|
|
|
|
|
This week the Eastern Free State was really steaming with all the Steam activities that took place, not only on
the Sandstone Steam Railway, but also with the annual held Cherry Festival. Steam Locomotives came
all the way from Germiston to haul a special passenger service between Ficksburg and Generaalsnek. This
was a very exciting week indeed and it started with a one-coach train pulled with the Sandstone Steam
Railway smallest locomotive, Little Bess. Join me onboard of this little train through the beautiful landscape
of the Eastern Free state as it travels over the mountains around the curves and through the orchards.
|
|
|
|
|
Mr.Mole, the man behind it all!
|
Charles Viljoen mastering the Sentinal.
|
|
|
|
|
Little Bess raising steam at the Locomotive Shed.
|
|
|
|
|
Above & below: Mr.Mole and Gerhard Wille between the remarkable Sandstone wheat lands.
|
|
|
Our passengers, Mr.Mole and Gerhard Wille onboard of the train discussing farming matters and others than most
Farmers who would inspect the lands with a 4x4, they inspected the wheat lands traveling by train. |
|
|
|
After a short service stop at Vailima, Little Bess departs out of the loop on her journey to Vailima Halt.
|
|
|
|
A lovely time of the day when the sun softens as it made ready for sundown. Little Bess joyously hauled her little
train around the curves through the bushes and tackled the heavy climb up to Vailima Halt.
Click here to view a video clip of Little Bess, storming up the embankment to Vailima Halt. >>> |
| |
| Little passengers awaited the little train at Vailima Halt and joined us on hour journey through the orchards. |
|
|
|
Derrick and Henry manned the train. Everyone picked peaches of the trees as Little Bess slowly drove through
the orchards. |
|
|
|
As the day draws slowly to an end, magic moments were captured, for where in the world would you get a Farmer
leaning on his Steam Locomotive next to his wheat lands breathing the fresh farm air of another great day! |
|
|
The very next day we steamed our Class NGG 13 number 49 to haul a bale train to Vailima Halt. The bales were
loaded onto flat and B wagons and were offloaded at the line side where erosion was taking place due to excessive
rain storm that occur in this region of South Africa.
Below is 49 coupled to a heavy loaded train full off bales. |
|
|
Below is a photo of the train being loaded in Hoekfontein Station. Mr.Mole and Gerhard Wille soon made themselves
comfortable on the goods train between the bales. |
|
|
|
| The train then was turned on the triangle and ready to depart to Vailima Halt. |
|
Mr.Mole and Gerhard volunteered to be the Guards of train!
|
|
|
|
|
Then came the offloading of the bales in the cuttings!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Little passengers jumped aboard our train, for some of them an experience they will never forget.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Click here to view 49 at a crawling pace up the steam embankment to Vailima Halt. |
|
|
After hard work and sweat, it was time to replenish 49’s craving for water at the new water column at
Vailima Halt. The same train ran again on Friday morning and another load of bales were offloaded. 49
then was stabled at the Steam Shed where the Feldbahn and the Sentinal awaits their chance to steam
to Grootdraai for a late afternoon steaming experience. |
|
|
All of us were weary at the time after a long day behind Steam. At Grootdraai we all relaxed for a while
camping on the green grass near the Maluti Mountains. |
|
|
| Below is a photo of Leon Flynn admiring the Sentinal steam truck. Perhaps he was thinking of trading his Freightliner for one of these models! |
|
|
|
Below: Photos of the inside.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Below are photos taken of the Sentinel and the Feldbahn at Grootdraai.
|
|
|
|
|
Below right: Mr.Mole behind the controls of the Feldbahn.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Click here to see a video clip of the Feldbahn in action. |
|
|
The day draws to an end and without anyone knowing it, we did not relive history, we are just making
history in a changing world where there is no time to appreciate the great days that we live in.
Early on Saturday morning we steamed the Peckett to haul a passenger train to Grootdraai for the
Porsche Club who visited the Estates.
Below is the Peckett, wrapping her steam arms around the Station and the trees just after she arrived
back from Grootdraai.
|
|
|
| |
|
Soon the Station turned to life with people gathering around the Peckett.
|
|
|
|
|
After refreshments served in the Waenhuis, the passengers were taken on a tour to the Vintage
and Steam Shed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This weekend, the Ficksburg Station was blocked out with trains from allover to support the annual
held Cherry Festival.
Below is a Diesel Locomotive shunting out Passenger wagons just before the arrival of the Reefsteamers
Double headed class 25NC and 15F that came all the way from Germiston to haul the Cherry Festival trains. |
|
|
| Below: Reefsteamers shining Class 15F number 3016. |
|
|
Below: Shaun Ackerman, one of our volunteer Train Drivers, servicing, and Shaun behind the controls
of 15F number 3016. |
|
|
|
|
Leaning out of the Cab of the shining Class 15F!
|
|
|
Below: A photo taken of Class 25Nc number 3472 as she pulled into Ficksburg Station on her return
trip from Generaalsnek. |
|
|
|
|
The two prestige Locomotives belonging to Reefsteamers. Operating Steam Locomotives on the
Mainlines in South Africa is almost an impossible due to the missing infrastructure. Well done to the Reefsteamers who showed their talent to run steam in these days and thanks for keeping our Steam Locomotives alive. |
|
|
|
| |
PLANNING FOR NEXT WEEK:
1.) To make beams for bogeys to load Garratt locomotives in Port Shepstone.
2.) To clean all locomotives that was used last week.
3.) To go on with restoration of BSA Railcar body and mechanical
4.) To box remaining wooden Tolls
5.) To go on with restoration of Ratanga Locomotive.
6.) To ballast storage line and lift and pack
7.) To stencil wagons
8.) To do under frame restoration of XC and stencil.
9.) Locomotive Repairs.
10.) Wagon repairs.
11.) To move wagons and bogeys from Port Shepstone.
12.) To go on with restoration of Ratanga Locomotive. |
|
|
|
|
