this rather interesting set of photos at different phases of the operations.

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Suppliers of South African and overseas railway DVDs and books. We have been in business for over thirty years and have the largest selection in the country, over 100 titles, mostly from our own filming. We also stock local railway books, subject to availability. Please visit www.vidrail.co.za for a full listing and order form or contact Jean Dulez on Cell 083 441 5488. 42

The Lindsay Bridge Retro Photo Gallery Above: A beautiful scene at Bloemfontein Station as a Class 23 departs with a Freight Train (26th August 1968). Below: A rather smart Class 15A with a suburban passenger train is pictured here at Uitenhage Station (1st May 1969). Photos – Lindsay Bridge.

Above: A Type 5M2A suburban commuter set (Train No. 216 / Set 20) at Strand Station in the Western Cape (16th April 1969). Below: A lovely mix of liveries on these two Class 5E1 electric units working a sugar cane train in Natal (10th August 1969). Photos – Lindsay Bridge.

The Class 44 Arrival – Durban Harbour On the 8th September 2015 the first batch of four Class 44 diesel locomotives arrived in Durban Harbour from America. Built as Type GE ES40ACi, the new arrivals were hauled across to the Wentworth Locomotive Depot by Class 36 (200), 36-219, a recent repaint into the red Transnet Freight Rail livery. From Wentworth, the locomotives were then dead hauled up to Koedoespoort, Pretoria. Photos – Eddie Buckle.

Above: Class 44, 44-005, in the slings and being craned onto her awaiting bogey sets. Below: A lot of precision and co-ordination needed for the lowering of 44-005 onto her bogies for the first time on South African soil. Photos – Eddie Buckle.

Above & Below: Pictured in the small yard adjacent to the main Durban Harbour road entrance, the first four Class 44 locomotives (44 001 / 44 004 / 44 005 / 44 006) are being readied so that they can be hauled across to the Wentworth Locomotive Depot. Photos – Eddie Buckle.

Western Cape Photo Gallery Above: Class 33 (400), 33-513, leads loaded DZ Wagons into George Station from the Voorbaai yard (23rd February 2004). Photo – Fanie Kleynhans. Below: Late afternoon as a single Class 35, 35-435, heads the Malmesbury Metro between Kalbaskraal and Malmesbury (2nd August 2014). Photo – Joyce Van Der Vyver.

Above: Class 34s, 34-082 / 34-511 / 34-063, with a coal train from Bellville to Saldanha (2nd August 2014). Top (Left) Kalbaskraal / Top (Right) Kalbaskraal Station. Bottom (Left) Platteklip just outside Darling / Bottom (Right) leaving Kalbaskraal. Photos – Joyce Van Der Vyver. Below: Three Class 33 locomotives, with 33-513 leading, start the climb from the Goukou River just outside Riversdal up towards Albertinia with a load of DZ Wagons (20th November 2003). Photo – Fanie Kleynhans.

Above: Class 33s and DZ Wagons, with 33-513 leading, at Riversdal (20th November 2003). Below: A friendly wave from the driver's assistant as Class 35, 35-407, leads the Worcester to Voorbaai freight through Keurfontein (21st November 2003). Photos – Fanie Kleynhans.

Above: Class 36, 36-013, at Monte Vista heading back to the Bellville yard (9th December 2003). Below: Class 6E1s, E1950 and E1973, lead the Blue Train through Monte Vista just before the end of the trip from Pretoria to Cape Town (9th December 2003). Photos – Fanie Kleynhans.

Above: Class 35s, headed by 35-054, with a cement train for Saldanha (2nd August 2014). Top (Left) pulling into Kalbaskraal / Top (Right) accelerating out of Kalbaskraal. Bottom (Left) running over some undulating track at Platteklip outside Darling / Bottom (Right) at Mamreweg (2nd August 2014). Photos – Joyce Van Der Vyver. Below: Class 36s, 36-010 and 36-020, lead containers through Parow from the Bellville yard to the harbour (30th January 2004). Photo – Fanie Kleynhans.

