the uloliwe

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THE ULOLIWE

SOUTH AFRICA – SUID-AFRIKA

A monthly railway historical and research publication

‘n Maandelikse spoorweg historiese en navorsing publikasie

Vol 3 No 10

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

[email protected]

Octobeer 2012

Cambridge (East London) – Nico van der Westhuis

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Contents

Welcome .............................................................................................................................................................8

Front Cover – Voorblad:...................................................................................................................................8

Editorial – Redaksioneel...................................................................................................................................8

Fuel crisis (petrol & diesel) ......................................................................................................................9

Wepener’s Perambulations and … Railway History ...................................................................................9

New Line Vierfontein Orkney .....................................................................................................................9

Sightings .......................................................................................................................................................14

Friedesheim timber shunt ......................................................................................................................14

Articles from our readers ...............................................................................................................................15

Les Pivic ............................................................................................................................................................15

Van Reenen’s 7 new Tunnels: Les Pivnic .....................................................................................................15

Van Reenen: Brian Conyngham ....................................................................................................................17

Bloemfontein: 31st of May 1960: 50 years of Union ...................................................................................19

Garratts: Richard Clatworthy ........................................................................................................................19

Locomotive types: Garratt, Six-coupled, 4’ 9” wheels, 3’ 6” gauge .....................................................19

Nico van der Westhuis ...................................................................................................................................21

E7010 from Cape Town entering East London station 25-08-2012.......................................................21

Slurry - Richard Clatworthy ..........................................................................................................................22

The “FC” Train-bridge – Lourens Sturgeon ................................................................................................25

Railway History of South Africa –HBH .......................................................................................................27

CGR: 3rd Class: Wynberg Tender No’s 12 - 17 .........................................................................................27

NGR: Altered Dubbs “A” ..........................................................................................................................28

NGR: Altered Dubbs “A” (Enlarged diagram) .......................................................................................28

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Cape Town Station - What has happened to Blackie? ...............................................................................29

OVS Staatspoorwegen (OVSS) ......................................................................................................................29

The Oorlogsmuseum in Bloemfontein has no information on Pres Steyn’s saloon. They only have

information on Pres SJP Kruger’s saloon. ....................................................................................................29

OVS Staatspoorwegen (OVSS) ......................................................................................................................29

Crest and Button .........................................................................................................................................29

NZASM.............................................................................................................................................................32

Anglo Boer War ...............................................................................................................................................32

Anglo Boer War? Leon (Div) de Villiers .................................................................................................32

Anglo Boer War – Brian Conyngham and Rory Reynolds ...................................................................38

We are marching to Pretoria ..................................................................................................................38

Princess Alice Ambulance Train ...............................................................................................................42

Sister Jones ...................................................................................................................................................46

NGR: Stations ..............................................................................................................................................47

Railway Stations: .............................................................................................................................................48

“Old” Newcastle - Johannes Botha .......................................................................................................48

“New” Newcastle ....................................................................................................................................49

Irene ..........................................................................................................................................................49

Alexandra – Anton van Schalkwyk ......................................................................................................50

SAR: Photo – 1932 Johannesburg municipal buss ......................................................................................53

SAR: World War 1 ...........................................................................................................................................53

SAR in GSWA ..............................................................................................................................................53

SAR: World War 2 ...........................................................................................................................................53

SAR Traction and Rolling Stock ....................................................................................................................54

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14859: Nico van der Westhuis ...................................................................................................................54

Transnet ............................................................................................................................................................54

Chinese locos for SA – J Wepener .............................................................................................................54

SA Metro Rail ...................................................................................................................................................55

33-505 with Metro at Fort Jackson 24-09-2012: Nico van der Westhuis .........................................55

Gautrain ....................................................................................................................................................56

Photo reports ...................................................................................................................................................56

Robert Maidment-Wilson ..........................................................................................................................56

Something different from Robert Maidment-Wilson.............................................................................58

Natal Midlands - Jacobus Marais ..............................................................................................................60

The Blue Train: Francois Mattheüs (Cape Town) ...................................................................................61

A Mixed Bag – Lourens Sturgeon .............................................................................................................62

Noel Welch: E7175 Transnet Swartkops Diesel Depot . jpg ..................................................................64

32-042 Outeniqua Tjoe Choo: Robert Adams ..........................................................................................65

Green F15 – Adrian Hill .............................................................................................................................67

Bloemfontein by an Obderver .......................................................................................................................68

Namibia ............................................................................................................................................................78

Railway People – Spoorwegmense ...............................................................................................................78

Nico van der Westhuis ...............................................................................................................................78

Nico van der Westhuis ...........................................................................................................................79

Kyk Spoorwegman, ek skryf en bid vir jou! – Koot Swanepoel ...........................................................80

Water Police .....................................................................................................................................................80

Previous issues of Uloliwe .............................................................................................................................80

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Rail Humour ....................................................................................................................................................80

Book Shelf .........................................................................................................................................................80

FOTR Calendar – Nathan Berelowitz .......................................................................................................80

Bruno Martin ...............................................................................................................................................81

Garratts and Kalaharis of the Welsh Highland Railway - David Payling ..........................................82

Road Motor Transport Service [RMT]..........................................................................................................85

South African Airways: New Boeing 797 J Botha .......................................................................................85

SAA History .....................................................................................................................................................85

Historical Aircraft: South African Airways: De Havilland DH104 Dove - Johan Jacobs .................85

Harbours...........................................................................................................................................................92

East London Grain Elevator - Nico van der Westhuis ..............................................................................92

Catering Division: Dinner R1-25 ...................................................................................................................93

Railway Police – The Demise – Question by Charlie Lewis .....................................................................94

Reply to Charlie Lewis ...............................................................................................................................94

Railways: Tourism, Steam, Preservation, Societies & Clubs .....................................................................97

Rovos Rail.....................................................................................................................................................97

Rovos.........................................................................................................................................................98

RRL Grindrod: John Batwell......................................................................................................................98

RRL Grindrod tracks through Africa: John Batwell reports on a visit to thisBEE railwaycompany

in Pretoria…….. .........................................................................................................................................100

Atlantic Rail Cape Town .............................................................................................................................102

Cape Town - Simonstown: Adrian Hill .............................................................................................103

Rhodesia Railways, National Railways of Zimbabwe – J Batwell .....................................................104

Memories: Bosveld Train Safaris – HBH ...............................................................................................107

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Railway Society of Southern Africa Natal – A Peter ............................................................................107

Reefsteamers:– Lee Gates .............................................................................................................................108

Shunting out the no.1 road ......................................................................................................................108

15F Cab Scenes...........................................................................................................................................113

Lights for coach No.25073: (‘Dusty’ the SEMUMA coach.) ................................................................114

Around the depot ......................................................................................................................................117

Contact details ...........................................................................................................................................121

Umgeni Steam Railway: GMAM 4074 ...................................................................................................122

Paton’s Country Railway .........................................................................................................................123

Patons Country Railway: Annual Aloe Train Trips .........................................................................123

Umgeni Steam Railway - Ashley Peter ..................................................................................................123

Friends of the Rail .....................................................................................................................................123

FOTR Calendar – Nathan Berelowitz .....................................................................................................124

Enquiries Friends of the Rail ...................................................................................................................125

Sandstone ...................................................................................................................................................125

JB Tours: Treintoere in Suider Afrika .........................................................................................................125

Railwayana .....................................................................................................................................................126

South African Models ...................................................................................................................................126

Scalecraft: - Adrian Hill ............................................................................................................................126

Contact Scalecraft ..................................................................................................................................130

Scalecraft news ..........................................................................................................................................131

Shaun and Rinke’s contact information is as follows ......................................................................131

Scalecraft product information ..............................................................................................................131

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Dream Trains – Wynand Vermeulen .....................................................................................................132

Hopefield: Terry Rowe ............................................................................................................................132

Railway Modellers’ Information Group: Contact Details ...................................................................135

From the Press ...............................................................................................................................................135

Zambia ends railway deal with SA investor .........................................................................................135

Mangaantrein slaag sy ‘langste toets’ ....................................................................................................138

Trein ry 2 swanger vroue dood ...............................................................................................................140

SA RAILWAY RELATED INTERNET GROUPS......................................................................................141

• Suid-Afrikaaanse Spoorweë / SA Railways / Ulolwe (sic) ......................................................141

• Yahoo: SAR-Miniatures – Adrian Hill .......................................................................................141

• Facebook: ‘RHODESIA RAILWAY’ Group - John Batwell ....................................................141

• Website for Reefsteamers: Lee Gates ..........................................................................................141

• Well worth a look ..........................................................................................................................142

• Andre Kritzinger ...........................................................................................................................142

• Adrian Hill says:............................................................................................................................142

Angola: Nostalgia Old CFB Coaches (part 1) - Anton van Schalkwyk .................................................142

Map: Bruno Martin ...............................................................................................................................142

CFM: Lourenco Marques or Maputo..........................................................................................................149

Tanzam-line ...................................................................................................................................................150

Tanzam Map by Bruno Martin ................................................................................................................150

Pandora’s Box ................................................................................................................................................150

Mail Bag ..........................................................................................................................................................150

Stop Press .......................................................................................................................................................150

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Disclaimer ......................................................................................................................................................150

Welcome

We have a very varied readership and anything is possible in this railway magazine! Once again sit

back, relax and enjoy. So have a cup of coffee ready at your side! Let’s enjoy what we see and read

here!

Front Cover – Voorblad:

Locomotives @ Cambridge (East London) locomotive depot 30/09/2012 - Nico van der Westhuis

7E 7039 Spoornet Blue

7E 7032 Spoornet Blue

33-017, 33-505, 33-032, 33-509, 33-487 SAR Gulf red (Leased to Metro/Prasa)

7E2 7197 Spoornet orange

7E2 7215 SAR Gulf red

34-062 & 34-064 Spoornet orange (to replace 7E's)

Editorial – Redaksioneel

It’s once again an honour to welcome you on this electronic magazine for “old men”. It’s

more looking at railway pictures than reading the fine print! The editor is not a

professional journalist or editor – just an “Old Chappie” interested in trains, especially

from a national security point of view.

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During late 1992I was transferred from the uniformed police to the HQ of Internal Stability

Unit. We had a large reserve force called Unit 19 in Prewtoria which was deployed country

wide. I came up through the ranks and I knew how we suffered during the 1960’s and

1970’s. (No beds, no food, no hot water! (Did you think this is a hotel!!?)

I remember once during 1974 we left Maleoskop at 19:00. I was a lieutenant and had to sit

in a troop carrier / prisoner’s van on a steel seat with perpex windows rattling all the way

to Welkom. I was bitterly cold when we arrived. We were tired, cold and hungry. Some of

us had to work immediately while others did day shift. We slept in the police gymnasium

on little portable camp beds.

Even at that time the demise of the old SAR was visible and I suggested to my General that

we acquire some rolling stock from the SAR or SATS. My idea was to put a few trains

together to be staged in Pretoria: First class and second class sleepers, dining cars, kitchen

cars, shower coaches, post / specie wagons, a few containers with materiel on flat trucks

and railway trucks capable of transporting our vehicles and armoured personel carriers.

