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ROLLING STOCK | PERWAY | INFRASTRUCTURE | SIGNALLING | OPERATORS | COMMENT
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WWW.RAILWAYSAFRICA.COM
Transformation in the Rail Environment has shifted attention from Quality to Quantity.
Sheltam remains focused on Quality and Service Excellence.
Tel: +27 (041) 581 4400 Fax: +27 (041) 581 4474 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.sheltam.com127 Villiers Rd Walmer 6070 PO Box 15148 Emerald Hill 6011 Port Elizabeth South Africa
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RAILWAYS AFRICA / FOREWORD
Foreword
The copyright on all material in this magazine is expressly reserved and vested in Rail Link Communications cc, unless otherwise stated. No material may be reproduced in any form, in part or in whole, without the permission of the publishers. Please note that the opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers of Rail Link Communications cc unless otherwise stated. While precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information, neither the Editor, Publisher or Contributor can be held liable for any inaccuracies or damages that may arise.
3Issue 1 // 2013 Railways Africa www.railwaysafrica.com
BARBARA SHEATPublisher / Railways Africa
PUBLISHERBarbara Sheat
EDITOR Rollo Dickson
DESIGN & LAYOUTGrazia Muto
WEBSITEShaun Loureiro
ADVERTISINGKim Bevan
SUBSCRIPTIONS Kim Bevan
CONTRIBUTORSAnton van Schalkwyk
Bruno Martin
Col André Kritzinger
Dawie Kuyler
Eugene Armer
Geoff Cooke
Jacque Wepener
John Batwell
Trevor Staats
ISSN 1029 - 2756
Rail Link Communications ccPO Box 4794 Randburg 2125
Tel: +27 72 340 5621
E-mail: [email protected]
Twitter: railwaysafrica
Website: www.railwaysafrica.com
ROLLING STOCK | PERWAY | INFRASTRUCTURE | SIGNALLING | OPERATORS | COMMENT
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1 // 2
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WWW.RAILWAYSAFRICA.COM
THE NEVER-ENDING STORYThe idea of a Mchinji-Chipata railway was conceived in 1982 - 30 years ago last year - as
part of a bilateral project between Zambia and Malawi. With assistance from Canada, the
Malawian government completed the line on their side of the border in 1984, within the
stipulated time. The Zambian part of the scheme (24km) stalled however for lack of funds.
The project marked time - for some 24 years - and was not revived until 2006 when then
president Levy Mwanawasa rekindled interest at an estimated cost of $US10 million.
The railway was completed and offi cially opened in August 2010 but has not functioned due
to the lack of facilities at Chipata (formerly Fort Jameson, in the east of Zambia). Kabwata
Member of Parliament Given Lubinda was quoted three years ago pointing out that If the
line remains dormant, it risks being vandalised by “unscrupulous people”.
In January 2011, according to Communication and Transport Minister Geoffrey Lungwangwa,
the government signed a $US1.5 million memorandum of understanding with the China
Civil Engineering Construction Company for feasibility studies on extending the line about
250km from Chipata via Petauke to the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara) at
Mpika. In February 2011, the government fl oated a tender for the construction of a dry port
and goods shed at Chipata station. According to Zambia Railways Limited acting Managing
Director Regina Mwale, lack of funds has delayed the erecting of a dry port. Chipata-Mchinji
railway line project engineer Ernest Silwamba says the Zambian Government engaged a
Chinese fi rm to do a feasibility study on construction of a dry port. The feasibility study was
completed but design work has still to be undertaken. Until the proposed facility is built,
says Central East African Railways (Cear), which is to work the line, there is no point in
running trains. Cear made it clear at the same time that it will not be running passenger
services unless the operating cost of these is subsidised.
Agriculture, which employs about 80% of the country’s workforce, is the main activity in
Zambia’s eastern province. According to Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) export promotion
offi cer Charles Mulombwa, the province contributed 531,810 tonnes of maize - about 21% of
the national output during the 2008/9 agricultural season - and 73% of sunfl ower cultivation
in the country.