Above: Four Class 6Es, headed by E1172 with a grain train through Stikland (19th January 2004). Below: Two grubby looking Class 35s, with 35-040 in the lead, depart Bellville with tankers and cement wagons behind (6th February 2004). Photos – Fanie Kleynhans.

Saiccor No. 3 ex SAR Class 19D No. 2767 Saiccor No. 3, ex South African Railway Class 19D, No. 2767 (4-8-2), now withdrawn from service following diesel replacement, was built by Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns in 1945.

Previous Page / Above / Below / Next Page: Saiccor No. 3, ex South African Railway Class 19D No. 2767, working at, or leaving, the timber exchange yard at Umkomaas on the KwaZulu Natal South Coast for the short run up to the mill (26th January 2015). Photos – Charles Baker.

Drawing - 2 Doll Bracket Home Signal Greg Hart has redrawn the 2 Doll Bracket Home Signal below from the SAR / SAS Standard Signalling General Arrangement Diagram Book.

Highveld Photo Galley Above: Class 34, 34-028, at Heuningspruit with a grain train (15th February 2014). Photo – Mark Berry. Below: Ex SAR Class 25NC No. 3442 “Anthea” (oil fired), part of the Rovos Rail fleet, is pictured here on shunt duty at Capital Park (22nd July 2011). Photo – Charles Baker.

Above: A Cape Town bound Rovos Rail set at Witfield, headed by Class 5E1, E1115 (21st August 2015). Photo – Japie Terblanche. Below: Class 34s depart Millsite / Randfontein, for Mafikeng, with tanker wagons headed by 34-456 (19th October 2008). Photo – James Lee Attwell.

Above: Newly completed Class 39s, led by 39-206, wait to be dispatched from TFR’s Koedoespoort Assembly Plant. Below: 18-406 & 18-401, at Koedoespoort, Pretoria. Photos – James Lee Attwell (19th September 2009). 18-401 is now in the blue PRASA livery during (2014).

Above: Class 6E1s, E1228 (Series 1), head through Viljoensdrif with a passenger train bound for the Eastern Cape (13th April 2008). Photo – James Lee Attwell. Below: 34-087, with a tanker mix, waits for a crossing at Battery (20th June 2010). Photo – Aidan McCarthy.

Above: Class 34, 34-085, brings a heavy load into Battery siding on the Krugersdorp / Mafikeng line (6th November 2010). Below: Class 36, 36-118, working a ballast train with a thunderstorm brewing in the background near Kendal (14th November 2010). Photos – Aidan McCarthy.

Above: Class 34, 34-121, in SAR livery starts the climb up from Battery with a load of containers on the Krugersdorp / Mafikeng line (4th June 2011). Below: Class 38, 38-023, running in diesel mode leaving Redan Station near Vereeniging (10th July 2011). Photos – Aidan McCarthy.

Above: Class 34 locomotives, with 34-402 in charge, climbing out of Koster on the Krugersdorp / Mafikeng line (17th September 2011). Below: 34-025 starts the climb up to Waterval yard from Battery with a load of containers (30th June 2012). Photos – Aidan McCarthy.

Above: 34-087 heading towards Koster with Rovos Rail on the Krugersdorp / Mafikeng line (9th August 2012). Below: 34-120 in her SAR livery heads a train to Groot Marico under an ominous sky on the Krugersdorp / Mafikeng line (11th November 2012). Photos – Aidan McCarthy.

Above: A Type 5M2A Metrorail suburban commuter set, Train No. 1065 / Set S11, departs Nigel Station, with the old semaphore signal featuring prominently. Nigel is located to the South-East of Johannesburg, just below Springs (20th June 2009). Photo – James Lee Attwell. 66

Rovos Rail Class 5E1 Series 5 Locomotives Early in 2010 Rovos Rail purchased nine Class 5E1 Series 5 locomotives at auction. These awesome classic vintage electric locomotives were designed by Metropolitan Vickers and built by Union Carriage & Wagon between 1966 and 1969. E1030, E1044, E1091, E1104, E1105, E1114, E1115, E1123 & E1127 have retained their original South African Railways running numbers now as part of the Rovos Rail fleet. They were starting to look magnificent in their exquisite new Rovos Rail livery when I visited Capital Park on the 22nd July 2011.