My idea was that our men could be transported in ease with these “police trains” from

Pretoria to hotspots or at leat to the the nearest station to a hotspot. Men would then arrive

there warm, well fed and not tired. The General used the idea to hire trains for the men to

sleep in at the Bisho-disturbances. I have seen SAPS now have a few special SAPS coaches;

painted white in the SAP’s corporate colours.

Fuel crisis (petrol & diesel)

Once more the feul price is increasing! This has a nasty effect on almost anything we eat or

use! We must wake up and revive the railways, open branch lines!

Wepener’s Perambulations and … Railway History

New Line Vierfontein Orkney

Hi guys.The first train to cross over the Vaal River from the Free State into the

Transvaal since the line has been closed! (IMG 00059). The line must be

finished by the end of September, don't think they are going to make it...

Cheers.

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Sightings

Friedesheim timber shunt

34 067 is at Friedesheim, shunting the timber siding

SAR: All photos by J & J Wepener carry their copyright.

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Articles from our readers

Les Pivic

Patron

Our patron is Les Pivnic. He is a renowned

railway photographer and author. His book

on SAR Dining Cars is a classic book and by

now Africana. He was assistant- curator at

the old SAR museum in Johannesburg. He is

one of the experts on the SA Railways as he

has a lifelong interest in railways.

Van Reenen’s 7 new Tunnels: Les Pivnic

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Van Reenen: Brian Conyngham

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Bloemfontein: 31st of May 1960: 50 years of Union

Garratts: Richard Clatworthy

Locomotive types: Garratt, Six-coupled, 4’ 9” wheels, 3’ 6” gauge

1. South African Railways Class GG (1925): 2-6-2, 2-cylinder units, TE* 39900 lb, one loco.

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Largest of SAR first generation Garratts, for assessment as fast passenger loco but unsteady

at speed, superseded by 4-8-2s from Baldwin and Alco (classes 15C, 15CA) with same

coupled wheels, superior T.E. (42,440 lb), steadier and “Straight” so the GG was not

repeated.

2. New Zealand Government Railways Class G (1928): 4-6-2, 3-cyl. units, TE 51580lb, two

locos plus one delivered as spares, not assembled. Middle cylinder worked by Gresley’s

conjugated valve gear with the problems associated with the system. Excessively

powerful, capable of hauling trains too long for crossing sidings. To me, with the wisdom

of hindsight, the logical solution would be to blank off the middle cylinders, rotate the

wheels on the axles to 90 degrees instead of 120, with replacement of the crank axles with

plain ones, to give adequately powered, straightforward maintenance 4-cylinder

locomotives. However they chose to use the frames to build, with appropriately-sized

boilers, six Straight Pacifics , retaining the problems of the Gresley gear. Consequently

they were early candidates for withdrawal.

3. Sudan Railways (1936-7): 4-6-4, 2-cyl units, T.E. 38400 lb, ten locos. For light (50 lb/yd)

track,

maximum carrying wheels for maximum water capacity. Worked alright but on

unballasted track the passage of the front unit caused sand to be blown into the air, to

cause excessive wear in the rear unit. In 1949 they were sold to Rhodesia Railways, who

owned a growing fleet of similar locomotives derived from them. However they did not

take kindly to the change from oil to coal firing and in 1964 they were passed on to the

Camino de Ferro de Mozambique (CFM) for use on the Beira-Umtali line, where they

survived until the civil war.

4. Rhodesia Railways 15th class (1940, 1947,1949-52): 4-6-4, 2-cyl. Units, T.E. 37720/41908 lb.

(180/200 psi boiler pressure), 74 locos. Intended as passenger locos for the Mafeking-

Bulawayo line through Bechuanaland (Botswana), owned by RR but operated by SAR with

RR locos. It was laid with 60lb/yd rail and neither railway was pepared to invest in heavier

track. (For their internal main line, RR planned a 4-8-2 similar to the SAR 15CA.) The use

of Garratts on the Bechuanaland line was conditional on certain bridges being strengthened

and the outbreak of war prevented this, so the four Garratts worked in Southern Rhodesia

and so impressed the authorities with their performance that after the war ten more were

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ordered and then 60 more followed. The later orders had higher boiler pressure and were

classified as 15A but as boilers were swapped round with maintenance the distinction was

meaningless (and later abandoned). The class worked the mainline throughout Southern

and Northern Rhodesia (infrequently east of Salisbury but they did occasionally work to

Umtali) and in 1966 onto the Botswana line, reaching Mafeking at last! (RR now worked

the line themselves.) As they became displaced by diesels on the main line they moved

onto certain branches, though they were less effective there than double-2-8-2s with 4’0”

wheels. About 8 went to Zambia at the split-up. In 1978-80 30 were refurbished with

roller bearings. Several ran up over 2 million miles by the time that they were displaced

by diesels. A few were returned from storage and now work tourist trains as well as

shunting while others may be restorable, as one hopes 398 will be in New Zealand.

On seeing 398 and learning of the service rendered by the class, New Zealanders, aware of

the precipitate abandonment of their own two similar locos, can only say “If only . . .”

* All Tractive Efforts @ 75% bp.

Nico van der Westhuis

E7010 from Cape Town entering East London station 25-08-2012

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Slurry - Richard Clatworthy

The following is one of many stories told to me by a railwayman, now deceased, whom I

knew in the Bulawayo Railway Circle. To the best of my knowledge no-one is writing his

biography, which is a pity as he had a remarkable three-stage career, on the footplate, in

the guard’s van, and finally, after incapacitation, clerical. I feel I owe it to others to record

as many of his stories as I can, so here is one.

Slurry means a fluid suspension of a solid in a liquid, with applications in the farmyard, in

ore processing and industrial use. Somehow it became the name of a place in the western

Transvaal, near the Cape Province border, on the railway line between Johannesburg and

Mafeking (I am using names applicable at the time, c. 1970). Here I presume there are

limestone deposits and it became, and no doubt still is, the site of a large cement factory.

The cement was largely transported in tank cars of special design, the halves of the tank

sloping down to the centre to assist discharge. At the time new tankers had just been

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introduced without frames, the tank being mounted directly on the bogies. There were

steps and a platform at each end but only one end had a handbrake wheel. Having roller

bearings, the cars were free-running, and Slurry is higher than Mafeking with nearly

constant downgrade in between.

So it came about that one day one of these tankers, loaded, started to roll downhill in Slurry

yard. The train’s guard pursued it and mounted the nearer platform - but it was the

platform without the handbrake! By now the tanker was moving too fast for safe

disembarkation and it burst onto the main line and sped away westwards with its

involuntary passenger.

For whatever reason the Slurry stationmaster did not advise Mafeking of the approaching

runaway, but reported the fact to Headquarters in Johannesburg. They in turn notified

Mafeking, to be told “We know - it’s been through.” The tanker had burst in at the

southern end of the station, fortuitously on an unoccupied track, with the guard hanging

on and blowing his whistle desperately. The car had run the length of the station and

disappeared northward toward the Botswana border.

Amongst those who witnessed its passage was a Rhodesia Railways employee who was all

too well aware that there was at the time an RR train inbound from Ramathlabama on the

said border. He therefore dashed to his car and set off along the dirt road that paralleled

the railway. He overtook the now slowing tanker and carried on until he saw the

oncoming train. He stopped, tumbled out and dived through the barbed wire fence and

screen of thorn bushes that bounded the servitude, and emerged dishevelled, scratched

and - too late! The DE2 locomotive had gone past without the crew seeing him.*

In the meantime the tanker, on undulating track, had rolled into a depression, failed to

surmount the far side, rolled back and rocked to a standstill in the bottom. The mightily

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relieved guard stepped down to the ground. Now there arises for me an interesting

psychological question: had the car come to rest on South African Railways-controlled

track instead of “foreign” (under RR control), would the SAR-employed guard have

retained sufficient sense of duty to walk forward and attempt to protect the scene? In the

event he started to walk back towards Mafeking, and who can blame him? The DE2

surmounted a crest and the crew saw the tanker ahead, hopelessly inside minimum

braking distance. A collision occurred with extensive damage, no fatality but some injuries

to the relief crew taken unawares in the caboose behind the locomotive.

At that time, as stated, the Mafeking-Ramathlabama section was operated, along with the

continuation through Botswana and Rhodesia to Bulawayo, by Rhodesia Railways. Since

that time, along with RR’s name change to National Railways of Zimbabwe, the section

within Botswana has been taken over by Botswana Railways and the track between

Mafikeng (another name change) and Ramathlabama is under the control of the successor

company to SAR (though I believe BR have running rights into Mafikeng). Slurry is no

longer on a boundary, being within North Western Province, and I hope the cement factory

is still producing – and that the yard’s western exit is protected by trap points!

* Apoint has subsequently occurred to me – and it may actually have been unsuccessfully

attempted, but there is no way of finding out now – if he had gathered up rocks from the

edge of the ballast and bombarded the guard’s van as it went past he might have attracted

the guard’s attention and been able to give a stop signal as the guard looked back. The

guard could then have opened the vacuum brake valve in the van. Of course the warning

would have come from the left side of the train while the guard would probably have been

looking out on the right.

Thanks Richard Clatworthy! More from Richard next month!

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The “FC” Train-bridge – Lourens Sturgeon

The frame of FC No 2310 was used for a pedestrian bridge at Poet's Corner station on the

Rossburgh - Pinetown line.1

FC No 2310

1 Thank you Ashley Peter - HBH

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Railway History of South Africa –HBH

CGR: 3rd Class: Wynberg Tender No’s 12 - 17

Enlarged diagram

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NGR: Altered Dubbs “A”

NGR: Altered Dubbs “A” (Enlarged diagram)

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Cape Town Station - What has happened to Blackie?

We wish a spokesperson for Transnet will inform our readers about Blackie’s future! Blackie is

in “hiding”.

We must keep “Blackie” on the agenda.

OVS Staatspoorwegen (OVSS)

The Oorlogsmuseum in Bloemfontein has no information on Pres Steyn’s saloon. They only

have information on Pres SJP Kruger’s saloon.

Please keep youe eyes and ears open for more information on this historic coach!

We will keep this important coach on the agenda for a while ...

OVS Staatspoorwegen (OVSS)

Crest and Button

Coat of Arms of OFSR, source Souvenier Album of the OFS. Steve Sergeant alias “SA Badgeman”

(ex-SAP) now from Scotland sent the above OFSR button he found in the UK.

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NZASM

Armoured train & NZASM Loco. Note horse “gangplank”

Anglo Boer War

Anglo Boer War? Leon (Div) de Villiers

Div wants to know whether these photos were taken during the Anglo Boer War, if so, when and

where? © Leon de Villiers

Goeiedag Hennie,

Hiermee die foto’s vir plasing in Uloliwe, soos per F/B bespreek. Wat ek probeer vasstel is

ten eerste of dit wel gedurende die Boereoorlog geneem was en enige verdere inligting wat

iemand moontlik met betrekking tot die tydperk en omstandighede (ligging: is dit

Boerekrygsgevangenes of slegs gekontrakteerde spoorwerkers ens.) kan gee, sal waardeer

word.

Die e-pos dien dan ook as toestemming om die aangehegte foto’s in Uloliwe te publiseer.

By voorbaat dank,

Leon (Div) de Villiers

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Water Train

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Comments by HBH

Div showed us some other photo’s which were possibly taken in Ceylon while “Boers”

whilst on parole were working on the railway lines. [The Boers – as I know them would not

work on railway lines in South Africa – they would rather escape! You would need many

Tommies for guard duty! Hired labour would be cheaper.]

