NGG13 49 on a demonstration freight on a winter’s morning. Picture by Dave Richardson
Visitors to Sandstone will know that NGG13 49 and NG 15 17 have been stalwarts of the Sandstone 2ft narrow gauge railway since 2004. The locomotives were moved from Umlaas Road and Humewood Road respectively by (then) Spoornet for safe keeping and eventual preservation during the 1980’s.
NGG13 49 stands at Umlaas Road in 1985
NGG13 number 49, built by Hanomag in 1928, has led a chequered career before arriving at its current home at the Sandstone Steam Railway. Originally allocated to the Port Shepstone to Harding line, it spent some time in South West Africa (Namibia today) on the Otavi Railway as part of an experiment to test Garratt locos there.
Although the use of steam powered machinery is limited worldwide, there is still a great deal of use of such machinery, either mobile or static, in the Heritage arena.
We have made a significant change to one of our favourite attractions at Sandstone!
Seb's Children's Railway, which was originally named after one of the grandsons of a Sandstone Director, underwent a major change recently and was enclosed in a game camp which
has changed the nature of the line.
We recently ran a story about the AY Hoppers we sold to the Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway (WW&F) and the Edaville Railway in Maine, USA. The units were delivered directly to the WW&F which is some distance from the Edaville Railway. Following on from our previous post (https://www.sandstone-estates.com/index.php/railway-heritage-58/2ft-narrow-gauge/3769-the-usa-rolling-stock-arrives) we received a mail from the Chairman of the WW&F, David Buczkowski, detailing the move of the wagons destined for the Edaville Railway.
David takes up the story:
“Voie Libre” is a French magazine , produced in both French and English editions, for small gauge railway modellers. It is generally accepted as one of the finest magazines in the world on the subject of railway modelling. The title, “Voie Libre”, literally translated, means “Clear Path”
OK 11112 Ermyntrude
After a successful gauging test two more locos have been passed to run on Sandstone’s shorter system, Seb’s Railway. These are O&K 0-6-0WT 11112 of 1925, “Ermyntrude” and O&K 0-6-0WT 12140 of 1930, “Anna”. These locomotives along with other locomotives were acquired from Fazenda Tentativa Sugar Estate in Caxito, Angola.
We thought you would enjoy this picture of the smallest locomotive in the Sandstone fleet and the largest. The 1919 built 0-4-0ST “Little Bess” and the 1968 built (and modified in 1990) NGG16A Garratt locomotive number 155. Truly the largest and smallest!
The AY hoppers and SM flat wagons recently supplied by Sandstone to the Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway and the Edaville Railway in Maine, USA have now arrived on site in Edaville. Our picture gallery shows the stock being unloaded and a first train lashed together for a short trip down the line. The two railways are planning a “South African” day when the stock has been fully commissioned and we look forward to seeing pictures of that.
Sandstone has just concluded the sale of two AY ballast hoppers to the Wiscasset,Waterville and Farmington Railway in Maine, USA, to assist them with maintaining their line and a possible extension in the future. You can read the article on this link. https://railfan.com/wwf-to-purchase-narrow-gauge-south-african-ballast-hoppers/
Another Fowler from Mount Edgecombe Sugar Estate, Kwa Zulu-Natal, South Africa. Sandstone’s “Sandy” has a sister!
The jewel of the Sandstone 2ft Narrow gauge collection is, without doubt, the small Decauville 0-4-0T locomotive, works number 302, built in 1899 in France. Since its discovery at the Dombe Grande sugar estate in Benguela Province, Angola, in 2003 we have believed the name to be “BATHALA”. Some research by railway historian, John Middleton has unearthed the attached picture of the locomotive at the Dombe Grande Museum in 1970 where Sandstone ultimately found it some 33 years later.
Working the train at our Easter Steam and Cosmos Festival.
Mark Ruddy together with his brother Gary are two of our most dedicated footplate volunteers and worked a number of trains at the recent Easter event. Here is a short video shot by Gary and Mark’s daughter, Ta-Nika, of the preparation and working of NGG11 number 52. Enjoy the experience!
Click on the link to view: https://youtu.be/6Lz84s0UZRM
Leon Hugo is a professional photographer based in Gqeberha. You will remember his excellent pictures from the rather wet 2022 Easter Festival but Leon had visited us before. Here is a small selection of some quite different images of the Sandstone Steam Railway and its locomotives to enjoy.
You can contact Leon on 