The main railway through Zambia, some 500km to the west, runs north-south and provides
routes to the ports of Beira, Dar es Salaam and Durban. It is more than 1,000km from the
capital Lusaka to Beira, nearly 2,000km to Dar and even more than that to Durban. The
unused line from Chipata would - if it were running - provide access to northern Mozambique’s
port of Nacala, about 1,150km by rail through Malawi.
The economic survival of Zambia, being landlocked, is highly dependent on good transport for
the movement of exports and imports. Recently, citing “non-performance”, the government
threw out the company concessioned to work the main-line. But what about Chipata?
1 – 3 OCTOBER 2013 | TSHWANE EVENTS CENTRE | HALL J
W W W. R A I LWAYS A N D H A R B O U R S . CO M
RAILWAYS | HARBOURS | MINING | INTERMODAL | COMMUTER
Don’t miss the biggest Rail and Harbours Event on the African Continent from
1 to 3 October 2013 at the Tshwane Events Centre in Pretoria, South Africa –
the ideal opportunity to network and connect with industry peers, see the latest
technology first-hand, engage with suppliers and glean the latest trends from
financing to infrastructure development.
Floorplan NOW OPEN! Call for Speakers
To book your space or for more information
contact Barbara Sheat
Tel: +27 72 340 5621
Email: [email protected]
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Lagos-Kano Open 15
Africa Update
RAILWAYS AFRICA / CONTENTS
ContentsContents
UK TRAVEL EXPERIENCELetter From Britain 6
Features6
19
33
www.railwaysafrica.com
Always Something New For Africa From TE 18
Barloworld / EMD Joint Venture 19
SA Rail News
London Underground Celebrates 150 Years 28
Railway Heritage
Jacob Daniël du Toit 30
End of The Line
Soweto Derailment 24
Train Kills Five Elephants 26
Mishaps & Blunders
Issue 1 // 2013 Railways Africa 5
Photo: Shaun Loureiro,Railways Africa.
Our journey started on Easter Sunday
aboard Singapore Airlines fl ight 236 from
Brisbane. After a three-hour stopover 8½
hours later at Changi International Airport,
we continued on a Singapore Airlines’ A380
Airbus long-haul to London-Heathrow.
Arrival was on-time at 06:00, and by 07:00
– thanks to no delay with immigration
or baggage collection - we had validated
our BritRail passes and boarded a waiting
Heathrow Express for the 15-minute, non-
stop, trip to Paddington. Being Easter
Monday, London’s streets were almost
deserted and the taxi to Waterloo took no
time at all.
A South West Trains’ eight-car diesel-
multiple-unit (dmu) took an hour and 20
minutes - with eight intermediate stops -
for the 127km to Salisbury. There we hired
a car, clocking up 2,400km in 22 days,
mostly using minor roads and lanes, to
Land’s End. There we turned north along
the coast of Cornwall, Devon and Somerset
back to Salisbury, overnighting in B&Bs,
guesthouses or hotels. At the beginning
of April, about 50% of England reported
drought conditions, but by the third week
many places were having fl oods! Still, we
had sunny spells in between the squally
showers, hail and biting cold wind - and
only on one occasion were we confi ned
to the hotel all day, because of hazardous
roads. The closest we came to fl ooding
was at Cheddar Gorge near Bristol. Here
we suddenly confronted a raging torrent
and beat a hasty retreat back down into
Cheddar town.
There is so much to see in the area: the
picturesque villages with their quaint
thatched-roof cottages in Dorset, numerous
castles and castle ruins, sites such as
Stonehenge, the bleak landscape of
Dartmoor and Exmoor, the spectacular
cliffs of the Jurassic Coast and the rugged
coastline of Cornwall and Devon. Driving on
the narrow country lanes certainly takes a bit
of getting used to: at times only 2.28m wide
with hedgerows nearly 2m high on either
side makes for some interesting passing
manoeuvres when meeting up with another
car from the opposite direction!
Lynmouth Cliff Railway On the North Devon coast facing the
Bristol Channel, the Lynton and Lynmouth
Cliff Railway - 262.7m in total length, with
the top station 152.4m higher than the
bottom - has been in operation since it
opened on 7 April 1890. Powered only by the
weight of water, the two cars are connected
by four cables to counter-balance each
other: two are for hauling and carrying the
weight of both cars, while the other two
are for tail-balance, counteracting the
weight of the hauling cables. Each car
has a tank fi lled with 3,182 litres of water
mounted between the wheels, with a
smaller tank containing 45.46 litres
Heathrow Express Paddington Station.
