We had some good reactions to our story of the coaches at Ladybrand. Thanks to enthusiast, Franciscus Boshoff, and SAR coach expert, Peter Stow we were given access some South African Transport Services coach sales records and both coaches were sold to private owners in 1985. Both are ex Blue Train/Drakensberg Express.
The Drakensberg Express connection has been confirmed by the areas of green paint in the vestibules of the coaches. The two coaches, sold to the previous owner in Ladybrand, are shown as SAR type C 31-A 8197 and C 31-B 8200. These coaches were originally in the Royal Train consist respectively as R2, being a SA staff coach and R5 as a SA and Royal staff coach. The R numbers relate to the position of the coaches behind the locomotive during the Royal Tour of 1947. The SAR diagrams of these type of coaches are shown below.
Our next task is to identify which one is which! Watch this space!
