Ulolwe Vol 2 Issue 11 by Hennie Heymans

THE ULOLWE SOUTH AFRICA – SUID-AFRIKA A monthly railway research / historical publication ‘n Maandelikse spoorweg historiese en navorsing publikasie Vol 2 No 12 Un-official / Nie-Amptelik - Gratis Everything to do with the former SA Railways: i.e. lighthouses, harbours, staff, photos, books, RMT, stations, tugs, SAR Police, SAA, catering, pipelines, stamps, models, rolling stock, armoured trains, diagrams, etc

Hennie Heymans, Pretoria, ZA heymanshb@gmail.com December 2011

[Photo: Hennie Heymans]

Patron - Les Pivnic - Beskermheer 1

Contents Welcome - Welkom .................................................................................................................................... 4 Front Cover - Voorblad ............................................................................................................................. 5 Editorial ....................................................................................................................................................... 5 Main Story / Hoofberig - Shaun Carl le Roux ........................................................................................ 5 Bloutrein loop ’n bloutjie - Leighton Koopman ............................................................................. 5 Wepener’s Perambulations – Jacque Wepener [Welkom].................................................................... 7 Hennie Heymans’ perambulations........................................................................................................ 13 Railway History ....................................................................................................................................... 16 - CGR:................................................................................................................................................. 17 - NGR ................................................................................................................................................. 17 - OVSS ................................................................................................................................................ 17 - NZASM : Rosa Swanepoel ................................................................................................................... 17 - - Gerrit Adriaan Arnold Middelberg .......................................................................................... 18 - - NZASM-Huis ............................................................................................................................... 19 - - L.R. Middelberg het in 1958 die volgende oor die huis vertel. ............................................. 21 - - Bibliografie ................................................................................................................................... 27 - Anglo Boer War - IMR .................................................................................................................. 28 - South African Railways & Harbours Regt – Dave Fortune ......................................................... 28 - SAR: 19D 2690 at Wakkerstroom................................................................................................. 29 Transnet 6E1-1434 : Vaughn Mostert ................................................................................................... 29 Photographs .............................................................................................................................................. 31 Stations .................................................................................................................................................. 31 USR historic coaches, Masons’ Mill – Jacobus Marais ........................................................................ 32 2

Old Free State mainline alignments ...................................................................................................... 34 Railway People – Spoorwegmense: Ben Schoeman – L Pivnic.......................................................... 35 Diagram of Loco 805 in its original form - HBH.......................................................................... 36 Book Shelf: 1.Ben Schoeman ................................................................................................................... 36 2. The Journal of the MOUNTAIN CLUB of South Africa – Stan Kantor ........................................ 39 RMT............................................................................................................................................................ 40 South African Airways: Johan Botha .................................................................................................... 43 Harbours

- Pierre de Wet ................................................................................................................. 44

Pipelines .................................................................................................................................................... 44 Catering Division - 1933: Pierre de Wet ............................................................................................... 45 SAR Police ................................................................................................................................................. 50 1. Bloemfontein Charge Office – Dave Fortune ............................................................................... 50 2. Railway Police Mosselbaai William “Bill” Smith ........................................................................ 50 3. Police & Railways – HBH................................................................................................................ 51 4. Les Pivnic Remembers ex-Sgt Elliot .............................................................................................. 53 Gautrain..................................................................................................................................................... 54 Railway News & Railway Sites .............................................................................................................. 58 1. Port Elizabeth on the wild side – Rudi Venter ......................................................................... 58 2. Working on the Track nr Cedara Tunnel – Jacobus Marais ................................................... 63 3 Shunter’s Lamp – Buffalo Rally – Dries van der Merwe ......................................................... 65 South African Models .............................................................................................................................. 66 HBH’s model of No 116 NG “Etiro” ............................................................................................. 66 Photo of “Etiro” NG Dining Car - Charlie Lewis ........................................................................ 66 3

Terry Rowe’s NG No 659 ................................................................................................................ 66 News about SAR Models – Adrian Hill ............................................................................................ 68 Dream Trains ........................................................................................................................................ 71 Outside South Africa: China................................................................................................................... 72 Pandora’s Box ........................................................................................................................................... 81 Mail Bag ..................................................................................................................................................... 83 1. Pierre de Wet .................................................................................................................................... 83 2. Milk Wagons etc - Pierre de Wet ................................................................................................... 84 3. Calendar: Atlantic Rail – Jenny Class 24 No 3655: Stefan .......................................................... 86 4 Andre Kritzinger ............................................................................................................................... 86 5 Bruno Martin ..................................................................................................................................... 89 6 Bruno Martin ..................................................................................................................................... 89 Elephant-style in the Eastern Free State................................................................................................ 89 Indemnity / Vrywaring ........................................................................................................................... 90 Geseënde kersfees & voorspoedige Nuwejaar! ........................................................................... 90 Next Issue .................................................................................................................................................. 90

Welcome - Welkom A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our readers and rail fans! Thanks for your photographs, scans and articles. Last month 145 people read The Ulolwe on ISSUU. The number of readers is going down! However we will try harder to present an interesting magazine! Geseënde kersfees en voorspoedige nuwe jaar vir al ons treinvriende. Dankie vir u insette en bydrae in terme van berigte en foto’s. Verlede maand het slegs 145 persone Die Ulolwe op ISSUU gelees. Wees verseker ons probeer ons bes om ‘n interessant tydskrif daar te stel in ‘n poging om ons erfenis te bewaar vir ons nageslag! 4

Front Cover - Voorblad On a trip with Bosveld Train Safari’s old Boon Boonzaaier had the train stopped at this beautiful waterfall near Hammarsdale. I took the picture. I was very difficult to get the complete waterfall in, from the top to bottom, and the electric units without falling from the line down into the grammadoelas below!

photography can be a dangerous profession!

Editorial The main thing on my mind is that the Blue Train has been involved in another incident. This is the flagship of our railways! Only special grade drivers and assistants should work on this world renowned train. We should focus on tourism and incidents as these appear too often! Something serious is wrong!

Main Story / Hoofberig - Shaun Carl le Roux Shaun brought the following news report that appeared in Die Burger to our notice

Bloutrein loop ’n bloutjie - Leighton Koopman 2011-12-01 00:00 - Matjiesfontein Passasiers op die Bloutrein is gisteraand per bus na Kaapstad vervoer nadat die lokomotief op die stasie hier teen waens gebots het. Die trein het aanvanklik Dinsdagoggend van Pretoria af hier aangekom. Mnr. Mike Asefovitz, woordvoerder van Transnet Spoorvrag, het gesê die trein het ’n ongeskeduleerde stop op Matjiesfontein gedoen omdat daar probleme was met die oorhoofse kabels by Hexrivier. Die passasiers wat toe aan boord was, is met busse Kaapstad toe gebring.