These photo’s were certainly taken in Southern Africa, my guess is Cape Colony or

Rhodesia. My reason: See the Class 7’s. I see no Tommies gaurding the workers. Could this

be aken during WW1 when the line from the Cape (via Upington) to GSWA was built in a

hurry? See the Water Train.

Please let us have your comments.

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Anglo Boer War – Brian Conyngham and Rory Reynolds

We are marching to Pretoria

Carriages: Cape Government Railways

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We are marching to Tshwane! Agh! I mean Pretoria!

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Princess Alice Ambulance Train

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Sister Jones

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NGR: Stations

-

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Railway Stations:

“Old” Newcastle - Johannes Botha

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“New” Newcastle

Not a car in sight!

Irene

“Irene” is the goddess of peace. The farm Irene belonged to Nelmapius and general Smuts

bought the farm from him. This Irene railway station has an interesting link with General

“Oubaas” Smuts. Communication was limited in the old days and genl Smuts one tasked

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Lt-Col Trew of the South African Police with a covert action. The first report he had to send

to the station master rat Irene who had to inform the Oubaas. The second part of the covert

operation he had to send a “wire” to the Station Master at Matjesfontein. When Smuts and

the cabinet were on their way to Parliament in to Cape Town, the train stopped at

Matjesfontein. Here the SM informed Smuts of the success of the operation. One gathers

that the SAR, like the police, also performed non-departemental duties.

Alexandra – Anton van Schalkwyk

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SAR: Photo – 1932 Johannesburg municipal buss

SAR: World War 1

SAR in GSWA

SAR: World War 2

-

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SAR Traction and Rolling Stock

14859: Nico van der Westhuis

Transnet

Chinese locos for SA – J Wepener

Breaking news.... SOUTH AFRICA: CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive has won a 2⋅54bn

yuan contract to supply dual-voltage electric freight locomotives to Transnet from late

2013, beating eight other domestic and international bidders.

The four-axle 3⋅1 MW general freight locomotives will have a top speed of 100 km/h,

equipped to work under 3 kV DC and 25 kV 50 Hz electrification.

CSR Zhuzhou said the deal announced on September 11 is its first contract to supply

electric locomotives to Africa, and one of the largest locomotive export orders to be won by

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a Chinese firm. The company sees Africa as an important market, especially South Africa

where more than 55% of Transnet’s 2 100 electric locomotives are over 35 years old.

The Transnet contract includes local production requirements, with the first locomotives to

have 60% South African content. CSR Zhuzhou has invested in the development of 1 067

mm gauge bogies and dual-voltage technology, and sees South Africa as a possible base for

supplying customers across southern Africa. It is also seeking to enter the electric multiple-

unit market.

SA Metro Rail

33-505 with Metro at Fort Jackson 24-09-2012: Nico van der Westhuis

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Gautrain

Both sides of the Gautrain Card.

Photo reports

Robert Maidment-Wilson

Gea 4016 At Canfer: October 1971. © RS Maidment-Wilson

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NG 15 No 136 Humewood Rd: August 1981 - © RS Maidment-Wilson

GMA 4072 Franschoek-line nr Groot Drakenstein: May 1989 - © RS Maidment-Wilson

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A Class 24 and a 19D on the Barberton line c 1991 - © RS Maidment-Wilson

Something different from Robert Maidment-Wilson

14xx tank no 1450 - © RS Maidment-Wilson

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GWR Auto coach 278 - © RS Maidment-Wilson

Dean Forrest Railway - © RS Maidment-Wilson

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1450: 1 Sept 2012 - © RS Maidment-Wilson

Natal Midlands - Jacobus Marais

-

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The Blue Train: Francois Mattheüs (Cape Town)

Francois Mattheüs ©

Francois Mattheüs - I do believe that all of them have been repainted. They do however each have

to go back again for the gold and white stripe to be painted

What a beautiful

sight! Wish we were

all inside having a

KWV and Coke and

Ice!![My old General

always warned me

not to drink KWV &

Coke on their Cape

farm! They drink it

with ice. But I love

the Coke because

“Things go better

with Coke!” [Pic F

Mattheüs] ©

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A Mixed Bag – Lourens Sturgeon

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Adrian Hill – here is another model to make!

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Trans-Rail and white SAPS Coach (Travelling charge office & holding cells?)

Noel Welch: E7175 Transnet Swartkops Diesel Depot . jpg

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32-042 Outeniqua Tjoe Choo: Robert Adams

Hello Mr Heymans,

Herewith my pictures of the very last Outeniqua Tjoe Choo arriving from Mossel Bay on

the 17th September 2010.

As you can see it was hauled by diesel 32-042, and as I stood waiting for it's arrival in

George, I was expecting a few more photographers and maybe even a small "farewell"

ceremony. But there was nothing like that. The train pulled into the Museum, the

passengers disembarked, the loco uncoupled, came back to the sheds, entered the gates,

turned off and the crew went home.... That (as they say) was that.

I am at least grateful that I have seen what I did on the lines of the Garden Route albeit

only for the last 7 years or so, much like many before me I believed I would be able to

witness these things for a long time to come. Much like them, I was absolutely wrong.

Regards

Bob

67

• Excellent! Thanks!

Green F15 – Adrian Hill

Adrian is buiding 15F’ and is looking a Green 15F.

• Please send us your pics of green 15F’s so that we could get the correct green colour!

- HBH

68

Bloemfontein by an Obderver

Gents

During my visit to the old depot at Bloemfontein I saw a grave yard and total destruction

off history

As you will see the hammer also went for the yards south to Bloemfontein and for the

hump yards..lines ripped up and broken up and what left of a mighty depot that I loved in

steam days...trains only go to the West yard and the south departure and hump are non

operational and gone...all these lines was next to Bloemfontein loco

Kind Regards

78

Namibia

-

Railway People – Spoorwegmense


Nico with his son Lionel Scott-Andrew (6) – At least they are dressed for the occasion!

79

Lionel Scott-Andrew at the controls of 7E 7010


Kom uit ‘n familie wat die spoorweg administasie gedien het:

Oor-oupa-grootjie: Johannes Pieter arbeider met bou van hooflyn; later gestasioneer te

Kabusie Stasie (CGR);

Oupagrootjie: Johannes Frederick; voorman laaimeester O.L. Hawe (CGR – SAS&H);

Oupa: Pieter Berend voorman laaimeester O.L. Hawe;

Pa: Lionel treindrywer.

Gebore te Oos-Londen 1979

Verlaat skool in 1996 te Grens Hoerskool

Begin werk by Efekto in 2004

Diploma in Volhoubare Landbou 2009

2012 aangestel as hoof-tegniese beampte – navorsing en ontwikkeling

80

Versameling en bewaring van spoorweg memorabilia

Getroud met Valery en ons het twee kinders

Lionel Scott-Andrew 6 jaar oud

Nico Lionel Jr. 2 jaar oud

English synopsis: He says he has steam, coal, fire and grease in his veins. He hails from a family of

railwaymen going back to the Cape Government Railways and apparently he is a Shark!

Kyk Spoorwegman, ek skryf en bid vir jou! – Koot Swanepoel

U kan Koot direk kontak by: J.C. Swanepoel [email protected] of by 082 041 9123

Water Police

-

Previous issues of Uloliwe

Here is the link to the July issue of Uloliwe:

http://issuu.com/hennieheymans/docs/3_no_7_uloliwe It had 345 “readers” last month.

Here is the link to the Aug issue of Uloliwe:

http://issuu.com/hennieheymans/docs/3_no_8_uloliwe

For previous all previous issues of Uloliwe click on: http://issuu.com/hennieheymans/docs

Rail Humour

Book Shelf

FOTR Calendar – Nathan Berelowitz

Hi Hennie, if you can open this could you publish the calendar advert in the next issue. I will also

post you a complimentary copy if you send me your postal address please.

81

Cheers,

Nathan

Bruno Martin

Greetings Hennie

I’ve attached some information and a scan of the cover of a new book that has just been

published in Britain titled “Garratts and Kalaharis of the Welsh Highland Railway” by

David Payling. If you have a space in the next edition of Uloliwe it could perhaps go under

the “new books” section.

Attached are also 2 images my son Michael emailed recently when he was in North Wales

and had a ride on the Welsh Highland Railway from Caernarfon to Beddgelert with ex-

SAR NG/G16 #143 in charge.

The Welsh Highland Railway owns 2 NG 15s (#133 awaiting overhaul & 134 under

82

restoration) and 4 NG/G16s (87, 138, & 143 in service and 140 awaiting overhaul).

I’ll be away for a week at the end of this month – I’m off on another long distance train trip

with QR travelling from Brisbane to Longreach in Central Queensland (1310km one way),

leaving on the 29 Sep (Sat) on the ‘Spirit of the Outback’, and coming back on Friday, 5 Oct.

If maps are needed for the next edition of Uloliwe, please let me know before the end of

this week.

Groete van huis tot huis.

Bruno

Garratts and Kalaharis of the Welsh Highland Railway - David Payling

The book describes the history and career in service of each of the eight Garratts and

Kalahari NG15 locomotives on the Welsh Highland Railway. It also includes an account of

working on the footplate on the Garratts on the Welsh Highland, plus the ongoing efforts

of the WHRS Group to restore and make one of the two NG15 engines ready for service on

the railway.

There are few accounts available of the design origins of these locomotives, built in Britain

and Europe for service on railways in the Southern hemisphere. The book draws on the

extensive research undertaken at Boston Lodge since the mid-1990s in connection with the

making of these engines ready to take their place in the intensive services planned on the

Welsh Highland Railway. It therefore traces their origins of their design. It also records

their development from early beginnings and includes the work of the individual engines

now in North Wales. With Railway Modellers in mind there are also fold-out scale

drawings of the locomotives, including the special features carried only on the first batch of

NG15s in 1931.

The search for information to guide the work of the engineers and fitters at Boston Lodge

has led to contact with many in Southern Africa, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Profusely illustrated, the book draws on photographic collections of these friends to show

the locomotives in action in both the Southern hemisphere and in North Wales.

The author, a life-long volunteer on the F&WHR, is part of the team at Boston Lodge

working over the last 15 years to assemble the drawings and information to allow the

restoration of these locomotives.

83

The book, produced in support of the restoration of NG 15 No.134, is published by The

Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways, Harbour Station, Porthmadog, LL49 9NF,

Tel: 01766516034, Web: www.festshop.co.uk, 132pp, 100+ colour and b/w illustrations,

hardback, 282mm x 215mm, ISBN 978 0 901848 10 9, £25.00 plus p&p.

85

Road Motor Transport Service [RMT]

South African Airways: New Boeing 797 J Botha

SAA History

Historical Aircraft: South African Airways: De Havilland DH104 Dove -

Johan Jacobs

The de Havilland DH 104 Dove was one of a few historical aircraft over the world and the

only one in South Africa that was restored and is now magnificently displayed in the South

86

African Airways Museum Society’s display area at Rand Airport in Germiston. SAA was

given the opportunity to buy the scrapped aircraft and it was restored by the SAA

Apprentice School.