Stonehenge near Salisbury.
6 www.railwaysafrica.comRailways Africa Issue 1 // 2013
UK TRAVEL EXPERIENCE
LETTER FROM BRITAINBy Bruno Martin
“To see the wild fl owers in spring” was a good excuse for a
two-month holiday in Britain. We timed our trip for April/
May, when the weather is supposedly settled and before
the crowds arrived for the Olympic Games.
instantaneously drop back in place,
clamping the shoes fi rmly onto the rails.
To London and The NorthAfter dropping off our hire car in Salisbury,
we boarded a train to London and there -
from Euston at 13:30 - one of Virgin Train’s
Alstom class 390 Pendolino 11-car sets
took us 648km along the West Coast main-
line to Glasgow, arriving at 18:05. Brief
stops were made at Warrington Bank Quay;
Wigan North West; Preston; Oxenholme
and Penrith. Although capable of 225km/h,
the Pendolinos operate at a top speed of
200km/h – so fast that it’s near impossible
to read station nameboards as they fl ash
by. Catering in fi rst class offers free hot
and cold beverages (including alcohol),
snacks, sandwiches and hot meals on some
services. WiFi is free of charge.
In Scotland we experienced everything
from gale force winds in Fort William to
snow and ice on Cairngorm Mountain,
daytime temperatures between 2-5° at
times, and a week with a balmy 28°.
Despite the weather, we got to see all the
places we had planned to visit. The scenery
was spectacular with the mountain peaks
under a generous dusting of snow.
as reservoir for the braking system.
On a pre-arranged signal, the drivers
release the safety locking device and the
cars’ brakes. As water is discharged from
the tank of the lower car, the now heavier
top car descends, pulling the lower car up.
The water discharged by the lower car is
pumped back into the reservoir at the top
station to fi ll the top car’s tank and the
whole procedure is ready to start over again.
A secondary braking system, patented in
1888, and the forerunner of the railway
“deadman’s handle”, activates calliper-
type brake shoes clamped to each side of
the crown of the rail and held fast by
54.4kg lead weights. When the driver turns
a hand-wheel operated by a large water
accumulator, the brakes are released,
but should the driver at any time release
the wheel, the lead weights would
Durdle Door and Chalk Cliffs, Jurassic Coast, Dorset.
Lynmouth Cliff Railway.
7Issue 1 // 2013 Railways Africa www.railwaysafrica.com
Another exhibit of interest is Highland Railway locomotive no 103,
designed by engineer David Jones with the assistance of DA Hendrie
in 1894. It was the most powerful locomotive in Britain at the time,
and the fi rst to use the 4-6-0 wheel arrangement. The South African
connection is that David Anderson Hendrie took up the position
of Locomotive Superintendent with the Natal Government Railways
early in January 1903.
At the museum’s shop I purchased a DVD entitled North British
- Locomotives for the world’s railways. It features old newsreel
footage depicting the manufacturing of steam locomotives from
start to fi nish at the North British Locomotive Company Ltd,
Queens Park Works in Glasgow. One of the locomotives, class 24
no 3675, the 2,000th to come off the assembly line ordered by
South African Railways, receives a brief mention. The locomotive
was named Bartholomew Diaz, and special nameplates were cast
to mark the occasion. In January 1950, transport minister Paul
Sauer unveiled the nameplates at a formal handing-over ceremony
in Cape Town attended by Sir Andrew Duncan and Mr W D Lorrimer,
director and managing director of NBL respectively; as well as the
Portuguese ambassador to South Africa, members of parliament
and senior railway offi cials. The newly named locomotive worked
a special train over Sir Lowry’s Pass during which the guests were
treated to lunch.