Teen gisteroggend is die oorhoofse kabels, wat blykbaar gesteel is, nog nie vervang nie en die groep passasiers wat op Kaapstad-stasie op die trein moes klim, is met ’n bus Matjiesfontein toe geneem om daar die trein te haal. Intussen is ’n lokomotief uit die noorde gestuur om die trein Pretoria toe te trek. Aggressiewe rangering Die masjinis was gistermiddag besig om die lokomotief te haak toe hy na bewering te vinnig beweeg en teen die eerste wa gebots het. “Die aggressiewe rangering het die trein beskadig,” het Asefovitz gesê. Niemand is in die voorval beseer nie. ’n Hele paar passasiers het gister uit frustrasie in die Lord Milner-hotel hier gaan sit en iets kouds bestel. Twee busse is uit Kaapstad laat kom om die passasiers tot in die Moederstad te bring. Hulle het gesê hulle is verlig toe hulle uiteindelik gisteraand omstreeks 19:30 vertrek het. Die Burger is nie toegelaat om met hulle te praat of om die trein af te neem nie. Volgens Asefovitz word al die passasiers vandag na Johannesburg teruggevlieg. Ingenieurs is ingeroep om die skade te kom herstel. Die skade is na verneem word nie te erg nie, maar die omvang daarvan sal eers vasgestel kan word nadat ingenieurs na die trein gekyk het. Sekerheidswagte is gisteraand ontplooi om die trein deur die nag te bewaak. - Die Burger Synopsis: Our flagship the Blue Train had to halt at the historic Matjesfontein as the overhead wires had been “acquired” for illegal purposes near Hex River. Passengers to Cape Town were taken south by bus. In the meantime the locomotive sent to fetch the stranded Blue Train collided to the Blue Train and caused damage! Passengers had to 6

make use of busses and air transport. No interviews with passengers and no photographs were allowed.

Wepenerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Perambulations â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jacque Wepener [Welkom] The Blue Train captured at Grasslands by J & J Wepener

Bloemhof

Between WelgeleĂŤ and Theron

At Grasslands

At Leeudoringstad

At Makwassie

Near old Saaiplaas 3 shaft

Train with a weigh bridge in the consist

Between Wesselsbron and at Losdorings

Hennie Heymans’ perambulations Lourens Sturgeon went to visit his father Hansie Sturgeon at Rovos Rail. Our plan was to take pictures of the Rovos 5E1’s taking the train from Capital Park to Germiston. However we missed the train! Here is a picture or two taken in November 2011 capturing live steam – both Lourens and I remarked how nice the locomotive smelled of steam, coal and oil! Not a aroma or ambience to be found often!

The former â&#x20AC;&#x153;Spier Trainâ&#x20AC;? now resplendently clad in Rovos livery or former Rhodesian Railways coaches with an old SAR guardsvan - HBH

Signal gantry with the sun setting behind it creating an atmospheric picture â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not in the Karoo but in the centre of Pretoria at Capital Park.

Railway History

- CGR: - NGR - OVSS

- NZASM : Rosa Swanepoel Ek het ‘n baie interessante beskrywing in ‘n ou koerant gelees van die sogenaamde NZASM huis wat op die noord westelike hoek van Mark- en Maréstraat [vandag Paul Kruger- en Jacob Maréstraat] gestaan het. Net ‘n blote beskrywing van ‘n gebou is vir my maar baie oninteressant. Daarom het ek ‘n bietjie meer agtergrond oor die gebou en die mense wat daarin gewoon het gaan soek. Die NZASM het ontstaan uit die strewe van die ZAR na ‘n eie verbinding met ‘n nieBritse seehawe ter wille van kontak met die buiteland.

Die Nederlandsche Zuid-

Afrikaansche Spoorweg-Maatschappij [NZASM] is op 21 Junie in Amsterdam gestig. Die nie-amptelike afkorting van die naam Die Nederlandsche Zuid-Afrikaansche Spoorweg-Maatschappij in Suid-Afrika is ZASM, maar die korrekte afkorting is NZASM (spreek uit: enzassem) en verdien die voorkeur [Pr-86 p28]. Tydens die ontwikkeling van die Witwatersrand het Transvaal nog nie oor ‘n moderne infrastruktuur beskik nie. Dit het al spoedig duidelik geword dat die stadige vervoer per ossewa nie aan die toenemende eise van die groeiende aantal goudmyne en nuwe myndorpe kon voldoen nie. Die myne het onder meer groot behoefte aan steenkool vir die aandryf van hul masjiene en ander installasies gehad.

Kort na 1886 – die

ontdekking van gouderts aan die Rand – is steenkool by die latere dorp Boksburg gevind, maar die groot vraag was hoe om hierdie energiebron goedkoop, vinnig en doelmatig na die myne te vervoer [Pr-93 p3]. In 1888 het die Volksraad van die Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek [ZAR] daarom besluit om ‘n konsessie vir die aanlê en die van eksploitasie [bedryf] van die sogenaamde “Randtrem” tussen Boksburg en Johannesburg toe te staan. Op 20 Julie 1888 is die konsessie aan die NZASM toegestaan en is ‘n kontrak tussen die ZAR-regering en die Maatskappij gesluit [Pr-92 p6].

Daarna het verskeie ander kontrakte gevolg en die aanleg en bedryf van amper alle spoorweë in Transvaal voor 1900 was in die hande van hierdie maatskappy.

Die

Maatskappy was verantwoordelik vir die bou van verskillende geboue in Pretoria en ook in die res van die Transvaal. NZASM huis is een van hierdie geboue en is gebou as woonhuis en kantoor vir die besturende direkteur G.A.A. Middelberg.

- - Gerrit Adriaan Arnold Middelberg Middelberg is gebore op 26 [21?] Junie 1846 in Boskoop, Zuid-Holland en oorlede op 6 Maart 1916 in Loenersloof [Loenersloot], Utrecht. Hy was ‘n spoorwegingenieur wat in Zurich (1863 - 1864) aan die Politegniese Skool te Hannover (1868) opgelei is. Hy werk in Pruise en Engeland, by die Nederlandse spoorweë in België en word in 1873 hoofingenieur by die Hollandse Ijzeren Spoorwegmaatskappy tot 1889. Vervolgens word hy mededirekteur van die NZASM (1890) en vestig hom na ‘n paar werkbesoeke in 1894 in Pretoria tot 1899. Hy trou met Leopoldina Hallman, hulle het ses kinders gehad. Ingenieur Middelberg tree in 1898 af nadat die NZASM tot bloei gebring is [Dej-02 p272; [Plo-02 p93].

Mnr. en Mev. G.A.A. Middelberg [The-02 p166] 18

Vestig hom sedert 1894 in met sy gesin in Pretoria. Sy huis word bekend omrede sy gasvryheid en die musiekaande. Hy toon insig in die ingewikkelde politieke probleme van die land en werk nou saam met die regering waar hy President Kruger en die uitvoerende raad adviseer. Hy gaan in 1898 met pensioen en verlaat Pretoria in 1899. Hy word opgevolg deur jhr. Kretschmar van Veen [Dej-02 p272]. In 1898 en 1889 is G.A.A. Middelberg lid van die kommissie in beheer van die Volkshospitaal1 in Pretoria en ook een van die kuratore van die Staatsgymnasium wat deur die staat aangestel is.

Hy tree vanaf 1897 tot 1899 op as voorsitter van die

Nederlandse Vereniging [NZAV] in Pretoria. Hy is ook een van die kuratore van die mynskool wat in 1896 gestig is. [Dej-02 p251; Dej-01 p233; Sta-02; Sta-03] On 1904 is hy onder diegene wat die stoflike oorskot van President Kruger van Nederland na Suid-Afrika begelei. Van 1899-1911 was hy voorsitter van NZAV in Amsterdam [Plo-02 p93]. Die Stadsraad van Pretoria het die naam Bergstraat in Sunnyside verander in Middelbergstraat na ‘n aanbeveling deur die Stadsraad se straatnamekomitee in 1967 [Pr-89 p64]. Ons leer hom intiem ken uit sy talryke briewe wat hy uit Pretoria na sy familie in Nederland gestuur het. Die briewe gee insig in die karakter van Middelberg en sy huisgenote, en die lewe van ‘n deftige Nederlandse gesin in Pretoria in 1890-1899. Hulle gee somtyds ‘n blik agter die skerms van die hoë politiek.

Die leser sien

Middelberg as spoorwegbestuurder, gesinsvader, gasheer op tal van musiekaande en ontvangste in sy gasvrye, druk besoekte huis. Die briewe is gepubliseer in die HertzogAnale van Julie 1953 [Pr-89 p64-67].

