SteaminSouthAfrica
APhotographicOdyssey
CompiledbyRonWhite
SteaminSouthAfrica A PhotographicOdyssey
CompiledbyRonWhite
ishappytotakeapushfromI4CRB1767,theElginpilot.6April1971. (Right)12.PeterhadintendedtocovertheLadysmithbranchtogetthelovelyold7thclass4-8-0butitwasn'tthedaythebranchranandsohemadea quickdetourtoTouwsRivershedwhere7A 101Iawaitedhispleasure,whatelegance!Thiswaswheretheybuiltacoalingplantasthelinewasbeingwired; geniuseseverywhere.6April1971.
(Above)11.Thisclimbcould(anddid)demandassistanceandtheGEA
15.3BR1458isstillinafinestateofcleanlinessatVoorbaaished-theclasskepttheiroriginalflaredchimneystotheend;andweresparedthestovepipe somanyclassesendured.11April1971.
(Left)17.TheOudtshoornpilotwasaveryvigorous8C1190,the24shadn'tarrivedbythensodidshecovertheCalitzdorpbranchaswell.11April1971. (Above)18.I9D3339inthedepthsofToorwaterpoort.Petereschewedthewideviewfromacrosstherivertogettheclaustrophobicfeelofthatnarrowslot inthemountains.11April1971.
23.TheapproachtotheterminusatREwasmadehideousbyflyoversanditwashardtodojusticeto16CRpacific839cominginfromUitenhagewitha suburbansetarrivingat08.13andpackedsolid.Shehasbeengivenastovepipechimney,shame.13April1971.
(Above)29.ItwasalongslogfromREtoKlipplaatbutthe15ARstookitintheirstride,evenifthetenderwasprettyemptyonarrival;atKleinpoortwithstill acoupleofhourstogo,15AR1807leavesaftercrossingonegoingtoRE.Thiswasanotherlinefewpeoplecovered,itwasn'tveryscenic,justhardwork. 14April1971. (Right)30.PeterwentontotheLootsberg(aswealldid,eventually)andnotonlydidhecollectabunchofpicturesbutapositivelyOldTestamentaryswarm oflocustsamongstwhichhesatuntilI9B1407appearedwithfreight.15April1971.
38.NorthtoKimberley,collectingclass232565WILLEMIENsomewherealongthewaynorthofOrangeRiver.October1973.
73.TheshedpilotatGlencoeinthosedayswasthischarming8DWNo1248,araresurvivor.13July1967.
AnotherbookonSouthAfricansteam-haven’twehadenough?MywifecertainlythinkssoasIquietlyorder anotherasareminderofthosemarvelloustripstoanunknowncountry.Adjurednottogobecauseofapartheid, wewentsimplytogetourfillofrealrailways,nothingpoli�calenteredourheadsaswefocusedonlengthy freightsandinfrequentpassengertrainsandmixedtrains,notknownintheUK.butservingremotedorpsoncea dayatbest,M/W/Foatworst;howwonderful.Andthesunshoneallthe�meitseemed,toomuchatmid-day whentheshadowsweresolidblackandthereflectedglareapaininthelens;wequicklylearnedtooperatefrom pre-dawntoalatebreakfastand15.00topastsundownreturningtosomeremoteoasisfordinner,drink,bathand bed(wewerenotthe“habituallyill-washedEnglish”socogentlydescribedbyabunchofjollyswagmeninarecent superbpicturebook.Wedidnothangaboutforthefinalshenaniganswithemptystockbeingra�ledaboutby weirdcombina�onsoflocomo�vesfarfromtheirhomesheds;thespecialswiththegive-awayrefrigeratorvan tackedontherear-we’dbeenthere,doneit.gotthescar�ssue,returnedasmuchofthehirecarasremainedand camehometoseewhatKodakhaddoneforus.Whatfunithadbeen,whatmemoriesthesepicturesbringback a�erfi�yyears,givethankstothosewhodiditandnow,posthumously,sharetheirgoodieswithus. ISBN978-1-913893-02-6
SteaminSouthAfricaCompiledbyRonWhite
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