The de Havilland DH 104 Dove was de Havilland’s first post-war production aircraft and

was developed to replace the de Havilland DH 89 Dragon Rapide. Development began in

1944 and the aircraft was of all metal construction with a semi-monocoque fuselage

structure covered with a stressed aluminium skin. It was the first British transport aircraft

with tricycle landing gear. Two supercharged 330 hp de Havilland Gipsy Queen 70-3

engines with three blade, DH Hydromantic fully feathering and reversible propellers were

mounted on the low-set, metal covered cantilever wings. Seating was initially provided for

eight passengers. Two cockpit crew sat in the distinctly de Havilland raised cockpit. The

prototype (G-AGPJ) made its first flight at Hatfield airfield, Hertfordshire on September 25,

1945.

Technical data for de Havilland Dove 1

Wingspan 17.37 metres / 57 ft

Length 12 metres / 39 ft 3 in

Height 4.08 metres / 13 ft 4 in

Weight empty 2,562 kg / 5,650 lbs

Weight loaded 3,855 kg / 8,500 lbs

Maximum speed 340 kph / 201 mph

Cruise speed 265 kph / 165 mph

Ceiling 6,960 metres / 20,000 feet

Range 1,609 km / 1,000 miles

Engines 2 x de Havilland Gipsy Queen

70-3, inverted 6 cylinder, air-

cooled in-line producing 246 KW

330 HP driving de Havilland

Hydromantic 3 bladed reversible

pitch propellers.

Crew 2

Passengers 8

Production of the Dove, including the RAF version known as the Devon and the Royal

Navy aircraft as the Sea Devon, totalled 544 aircraft, including the two prototypes, and

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continued until 1967, the last delivered as late as 1970. By this time the aircraft was

a product of Hawker Siddeley. The type saw widespread service, examples being sold to

over 15 countries for both civil and military use.

After World War 2, the sole responsibility of providing air transportation in South Africa

was vested in SA Airways. The Minister of Transport at the time, F.C. Sturrock, instructed

that SA Airways evaluate all available aircraft types for use on feeder or secondary routes.

After much consideration, the DH Dove was found to be the type best suited to the airline’s

needs. South African Airways purchased two of these eight-seat British-built aircraft for

use on the proposed feeder services in South Africa. Two aircraft ZS-BCB ‘Naval Hill’

(04009) and ZS-BCC ‘Katberg’ (04079) were acquired in November 1946 and December

1947 respectively.

ZS-BCC ‘Katberg’

ZS-BCC was originally ordered by Skyways Ltd. as G-AJOU on 17 April 1947, but was

subsequently sold to SA Airways for £18352. After a test flight on 25 November 1947, it was

handed over on the 28th. The aircraft left London on 5 December 1947, and during the

88

extended delivery flight, called at Paris. Dijon, Geneva, Rome, Malta, Tripoli, El Adam,

Wadi Halfa,’ Khartoum, Juba, Kisumu, Tabora, Ndola and Salisbury en route to

Palmietfontein, where it arrived on 14 December 1947. It operated its first service from

Palmietfontein on 8 March 1948, to Windhoek, via Kimberley, Upington, Karasburg and

Keetmanshoop. Former Chief Executive Jim Adam remembers that the aircraft was also

used on VIP flights, transporting the then Chief Airways Manager, General Venter, and

other senior officers, as well as for urgent missions.

Utilisation was, however, very low and when ZS-BCC operated its last service from

Lourenço Marques to Palmietfontein on 30 October 1951, it had only 307 hours ‘on the

clock’. It was sold for £18000 to Northern Rhodesia Air Services on 31 January 1952, and

departed on 18 March 1952, it was registered VP-RCL. The registration was later changed

to VP-YLX while still with NRAS. Although some sources show that the aircraft also

belonged to Anglo-American and the South African DCA (Department of Civil Aviation) at

one time. It was again sold and became 9J-RHX on 15 February 1968, with Mines Air

Services. After a brief stay with MAS the Dove was exported to Fairey Surveys at White

Waltham west of London and registered G-AWFM on 24 April 1968. The Dove was sold to

Fairflight, a charter airline operating out of Biggin Hill, and was used as a source of spares.

With the help of the late Alan Bell, Hawker Siddeley made a donation of £500 for the

purchase of the remains of the Dove.

On 27 March 1968, it was acquired by Fairey Surveys as G-AWFM (7145 hours), and

modified for use in photographic surveys. There is a large camera hatch in the aft cabin and

the cockpit top is also non-standard. The aircraft flew with SA Airways as a series 1 but

was subsequently modified through a series 2 to a series 6, the main changes being

increased weights and higher speeds. During its time with Fairey’s, G-AWFM’s logbook

shows such destinations as Ajaccio, Tripoli and Jeddah, whilst its home base was White

Waltham airfield near Maidenhead, Berkshire. The aircraft was bought by Fairflight

Charters in June 1975, and ferried to Biggin Mill on 11 June. This was to be its last flight,

having completed 9518 total airframe hours.

The availability of the aircraft came to notice at this time, and enquiries were made

regarding possible purchase. The expected price of £3000 was clearly too high, and

gradually the aircraft was stripped of usable parts. In January 1976 it was finally

withdrawn from service and parked in the open.

89

ZS-BCC as G-AWFM at Biggin Hill on 15th August 1977. Photo: Chris England

The aircraft was then offered to SA Airways, and it was acquired as mentioned earlier.

Hawker Siddeley Aviation’s involvement stems from the fact that de Havilland Aircraft,

the aircraft’s original manufacturer, became part of Hawker Siddeley during the 1960s.

Transportation to South Africa was the next hurdle to be overcome. Shipment by sea was

the obvious solution but preparation and crating charges proved prohibitive. Shipment by

air was next looked at but approaches to Tradewinds (CL-44 swing tail freighter) and

Lufthansa (B747F) were unfortunately unsuccessful. The only alternative was the

dismantling of the Dove for it to be accommodated in ‘conventional’ aircraft. Preparations

were made, manuals consulted and every conceivable item of tooling that would be

required, collected.

On 12 February 1979, the first sections (or at least parts of it) arrived back in South Africa,

in the cargo hold of an SAA B747 some 27 years after leaving these shores. Restoration was

started by the SAA apprentice school. The de Havilland Dove aircraft (G-AWFM) which

saw service with South African Airways as ZS-BCC, was brought back to Johannesburg

with the help of generous donations by Hawker Siddeley Aviation (now part of British

Aerospace), Dunlop and Goodyear.

90

At 02h00 on Monday, 16 October 1978, Johann Prozesky, Koos Coetzee, Roger Overton and

Joe Schlebusch arrived at Heathrow after a not uneventful flight by British Airways. Upon

arrival at Biggin Hill, it was found that G-AWFM had literally and figuratively been put to

pasture, with deflated main wheel tyres and weighted low down with concrete blocks.

To everybody’s surprise these tyres inflated easily after 30 months in the open, and the

Dove was pulled onto hardstand. The aircraft had suffered considerable damage,

apparently at the hands of youngsters attending the annual Biggin Hill Air Fair. As the

nose wheel was missing, the aircraft would have to be towed tail first, and the rudder and

horizontal stabilizer were removed.

The first objective was to separate the cockpit and fuselage at a production join forward of

the main plane, and this was achieved by Tuesday lunchtime. Initially the recovery team

was very conscious of the obvious amusement it was affording the Biggin locals, but as

time went by and work progressed, this feeling changed to one of admiration. The

occasional visitor also stopped by to enquire about the project. The tail section presented no

real problem except for a sizeable rodent’s nest that had to be removed.

The separation of the port main plane initially had everybody guessing, until it was

realised that G-AWFM differed from the manual, in that the wing bolt and washer were

integral instead of separate. Thereafter progress was steady, and the remainder of

Wednesday was spent in removing as many unwanted bits and pieces as possible (to

reduce mass).

Two other Doves are lying derelict at Biggin Hill, and permission was obtained for the

recovery of items required for ‘AWFM’. On Thursday afternoon, a 40-foot container truck

arrived, and within an hour, everything was on board, this had to be done manually. The

route took them through London to Salisbury Hall. This stately house was used during the

Second World War for the design and construction of the prototype Mosquito, Salisbury

Hall is off the A6 road between Barnet and London.

Here the bits and pieces of the Dove were stored, whilst deliberations were underway to

find the most convenient way of shipping it by air. SA Airways’ scheduled cargo service

only goes as far as Paris and ground transportation would be costly. Luxavia were thinking

of having maintenance work done on LX-LGT (ex ZS-SAF) in Johannesburg, but later

changed their minds, and Lufthansa initially thought that they would have spare freight

capacity on their new 747 SCDs over the Christmas period, but for various reasons all-

passenger aircraft were used, and that was that.

91

South African Airways freight man in London, Barry Soper, had been convinced that he

could move everything bit by bit on a space available basis, provided they were positioned

closer to Heathrow. On 9 February 1979, Dave Ackerman, Carel Gronum John Ikking and

Johann Prozesky arrived at Salisbury Hall to separate the outer wing sections from the

inner and to split the centre fuselage section into two. Working in the open under freezing

and windy conditions was decidedly unpleasant, but being invited for tea in the 500 year

old house (surrounded by a moat dating back to Norman times), proved to be ample

compensation. Even now John Ikking finds it hard to believe that the ducks and the solitary

swan managed to walk on the frozen areas of the moat, ‘barefoot’! The various bits and

pieces were again manhandled into a truck, and G-AWFM then set off on its penultimate

journey, to Heathrow by road. By 14h00 on Saturday 10 February 1979, it was stored at

British Airways’ Heathrow Cargo Centre having been off-loaded in record time (with the

help of two fork-lift units).The redelivery flight was on B747 ZS-SAM, with stops at Paris

and Lisbon, and was re-assembled in the apprentice training hangar by a new generation of

Airways personnel, the majority of who were born after the aircraft had left South Africa

on being sold by SA Airways. The Dove was expertly restored and moved to the SAA

Museum Society at Rand Airport for static display.

James Engels left and Keith Lennard with

rotten control surfaces. Photo: Des Pinard

Busy with restoration. Photo: Des Pinard

92

Des Pinard tackles a stubborn propeller.

Photo: Des Pinard

Photo: SAA Museum Society

The aircraft is now part of the SAA Museum Society collection at Rand Airport and wears

post war livery.

References:

• SAA Museum Society

• Wikepidia

Harbours

East London Grain Elevator - Nico van der Westhuis

93

Catering Division: Dinner R1-25

94

Railway Police – The Demise – Question by Charlie Lewis

Thanks Hennie,

/.........../

I really look forward to hearing your take on the demise of the railway police. For me that

was a pivotal turning point in the fortunes of our railway - it led directly to the

abandonment of wagonload traffic.

Regards, Charlie Lewis

Reply to Charlie Lewis

If I had to appear before a firing squad about this matter, I would not say: “Should a write

or type it?” I will say: “Here is my typed version!” (Remember this is from memory!)

During the 1980’s I was a SAP Staff Officer attached to the Secretariate of the State Security

Council (SSSC) in the Branch: National Strategy. The work was very interesting because

everything affecting our national security went past (or over?) our desks. We formulated

national (and departmental) strategies and we “monitored” the progress of these strategies.

We were also well informed by attending various intelligence meetings, preparing the staff

work for the Work Committee (WC) of the State Security Council (SSC). They approved or

amended our work and a week or two later the SSC sat in full session under chairmanship

of the State President, Mr PW Botha. Here the staff work in draft form was laid before the

SSC for decision.