- - NZASM-Huis Daar bestaan onduidelikheid oor die begin geskiedenis van hierdie huis. Volgends De Volksstem2 is dit definitief in 1889 voltooi en bestem as woonhuis vir die hoofingenieur van die NZASM. Die argitek was Klaas van Rijsse [jnr] en die bouaannemer was W.A. de Rapper.

1 2

As die inligting oor Middelberg korrek is het hy hom eers in 1894

Later die HF Verwoerd-hospitaal, nou die Steve Biko-hospitaal - HBH Dutch spelling, in Afrikaans it is Volkstem - HBH

permanent in Pretoria gevestig. Wie voor hom in die huis gewoon het is nie bekend nie.

NZASM Huis van G.G.A. Middelberg Die volgende beskrywing van die huis kom uit De Volksstem van Maandag 24 Junie 1889: Wij waren in de gelengedheid een kijkje te nemen in het nieuwe gebouw, dat de Nederlandsch Spoorwegmaatschappij heeft does zetten op den hoek van de Mark-en Marestraten, als woning voor den hoofdingenieur. De architekt, die de plannen van het huis ontwerp, was de heer K. van Rijsse Jr, en de aannemer, de heer W.A. de Rapper, beide van Pretoria. Het uitwendige van het gebouw in oogenschouw te worde, het keurig uitgoeverde pleisterwerk. Als een mooi stuk timmerwerk moet de veranda word geprezen, ook het dakhek op den dak is keurig gesmeed. In een woord sowel de details als de verbouinge van het geheel doen ontwerper en uitvoerder der plannen eer aan.

Her huis binnentredende, komt men allereerst in een trapportaal-vestibule,

omringd door de verskillende kamers. Het huis bevat op sijn twee verdieppings twaalf kamers, groot en klein. Het binnewerk van die kamers laat niets te wense over. Vooral de betimmering van de ontvangskamer is seer net, daartoe brengt een in renaissancestijl opgetrokken schoorsteen-betimmering veel bij, dese kamer is de enige, die met een gestukeerd plafon voorsien is. Ter sijde van het hoofdgebouw bevinde sich stal, koetshuis, woning voor dienspersoneel ens. Het geheel werk dat bijna een jaar geduurt 20

heeft, kostte ongeveer â&#x201A;¤6,000. Wij wenschen de bij den bouw betrokken partijen geluk met den afloop van dit werk en hopen, dat nog vele dergelijke gebouwen in de toekomst het hunne zallen bijdragen tot versiering van ons dorp.

- - L.R. Middelberg het in 1958 die volgende oor die huis vertel. [Gepubliseer in Pr-26 p25-29] Hoe interessant hierdie ou gebou werklik is, het ons onlangs eers besef toe ons besoek gehad het van mnr. L. R. Middelberg, een van die oorspronklike bewoners daarvan. Toe het ons vir 'n paar aangename ure weer terug bevind in die ou dae, die romantiese Republikeinse jare, en sommer meer respek gekry vir die huis, waar die Staatspresident, S. J. P. Kruger, heelwat op besoek gekom het.

Die huis kort voordat dit afgebreek is

In 1888 het die ou Nederlandsch Zuid-Afrikaanse Spoorweg Maatskappy onder leiding van 'n Direkteur, ingenieur G. A. A. Middelberg, vader van mnr. L. R. Middelberg, begin om 'n spoorlyn te lê vanaf die grens van Portugees-Oos Afrika na Pretoria, wat toe op 1 Januarie 1895 in gebruik geneem is.

Intussen is begin om in Pretoria 'n

ampshuis, waarin ook kantore sou wees, te bou vir die Direkteur. Hierdie huis, die Z.A.S.M.-huis is in begin 1894 voltooi en die kantoor is op 1 Februarie van die jaar gevestig, terwyl mnr. Middelberg sy gesin uit Nederland laat kom het, wie hulle toe in Junie in die huis gevestig het. Mnr. en mev. Middelberg en drie van hulle kinders, waarvan mnr. L. R. Middelberg, wat ons besoek het, die jongste was, het toe hulle in trek in die huis geneem, en, soos mnr. Middelberg ons vertel het, het dit een van die geselligste woonhuise van Pretoria geword. Daar was altyd 'n deurloop van gaste in die huis en veral het mense wat van Nederland af gekom het, gewoonlik eers vir 'n rukkie daar gewoon. [Volgens De Volkssstem is die huis reeds in 1889 voltooi en nie in 1894 nie.] Soos hy deur die kamers van die huis gewandel het, het mnr. Middelberg die ou herinneringe teruggeroep van gebeurtenisse wat hy daar meegemaak het, en kon hy talle van interessante staaltjies vertel. Op een geleentheid, het hy ook vertel, sou die Z.A.S.M. 'n mooi salonrytuig3 aan president Kruger aanbied. 'n Spesiale funksie is toe gereël vir die oorhandiging van die rytuig, wat vandag nog by die Krugermuseum in Pretoria te sien is. Op die dag voor die oorhandiging toe die ou mnr. Middelberg, die Direkteur, sy middagslapie geniet, klop daar iemand by die voordeur aan, en toe stap niemand minder dan die President self, onaangemeld, die huis binne. Hy sê toe dat hy nie meer sy nuuskierigheid kon bedwing om die "ou waentjie" te sien nie, en net gou vooraf wou kom kyk hoe hy lyk.

Dit, het mm. Middelberg vertel, was nie so 'n ongewone

gebeurtenis nie. Die President was goed bevriend met sy vader, en het ook 'n baie hoë dunk van hom gehad, en, soos uit die argiefstukke van staatsekretaris Leyds geblyk het, wou hy hom later, as die oorlog nie tussenbei getree het nie, aanstel as Staatsfinansier. Mnr. Middelberg het nog goed onthou hoe die huis bewoon was en kon selfs dadelik sien waar die gebou in later jare effens verander is. Die noordelike voorkamer was 3

SAR / SAS No 17 - HBH

byvoorbeeld die ontvangskamer terwyl die groot suidelike voorkamer die kantoor van die klerke was, en daarnaas die kantoor van sy vader. Bo het hulle almal hulle slaapkamers gehad. Van die stoep het hulle voorheen kon uitkyk op Meintjieskop, wat vandag onmoontlik is weens die baie hoë geboue tussenin. Oorkant hulle was net die huis van wyle Eddie Bourke, wat tot onlangs nog die landbouafdeling van ons Departement gehuisves het, en verder was daar in die omgewing nog maar min gebou. In 1899 is die ouers van mnr. Middelberg terug na Nederland, waar mnr. Middelberg toe 'n kommissaris van die Maatskappy geword het. Die plan was toe dat hy later sou terugkom om in die diens van die Republiek te kom, wat hy baie graag wou, aangesien hy 'n baie hoë bewondering vir president Kruger gehad het. Die jong mnr. Middelberg het toe agtergebly om sy skoolloopbaan by die Staatsgimnasium te voltooi. Hy het toe in die Z.A.S.M.-huis bly woon by die gesin van Jonkheer J. van Kretschmar van Veen, sy vader se opvolger. Hierna het hy in 1900 vir 'n tyd lank as lid van die Hollander Korps deelgeneem aan die oorlog, waarna hy terug is na Nederland. Sy belangstelling en liefde vir die jong land het groot gebly en hy was later vir 15 jaar lank Voorsitter van die Nederland-Zuid-Afrika Vereniging. In 1949 was hy met die onthulling van die Voortrekkermonument dan ook een van die vier rapportryers wat uit Nederland gekom bet. Met sy aftrede uit die Koloniale diens het mnr. Middelberg toe in 1951 na Suid-Afrika ge-emigreer om hom in Pretoria te vestig. Na die Driejarige Oorlog is die Spoorwegmaatskappy uit die gebou uitgesit, en is dit betrek deur die leër, wat vir baie jare daar gevestig was . [Ek bepaal my net by die geskiedenis van Pretoria voor 1900. Indien u meer oor die latere geskiedenis van die ou gebou wil lees raadpleeg Pretoriana nr. 26 b 25-27] Musliek aande by die familie Middelberg in die NZASM-Huis in Pretoria In die Hertzog-Annale van die Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns, Tweede Jaargang-Eerste Aflewering, Julie 1953, vind ons die besonder lesenswaardige. Briewe uit Transvaal van G. A. A. Middelberg (1896-1899)," ingelei en toegelig deur dr. F. J. du T. Spies. Hier is ‘n uittreksel uit die briewe wat dr. Herman Rex saamgestel het en wat in Pretoriana nr. 26 p29-35 gepubliseer is.

