This book can easily be considered the definitive work on the South African railway system (including Namibia) and its sheer size and comprehensive content defy belief at times. At 426 pages, with a comprehensive and extensive selection of colour and black and white pictures, author Jean Dulez has excelled all expectations on such a definitive book. In reality the book is an update of a previous one, “Railways of Southern Africa 150” by the same author published in 2011 for the 150th anniversary of the railway in South Africa from 1850 to 2010. That book was developed from an original proposed book by the late Dusty Durrant that never came to fruition.
The author has now covered the period up to 2022 in South Africa, Lesotho and Namibia, where the rail systems are derivations of the South African network, plus the effect of Covid 19 on the railway system. The previous edition just missed all the latest developments in electric and diesel traction that took place up to 2020 which are now featured in this book. It covers steam, diesel and electric traction including electrical multiple units (including the standard gauge Gautrain in Johannesburg) in great detail and will be certainly considered an index and reference of these for years to come. It does not have a specific section on railway preservation in South Africa but a number of preserved locomotives feature to illustrate various locomotive classes.
Much of the photography is by the author but some of the pictures are from well-known South African railway photographers, particularly from the late Dusty Durrant’s collection. There are many specially commissioned maps from South African railway cartographer, Bruno Martin, and a great deal of input from local South African railway enthusiasts and specialists.
Even if you are not a South African railway enthusiast you will not fail to be enthralled by the amazing story of this rail system over the last 160 years. On a track that, at 3’6” gauge, is considered “narrow gauge” by many railway enthusiasts throughout the world, the story of the sheer size and performance of many of the locomotive types, both steam, diesel and electric, is a delight to read.
The author’s next project is another that the late Dusty Durrant suggested, the railways of South Africa’s surrounding countries such as Angola and Mozambique where specific publications are quite rare. We can only look forward to it if this magnificent volume is the benchmark.
The book is available direct from the author in South Africa for R990.00 excl shipping. Contact
For overseas orders, please enquire directly to Jean Dulez.