95

There was a multi-directional onslaught against the policies of the National Party. The

Security Forces bore the brunt of the onslaught 24 hrs a day. There were thousands of

attacks on schools, busses, trains, railway property, beer halls, police stations and

everything that represented the government or local government.

The “Trojan Horse”-incident was the trigger of the demise of the railway police. A Railway

delivery truck was attacked and SARP’s were in hiding on the back of the truck. When the

SAR truck was attacked the SARP jumped up and attacked the mob of thieves and those

who wanted to plunder the truck of its contents. [Milk Lorries, Beer Lorries and Bread

Lorries et al suffered the same fate. All was done to make the country ungovernable.]

There was a huge international outcry after the Trojan Horse-incident. SSC was afraid that

our international flights and shipping could be affected if unions co-operated

internationally and boycotted our ships and aircraft in foreign countries. (The role of the

unfriendly media during the revolutionary onslaught was worth more than 1000’s of

armed freedom fighters!) At the same time the fiscus was also in trouble!

(Dr Kobus Loubscher, GM – SAR, warned PW Botha that Mozambique should not be

attacked – he pointed to the Maputo harbour and its proximity to the Rand and said it was

unwise to “open” a front on the East.)

The SSC then decided to pre-empt the whole issue by combining the SARP with the SA

Police. I remember two things:

1. I had to draw up a policy: Oom PW felt that there would only be one law enforcement

agency in South Africa (I remember the policy was called: Rasionalisasie van Wets-

toepassingsagentskappe in Suid-Afrika) and that would be the SA Police. From a licence

inspector and a municipal policeman upwards, all would fall under the police.)

2. Then a decision was taken at the SSC that the SAR Police (and later the Municipal Police

of the bankrupt Black municipalities) would be merged with the police.

3. I was the chappie who wrote the formal letter informing the Commissioners of the SA

Police, Railways Police and the GM of the SAR that in terms of a resolution taken at the

SSC the SAPR would be merged with the SA Police.

96

I wrote that letter against my better judgement; The SA Police do not have specific clients –

only the whole of South Africa at large! The SARP were dedicated to the SAR and not only

performed pure police duties but also performed various departmental duties in the

interest of the SAR. The SAP would not do those duties. The other day I read an article (of

that time) by a SAP General of the Inspectorate lauding the step and he said it would lead

to better policing! (Which I knew was bolly at the time when it was published!)

The Commissioner of the SARP did not want to move to Pretoria. He was in charge of the

Branch: Transport Policing. He stayed in Johannesburg until he retired while his deputies

came over to Pretoria. Slowly the old railway police functions and their police stations fell

apart and e.g. in Pretoria the SARP Station was called Jacaranda. It was closed and merged

with Pretoria Central SAP station. Immediately it became very dangerous to visit the area

south of the station where the old NASM offices were. A rail fan was robbed on the bridge

and the rot sent in. Mini-containers of e.g. Foschini’s were plundered and more and more

SAR clients went over to road haulage.

When the riots in Soweto went sky high: We had feuds between the taxi’s operators

involving the SAR Metro and busses. We had over 500 SA policemen (not weathered old

SARP men) doing duty on the trains. I found that the old SARP knew his commuters and

they knew him! And he knew his beat – i.e. the trains! When the SAP came we did not have

the intimate knowledge (corporate memory) of the SARP. The same applies to our airports

and the harbours – in days of old we had a dual system police & railway police at harbours

and airports.

The result was: Even the SAP and the SADF had to start their own internal national

transport service! How do you get 50 rounds of ammunition in a little packet to, say

Wintersnest? How do you deliver police stores to more than 1000 stations? The Police

Quartermaster could no longer used the SAR and large trucks were bought to do deliveries

country wide! No more SAR and RMT service. We had a SAP address book and as far as

the SAR was concerned each police station had a “passenger” and a “goods” address.

You had to know how to make out a route form when a policeman had to travel officially

or if stores or exhibits had to be sent by rail, what the goods address was!

A last point on the police and the railways: I was also a police clerk for six months and had

to make out and issue Rail Warrants, amongst my other duties. The danger was, if you

97

made an error and sent a Constable by “first class” you had to pay the difference! He had

to travel 2nd Class with his own (police) blankets. He was issued with balnkets two on

joining. In the 1980’s all class distinction fell away – then everybody travelled 1st Class, got

bedding and meals.

From my novice point of view on the SAR: Automation (signalling) did away with station

masters and station foremen. Small railway stations closed and the railways pined.

Keeping stations open could have made the SARP a luxury to afford.

They could have made the SARP “meaner and leaner” and they could have transferred

many of their “surplus” men over to the SA Police. However during the days of sabotage

and terrorism we had SARP-men (Special Branch) detached to the SAP’s Special Branch –

they knew the harbours, airports and railways!)

Railways: Tourism, Steam, Preservation, Societies & Clubs

Rovos Rail

98

In reply from a question from Les Pivnic: This happened when Rovos Rail and Blue Train

coaches had their wheels replaced. It was not a revenue earning trip.

Rovos

RRL Grindrod: John Batwell

Having seen your Sept. issue, I am submitting this story on my visit to RRL for your

October mag. If you want some alternative photos to the ones in the September issue, let

me know, regards now and so glad by the way you got Richard Clatworthy on board re.

Rhodesian memories. You might like to ask Richard for his detailed series on ex-CMEs of

the SAR to run in the journal in time to come.

John and Pam Batwell

100

RRL Grindrod tracks through Africa: John Batwell reports on a visit to

thisBEE railwaycompany in Pretoria……..

Inthe September edition of Uloliwe, photos were carried of RRL Grindrod’s work in the

African rail context as well as the company supplying interesting motive power for Rovos

Rail’s Dar es Salaam trains in latter months – CFCO unit No. 1103 and also two of the

Australian-acquired class 26 locomotives (ex-Nos. 2606/11).

One can only describe the directors and staff of RRL Grindrod as passionate and

enthusiastic about their company. RRL and Grindrod married some three years back – it is

a 50% black-owned joint venture between Solethu Investments and Grindrod, the latter

having previously been in bed with another private South African rail operation, Sheltam.

The company, with a staff complement today of 300, started out as a parts’ business before

going into the motive power business. Today, as a leasing company, RRL Grindrod has a

fleet of some seventy locomotives. The RRL Grindrod label or brand, so to speak, is seen in

Mozambique, the Congo Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Ghana

and Tanzania over and above its rail service to seven mining companies in South Africa.

The business provides besides motive power leasing, rail operations, shunting, rolling

stock maintenance services, rebuilding, and track maintenance through its subsidiary

Racec.

The company‘s loco fleet comprises a number of former Transnet Freight Rail classes of

diesel units – the classes embrace 31, 33, 34, 35, 36 and re-gauged class 91 locomotives. The

latest acquisitions to arrive during July at the Pretoria West plant were a combination of

diesel and electric locomotives from Queensland National Railroad in Australia. Shipped

out from Brisbane to Durban, these locomotives have already found new operating

grounds once they have been reviewed mechanically by RRL’s staff. There are three 25kV

electric locomotives earmarked for use on the nearly sixty-year-old electrified section in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Built by Comeng/Hitachi, the three locomotives

look ostensibly “has-beens”, but they are mechanically sound and will see more service.

They are similar in performance to Transnet Freight Rail’s class 7E. The diesel-electric units

from Australia are six General Electric class 26 locos – of 2 600hp fitted with the ever-reliant

7FDL-12 power unit, this batch of units was refurbished just over a decade ago by Goninan,

Townsville. They are designated C22-MMi 2000/2002. Some of these locomotives were

transferred to Pretoria under their own power via the Swaziland Railway system as

Transnet Freight Rail put up a barrier to diesel traction passing through tunnels on the

101

main Natal corridor (Natcor). Furthermore, the Queensland locos’ couplers are 770 mm

from rail, whereas South Africa’s couplers are 855 mm.

Ten class 1720 Clyde GL18C type units from Australia - which last ran in 1995 - are at RRL

Grindrod and are mechanically still in good order. They will go ultimately to the DRC as

well. During the visit,one of the ex-Australian class 26 locos was undergoing repainting in

RRL Grindrod’s red colour scheme. Four of the class 26 imports are headed off to

Mozambique to Brazilian mining giant Vale for use on the Sena line. The mining group did

deploy initially some of its own motive power to the Tete coal-fields but the locos have not

proven as good as had been hoped in service in Mozambique – they are too heavy. A

second mining group in Mozambique, Rio Tinto, is moving coal out of the Moatize district

to Beira harbour and RRL Grindrod has secured a maintenance contract in Beira for its fleet

of locomotives and 200 wagons. Its 15 locos, an EMD-derivative, were supplied by the US-

based National Railway Equipment Company’s (NREC) Croatian assembly plant, TZV

Gredelj. RRL Grindrodchooses to specialise specifically in three power packs – General

Electric, EMD and Caterpillar and can put out motive power within a 2 000 – 4 000 hp

platform.

A new contract in the offing is to rebuild a batch of class 64/65Henschel type diesel units

for Tanzania’s state railway. The generic rebuild will be undertaken in the Pretoria West

workshops and then kits will be sent out to this east African country. The building of the

generic at RRL Grindrod will facilitate skills transfer to Tanzanian rail personnel.

To the present builds – RRL Grindrod is euphoric at having secured a run-on order of

fourteen 3 000hp diesel locomotives for Sierra Leone. The original order comprised twenty

locos of type S30SCC. The background to this initial deal for motive power – Standard

Bank South Africa has entered into two five-year loan deals totally $130 million, which is

helping boost Sierra Leone’s economy. It has backed African Minerals Limited’s (AML)

development of the first phase of the Tonkolili iron ore project to export ore to China. The

first loan was to RRL Grindrod to supply 20 locomotives on lease to AML and insured by

the Export Credit Insurance Corporation (ECIC) of South Africa. The S30SCC units under

assembly in Pretoria are to work on a 200km rail link from Tonkolili district to the port of

Pepel. Three to four of the locomotives can be lashed together in ore haulage. Sierra Leone

becomes the third African country to produce significant volumes of iron ore after South

Africa and Mauritania.

In building these powerful locomotives, RRL Grindrod has, under its roof, six assembly

stations. The underframes are built internally. The locos’ cabs and hoods are contracted

out. Atchison bogies are being fitted. Assembly is a twelve-week process in all. Besides the

102

Sierra Leone contract, the 3 000hp locos have also appealed to local mining companies and

one has been built already for Assmang and a second for Kumba Iron Ore. Meanwhile,

Vale in Mozambique has expressed an interest in three of these units for coal haulage.

CFCO, the Congo Ocean Railways, linking Pointe Noire with Brazzaville in the Congo

Republic, was about to take delivery of the last two of a batch of four single-cab

locomotives which have been fitted with EMD 645 E3B engines and frames to meet an 18,5

ton axle load.

Rebuilds are undertaken by the company, but these are expensive and do necessitate the

right man-power. RRL Grindrod is fortunate to have on board staff who has gained this

experience in other South African rail companies, but it also aware of the need to empower

new people and to this end it has developed its own training programme. One of the four

locomotive rebuilds for Richards Bay Coal Terminal was on site for maintenance. A CFM

GECT/Alsthom-built AD26C loco was being re-engined with a 3 000hp power unit as an

experiment and forerunner to looking at securing the remaining set-aside fleet in

neighbouringMozambique.