In sy inleiding verduidelik dr. Spies hoedat dit die gewoonte was van mnr, Middelberg, die voormalige Direkteur van die N.Z.A.S.M., om elke Sondagoggend briewe aan sy familielede in Europa te skryf. In die briewe kom daar talryke verwysings voor na die bekende Z.A.S.M.-huis, op die hoek van Mark- (tans Paul Krugerstraat) en Jacob Marestraat, waar die Middelberg-gesin in die loop van 1894 hulle intrek geneem het. "Sy briewe," skrywe dr. Spies, "gee 'n intieme kyk in die familielewe van die huis Middelberg; in die eerste plek van die huismoeder, meer sosiaal van geaardheid as haar eggenoot, in haar talryke daaglikse, huislike en ander pligte . . . Sy het van haar huis 'n musieksentrum gemaak, waar elke Saterdagaand die beste gehoor is wat Pretoria op die gebied kon oplewer. Reisende musici het daar dikwels 'n heenkome gevind." Aangesien die musiekaande aan die huis van die Middelbergs 'n besondere kenmerk was van die kulturele lewe in Pretoria teen die einde van die Republikeinse Bewind, word die verwysings daarna in die briewe hier in 'n artikel byeen versamel, waardeur ons 'n beter geheelbeeld van die destydse musiekbedrywigheid in die Z.A.S.M.-huis kan vorm. Zondag 3 Mei 1896. We hebben dan Donderdags onzen regelmatigen muziekavond. Tegen het souper om zeven uur komen een groot getal mooi aangekleede dames de intiemeren bij ons aanzitten. Na het souper komen nog meer mooi aangekleede dames met mannen en er komen ook mannen alleen. Twee muziekmeesters, een voor leiding en een voor accompagnement en ook eens te spelen. Alle kamers verlieht. De Heeren in mijn kamer wereldverbeteringen te maken, en de dames zingen en oefenen kwartetten, Ma vooraan en Annewim (Anna Wilhelmina Middelberg, die enigste dogter in die familie) met groote ijver en helder luid klinkende stem. Zondag 25 Junie 1897. Groote plannen worden gesmeed. We zuIlen een opendeuravond Zaterdags beginnen waarvoor regelmatig een viool-piano artist aangenomen is. Dat, met de Zondagsehe lunch, zal onze bijdrage zijn tot gezellig verkeer. Diner's worden afgeslagen en niet gegeven. De evolutie in de Engelsch sprekende wereld is gelukkig diner-afkeerig en wij volgen maar al te gaarne. Buitendien is onze omgang bijna uitsluitend met mensehen voor wie dinner's maar lastig zijn. Onze positie is nu zoo geconsolideerd dat we niet meer toenadering tot offisieĂŤle vreemde kringen of grootheden behoeven te koesteren. 24

Zondag 15 Augustus 1897. Gisteren de eerste muziekavond bij ons. Nogmaar een paar genodigden en Ma afwezig, die zich wat zwak gevoelde. Daar kwam in onze, met 112 kaarssterkten electrisch verlichte kamer de violoncel ingedragen en twee violen. En 't begon. Aanwezig de violistpianist ten Brink (musiekonderwyser te Pretoria), artist, Dr. Breyer (Dr. H. G. Breyer, onderwyser aan die Staats-gimnasuim en sedert Februarie 1897 Waarnemende Direkteur van die Mynskool), cellist en de Heer Fockens (W. J. Fockens was Sekretaris van die Volksraad) met vrouw. Daarbij de zoo nu en dan "o!" gillende Nine (Doyer, onderwyseres aan die Staatsmeisieskool), Annewim en ik. Een trio,

Sonate

van

Beethoven,

werd

allerslechst

gespeeld,

een

jammer

voor

menschenzielen. Maar toen werd het beter en we geraakten opgewekt. Toen de dames al weg waren, gingen de heeren nog naar mijn kamer om een orgelstuk te hooren door ten Brink gespeeld. Om elf was het huis donker. 't Kan wat worden, 't is mooi in mooie kamers mooie muziek te hooren - maar de geest dient er bij te zijn. Ma wiI stumperds laten bijdragen tot het genot, en we weten wat dit is, en ik wil alleen artisten, al is het er maar ĂŠĂŠn, hooren. Hier zal weer te transigeeren (gee en neem) zijn. Zondag 19 September 1897. Nog klinkt de muziek van gisteren avond in onze ooren, piano en orgel, want er kwam geen begeleider van de viool opdagen. Ik was wel wat moede en verdroogd door een dag vol zon en stof in Johannesburg . . . Ik was dan stoffig te huis gekomen en vond de brieven uit Europa, las de bekende schriftfiguren en nam de beelden in me op toen de muziek begon en aandachtig werd aangehoord door de scherp verlichte toehoorders. Ja dat is wel het eenige wichtige, vertelbare feit van de week, anders gingen de dagen en kwamen de avonden en werden we gewekt door heldere zonnestralen vroeg in den ochtend. Zondag 26 September 1897. Was gisteren avond een mooie salon bij ons. Nieuwe sympathieke gezichten, Mevr. Nieuwenhuys voor het eers na haar ziekte. Dr. Leyds speelde mooi als een volleerd artist de vioolpartij in een Mendelsohns trio. "We had den een mystiek noorse sonate van Grieg op viool en piano en een Benedictus van McKenzie evenzoo. 't Was een mooi geheel en om elf sliepen we kalm in. Wat een herinnering vol licht en kleuren en toonen voor later dagen wanneer dit alles voorbij gegaan zal zijn, om plaats te maken voor nieuwe beelden en nieuwe vormen met nieuwe menschen, of zonder menschen in nieuwe omgevingen.

