Rob Steiger started building his GEA in 2002 from original SAR drawings and worked feverishly on it, as we all know Rob to do, producing parts to show off every week. He machined all 16 spoked drivers by hand and had a rolling chassis by the time of the National Live Steam Meet in Pietermaritzburg in 2003.
More than 100,000 railway wagons of various types have been cut up by scrap dealers over the past few years in South Africa. Thousands of kilometres of rail have been abandoned and in many cases lifted and sold for scrap. Sandstone Estates is heavily involved in rail in two areas. Firstly, virtually all the company's primary commodities ship out by rail and the company is critically dependent on a viable 3'6" mainline rail network to take its commodities to market.
This scrapping programme has limited the availability of DZ and FZ trucks, which are often in short supply. In addition, the company has had to suspend the construction of its 2-ft narrow gauge rail line which connects the silos at Hoekfontein to its mainline loading and offloading depot at Vailima, which is one of the agricultural sidings on the Bloemfontein / Bethlehem line.
We appeal to the authorities to stop cutting up wagons and railway line and to arrest the deterioration in the rail infrastructure in South Africa. We appeal to them to recognise that a well-managed rail network is a vital component in the healthy growth and development of an agricultural an industrial economy such as South Africa's.
A STEAMING YEAR!!!
This year was a very good year for the Sandstone Steam Railway and many train tours were hosted however this is only a small part of what we really are doing down in the Eastern Free State. Also was it a black year for Steam and we lost so many locomotives to the cutters. Chamdor was a disaster and SANRASM as well, but we still are steaming on.
Gert Jubileus has submitted his latest weekly report.
Click here to view the report - 1.13MB PDF (opens in new window)
Don le Roux was a master craftsman, a steam lover and good friend. He built a few engines in his lifetime but his last project was particularly close to his heart. Two magnificent SAR 15Fs in 5 inch gauge.
CLOUDY SEASONS!!!
The Hoekfontein Shunting yard is very near completion and the last days we build another 60 meter of NG panels that was laid in Hoekfontein yard line 2. The first line is about 250 meter long and the second line is now 100 meters. The first 100 meters of line 2 will be ballasted in next week and will also be lifted and packed, the rest of the line will be laid near the end of January.
Gert Jubileus has submitted his latest weekly report.
Click here to view the report - 1.54MB PDF (opens in new window)
NGG11's
Geoff Pethick sent us this interesting snippet of information.
The NGG 11s were built by Beyer Peacock, thus the Beyer Garratt name.
Below is an extract from the book 'Beyer Peacock Locomotive Builders to the World', which details the reasons.
It was hoped to have it finished by 1916, but completion was only in 1919. Presumably World War 1 got in the way.
Two locomotives from the abandoned Ficksburg Loco site, namely our Barclay Tank Engine and our Bessinger Diesel, have been relocated to Sandstone Estates.
Sandstone talk to East Anglian Group of the WHRS
Kim Winter has visited Sandstone many times before in the past and we hope to welcome him again soon. He has sent us a report on a talk he recently made to the East Anglian Group of the Welsh Highland Railway Society which some of our readers may find of interest.
Click here to view the report - 1.3MB PDF (opens in new window)
There has been an upsurge in industry recently on historical photographs of South Africa’s Narrow Gauge locomotives. Rather than try and respond to each individual request we publish herewith a gallery of photographs supplied to us by Leith Paxton, which are superb.
Steaming Cherry!!!
The last week the Eastern Free State was really steaming, with 2 NGG 16 Garratt Locomotives as well as the Reefsteamers Class 25NC and 15F.
It was this time of the year when we had the annual Cherry Festival in Ficksburg and we had special running passenger trains on the Sandstone Estates.
All in total we had 10 trains over the 3 day period and everyone had a time of their lives.
Gert Jubileus has submitted his latest weekly report.
Click here to view - 2MB PDF (opens in a new window)
The Sandstone Heritage Trust continues to recover the sad relics from the SANRASM "museum".
All items will be stored in a high security zone in the Eastern Free State.
On 6th November 2010 Sandstone's GMAM hauled a 16 coach train for Reefsteamers to Magaliesberg.
Andre Van Dyk reports as follows:
This weekend 6 November my Dad and I had the opportunity to be the driver/fireman on the inbound trip from Magaliesburg with the GMAM.
I firstly was impressed when Shaun (outbound driver) had to make a stop on the steepest gradient in the section between Magaliesburg and Vlakdrift, and then pick up the load of 16 coaches with not even slipping. If this was a 15F we would need to push back to Magaliesburg station.
Not quite the "model" we are use to, this locomotive is in fact a ¼ full size version of the South African Class 19D. Built in the Bloemfontein railway workshops by the apprentices, she was used on numerous occasions for display only. Even though everything works, there is nowhere in South Africa with a track to run her and the cab was not really designed for a full size bloke to fit into. Again I know very little of the engine and her current whereabouts. Last time I saw her was in 2004 in Bloemfontein.
Baguley Drewry diesel locomotives arrive at Sandstone Estates
Two Baguley Drewry diesel locomotives ex Sena Sugar have arrived at Sandstone Estates from our diesel facility in Bloemfontein
Their future is still being debated.