On the local mining front, RRL Grindrod is very excited about its prototype R7I

(Integrated) shunting locomotive. With a R7m, 700hp Caterpillar-engine fitted, two of these

dinky low-profile locos were seen on the assembly floor. They have three individual wheel-

sets opposed to bogies and can be crewed or remote controloperated. RRL Grindrod

envisages a market for 400 or so of these little shunt locos. Underground locos feature too

in the company’s diverse tasks. Goodman mine locos were undergoing adaptation and a

micro-turbine small mine loco for Zambia’s Copperbelt was observed on the floor.

As mentioned, RRL Grindrod works with Racec in track maintenance contracts. To this end

the workshops took Transnet Freight Rail’s AY-wagon type, which is a ballast wagon, and

designed sixteen such units of its own which can be transported to the particular

maintenance site by road.

All in all, RRL Grindrod represents an exciting, vibrant, home-grown rail company which

is not only proving essential to rail growth and development within South Africa’s borders

but is well on track with its state-of-the-art work for other rail expansion, development and

progress along the length and breadth of the African continent.

Atlantic Rail Cape Town

Contact Tel: (021) 556-1012 or [email protected] or visit their website at www.atlanticrail.co.za

103

Cape Town - Simonstown: Adrian Hill

104

Rhodesia Railways, National Railways of Zimbabwe – J Batwell

Early morning departure Down Line to Dete from Thomson – class 15 No. 400 works

hard with its coal drag, winter 1992. Photo: J M Batwell

Photo: J M Batwell

ction with empties for Hwange Colliery, 1990.

Photo: J M Batwell

105

The north side of the country’s only tunnel – class 15 No. 410 rolls Up Line towards

Thomson Junction with empties for Hwange Colliery, 1990. Photo: J M Batwell

106

Diesel traction twenty years apart – on the left an English Electric DE 3 of 1962 vintage

and on the right one of the GM DE 10A units delivered from 1982; Thomson Junction,

1991. Photo: J M Batwell

107

Zim - South Line 1992

Emerging from behind the rocks – a class 15 heads a goods train southbound out of

Leighwoods bound for Plumtree, winter 1992 – Photo: J M Batwell

RR Memorial: Bulawayo

Memories: Bosveld Train Safaris – HBH

Railway Society of Southern Africa Natal – A Peter

RAILWAY SOCIETY OF SOUTHERN AFRICA

NATAL

Founded 1960

P. O. BOX/POSBUS 33202,

MONTCLAIR, 4061

SPOORWEGVERENIGING VAN SUIDELIKE AFRIKA

NATAL

Dear Ashley Peter – thanks for the Natal Newsletter - HBH

108

Reefsteamers:– Lee Gates

Shunting out the no.1 road

S01 – When the magical melody of the dual

tea horns blow, a really smart shunting

driver parks his kettle closest as to where

the other kettle happens to be, in this case,

opposite the cloak rooms more or less in line

with No.3046’s cab.

S02 – Here’s the view of the big coal-fired

kettle waiting outside the windowed

domain of the small gas-fired kettle. This

cloak room area is going to be opened up

soon, when we start disposing of derelict

and unused storage lockers.

S03 – 15F ‘J9’ falls foul of that unwritten

Reefsteamers law, that tea breaks are not

finished until the rusks are down to the crumbs

and orphaned bits of muesli. She is still regal

here, but as you can see, is starting to get a tab

impatient!

S04 – 15F No.3046 pulls out a rake of coaches.

Although most of the load is moving upgrade,

the loco is actually starting a mild downer. Note

that she isn’t in full reverse gear, according to

the position of the canted radius rod.

109

S05 – Viewed in the space between the

Shedman’s Office and the Forge House, 15F

No.3046 pushes into the crossover and into

the running shed’s bypass track. The plate

leaning on the press is a coach’s battery bay

cover.

S06 – The coach with acne is the ‘Sandstone

Sleeper’, and the white-heads are paint

applied over the recently welded patches.

Once the No.1 road is cleared out and its

tracks serviced, the body work will

recommence on this coach.

S07 – A rather shabby looking 15F No.3135,

the so called ‘Springs F,’ is out in daylight

(Albeit cloudy) while the coaches retreat. At

the moment, ‘Shunt’ the Smudger is a bit

distracted by an car train passing by on the

high irons.

S08 – Nothing quite like a ride in the tender

during a shunt! Fireman Victor is doing OK

with 1100kPa on the dial and glasses at ¾.

Note the surviving diesel supply pipes on

the columns, as well as the hexagonal 4kph

speed limit sign.

110

S09 – Another tender shot chugging

downhill and having safely ducked the

water tower’s spout and the soggy sock.

Note that the ‘Hangin’ Tree’ has already

started to busily bud out, in firm be-leaf that

summer is finally on the way.

S10 – Salt n’ Pepper commin’ right at ya!

Two vertical boilers for the steam cranes

head in for some welcome cover. This is

Rnng. Shed Road No.2, one of the 2 tracks

assigned to diesels, and you can clearly see

how the rails were raised to provide

clearance under traction motors.

S11 – Poor old 15F No.3016 ‘Gerda’ is pulled

out. She has No.2914’s firebox problem

twice over. She is unlikely to run again until

we get Hott-Nutt’s 15F 2914 and Dave

Shepherd’s 15F 3052 ‘Avril’ running again.

Then we’d rather get the 12AR, then 15CA,

then 12R back in steam.

S12 – Shunter Smudge is watching for the

rear bogie to clear the points blades without

having the train go too far down the eastern

grade. Fireman Victor did NOT have the

injector on with the water rising in the

glasses with the downhill cant – that’s just

the steam leaking on a cool day.

111

S13 – Just to freak out our overseas friends

with their boring 4ft 8½ inch gauge sledge-

irons, how’s this for a classic Cape Gauge

overhang shot? Notice the point blade

stretchers are painted white. The theory is

that it makes it easy to see if they have

broken or have been removed.

S14 – Class 15F No.3016 ‘Gerda’ trundles

gloomily back to bed after a brief sojourn

under a grey sky. This locomotive was

deliberately stripped by us. Many of her

parts were used to get No.3046 ‘Janine’

going, and the leftovers were systematically

removed and locked away from theft.

S15 – Putting 15F No.3016, the Pepper-

Potted DZ and Uncle Wilfred’s water bottle

away would be the last move. Everyone

had had enough. The fellows in the

background checked the tracks, scotches,

handbrakes and the like.

S16 – Although looking pretty knackered,

15F No.3135 is known to have a fairly good

boiler and could be a candidate for future

restoration, once we get some smaller

engines running. We were using the

coaches as handles to reach into those

sidings and spread the weight out a bit,

rather than have two heavy locomotives

112

coupled together

S17 – Right, we’re done. Time to roll the

cracked old anvil off the yard rails and put

her away for the week. Bit of an

improvement over the previous picture,

don’t you think?

S18 – Wearing a crown of leaves, like the

Roman Senators of old, Class No.3046

’Janine’ undergoes a still-early fire dumping.

The unblown and Victorized fire was only

gust a little thick from a whole day on the

shunt, but it was basically just lots of ash

with just a bit of kibble.

113

15F Cab Scenes

C01 – Hott-Nutts Hoddi sees to it that the

Depot Joker gets ‘punked.’ The heat rising

from Oom Attie de Hekke’s cranium is

being used to dry out some used cotton

waste. Attie is drawing ‘release’ vacuum to

get the brakes off.

C02 – Oom Attie passes James Thomson (To

be precise, ‘Thomson’ without a ‘p’, as in

Venezuela), who is just about to start

blowing sarcastic kisses at the cab. The two

hack playfully at each other all the time, but

they are good mates.

C03 – For training and coal economy, the

Mini-Mienie was restricted to hand firing,

which he thoroughly enjoyed. But he didn’t

bother to trim the coal down for easier

reaching. I took pity on him and trimmed

some coal after this photo.

C04 – We have two preteen youngsters as

regular visitors but both are notoriosly

camera shy. I successfully caught Gabriel

Blore (Step-son of Smudge) in an unguarded

moment and also not sending messages on

his cell phone!

114

C05 – A more general view of a rather sooty

15F cab. You can see the effects of a blower-

less ‘opsteek’ in two sooty updraft streaks

on the regulator cross-shaft, the blackened

stoker jet gauge and a nicely blackened

lubricator.

C06 – A new charge of coal has taken up

nicely, visible through the inspection ports

on the spreader table’s atrium. There is

often a bolt placed in one of these to

temporarily change the spread without

having to adjust the steam jets.

Lights for coach No.25073: (‘Dusty’ the SEMUMA coach.)

All pictures in this section were by Aidan McCarthy.

115

L01 – Something to do on a cold, rainy,

totally miz day – get under cover with some

friends and work together to fix up some

passenger coach lights. The coach gang

roped in extra volunteers and eventually a

production line was set up to do the entire

coach in one session.

L02 – Here are the new lights hooked up

and all glowing with pride on a test run.

They do, admittedly, look rather bare here,

but the trapezoid intermediate channels

(that hold the translucent diffusers and

originally hid the ballasts) are not yet in

place.

L03 – This project involved a removal and

L04 – A close up of one of the fittings. The

116

total strip-down of all the old luminary

bases and mounting of entirely new fittings,

connectors and hardware. Alan and Gordon

had to electrically trace the original wires

and in classic Union Carriage and Wagon

fashion, the wires were all the same colour!

(Yellow)

Some of those base plates have rusted and

need to either be buffed up or painted to

provide decent reflectors.

Seen in the photo from left to right, Josh

Wood, Jeremy Wood,. Alan Lawton, Johan

Breydenbach and Robert Cousins. New

member, Lucas, was not in the picture.

14W flourescents run with integrated

inverters and thus do not require external

starters and ballasts. We have found that

even the inherently more rugged 220V

ballasts and starting gear fitted to the other

coaches tend to be a bit unreliable in the

rigours of railway service. The original

110V gear running from DC-AC inverter

sets, is even worse after several decades of

use. (We don’t use them anymore.)

These tubes are fitted on an experimental

basis and were organized by Cousin Rob. If

they prove reliable, or easy to swap out,

when ‘Dusty’ is in revenue-earning work,

we will gradually start converting the other

coach light fittings to this technology when

they come in for their service.

117

Around the depot

T01 – You can slap our mothers and kick our

puppies, and get away with it – but don’t

you DARE stop us from having tea! A

substation cable that was hacked in an

attempted theft meant we had to have our

tea fired by gas today.

T02 – Oom Attie supervises Coenie as he

makes tea with individual baggies instead of

using the pot! It is traditionally the younger

greasers and stokers who get the tea duty,

but yours truly, as the camera man, often

gets ‘bagged’ as well.

T03 – Three portly gentlemen pose in the

forge. A remarkable thing about being

active in steam preservation is that it brings

people together from all different walks of

life – such as these friendly fellows who

each have very different lifestyles,

challenges, memories and skill-sets.

T04 – A classic Reefsteamers gravel-hound

piccie. This scrofulous mutt is snoozing

away quite happily in spite of a nearby

generator van roaring away, and shunting

going on in the yard. Notice, as an added

touch and totally unposed, the large chunk

of coal parked right in front of the sniffer.