Zondag 3 October 1897. Gisteren avond was de muziek uitvoering bijzonder mooi nu het strijkkwartet compleet was en twee beroepskunstenaars telde. 't Waren volle kamers, warm maar erg mooi. Zondag 12 December 1897. Dinsdag concert, de Atalia van Mendelsohn. Annewim had de sopraan solo. Een vol theater, alle menschen in rok en mooiste baatje, wij in een prosceniumloge, een echt huiselijk feest in de goede beteekenis. Het kind zong goed, had zeker de beste school van de drie solisten en 'n geheel was mooi en werkelijk edel genot gevend. Den volgenden avond dan een huwelijksfeestje voor onze loge's van Goor. (Kees van Goor was 'n amptenaar van die N.Z.A.S.M. op Waterval-Boven. Sy vrou het uit Nederland gekom.) Daar kwamen tal van Zasm met hul egades en we gaven tableaux vivants, zelf bedacht en Annewim zong met van Loenen Martinet (Amptenaar van die N.Z.A.S.M.), dat bekende duet, die twee oudjes die zich hun trouwen in de herinnering terug roepen. Het duurde tot een uur ... Zondag 13 Maart 1898. 't Was gisteren avond een uitgezochte muziekavond. Eerst tegen twaalf uur lagen we te rusten. Het regende dat het goot en zoo waren de kamers maar losjes vol en was er geen gebrek aan stoelen. Dr. Leyds speeIde viool en twee beroepskunstenaars violenceI en piano, en ze gaven een nieuw lang russisch toonwerk, wonderbaar mooi en daarna nog meer en meer. Ze hadden er lang voor gestudeerd en de eerste uitvoering was in onze zalen. 't Zal toch jammer zijn wanneer die tijden als een droom achter ons liggen. Zondag 3 April 1898. 't Zijn roezige dagen en vrije tijd hebben we niet. Nog slapen de menschen na de schitterende avond gisteren. De Volksstem had medegedeeld dat de vrienden van Mev. de Waal (eggenote van die NederIandse konsul in Kaapstad, wat by die Middelbergs in Pretoria op besoek was), verwacht werden op de gewone Zaterdagavond receptie bij de familie Middelberg. En daar stroomde het. Zestig menschen verdrongen zich in de zalen waar het groote Trio van den Rus door dr. Leyds, Reepmaker en ten Brink gespeeld werd. Mevrouw de Waal als koningin ... glimlachte tegen al die prachtig aangedane menschheid. Zondag 18 September 1898. Daar komt ene Engelsche pianiste met aanbeveling uit Johannesburg om het terrein hier te verkennen. Daar zat de goede jonge vrouw en de goede moeder begint te organiseeren. Gisteren avond was dan het debuut in ons huis, 26

na vele voorbereidingen en samenspel en met den violist. De keur der Engelsehe en Afrikaander muziekvrienden was genoodigd, van den dekaan van de bisschoppelijke kerk en den presbiteriaansehe predikant, tot een gewoon krantenmensch. Daar komt werkelijk gisteren de eerste regen na de maandenlange winterdroogte en tot overmaat van ramp gaat de electriesche straatverlichting uit en is het pik donker. Onze twec groote kamers zijn daardoor maar zoo bezet dat de mensehen met de elbogen zich niet behoeven te stooten. Zenuwachtig maar erg mooi speelde de half aan gekleede maar met vele kanten behangen Engelsche strijderes voor haar toekomst. Ze slaap nunog rustig boven.

- - Bibliografie Dej-02 :

Jong,

Robert

Cornelis;

Kulturele

lewe

van

die

Pretoriase

Nederlanders,Verhandeling Universiteit Pretoria 1980 Lug-01:

Lugtenburg, A.H; Geskiedenis van die Onderwys in die Suid-Afrikaanse

Republiek. [1836-1900], J.L. van Schaik Beperk., Pretoria. 1925 Plo-02: Ploeger, Jan [dr.];

Nederlanders in Transvaal [1850-1950],

J.L. van Schaik

Beperk., Pretoria 1994 Pr-26: Moning, H.O; â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n Belangrike Historiese Gebou: Die Z.A.S.M.-Huis, Pretoriana Nommer 27&27 [April - Augustus] 1958 Pr-86: De Jong, C; Herinneringe aan die NZASM in en om Pretoria (1),

Pretoriana

Nommer 86 [Desember] 1984 Pr-89: De Jong, C; Herinneringe aan die NZASM in en om Pretoria (4) Gerrit Adriaan Arnold Middelberg, Pretoriana Nommer 89 [April] 1986 Pr-92: De Jong, Robert C;

Beknopte geskiedenis van die Nederlandsche Zuid-

Afrikaansche Spoorweg-Maatskappij (1), Pretoriana Nommer 92 [November] 1987 Pr-93: De Jong, Robert C; Beknopte geskiedenis van die Nederlandsche

Spoorweg-

Maatschappij (3), Pretoriana Nommer 93 [April] 1988 Sta-02: Kuipers, H. Ea; Staats-Almanak v d Zuid-Afr. Republiek 1899, Staatsdrukkerij, Pretoria 1898. 27

Sta-03: Kuipers, H. Ea; Staats-Almanak v d Zuid-Afr. Republiek 1899,

taatsdrukkerij,

Pretoria 1899. The-02: Theron, Bridget; Pretoria at War, Protea Boekhuis 2000. - Anglo Boer War - IMR â&#x20AC;˘ Nothing to report

- South African Railways & Harbours Regt â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dave Fortune

Dave sent the following picture of the Roll of Honour at Bloemfontein Railway Station: Dear Dave, Thank very much - may I use this picture in the Ulolwe please? I have been looking for this photograph, and others, for a long time - later I would like to get them all, for my 28

"SAR & H Brigade & Armoured Trains"-files / series. Lest we forget! As Lawrence Binyon wrote: They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them.

• Dave Fortune has sent us all the photographs of the Memorials at Bloemfontein. More about this subject in later editions.

- SAR: 19D 2690 at Wakkerstroom

Willie du Plessis with 19D 2690

Transnet 6E1-1434 : Vaughn Mostert Vaughn Mostert sent the following from Braamfontein: Hi Hennie, hope you are keeping well. Thanks for including the pictures of the 7Es at Braamfontein. Excellent magazine. I am attaching a picture taken in Braamfontein last night (unfortunately dragged a bit – it was starting to hail and I was in a hurry) of 1434 with a “bridged” vacuum pipe. I 29

wonder what the reason is. I would have posted it to the group but I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know how. Also missing a front window, like 1467 coupled next to it. Braam is like a scrapyard these days with about 20 locos out of action. Regards, Vaughan

Note the silver pipe!

Photographs Stations

Modderpoort - HBH

Volksrust – Dries van der Merwe

USR historic coaches, Masons’ Mill – Jacobus Marais

8991

15025

15047

K-42 in old Orange Express Livery 33

Old Free State mainline alignments

Railway People – Spoorwegmense: Ben Schoeman – L Pivnic

How's this for a piece of history? The young guy standing just under the loco number plate is no other than a young Ben Schoeman when he was a fireman at Braamfontein Loco and firing to the driver (2nd left with oil can) on engine 805, class 16B, that now resides in the OTM in George. The guard is on the left and the fellow inside of Ben is thought to be Mechanical Engineer C.T. Long. That young man was destined to rise from the grade of fireman to the Minister of Transport - how's that for climbing the ladder?? Regards, Les Pivnic. • A photograph of young Ben Schoeman – Les Pivnic ©. Comments by HBH It would appear that the photo was taken on “Friday the 13th” – see chalk marks above the number plate of 805. The photo was taken before 1933. Another railway politician was Mr. Vause Raw while Sir Roy Welensky of Rhodesia was also on the footplate.

Diagram of Loco 805 in its original form - HBH

Book Shelf: 1.Ben Schoeman Ben Schoeman: My Lewe in die politiek is a valuable book. All photographs and sketches are taken from the book. Any serious railway historian should read it.

Barend Jacobus Schoeman is op 19 Januarie 1905 in Johannesburg gebore. Toe hy sestien jaar oud was, het hy die skool verlaat en by die Suid-Afrikaanse SpoorweĂŤ aangesluit, waar hy as stoker

begin

werk

het.