The North of ScotlandWhile in Fort William I saw The Jacobite on 14 May (loco 62005
with eight coaches in tow) on its inaugural run to Mallaig for the
Museum of Transport: Glasgow In Glasgow I visited the Riverside Museum of Transport which
spreads over two fl oors and houses over 3,000 exhibits grouped
into 150 separate, themed displays. Entry is free, but cash
donations are gladly accepted. There is a splendid collection
of railway locomotives, trams, models of ships and cars – the
centrepiece being SAR class 15F no 3007, which was rescued
from the cutter’s torch in Bloemfontein and shipped to Glasgow
in 2007. It represents one of 20,000 locomotives built in Scotland
and shipped out overseas and one of a few that have been brought
back “home” again. The 15F is by far the largest object on display,
its great size best appreciated close up and seeing the colossus
sitting on rails only 1,067mm apart.
After its return to Glasgow, 3007 was exhibited in the city’s
George Square, marking the launch of the museum’s fund-raising
campaign. Thereafter it was moved to the museum’s resource
centre. Though in overall good condition, there were missing
components such as copper pipes to be replicated and it took two
years’ painstaking restoration work to meet the requirements of
the museum’s guidelines. Rather than applying shiny new paint, it
was decided to retain a matt fi nish, refl ecting 40 years of heavy
duty in South Africa. On the evening of 21 September 2010, the
loco was transported by road to take her place as one of the star
attractions when the museum opened on 21 June 2011. There is a
fi lm clip on YouTube about the Train from Bloemfontein featuring
15F #3007 at: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=hlTISVynSbA
The Jacobite crossing River Lochy bridge. Connel bridge over the Falls of Lora.
Riverside Museum Glasgow: SAR 15F no 3007. Riverside Museum Highland Railway loco 103.
Railways Africa Issue 1 // 2013 www.railwaysafrica.com8
UK TRAVEL EXPERIENCE
Cairngorm Mountain Railway A railway with a difference operates in the Cairngorm ski area, a
short drive south of Aviemore. Ranking as the United Kingdom’s
highest railway, the Cairngorm Railway is Scotland’s only truly
mountain line. The Swiss-built funicular opened on 23 December
2001. The track length is 1,970m (gauge 2m) with a 130m passing
loop midway. The cars start from the base station in the Coirre Cas
area, 637m above sea level and terminate at Ptarmigan, altitude
1,097m. This lies some 150m below the summit of An Càrn Gorm
(Cairngorm Mountain), 1,245m, Britain’s sixth highest mountain.
The maximum gradient is 23.14º (1 in 2.34 or 42.8% inclination).
Famous BridgesNo tour of Scotland would be complete without visiting the two
great structures spanning the wide estuaries of the Firth of Tay and
the Firth of Forth, the latter arguably the most famous of all British
railway bridges.
The original Tay bridge, designed by Thomas Bouch, was a 3,552m
single line affair comprising 89 iron girders in spans ranging from
8.23 to 60.9m, perched on twin circular brick column piers ”tied
together in the middle like stacks of brick opera glasses”. It climbed
from the south bank to a section of high girders 26.8m above
the shipping lanes, comprising thirteen 24.6m spans seated on
ungainly cast-iron columns. From the high girders, the line dropped
gradually to a lower level and fi nally curved east to the north
bank at Dundee.
summer season. The operators of The Jacobite provided the steam
locomotive and carriages for Hogwart’s Express in the Harry Potter
movies. Judging by the large crowd that morning, the train would
have been fully booked, confi rming its immense popularity. Two
days earlier, on our outing to Mallaig, we stopped at Glenfi nnan to
see the impressive railway viaduct also made famous in the Harry
Potter fi lms, comprising 21 arched spans of 15.5m, some 381m
long and towering up to 30.5m above the valley fl oor.
North of Oban the main road crosses the impressive structure at
Connel Ferry - one of Britain’s few steel cantilever rail bridges.
When opened in 1903, it carried the branch line to Ballachulish
(Glen Coe) across the Falls of Lora where Loch Etive enters the Firth
of Lorne. The 213.4m crossing comprises a centre span of 167.6m
and two 32.3 m anchor arms extending from three-arched masonry
approaches on either side. In 1914 the bridge was adapted for use
by road vehicles and since closing of the line in 1966, it has carried
road vehicles only.
Our stay at Boat of Garten placed us beside the station of the
Strathspey Steam Railway. From March to October, this operates
three journeys daily between Aviemore and Broomhill. In winter,
a twice-daily diesel railcar runs during December and February.