118

M05 – Some of the money collected from the

recent Open Day is being put to good work.

This is just a part of the extensive trench

work that has just been dug to insert a new,

underground and properly specified water

main! By the time you read this, pipework

will have been installed.

M06 – Never mind the shunting, what about

the herd of wild toolboxes a-roaming free on

the range? The guilty parties were Lawton,

Bennett and McCarthy. The fourth toolbox

was found with ‘liberated’ RS tools which

were set out for pick-up at the fence,

presumably by a former staff member.

T07 – Taking after his Granddad le Roux,

young Victor settles down, lights up his

‘twak’ and sneaks a few puffs on his pipe

after tea. Little did the poor little sod know

then that would be his last smoke break for

the day and he would later have to be

content with coal fumes.

T08 – And this is the reason why! A certain

‘ou stoute’ of a ‘spoorie’ decided to shred

some squished tea bags and add some

Ceylon Herb to Victor’s tobacco to make for

a unique smoke! I was wondering if I could

read Attie’s future in those leaves, or does

that only work in the bottom of a cup?

119

T09 – The tea trolley and a pair of coasters.

These are surprisingly useful around the

yard. The middle coaster is actually a man-

powered pump wagon sans the lever and

ratchet. However, it still has the reduction

and axle gears.

T10 – A pair of newly-revealed coupling rod

knuckles – dumped aside and long-hidden

on the normally occupied siding. Note the

sharp profile between the pin boss and the

tongue – not great engineering but seems to

have worked!

T11 – The same components on 15F No.3135

– hangin’ a bit loose without the bronze

bushings. A loco being shunted like this

makes a metallic gritty hissing sound. This

coupling rod was still attached to the other

wheels though, so no danger of it dropping

off from the shunt!

T12 – No matter how many times you look,

there is always something new to notice on

our Big Bessies. Check out the conical finial

capping the mounting bolt for the RHS

Sellar’s valve on 15F No.3046. The scruffy

braided ‘hose’ in the front is the signal cable

for the speedometer

120

T13 – The axle packing project of a few

weeks ago, now seen in daylight. There is

still a fourth axle (and two front bogie axles)

on a service track within the Running Shed.

The area behind is the old sand bunker,

although we draw our traction sand from a

pile of white builder’s sand stored and kept

dry within the covered Forge House.

T14 – Quite an amazing vintage bogie

suspension with a pair of opposing semi-

elliptic leaf springs as a rather bouncy

secondary and (hidden) coil springs as a

primary suspension on the bolsters. The

guys are collecting coach stats on FaceBook

and this is a Type E13 2nd Class mainline

coach built in 1936.

T15 – Gormet or Gourmands? An early

evening braai before an evening slide slow.

(Slow, as the slides weren’t working!) A

freshly scrubbed and changed Mini-Mienie

is now a fireman of a different kind, opening

up the LPG gas.

T16 – Whoa! Ease up on the stoking there

dude! Actually, this braai was more of a

meat warmer. We achieved more cooking

on the fat-flares than we did on the gas jets!

But the braai is usually quite cooperative in

the expert hands of Johann Coetzee!

121

T17 – The Staff and Baggage van, type GD-1

and one of only 20 made and the only one

currently serving in preservation, stands

duty in the coal dock as a stand-by

generator for the 15M shops.

T18 – Nestled amongst the coal. The main

electrical cable turned out to have been

hacked with a pick axe and not actually

stolen. It has since been replaced and

encased in concrete. So, the lights are back

on again!

This Depot Report was compiled by Mr. Lee D. Gates on behalf of Reefsteamers

Association NPC.

For observations, corrections and suggestions – email me at

[email protected]

Contact details MOTIVATION : The Reefsteamers Depot Reports and

associated Photo Essays Postal Address :

P.O. Box 1736, Germiston 1400

Depot Phone = (011) 025-

4363

COPYRIGHT : This document may be freely distributed

as it is.

The contact details and copyright notice must remain

intact.

This document is not to be sold. This document is not to

be included in whole or in part in any other media,

122

Depot Mobile = 083 651 5424

(Attie de Necker)

Enquiries =

[email protected]

Bookings and Marketing :

Bookings :

[email protected]

Marketing :

[email protected]

Reefsteamers Web Master :

[email protected]

Reefsteamers Web Site :

www.reefsteamers.com

Reefsteamer Facebook :

https://www.facebook.com/grou

ps/reefsteamers/

whether optical, laser disk, flash, magnetic, printed –

including forums, websites and newsletters, without the

prior permission of the Author or that of the Board of

Directors of Reefsteamers Association NPC.

INFORMAL PUBLICATION CONDITIONS :

As I have a full time job, as well as being active at the

Reefsteamers Depot, I cannot and will not make promises

concerning the timing of releases. Reefsteamers

Association NPC will not accept accountability for regular

releases and website updates of this material.

Owners of locomotive(s), rolling stock, equipment and

machinery will be given material for reports and

photographs by me upon request and not necessarily

through a Depot Report or a Photo Essay.

DISCLAIMER : The views and comments contained

herein are my

own views and observations, and are not

necessarily

those held by Reefsteamers Association

NPC.

Due to the nature of this type of work, Reefsteamers

Association NPC will not accept responsibility for loss,

damage or misinformation due to the contents of Depot

Reports, Photo Essays or other related Articles.

Information included here is verified on a best-effort basis.

-

Umgeni Steam Railway: GMAM 4074

Contact Mr. Rob McGregor at Tel: 031-303 3003; 082-353 6003 or 087-808 7715 or

[email protected] or visit their website at

www.umgenisteamrailway.co.za

123

Paton’s Country Railway

Patons Country Railway: Annual Aloe Train Trips

-

Umgeni Steam Railway - Ashley Peter

-

Friends of the Rail

Tegnap Tony, Nathan és én végül megkaptuk a gőzmozdonyok vezető diplomákat...:)

Yesterday Tony, Nathan and I finally received our steam locomotives driver's diplomas ...:)

Photo by Chris Janisch— with Tony Attwell and Nathan Berelowitz.

Tegnap Tony

124

Having just passed their steam drivers practical exam on a Friends Of The Rail train to

Cullinan, we see Gabor Kovacs and Tony Attwell in the cab of 19D number 2650 as she

stands on their return to Hermanstad. Well done and congratulations.

August 11, 2012 — with Gabor Kovacs and Tony Attwell – Pic: Natahan Berelowitz

FOTR Calendar – Nathan Berelowitz

Hi Hennie, if you can open this could you publish the calendar advert in the next issue. I will also

post you a complimentary copy if you send me your postal address please.

Cheers, Nathan

Nathan [email protected]

125

Enquiries Friends of the Rail Contact Mr. Arno Victor at Tel: 082 293 4616 or [email protected] or visit their

website at www.friendsoftherail.com

Sandstone

-

JB Tours: Treintoere in Suider Afrika

JB Tours issue a lovely program with beautiful pictures. Unfortunately I cannot copy and

save it as a word.doc/x . Please subscribe to their annual program!

for full 2012 year programme here is the email adres:

[email protected] ; www.jbtours.co.za ;

Tel 011 913 2442; 086 152 8687;

Fax: 086 687 7344; 011 913 0552

126

Railwayana

Note spelling of “fietse”

South African Models

Scalecraft: - Adrian Hill

130

Contact Scalecraft

www.scalecraft.co.za

http://www.facebook.com/Scalecraft

[email protected]

021 592 72 69

+2721 592 7269

131

Scalecraft news

Locomotives, locomotives, locomotives…that is our war cry for the foreseeable future. Our

model of the iconic Class 15F has become highly sought after. The model runs well and

blends in nicely with our range of rolling stock. So where to from here, well, we have the

Class 23, Class 16E, 6E, 6E1, 5E, 5E1 & 18E on the drawing board. The 23 and the 6E will be

available shortly with the rest following shortly thereafter. Our steam locomotives are built

around Mehano running gear and the electric locomotives are built on Bachmann. We

install either constant current lighting or DCC depending on user preference. Keep in mind

that the models are designed and assembled in such a way that DCC can be fitted later on

if not factory fitted.

Our aim is to provide the avid modeler with products of the highest quality that are an

asset to their collection. We have decided to appoint two official agents with this in mind.

Our agents will ensure that your SAR modeling needs are met. Scalecraft products are only

available via three channels, namely; ourselves (of course), Mr. Shaun Le Roux of Cape

Model Trains and Mr. Rinke Blok of The Model Train Shop. Shaun and Rinke’s businesses

are the ONLY two official Scalecraft representatives so please feel free to speak to me,

Adrian, Shaun or Rinke should you be interested in our products.

Shaun and Rinke’s contact information is as follows

Shaun le roux

Cape model trains

081 475 4786

[email protected]

Rinke Blok

Model Train Shop

Tel: 011 795-3270

[email protected]

www.modeltrainshop.co.za

Scalecraft product information

Scalecraft product information is available in the following publications:

• The Uloliwe

• RMIG (Railway Modeller’s Information Group Newsletter)

132

Dream Trains – Wynand Vermeulen

16 Besembos Avenue,

Pellissier, 9301

Bloemfontein,

South Africa

PO Box 32882,

Fichardtpark,

9317

www.dreamtrains.co.za

Hopefield: Terry Rowe

Hi Hennie

Here is a short piece on Hopefield with some photos of Hopefield and my models. I'm

about to rearrange my study and the layout will built on top of my book shelves. I will

send photo's of progress.

011-Station building

015-small goods shed

003-large goods shed

087- fence post made from CGR rail2

031- Station name boards

023-small goods shed

005- 5door 3rd Class CGR Coach

CGRT1 and 2 Season Ticket

I trust you are well on the road to recovery, all the best.

Regards

2 The photo is not properly focussed – I can’t publish it.

135

Railway Modellers’ Information Group: Contact Details

From the Press

Zambia ends railway deal with SA investor

Mandy Rossouw

State seizes control of national railway system from company in which Nedbank, Sanlam

and Old Mutual have significant stakes

South African companies Nedbank, Sanlam and Old Mutual suffered a blow this week

when a company with a railway freight and passenger concession in Zambia – in which

they hold significant stakes – was nationalised by the Zambian government.

On Monday a letter was delivered to the offices of New Limpopo Bridge Projects

Investment Limited saying the concessions of the company had been repossessed by the

government with immediate effect.

According to New Limpopo spokesperson Tom Plaistowe, the company was taken by

surprise.

“There have been regular engagements with the government in which the company

convinced the government every time that all obligations were met.”

New Limpopo tried unsuccessfully to convene a meeting with the Zambian government

this week.

136

Zambian Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda announced what was in effect a

nationalisation of the railways, citing mismanagement of the Railway Systems of Zambia

Limited, owned by New Limpopo.

It is unclear what implications this move may have on other South African businesses in

Zambia.

Companies such as Shoprite, Truworths, Woolworths and Spur have outlets in Zambia.

In a television address, Chikwanda added that the rolling stock used by New Limpopo led

to the railway system’s deterioration.

Zambian President Michael Sata was a proponent of nationalisation during his election

campaign and, since he was elected last year, the government has reversed the sale of two

banks that were sold under the previous administration led by Levy Mwanawasa, who

died in office in 2008.