Gedurende hierdie tydperk het hy privaat gestudeer en is

in 1933

die

administratiewe personeel van die SpoorweĂŤ oorgeplaas. Hy het hom ook vir die betrekking van masjinis en die van stasiemeester bekwaam. In 1938 verteenwoordig

die

kies-

afdeling Fordsburg in die Volksraad.

bedank

saam met generaal Hertzog in 1940 toe oorlog verklaar word en word voorsitter van die Nasionale Party aan die Witwatersrand. In 1943

stel

hom

verkiesbaar as Herenigde Nasionale Party-kandidaat vir Johannesburg-Wes, maar hy haal nie die paal nie. In 1948 word hy verkies as Volksraadslid vir Maraisburg. Hy was Minister van Arbeid van 1948 af tot 1954, toe hy as Minister van Vervoer aangestel is. Hy was ook lank voorsitter van Perskor, die grootste uitgewersgroep in Suid-Afrika.

Hy was 31 jaar lank LV, 26 jaar lank Minister (‘n wêreldrekord)4, leier van die Volksraad en kanselier van die Universiteit van Port Elizabeth. Dr. Schoeman is getroud met mej. Herculene P. van Rooyen. Hulle het een seun en een aangenome seun. Sy liefhebberye: Grootwildjag, gholf, lees, musiek en perdry. Perskor 1978 - ISBN 0 628 01466 X

2. The Journal of the MOUNTAIN CLUB of South Africa – Stan Kantor Stan Kantor brought it to our notice that there is an article in the above book entitled: The Table Mountain Railway by Ralph Taylor. I have written an e-mail to a friend in Cape Town, Alex Faria: Dear Alex I am looking for a document entitled: REPORT ON THE

CONSTRUCTION OF A MOUNTAIN RAILWAY FOR TABLE MOUNTAIN, CAPETOWN, PRESENTED TO THE TOWN COUNCIL OF CAPETOWN BY HH PETER, CONSULTING ENGINEER

HH Peter's Report dated 3rd of June 1913 is in the Municipal Ref Library, Civic Centre Cape Town. Can you help please - no time limit - when you go to Cape Town Central? HBH •

The report contains beautiful sketches of the various stations and rolling stock modeled on an Alpine vehicular railway.

I think former minister RF ‘Pik’ Botha holds the record - HBH

RMT

RMT near Elgin

South African Airways: Johan Botha

Nov 2011 a photo of a SAA Cargo plane taken at Kempton Park by Johan Botha.

Harbours - Pierre de Wet

Pipelines â&#x20AC;˘

Nothing to Report

Catering Division - 1933: Pierre de Wet

SAR Police 1. Bloemfontein Charge Office – Dave Fortune

Hi Hennie all this about the SAR police and I happened to take a photo what was the Stasie Blompotte charge room and office at Bloemfontein station. My one uncle was railway policeman and his bike was stolen outside this building, it must have been late in the fifties. He was not very amused at the time. Later on this section became the guards booking on office, my dad worked there as a roster clerk when coming off the footplate the office was moved later upstairs, Hope I am not boring you. Dave Fortune.

•

Thanks the picture is filed in my SARP Bloemfontein file! Thanks

2. Railway Police Mosselbaai William “Bill” Smith Hi Hennie When I was at Mosselbay the railway police post commander was a warrant officer (he was called "meneer".) A warrant officer was a proud rank and they were few and far between. There were two sergeants and a large number of constables, no officers at all. The highest ranking non-white was a sergeant. Looking at the police today, it would appear that every second cop is a warrant officer, 50

Captains are a dime a dozen, and colonels are falling over each other. Not to mention the medals, most have a string of them, what for? Then come the Generals, males, females too many to count, what is happening? Cheers, Bill

3. Police & Railways â&#x20AC;&#x201C; HBH Dear Bill Yes the situation is indeed critical! Rank inflation everywhere is and at the order of the day..... but we in the old dispensation also had it, to a lesser degree. To give you an idea:1991 - 1992 I was the only full Colonel in the Welkom district and had about 1200 men with only two W/O's that were not Station Commanders . We had one Maj-Gen for the whole Free State and four Brigadiers in Bloemfontein. Now there is General in Welkom and various Generals, I think 17, alone in the Free State! You had to write exams and pass exams or with about 25 yrs could reach the rank of W/O on merit - if .... you can read or write ... drive ... If you can graduate from a trolley driver to a train driver why can't you promote a messenger to captain? I call the some "Cremora officers - It's not inside, it's on top!" However, our greatest disaster is the demise of the SAR Police - and believe it or not, I was the chap who wrote the letter to SAP and SAR conveying the SP, Mr PW Botha's, wish to rationalise the police in South Africa. At that time there were certain fears about the SAA, Harbours, international trade sanctions etc - the SAR Police were then amalgamated with SAP - who kept them on as transport branch (for a while) and then the SARP & Transport Branch was gone with the wind ... however the memories remain. In lighter vein, a true story about the SARP Security Branch:

At Police HQ we had a Security Branch meeting every morning called the "SANHEDRIN" - there were certain visitors invited like Railway Police SB, National Intelligence, SAP COIN, and DMI (Military Intel) . I sat there for a number of years and in those days we knew before CNN et al ... Very interesting time - it was the nodal point for action ... Well everybody in the SAP had told their stories of what happened on the various "desks" - the guests had to tell their stories or ask questions. Now it was the Colonel of the SAR Security Branch who had to tell his story: It went more or less like this: "Thank you General. We had one incident yesterday. Train 5890 down - that that's the Trans Natal - detonated a limpet mine at mile post xxx between catenary poles xxx and xxx .” “Colonel, we are just ordinary policemen, tell us in plain police language what happened.” “General, last night the Trans Natal was travelling at speed when near Heidelberg it went over a limpet mine which it detonated, about a meter of the track on the left downside to Durban was blown away - due to the speed - the train was not derailed no injuries! We are investigating together with the SAP SB.” "Thank you Colonel - keep us informed and if we can help, let us know!” Conclusion However the co-operation was good; we even had SARP SB stationed full-time with us SAP SB - at first I thought it was "our" men - but they were actually your "guys". SARP did their security courses with us and also attended our explosives courses - the SAP Explosives Branch also administered the transport, even by rail, of TNT - I saw how we issued the permits and how the trip was co-ordinated by us and the SARP SB Explosives section. 52

My hat off, no, I salute the boys of the SARP - just sit and think who and what was stacked against us - they kept our SAA aircraft flying without mishap and they investigated cross border crime - I believe they also worked outside our borders e.g. in Lesotho at the Maseru station and in Maputo and Swaziland on our trains, aircraft etc. They were indeed a fine body of men - well disciplined and they knew both the SAR, Harbours, ships, tugs, road transport and trains. These guys could trace a needle in a haystack! When we looked for say, a container with drugs or contraband they would find it in no time! WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THEY HAD A SOLID FOUNDATION THAT WAS LAID MANY YEARS AGO! They were a valuable ally in the fight against crime and when you needed a place on the train or SAA - they did the bookings for us! I sign off with affectionate regards to my old former colleagues of that Force!

4. Les Pivnic Remembers ex-Sgt Elliot Dear Hennie Your interesting piece on the Railway Police brought back memories of a black man that was head of the black staff in our SA Railway Museum in Johannesburg when I was employed there. His name was "Elliot" and he was previously a sergeant in the Railway Police. He was released from the Force due to injury on duty that precluded further police work and was transferred to the Museum - at that stage, still housed under the Rissik Street Bridge. Elliot's duties included messenger service between the Museum office and our Head Office in Kerk Street as well as Paul Kruger Building. He also kept a beady eye on the floor of the main Concourse - watching the cleaning staff as well as the general public ensuring that all was well in the exhibition areas.