Some 15.3km of the original Highland Railway of 1865 has been
restored and the line is being restored a further 5.3km towards
Grantown-on-Spey. On the day we travelled, Caledonian Railways
0-6-0 no 828 (built by McIntosh in 1899), resplendent in its original
striking blue livery, was rostered.
Cairngorm mountain railway passing loop.
Glenfi nnan viaduct on Fort William-Mallaig line.
Cairngorm mountain railway en route to the top station.
Strathspey Railway arriving at Boat of Garten.
Issue 1 // 2013 Railways Africa www.railwaysafrica.com 9
UK TRAVEL EXPERIENCE
The structure was neither symmetrical,
balanced nor picturesque in appearance.
When it opened to traffi c on 31 May 1878,
it ranked as the longest railway bridge in
the world. Disaster struck on 28 December
1879, when the high spans collapsed as a
northbound mail train from Edinburgh was
crossing at about 19:15 in the midst of a
fi erce storm and the entire consist plunged
into the icy water of the Tay, drowning all
75 passengers and crew on board.
An enquiry into the cause of the accident
concluded that poor design, inferior quality
materials and slipshod work, amongst
other inherent defects, and the gross
underestimation of the force of the winds
in the estuary, had doomed the bridge from
the outset.
No risks were taken by civil engineer
William H Barlow and his son Crawford,
when the new 3208.6m long, double-line
Tay bridge was built 18.2m upstream of
the old one. Work on this started in 1882
and trains began running on 20 June 1887.
It crosses the estuary on 74 spans, eleven
of them 74.6m long over the shipping lanes
at the centre, 23.5m above high tide. The
visually reassuring, monolithic structure is
supported by twin cylindrical piers 9.75m
apart, their foundations sunk 6 to 9m below
the river bed and rising to just above the
high tide mark. They are bound together
by a 2.4m base-plate composed of iron,
brick and concrete. Towering above each
base plate is a hollow structure composed
of three-quarter-inch-thick wrought-iron,
plated octagonal “legs” curving inward
at the top to form an arch supporting
the bridge girders. Between the piers
of the current bridge, the stumps of its
predecessor are still visible.
Our journey continued to Edinburgh – fi rst
crossing the Firth of Tay on a 2,250m long
road bridge and followed some while later
on the other, equally impressive engineering
feat, the 2,512m long suspension bridge
over the Firth of Forth. Within sight of the
suspension bridge is the crown jewel of
19th century engineering and arguably
Scotland’s most distinctive landmark, the
magnifi cent Forth railway bridge. This is a
structure of gigantic proportions spanning
the Firth at its narrowest point between
North and South Queensferry. Three huge
cantilever towers rise 104.5m into the air,
spanning 521.2m across, with the middle
tower anchored on the strategically located
Island of Inchgarvie. From the middle tower,
arms stretch out on each side to grasp
the ends of two 106.7m long connecting
ISLE OF MAN
B R I T A I N
G R E A TRIVERSIDE MUSEUM OF TRANSPORT
FORT WILLIAM - MALLAIG
Margate
Northampton
Wolverhampton
Wymouth
Norwich
Ipswich
FRANCE
Dover
Wick
Aviemore
Inverness
Berwick
Perth
Carlisle
EDINBURGH
Dundee
Fort William
Kyle of Lochalsh
Mallaig
Oban
BELFASTIRELAND
NORTHERN
100 S C O T L A N D
GLASGOW
0
miles
Virgin Trains
GREAT BRITAIN 2012ROUTES TRAVELLEDBY TRAIN
South West TrainsEast CoastMain Line Co.
Darlington
Sheffield
York
Crewe
Manchester
Leeds
LeicesterCoventry
Salisbury
Bristol Oxford
E N G L A N D
Holyhead
DUBLIN
WALES
Lynton
Cardiff
Swansea
Aberystwyth
Lancaster
Liverpool
Blackpool
Birmingham
Chester
Brighton
SouthamptonPlymouth
Padstowe Exeter
c BRUNO MARTIN 7/2012
REPUBLIC
Penzance
IRELAND
OF
Newcastle
Peterborough
Hull
Aberdeen
LONDON
B R I T A I N
G R E A T
ISLE OF MAN
Margate
Northampton
Wolverhampton
Wymouth
Main Line Co.