In May this year, Sata said: “We are not nationalising anything, but anything which was

privatised with corruption, like Zamtel, we will move in.”

Zamtel is a major telecoms company that was sold to a Libyan company. This sale was

reversed by Sata.

Shortly after his election in September 2011, Sata reversed the sale of Finance Bank, which

was due to be sold to South Africa’s FNB. Government officials and civil society claimed at

the time that corruption had played a role in the initial sale.

Sata also hinted at nationalising another Zambian bank, Zanaco, but this has not been

confirmed.

The concession to operate the railways was won by New Limpopo Bridge Projects

Investment Limited, a holding company based in Mauritius, in 2003 after a tender process

that was overseen by the World Bank.

The company was given the right to run railway services for 20 years, with the option of an

extension for a further 10 years.

137

Zambia Railways is one of the biggest railway networks in southern Africa and comprises

900km of main-line railways and 300km of branch lines.

The Zambian government said the railways had had too many derailments and fatalities –

necessitating this move for the state to take control.

According to Chikwanda, New Limpopo underinvested in the railways and passenger

service is not up to scratch. He said freight services on the lines connecting mines had also

been stopped.

Plaistowe said New Limpopo had invested more than double of the required investment

into the railways. He said freight services on the lines that connected mines were stopped

because it was more cost effective to transport freight between mines by road.

“Those were short-haul routes and mines preferred the road because it was cheaper.”

The railway network operated by New Limpopo stretched for 1 200km from Sakania, on

the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo, to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. It included

Zambia’s Copper Belt, which was a crucial source of income for the country.

The World Bank released a report in 2010 that states that the investment made by New

Limpopo was in accordance with its concession contract.

The Zambian government has made no investment in the railways since the concession

agreement was signed on Valentine’s Day in 2003.

The government took over the operations of the company, including offices and railway

stations in Kabwe and other areas, while the government said it intended to search the

New Limpopo head office in Lusaka, Plaistowe said.

Former finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane told The Post that the cancellation of the

pact would result in the government being dragged to court by the South African investors.

Nedbank confirmed the takeover.

“Nedbank, as shareholder in New Limpopo Bridge Projects Limited Investments, which is

the holding company of Railway Systems of Zambia Limited, confirms that the company

has received notice of the repossession of its freight and passenger concession by the

government of Zambia.

138

“(New Limpopo) is actively seeking a meeting with the relevant authorities in this regard.”

Sanlam said it would respond in due course and Old Mutual did not respond by the time

of going to the press.

New Limpopo would not disclose its shareholding breakdown, claiming the information

was confidential.

Zambian rail network to get $120 million revamp Zambia will invest $120 million (R990

million) to revamp a railway line linking Africa’s top copper producer with South Africa to

move transport from road to rail, its finance minister said on Friday.

Zambia exports the bulk of its copper through the port of Durban in South Africa, but most

mining companies transport the metal by road because railway transport has been

unreliable.

Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda told a media briefing that $120 million of the $750

million Zambia raised through a debut eurobond on Thursday would be spent on the rail

infrastructure.

“The matter of investing in Zambia Railways is of top priority and urgency,” he said.

Increasing use of rail will reduce the amount of money spent repairing roads damaged by

heavy trucks, Chikwanda said.

The government this week cancelled the lease of the railway line awarded to private

company Railway Systems of Zambia, accusing it of mismanagement.

Mining companies operating in Zambia include Canada’s First Quantum Minerals,

Vedanta Resources, Glencore International and Barrick Gold.

- City Press

http://www.citypress.co.za/Business/News/Zambia-ends-railway-deal-with-SA-investor-

20120915

Mangaantrein slaag sy ‘langste toets’

139

Sep 16 2012 21:43

Transnet het verlede week begin met die toets van die langste “mangaantrein” van die

nuwe Tshipi Borwa-mangaanmyn by Kathu in die Noord-Kaap na die hawe van Port

Elizabeth.Die trein van 18 diesellokomotiewe, 4 toetswaens en 208 vragwaens gelaai met

mangaan het Donderdag van die nuwe takspoorlyn by die Tshipi-myn vertrek en het

Vrydagaand in Port Elizabeth aangekom. Die trein is 2,23 km lank.

Die mangaantreine het gewoonlik 104 waens en dit is die eerste keer dat treine wat so lank

is op die spoorlyn van Kathu na die kus loop. Die trein sal radio-verspreide-kragtegnologie

gebruik wat tans nog net op die ysterertslyn tussen Sishen en Saldanha gebruik word. Die

nuwe syspoorlyn by Tshipi is uniek omdat dit ’n lang lus het wat drie treine van 122 waens

elk kan huisves sonder om die hooflyn te versper.

Die laaigeriewe is modern en die laaityd vinniger. Dit sal Transnet help om

bedryfsdoeltreffendheid te verbeter en omdraaitye te verkort.Die 18 lokomotiewe is diesel-

elektriese lokomotiewe wat voor, in die middel en heel agter die 208 vragwaens geplaas is,

met die krag wat deur ’n radiosein tussen die lokomotiewe versprei word. Die rit na Port

Elizabeth is 1 085 km en 13 000 ton mangaanerts word vervoer. Finn Behnken, uitvoerende

hoof van die Tshipi-myn, sê die nuwe syspoor is ontwerp om uiters doeltreffend te wees en

sal die myn vir die verwagte leeftyd van 60 jaar dien.

Personeellede van Transnet en die Tshipi-myn voor die vertrek van die toetstrein met 13

000 ton mangaanerts wat na die Port Elizabethse hawe vervoer is. Foto's: Verskaf

140

Die voorpunt van die langste mangaanertstrein wat nog van Kathu na Port Elizabeth

geloop het. Dit het 18 diesel-elektriese lokomotiewe gebruik om die 208 ertswaens te trek.

http://www.sake24.com/Maatskappye/Nywerheid/Mangaantrein-slaag-sy-langste-toets-

20120916

Trein ry 2 swanger vroue dood

2012-09-07 11:57

Kaapstad – Twee swanger vroue is buite die Kuilsrivier-treinstasie in die Moederstad deur

‘n trein omgery, het ‘n koerant berig. Cape Times berig die ongeluk waarin Judith Mtumba

en Sarah Njibu gesterf het, sal ondersoek word.

Besonderhede oor die gebeure is nog onduidelik, maar die treindrywer sê hy het drie

mense raakgery. “Ons het selfs onder die trein gekyk, maar daar was niks nie,” het

Mthuthuzeli Swartz, provinsiale bestuurder van Metrorail, aan die koerant gesê. Swartz

141

het ‘n gebreekte heining uitgewys en gesê mense het dikwels kortpaaie oor die treinspoor

geneem.

http://afrikaans.news24.com/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/Trein-ry-2-swanger-vroue-dood-20120907

SA RAILWAY RELATED INTERNET GROUPS

• Suid-Afrikaaanse Spoorweë / SA Railways / Ulolwe (sic)

Visit our website: http://www.facebook.com/groups/74709226744/

It is an “open group” on the railways in South Africa. Keep abreast with the latest developments of

the railways in South Africa. It was started by Hennie Heymans some years ago. Johannes Marais is

co-administrator. No politics or no language questions. Keep it simple: only one thing on the

agenda: Railways in Southern Africa.

641 Members

• Yahoo: SAR-Miniatures – Adrian Hill

Please join us on our mailing list http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sar-miniatures/join We

not only talk about modelling SAR but also about modelling in general. The list is free of

politics and bickering and our aim is not only to advance SAR modelling but also to

exchange ideas and techniques.

• Facebook: ‘RHODESIA RAILWAY’ Group - John Batwell

A recent innovation on Facebook has been the start and rapid development of a RHODESIA RAILWAYS site.

Started by former railway employee Eddie Roussot, the site has grown in leaps and bounds and has over 260

members already and a plethora of photographs which depict the historical milestones and development of

the small country’s railway since those pioneering days back in 1897. Besides photos of stations, sidings,

locomotives of all types of traction, there are a number of photos posted too depicting the human resources of

the railway. The facility has enabled so many folk spread far and wide across the world to reunite

electronically and share their nostalgic and contemporary photographic records and short comments of

another time and age working on one of Southern Africa’s most efficient rail systems. The facility also enables

technical questions to be shared and responses offered, new publications to be marketed, as well as a catch-up

time with old friends and work colleagues of yesteryear.

• Website for Reefsteamers: Lee Gates

You can find the latest information (albeit a bit scattered) on the 15F 2914 on our

Facebook Page at:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/387773301244867/

142

• Well worth a look

Reefsteamers Website is : www.reefsteamers.com

Reefsteamers Page is : www.facebook.com/groups/reefsteamers/

Reefsteamers Locomotive Restoration Project Page (15F 2914) is:

www.facebook.com/groups/387773301244867/

• Andre Kritzinger

André Kritzinger, Cape Town, Website:

http://mysite.mweb.co.za/residents/grela/chessie01.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Locomotives_of_South_Africa

http://grela.rrpicturearchives.net/

http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=12115

• Adrian Hill says:

“Take a look at my website www.scalecraft.co.za “

Railway Groups not mentioned above:

You are welcome to ad your group’s particulars here ...

Angola: Nostalgia Old CFB Coaches (part 1) - Anton van Schalkwyk

Map: Bruno Martin

You can't imagine the wonderful memories I had taking photos of the insides of these old

coaches and the smells that I was so very much used to more than 40 years ago. This was

really special to experience. There is a great need in Angola for restoration of some of these

coaches. The guy who made this possible had a father who was the CFB GM for 40 years.

149

CFM: Lourenco Marques or Maputo

-

150

Tanzam-line

Tanzam Map by Bruno Martin

Pandora’s Box

Anything can come out of Pandora’s Box; here are some pictures we received this month:

Mail Bag

-

Stop Press

-

Disclaimer

We don’t like legalise, but it has to be there, so read the small print ….

151

Readers and/or Viewers may use content from The Uloliwe for non-commercial purposes on condition that such material is attributed to

The Uloliwe and appropriate acknowledgement is given to the author and source. Where it is clear that any material and/or comment is

not made by The Uloliwe, this must be clearly stated.

The Uloliwe makes every reasonable attempt to screen or edit content in The Uloliwe by third parties, but does not accept any liability

for illegal, defamatory or obscene content. Readers and/or Viewers are encouraged to inform The Uloliwe of any content that may be

offensive or illegal.

Save where the views expressed are clearly those of The Uloliwe, no responsibility is accepted for the view of other contributors.

The Uloliwe does not accept any liability, nor will it be responsible for any damages howsoever arising when this information is

obtained and/or utilised in an unauthorised and/or illegal manner.

All advertisements are placed in the interest of our Readers and/or Viewers. Such advertisements are placed free of charge at the

discretion of The Uloliwe. The Uloliwe does not accept any liability nor will The Uloliwe be responsible for any damages howsoever

arising from such advertisements.

The main purpose of adverts is to be of an informative nature.

Goodbye from – J & J Wepener

The next issue of “The Ulolwe” will be Vol 3 No 10 and will be published, DV,

sometime during October 2012.

Please send in your comments, anecdotes and photographs.

Take care! Issue / Volgende Uitgawe

Stuur solank u stories, herinneringe en eie foto’s aan [email protected] in jpg-formaat

Hennie Heymans – Pretoria, ZA © 2012

the uloliwe

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