Above & Previous Page: The Rovos Rail Class 5E1 Series 5 Locomotives as pictured at Capital Park on the 22nd July 2011. From memory, five of the nine had already been put into the stunning Rovos Rail green and whisker livery. E1091 (ex Trans Natal locomotive) was still showing the remains of her Spoornet orange and striping livery, and E1123 and E1127 were still in the straight Spoornet orange livery. One unidentified locomotive (number) was in the shed with just a primer coat. Photos – Charles Baker. 68

Above & Below: Retired driver, Japie Terblanche, was on hand with his camera doing a spot of “trein bekruiping” outside his backyard and caught this fine Rovos Rail set, triple headed with their striking Class 5E1 Series 5 locomotives, E1115 / E1114 / E1105 (13th September 2015).

The Class 22E Arrival – Durban Harbour On the 18th August 2015 the first twelve Class 22Es direct from China arrived in Durban on board the Chipol Changjiang. Above & Left: The class Leader of the Class 22Es, 22 001, just after being set down on South African soil for the first time at O Shed in Durban Harbour. Chris Schutte was on hand with his camera while overseeing the offloading of the new locomotives.

Above: The Chipol Changjiang, herself a 2015 build, is busy docking at O Shed in Durban Harbour with the assistance of one the harbour tugs. Below: One of the first twelve Class 22E locomotives to arrive in Durban, South Africa, has just been released from the sling and set down on the wharf and is still draped in her protective covering. Photos – Chris Schutte.

The Last Days Of The Class 5E / 6E Family The very well respected and extremely knowledgeable South African locomotive authoritarian and accepted expert, John Middleton, provided this interesting summarised overview of arguably the most popular of the modern motive power family of locomotives to have worked in this country. The introduction of the first 2000 HP Class 5E in 1955 was the first in a long line of English Electric (and later AEIGEC Traction) equipped 3kv DC locomotives of similar external design, which continued in production for 30 years until delivery of the last Class 6E1 in 1985. The 220 original 5E Class were all built in England, but a more powerful 2600 HP version with detail differences such as regenerative braking was introduced in 1959 and Classified 5E1. Altogether, some 690 5E1s were built between 1959 and 1969, the first batch of 135 were built in England, but subsequent deliveries starting with E591 in 1963 were built in South Africa by Union Carriage. Above: Class 5E1 Series 2, E613 (in front), built in 1963 and Class 5E Series 1, E259 (behind), built in 1955 – Bloemfontein (August 2015). Photo – Jacque Wepener. Below: E1101 & Road Knowledge Coach No. 40117 at Cato Ridge (10th July 2012). Photo – Charles Baker.

Above: Intermodal traffic was another typical 6E1 duty and in this view E1335 of 1971 heads northbound past the waste dumps of De Beers diamond mines on the Kimberley avoiding line (15th May 2011). Photo – John Middleton. Below (Left): Class 6E, E1147, shortly after arriving in Durban with a Shongololo Express Tour Train (1st July 2012). Photo – Charles Baker. The 6E and 6E1 are externally similar to the later batches of 5E1, but mechanically they are very different. With a 3340 HP rating they are considerably more powerful than the 5E1's and this is achieved by optimising power transfer to the rails. On the 6Es this takes the form of air bellows between the frame and wheels and on the 6E1s by traction links on the outside of the bogies, this feature making the 6E1s immediately recognisable. 73