GREAT BRITAIN 2012
BY TRAIN
South West TrainsEast Coast
ROUTES TRAVELLED
Virgin Trains
BELFAST
DUBLIN
Holyhead
Chester
Aberystwyth
IRELAND
NORTHERN
OF
IRELAND
REPUBLIC
Lynton
Padstowe
Wick
Inverness
Aberdeen
Aviemore
Perth
Oxford
Coventry
Hull
Ipswich
Norwich
Leicester
DoverBrighton
SouthamptonPenzance Plymouth
Exeter
Bristol
Swansea
Cardiff
Birmingham
Blackpool
Sheffield
LiverpoolManchester
Leeds
Crewe
Lancaster
E N G L A N D
WALES Peterborough
Salisbury LONDON
York
Darlington
Carlisle
Berwick
Newcastle
Dundee
EDINBURGHGLASGOW
Oban
Mallaig
Fort William
Kyle of Lochalsh
1000
miles
S C O T L A N D
FRANCEc BRUNO MARTIN 7/2012
GLENFINNAN VIADUCT
FORT WILLIAM - MALLAIG
CONNEL FERRY BRIDGE
RIVERSIDE MUSEUM OF TRANSPORT
LYNTON & LYNMOUTH CLIFF RAILWAY
SAR CLASS 15F #3007
"THE JACOBITE"
FORTH BRIDGE
STRATHSPEY STEAM RAILWAY
TAY BRIDGE
Railway bridge across the Firth of Forth.
10 Railways Africa Issue 1 // 2013 www.railwaysafrica.com
UK TRAVEL EXPERIENCE
London in Jubilee YearLondon was busier than usual with the
Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in
full swing, the streets decked out with fl ags
and preparations under way for the long
weekend events for 3 – 6 June. “The Tube”
(the London Underground) is certainly a
very effi cient way of getting around but the
fare for a one-day travelcard had almost
doubled since our previous visit in 2007:
from £4.00 to £7.00.
Our departure from Heathrow on the return
journey was delayed due to a “technical
problem” on the A380. Fortunately, this
was quickly resolved and we made up most
of the 1½ hours lost by arriving just 10
minutes late in Singapore. We had visions of
a repeat of our previous journey fi ve years
previously when British Airways left four
hours late and we missed our connecting
fl ight to Brisbane in Sydney. This time we
made sure we were on a direct fl ight back
to Brisbane.
And yes, the spectacle of the Bluebells
(Hyacinthoides non-scripta) and the huge
variety of wild fl owers blooming in the lush
green meadows and in the woods all over
Britain is truly a magnifi cent sight – well
worth the trip just to see that!
girders some 47.5m above high water. The
superstructure of each tower comprises
3.65m diameter riveted tubes of 31.75mm
steel. At the outer ends, the shoreward
cantilever towers are balanced by 1,000
tonne counterweights. Including the north
and south approach viaducts, carried on
39.8m granite columns, the Forth bridge
measures 2,528.6m from end to end.
Work on the bridge commenced in April
1883 and took seven years to complete.
During construction, 63 lives were lost and
461 men injured in a workforce totalling
4,000 at times. The Prince of Wales (later
King Edward VII) performed the opening
ceremony on 4 March 1890.
Trams for EdinburghIn Edinburgh, traffi c diversions due to
construction work on the new tramway
made driving to the city centre an absolute
nightmare. The project - under construction
since 2008 - has been nothing short of a
fi nancial disaster. Bungled decisions and
setbacks saw the offi cial cost jump from
£520 million to £776 and it seems a fi nal
fi gure exceeding £1 billion would not
be surprising. The three lines originally
planned have been scaled down to one of
13km running from the airport to the city
centre, scheduled for opening by summer
2014. Apart from the fi nancial blow-
out, the tramlines along Princes Street,
completed some while back, have already
needed repairs, due to damage caused by
conventional motor traffi c.
From Edinburgh we travelled on the East
Coast main-line to Kings Cross (632.3km)
but the ride was not as smooth as on
Virgin Train’s Pendolino. The train departed
on time from Waverley station at 10:30,
but when we reached Newcastle an
announcement over the PA system advised
that the service would be delayed due to an
“incident” at Darlington earlier in the day
which had resulted in a backlog of trains on
the line. This incident got us to Kings Cross
in London at 15:22 - about half an hour late.