When the Curator or I walked down the marble staircase from our office at street level in South Station Building, Elliot would jump to attention as if he was on parade! Ready for inspection Sir!! This regular little action on his part always brought a smile to my face - back in my "army days", I was the one jumping to attention! Regards Les Pivnic

Gautrain Gautrainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Diesel Locomotives used on Construction: Thomas informed us on SAR_List as

follows:

â&#x20AC;&#x153;A

photo

Gautrain's

FAUR

LDE-130

has

come

http://www.locomotives.com.pl/Diesels/SP32_11.htm these locos were built for PKP (Poland) as class SP32, however an estimate of 30-35 locos were not delivered and handed over to Romanian industrial railways and the military. A handful is still active with construction contractors. Thomas. Comment by HBH: Here are some photographs that I took some time ago:

â&#x20AC;˘ Any comments will be welcome in order to identify Gautrainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rolling stock.

Railway News & Railway Sites 1. Port Elizabeth on the wild side â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Rudi Venter

2. Working on the Track nr Cedara Tunnel â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jacobus Marais

The workmenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s train

3 Shunter’s Lamp – Buffalo Rally – Dries van der Merwe

• “Likkewaan” Labuschagne at Rhino Rally 65

• Suid-Afrikaaanse Spoorweë / SA Railways / Ulolwe link: http://www.facebook.com/groups/74709226744/ • http://grela.rrpicturearchives.net/ here you may view Col Andre Kritzinger’s excellent photographs. • Andre Kritzinger also has a valuable site on all South Africa’s steam, electric and diesel traction – see for e.g. South African Locomotives A-Z (Class GMA 4-8-2+2-8-4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Class_GMA_4-8-2%2B2-8-4 also see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_South_African_locomotive_classes

South African Models HBH’s model of No 116 NG “Etiro” Standing over.

Photo of “Etiro” NG Dining Car - Charlie Lewis Dear Charlie – thanks for the great picture of “Etiro” My model in HO-scale has now been painted but still needs a roof and undercarriage! – HBH.

Terry Rowe’s NG No 659 Hi Hennie I attach my model of NG 659 the Tool and Bunk wagon on the Avontuur Branch, as per the drawing Sydney Moir's 24 Inches Apart. This is a wagon that apart from Moir's drawing there seems to be very little, like what wagon was used for the base of this wagon, where was it built and for how long did it run. What would be good is to find out if anyone has more info or maybe a photo. Trust you are well, all the best!

News about SAR Models – Adrian Hill Hi, Hier is ‘n klomp nuwe goed wat ek nou op die mark gaan sit. Ek het nou al die trokke om ‘n paar volledige treine te maak: Trans Karoo, Union Express, Premier Classe, Shozoloza Meyl. Ek bou hulle nou baie vinnig omdat ek baie van die parte sny op die laser. Ons gaan ook nou begin om parte te “injection mould”. Ek het nou ‘n klein “injection moulding” masjien gekry. Ek gaan die bokse en die “building jigs” bemark. Ek gebruik self daai jig en dit is ‘n plesier om te werk aan ‘n trok wat nie rondrol op die tafel nie. Daar is nog baie verskillende modelle aan die kom, ek konsentreer op volledige treine liewers as “odd” trokke” Groete, Adrian Hill

C-34 8445 Gulf Red Quaker Grey

C-34 8440 Imperial Brown

D-37 2080 Gulf Red Quaker Grey

D-37 2083 Imperial Brown.

E-16 8858 Gulf Red Quaker

E-16 8864 Imperial Brown

H-24 3371 Imperial Brown

Dream Trains

Monday, 21 November 2011 New on the website The Engelbrecht models are in stock again. A small quantity of CMD models will be on the website, including DZ7, B2-wagons, the DZM-13 freight wagon and the SML-13 container car. Quantities are limited. SARM Products from SARM now in the market are the Blue Train, Trans Karoo, Shosoloza Meyl and the Premiere Class. Some of SARM's freight rolling stock also in stock like the SCL-9 car transporter and the palletised fruit wagon. All coaches and freight wagons are available separately. FRATESCHI The newest Frateschi shipment is at OR Tambo.....Included in this shipment will be a limited re-run of an Orange Spoornet class 35, only 50 models will be available.

Outside South Africa: China From Beijing to Lhasa in Tibet

Pandora’s Box Standing at Windhoek, photo by HBH Carl

Das

Neves

Vieira

replies:

“Former NRE 14241 = SAR 8303 type C-25 later D-32 built in Pta 1939 to NRE 3/85 and SWA in 4/89.”

Mail Bag Thank you for all the interesting correspondence and comments. Here are some letters:

1. Pierre de Wet Beste Hennie, Jy vra of daar belangstelling in Ulolwe is of dan nie? Ja, beslis. Ek persoonlik wil net dit sĂŞ: Ulolwe is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n waardevolle tydskrif/dokument wat as argief dien. Daarin kan ons materiaal lees en sien wat andersins nie beskikbaar sou gewees het nie. Jy doen uitstekende werk daarmee. Sterkte met die ou Pretoria donderstorms (ek mis hulle) en veral met die Ulolwe uitgawes van die toekoms. Beste groete van Pierre.

2. Milk Wagons etc - Pierre de Wet

Beste Hennie, I'm so glad that I have added something of value to your day. I've just awoken from a "Sondagmiddag-slapie" and enjoyed your comments. Yes,

boet

and

were

quite

active

back

the

sixties

and

early

seventies, but much to my regret now, with a fancy new Canon 8mm movie camera rather than with a good reflex camera and transparencies. So we have many metres of railways from back then which we can't share with anyone except in our home with a movie projector. As you may have noticed, some of the photos are rather grainy due to low light but we tried our best to capture that certain magic of a shed or station at evening time. Film just didn't seem fast enough and so the grainy impressionistic pics is all we have. It takes a Charlie Lewis to do such lighting justice and perhaps he will still entertain us to some of his night time shots which are classics. I remember one in particular of a 16E on a dark and rainy night in Bloemfontein station with its mail train, dripping wet and about to depart. This appeared way back in Train Magazine in 1970 if I remember correctly. My brother and I were particularly concerned with railway atmosphere. We didn't just chase steam locomotives although they were the main players. I also loved the old milk wagons with their interesting profiles and water 84

tanks on the roofs. In fact any goods train in those days was interesting from the first wagon that passed one, to the last and to stand at a goods depot and just to see what was being loaded and off-loaded, was amazing. In the one shot of ours in Bethlehem you probably noticed the little lamb tied to a trolley which was also waiting to be loaded or had just arrived by train. The nice thing about the old cooler vans was that they smelt just like the creamery on a farm and they were essentially, 'farmers' wagons for that reason. They were attached to country trains where milk and cream would be loaded at wayside stations to much shouting and the rolling of churns. De Aar, Mafeking and Vryburg were stations where they were marshalled in rows. Bloemfontein too with its connections to the Eastern Free State and such wagons were a regular sight on for instance, the trains to Aliwal North. In fact Hennie, all the things you also liked so much were the elements which added that busy bustle to a railway station which is so lacking nowadays. The goods are gone, the trucks are gone and so are the men who serviced them as well as the locomotives that shunted and hauled them. Durban unfortunately, was not a town I visited often. We tended to travel to the Cape, so a few rather grey day shots of Greyville (taken in 1968) are all I have. I also was the not so proud owner of a devilish camera with a temperamental light meter which seemed to take pleasure in over and under exposure.