Above: Orange Spoornet livery Class 6E1, E1364, built in 1972, leads a coal drag along the busy Witbank / Germiston line under threatening skies near Oogies (15th April 2007). Photo – John Middleton. Below (Left): Certainly the “celebrity” 6E1 and now scheduled for preservation by Transnet Foundation is the high-speed record holder E1525 on a Rolmat test train under original 1923 vintage catenary at Danskraal depot (26th April 2007). Photo – John Middleton. The Class 6E1, at 860 members, is currently the largest Class numerically to have operated in South Africa. One Class 6E1 (E1600) was built as a testbed for AC locomotives and remains operational at Pyramid depot as a test locomotive, whilst another, E1525, was modified for high speed experiments and holds the world narrow gauge speed record of 245 km/h (153 mph). The latter loco is also still operational as a test loco based at Koedoespoort Works, but has been designated as a heritage asset by the SA Heritage Agency and Transnet Foundation for eventual preservation in the national collection. E1525 is fortunately usually still kept very clean, it is not thought to have ever been used in normal traffic. 74

Above: A remarkably clean Class 6E1, E1612, in the SAR red & whisker livery, probably hadn’t seen the inside of a paint shop in well over 20 years when seen at Beaconsfield (15th May 2011). Photo – John Middleton. Below (Left): PRASA Class 6E1, E1603, straight out the Transnet Engineering Workshops at Edwin Swales Drive in Durban, passing through Clairwood on a test run to Isipingo (24th November 2014). Photo – Charles Baker. This family of 1849 locomotives hauled almost all services on the DC electrified routes of South Africa. While over 700 of the Class 6E1s have been completely rebuilt as Class 18E, the original locomotives are now in terminal decline, at least with TFR, which in mid 2015 had only 2 or 3 Class 6Es and about 30 Class 6E1s still in traffic. The PRASA examples, which number around 45 are faring a little better and a few have recently been overhauled and painted in the latest light blue livery in sharp contrast to the TFR locomotives, which are all now extremely shabby. Several Class 5E1s also remain in use, private operator Rovos Rail has nine, the BHP-Billiton Middelburg coal mine operates 12, while two others (E1101 & E1102) were upgraded by Transnet as an experiment which was not perpetuated, but they remain in use on TFR route learning trains in Natal. 75

Above (Left): The first two of this class to be put into the PRASA "blue" livery. E1667 (with E1603 behind) are Class 6E1 Series 5 electric locomotives, that originally entered service in 1976, with what was then the South African Railways (12th January 2015). Photo – Charles Baker. Below: Rovos Rail E1123, a Class 5E1 Series 5 of 1969 vintage, awaiting its next duty at Capital Park (27th March 2015). Photo – John Middleton.

Above: A very unusual train consist! Pictured here while stopped at Boughton Station in Pietermaritzburg, with this special pantograph recovery train, is Class 5E1 Series 5 locomotive, E1102 (originally built in 1968, but together with E1101, she was extensively modified in 2007 and they remain the only two of their class in service with Transnet Freight Rail), and Road knowledge Coach No. 40117 (which is fitted with locomotive driving controls, a large viewing window at each end and has a classroom type set-up in it) are, for the most part, a permanent coupling, used for driver training / road knowledge. On this occasion they have a DZ Wagon coupled to them for the purposes of collecting all the discarded pantographs from hook-ups that had occurred on the Natal Main Line between Cato Ridge and Ladysmith, which had accumulated in the months building up to this day (22nd October 2011). Photo – Charles Baker. Below (Left): Class 6E1 Series 3, E1394, built in 1972/3, is still at the yard in Durban with an uncertain future. A possible conversion / upgrade to Class 18E can be ruled out now, as the conversion programme that had run at Koedoespoort in Pretoria since 2000 came to an end earlier this year. It’s a pity that this locomotive was not one of the six Class 6E1 locomotives that were recently given a makeover by Transnet Engineering in Durban for PRASA. Staged under the Argyle Road Bridge are (from left to right) 18-402 / 18-433 / 18-424 / E1394 (25th April 2015). Photo – Charles Baker. 77