Tay Railway bridge Dundee. Edinburgh Waverley Station East Coast Train. Edinburgh tramrails in Princes Street.
According to a tourist
brochure, the clock at the
Balmoral Hotel, situated
above Edinburgh’s
Waverley station, is set
two minutes fast so that
travellers running for a
train have two minutes to
spare. The only time the
clock runs to the correct
time is on Hogmanay when
Princes Street is the scene
of a huge party, and the
clock counts down the
minutes to midnight.
Bruno Martin, who also took the photos, was born in Switzerland but lived for many years in
South Africa. A noted cartographer, today he is based near Brisbane in Australia’s Queensland.
11Issue 1 // 2013 Railways Africa www.railwaysafrica.com
UK TRAVEL EXPERIENCE
of Beira, Mozambique, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in the Indian
Ocean. [It] Is also connected indirectly to the rail system in South
Africa Thus, the CFB [is] part of a railway continental.”
ANGOLAREGULAR MENONGUE TRAINS BEGIN Regular scheduled passenger trains began running between
Menongue and the Atlantic coast at Namibe (756kn) on 7 January.
Rehabilitation of the line (Caminhos de ferro de Moçamedes - CFM),
closed for many years since the start of the civil war, was completed
recently. Freight service has also commenced. At a launching
ceremony at Humbia station, 162km east of Namibe, CFM Chief
Executive Daniel Quipaxe explained that the introduction of regular
trains followed a series of test runs that began in September 2012.
The track and other infrastructure underwent thorough technical
assessment. It is expected that more than a million passengers
will travel on CFM during 2013. Quipaxe expressed concern at the
extent of vandalism which is being experienced, mainly comprising
track components.
ANGOLA’S BENGUELA LINEAccording to Jornal de Angola (30 December 2012), “the completion
of the rehabilitation, upgrading and construction of Caminhos de
ferro de Benguela (CFB), scheduled for the fi rst quarter of 2013,
when the train arrives at Luau (at the end of the line), will cost
the state coffers about 180 billion Kwanza. It is estimated that the
CFB operation will accelerate the process of regional integration,
connecting Angola to the DRC and Zambia. The CFB has a total
length of 1,344km and beyond Luau is connected to the railway
systems of the two countries. After Zambia, you can reach the city
A station at Chamutete, south of Dongo junction (500km from the Atlantic
at Namibe), on the CFM branch which is to be extended to connect with
TransNamib at Oshikango. Photo: Anton van Schalkwyk.
New Chinese rolling stock in Angola. Photo: Anton van Schalkwyk.
ZenzaLuanda
Dondo
Malanje
LobitoBenguela
Camacupa
Caaia KuitoHuamboCubal
Luena
Namibe
LubangoDongo Menongue
Chiange
Oshikango
Ondangwa
Tsumeb
Chamutete
Luau Dilolo
DRC
ATLANTIC
ZAMBIA
BOTSWANA
ANGOLA
NAMIBIA
Km300
CFB’s Benguela station. Photo: Anton van Schalkwyk.
Anton van Schalkwyk photographed this explicit-looking bilingual sign
between Luena and Luau on the Benguela line, not far from the DRC border.
Station at Caala, about 250km from Benguela on CFB.
Photo: Anton van Schalkwyk.
12 Railways Africa Issue 1 // 2013 www.railwaysafrica.com
AFRICA UPDATEAFRICA UPDATE
AFRICA UPDATE
freight operations nationally. It is hoped to increase the volume
of freight conveyed annually to 400 million tonnes after 10 years.
About E£27 billion is to be spent on rolling stock, some of which is
to be air-conditioned.
ETHIOPIAETHIOPIAN LIGHT RAILConstruction of the 37km Addis Ababa light rail system has been
resumed, following interruption due to the rainy season. The
route extends from Meskel Square to Kaliti. The Chinese CREEC
contractors have been assembling a cylindrical structure in front
of St Josephs school, some 30 metres deep in the ground. This will
support the south-north corridor overpass running from Ras Birru
Street to Piazza.
