The transport of live cattle by rail has long faded into history on the South African rail system and particularly on the narrow gauge. The South African 2ft narrow gauge system itself met its demise long ago but thanks to the efforts of Sandstone a large number of rolling stock types have been saved for preservation. A comprehensive survey by Sandstone in May 2016 identified every remaining wagon along the line from Port Elizabeth docks to Avontuur. Each wagon was photographed and the images are now in the Sandstone archives. Two G type cattle wagons were identified, namely G 210 at Assegaaibos in the Langkloof and G 246 at Saint Albans on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth. Both are of the type G-3. 210 was built in 1940 and 246 in 1937. Number 210 was still stabled at the old cattle loading dock at Assegaaibos waiting for a cargo that would never come again whilst 246, as the photograph shows, was basically reduced to a frame on wheels in a lonely siding. Both units have now been collected by Sandstone and transported to the Eastern Free State for preservation.

NGG16 number 113, built by Beyer Peacock in 1939, has been moved to Sandstone’s Bloemfontein Workshops for re tubing. The locomotive was acquired from the Midmar project in 1998 but did not enter traffic at Sandstone until February15th 2003 after a full overhaul in the Hoekfontein Workshops. The locomotive was withdrawn from traffic in April 2017. Our pictures from Lukas Nel show 113 after delivery to Bloemfontein and alongside NG10 number 61.Work on the NG10 will continue alongside the repairs to 113.

The latest steam report from Gert Jubileus and his team at Sandstone is now available. Click here view

NG15 number 17 is ready for action over the next two days with The Cherry Express in conjunction with the Cherry Festival in Ficksburg. No 17 has undergone extensive repairs to its spring gear and is seen carrying the new "Cherry Express" headboard prior to its first run on Friday morning.

Keith Stevens has sent us a gallery of the recent work on the NG10 boiler which is now almost complete.

The firebox under construction and almost complete

While the Bloemfontein team awaits the boiler from Keith Steven’s Workshop, Lukas and the team are stripping the tender frame of number 61.This is in very poor condition due to rust and previous accident damage. Both ends of the tender will be renewed with new draw gear and drag boxes. The brake shaft is in its final stage of refurbishment.

While Bloemfontein awaits the new boiler from Keith Stevens in Howick, Lukas Nel and his team have made a start on refurbishing the boiler cladding around the firebox as well as fabricating new sections based on the rusted and paper thin sections that could not be used.
Attempts have also been made to remove the old cylinder cock nipples but these are rusted solidly into the cylinders and will need to be drilled out and replaced with new ones.

Click here to read PDF

The recently refurbished front bogie has been placed under the frames of NG10 number 61 in Bloemfontein as the locomotive restoration moves forward. A new ashpan as per the picture has also been fabricated by Lukas Nel and his team and awaits the rebuilt boiler from Keith Stevens towards the end of November.

The latest steam report from Gert Jubileus and the Sandstone Steam Team. Click here to view.

Lukas Nel and his team have now completed the rebuild of both tender bogies and will now concentrate on the rebuild of the tender frame which is in near scrap condition with severe rust. Our pictures show the new tender tank which was completed in 2016, the new bogies and the existing tender frame.

In Howick Keith Stevens continues with the fitment of 350 boiler stays with the completion of the boiler expected in mid to late November.

We have had so many enquiries about progress with the NG10 restoration that we have combined all our reports of 2017 into one for easy reading. Click here to view the PDF

The hard work put in by Lukas Nel and his team over the last few months is now coming to fruition with the completion of the first of the two tender bogies for NG10 number 61. Our pictures of the first completed bogie show how the team almost travelled back in time to produce the units as they were in 1915 when the locomotive rolled out of the Baldwin workshops in the USA.

Class 91 number 91-016 has been acquired by Sandstone from RRL-Grindrod after the closure of their rail division. One of four ex TFR 91 Class diesels staged at the Pretoria workshops of Grindrod, 91-016 was Grindrod’ s number 91 04. This example, as with the other three, was converted to 3’6” gauge for use in the Welkom area by extending the 2ft gauge bogies and axles to 3’6”. The locomotive is complete and still retains its Caterpillar engine although it is not in working order. The locomotive is primarily for parts for Sandstone’s 91-010 but the locomotive is being examined to diagnose the fault that resulted in it being staged.

Our picture gallery shows its arrival at Sandstone and unloading for storage in the 150m shed. An additional picture shows 91 04 working in the Wekom area in 2011.

The stock list has been updated. Click here to view