This

eventually

until

later

flirting

led

with

to a

rejection

Pentax

and

all

things

photographic

colour

prints

which

also

disappointed. Transparencies were far more forgiving and luminescent but by then it was into the 1980's and the Great Decline of our

railways. While

others were saving what was left on film, I had retreated into lamenting what was gone, and so my flirting with railway photography ended. In any case

territory

didn't (and

really

want

othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;)

butt

would

in on Charlie, have

presented

Les,

Allen and

them

with

Bob's unfair

competition. Mooibly, 85

Pierre

3. Calendar: Atlantic Rail – Jenny Class 24 No 3655: Stefan Hi all you Atlantic Rail supporters. Our 2012 Calendar is now available. In A3 format laminated to last the whole year. Six months on one side and six on the other. In full colour. 12 carefully chosen photos of our beloved “Jenny” Class 24 3655. A must for your fridge, study, office, bar or anywhere. At only R40.00 it’s a real bargain. You can email me on transkaroo@cybersmart.co.za or call me on the number below to order one. I will post the calendars out. Postage will be about R20.00 in South Africa. I will have to enquire at the Post office if anyone from outside South Africa would want one. Below is a look at the first side.

4 Andre Kritzinger Hi fellow train nuts, In August last year I took some pictures of the then newly commissioned Class 15E at Saldanha. Before posting them on my picture site at http://grela.rrpicturearchives.net/ I needed to find some info about them since it's not in my nature to post pictures without some detail about the subject. So I tried Google and found virtually nothing. One thing led to another and I finally found some entries on SA locomotives on Wikipedia. There were only five articles in total! One about the Class 26 Red Devil consisting of exactly three lines of text, a combined article on the Class NG G13 and NG G16 Garratts 86

and one about the Class NG15 Kalahari, both apparently written by someone with an interest in the Welsh Highland Railway, one about the Class GL Garratt in the Manchester museum, and one about the Class 91-000. There were more Wikipedia articles on SA locos written in German than in English (about 30)! So I added five more lines to the Class 26 article and started an article consisting of a few lines and a picture on the new Class 15E, and then, like when Forrest Gump started running, I forgot to stop. Last night, 15 months later, I was "done-ish". For the results, start at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Locomotives_of_South_Africa or alternatively, at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_South_African_locomotive_classes . (Tips on how to use the pages are at the bottom of this email.) I've written up all our electrics (51 articles), all our diesels (bar two, 25 articles) and all our steam (163 of them, except the 1912 Obsoletes and older). My main sources of information were Frank Holland's two great volumes on SAR steam, Paxton and Bourne's book, Dusty Durrant's "Twilight" and "Garratt", Pattison's "Cape Class 7", the 1912 SAR renumbering lists, the SAR's loco diagram books, John Middleton's 2009 loco guide, some locomotive builders' works lists from way back that cleared up some typo errors in existing literature, and more info from wherever I found it. I also received HEAPS of feedback and additional information from people like Les Pivnic, Peter Bagshawe, Leith Paxton, Phil Girdlestone (father of the Red Dragon), John Middleton, Piotr Staszewski (who shared some of his collection of builders works number lists), John Faulkner, Rollo Dickson, Trevor Staats, Dave Fortune, Richard Niven, Robert Maidment-Wilson, Peter Sinclair, Peter Micenko, Malcolm Bates, Grant Leslie, Gerhard Lesch (father of the Slimkabel), Gary Barnes, Eric Kirkland, Derick Norton, Colin Summersgill, Carlos Vieira, Aidan McCarthy and several other members of the SAR-L Yahoo-group that I probably forgot to mention. Even from Dr. Raimund Loubser, M.M. Loubser's son, on his father's work on the Class 19 and Class 25. For the modern locomotives I could use mostly my own pictures, but pictures of older locomotives were sometimes a problem. In the end I received pictures to use from literally all over the world, and every locomotive was covered. My heartfelt thanks for sharing pictures to Bob Adams, Eugene Armer, Peter Bagshawe, Charles Baker, John Batwell, Malcolm Best, Anymouse at KDP, Len du Preez, John Faulkner, Ryan Fincham, Phil Girdlestone, Hennie Heymans, Bob Hogan, Luca Lategan, Sue Lawrence, Robert 87

Maidment-Wilson, Jacobus Marais, John Middleton, Richard Niven, Hannes Paling, Leith Paxton, Ian Roberts, Terry Rowe, Gary Ruddy, Jezmundo Smith, Les Smith, Trevor Staats, Anthony Stanton, Logan Stone, Chris van Wyk, Derek Walker. My apologies to the ones I forgot.... Most thanks must go to the late members of the 1930s Railway Group, who left us a rich heritage of some incredible old photographs that were made available from the collections of Pierre de Wet, Richard Gillatt, Les Pivnic, Leith Paxton and others. And thanks to Maggie, who'll now have to adapt to me getting to bed before 04:00..... In case you're wondering, Transnet knows nothing about this project. I tend to doubt they'd even be interested.... Some tips on how to navigate the article pages: * All blue text in all articles and lists are links to other articles on Wikipedia. (Red text too, except that it's a link to an article that does not yet exist.) * There are no picture credits in the articles themselves. All pictures in all the articles are reduced in size and are themselves links to that picture's own page, where a larger picture as well as the picture credits and copyright information are displayed. From that page, if a larger picture is available, clicking on the picture will open the full-size one. * Nearly all tables are collapsed since some are huge. Clicking on [show] will open them and [hide] will collapse them again. * Near the bottom of each article, a rectangle about "Wikimedia Commons" contains a link to more pictures of the subject. * Below the rectangle about "Wikimedia Commons" is a blue bar titled "Locomotives of SA" with the SA flag, with a [show] button that opens it. It has links to all the locomotive articles. * Below that bar is a page rating section. Feel free to use it, but please be gentle.... * Right at the bottom is a list of the categories that each article is sorted into. More links.... * The same goes for all picture pages. Right at the bottom of each picture page is a list of the categories each picture is sorted into. More pictures.... Enjoy, and I really hope you'll find it useful. After all, it's free, gratis and for nothing! Regards, AndrĂŠ, Cape Town 88

Converted from Horribly Oversized to Normal in 1978 Website: http://mysite.mweb.co.za/residents/grela/chessie01.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Locomotives_of_South_Africa http://grela.rrpicturearchives.net/ http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=12115

5 Bruno Martin Greetings Hennie I've just seen your latest edition of The Ulolwe - great reading, very interesting. Now that I've got images for your Mardall book done I've returned to creating more pages of the FS mainline relics, I first sent "Relics 2" to Jacques yesterday for clarification on which image was taken at Smaldeel. Herewith are another 4 pages. Kind regards

6 Bruno Martin Hello Hennie The Railway Atlas of South Africa is still in production (in its 11th year!), 84 maps drawn so far, still got another 6 or thereabouts to go – compiling the Kimberley tramways map at the moment. So, I’m approaching the finishing line, slowly but surely. Boon was keen to publish the Atlas for me, but the situation has changed and I don’t think that a ‘hard copy’ publication would be viable. I’m leaning towards doing it electronically, the same way as you publish your journals. I believe that’s way to go. Once I get to that stage I’ll ask you for advice and how best to go about it. Best regards, Bruno

Elephant-style in the Eastern Free State

From Bethlehem to Ficksburg on our way to the Cherrie Festival some years ago - HBH

Indemnity / Vrywaring The The Ulolwe contains various and sundry personal opinions of different correspondents and the compiler of The Ulolwe cannot be held responsible for any of their comments. Die Ulolwe bevat die uiteenlopende en diverse persoonlike menings van verskillende korrespondente en die opsteller van Die Ulolwe kan nie vir enige deel van die inhoud daarvan in sy persoonlike hoedanigheid verantwoordelik gehou word nie. •

Enige advertensies of enige sake voortspruitend is tussen u en die ander party.

Geseënde kersfees & voorspoedige Nuwejaar!

Next Issue The next issue will be “The Ulolwe” (Zulu for the railways) Vol 3 No 1 and will be published in January 2012 – Please send in your comments, anecdotes and photogrpahs. Walk Tall! & Take care!

Stuur solank julle stories, briewe, foto’s en feite – Mooi loop!