GHANARAILWAY HISTORY LESSONS FROM GHANA
In a recent working paper, Rémi Jedwab and Alexander Moradi
explore the importance of transport infrastructure to a country’s
development. The specifi c subject of their research was Ghana,
where two railways were built in the early twentieth-century to
extract minerals, as well as a means of moving soldiers in times
of war. The railways brought with them reduced transport costs.
This resulted in many subsistence farmers switching production
to a more lucrative crop – cocoa. Detailed GIS census data used
by Jedwab and Moradi confi rmed the obvious - farms closest to
the railway benefi ted the most. Within a decade most farmers in
Ghana had become successful cocoa producers, “making Ghana an
example of the positive impact of colonial policies.”
CFB SERVICE RESUMPTION: 2012 HIGHLIGHT The resumption of passenger and freight train services along
the eastern portion of Angola’s Caminhos de ferro de Benguela
(CFB) was a highlight of 2012, linking the cities of Kuito, Huambo,
Lobito and Luena. The reopening of the railway, the Angolan press
reports, has made a signifi cant contribution to the socioeconomic
development of the regions, notably the central Bie Province,
where thirteen stations have been rehabilitated - Chinguar, Cutato,
Capeio, Cunhinga, Cunje, Chipeta, Catabola, Camacupa, Kwanza,
Cueli, Cuiva, Cuemba and Munhango.
BOTSWANA
EGYPTEGYPT REORGANISES
Egypt Railways (ER) has created three new companies aimed at
improving both passenger and freight service. Vice-president of the
Railway’s Bureau for Financial and Economic Affairs Yehia Ibrahim
is quoted saying that a loan of E£320 million has been requested
from the National Investment Bank to fund new developments. One
of the new entities is to oversee long-distance passenger service,
the second, commuter traffi c. The third will be responsible for rail
TE DELIVERS HUNDREDTH SALT WAGON Botswana Rail ordered a total of 562 wagons from Transnet
Engineering (TE). The vehicles are designed, engineered and
manufactured at the Uitenhage plant in the Eastern Cape. Early
in December, the hundredth wagon for the transport of salt was
handed over. This forms part of an initial order for 240 specialised
wagons to convey bulk chemical-grade salt from Sua Pan in
Botswana to Sasol’s factories in South Africa.
SAUDIARABIA
ASWAN DAM
JORDAN
ISR
AE
L
EGYPT
C AIRO
Abu Tarlour
El Kharga
Nag’Hammadi
El Korma
Isna
Aswan
Luxor
Oena
Sadd el Ali
Bur Sataga
Asyut
Beni Suef
El Wasta
Suez El Shatt
IsmailiaFerdan
RafahPort Said
EL’Alamein
To TobrukMersa Matru
h
SimilaSalum
Alexandria
El Faiyum
Railway outof use
Helwan
BahariaOasis
AY
BIL
N0 250 km
MEDITERRANEAN
RED SEA
BURKINA FASO
COTE
D’IV
OIR
E
TOG
O
Volta
Lake
Techiman
Mampong
Nkoranza
Bole
Sawila
Wa
Bolgatanga
Hamale Paga
Sheini
YendiTamale
KumasiEjisu
Anyinam
KadeShai
Hills
Accra
TemaHumi
Valley
Awaso
Dunkwa
Prestea
Tarkwa
TakoradiSecondi
Nsawam
Akosombo
GHANA
N
AFRICA UPDATE
13Issue 1 // 2013 Railways Africa www.railwaysafrica.com
Commenting on the research, Finweek points out that transport
infrastructure is often the fi rst item slashed from a government’s
budget in times of economic crisis: “There are few consumer, labour
or other electoral groups that feel strong enough about an unbuilt
railway, and we only notice the decline of the infrastructure over
an extended period of time (and when it’s already too late): small
potholes don’t attract the anguish of protesters, but wait a few years
and those same potholes might double or triple the time and cost
of travelling. Any politician trying to cut government expenditure
on education or health would face the (election) gallows, but cut
transport infrastructure investment and few will notice. One of the
reasons economic historians investigate the past is because they
believe that history has valuable lessons that can inform the tough
decisions policy makers face.”
MOROCCOCASABLANCA TRAMWAY OPENED On 12 December 2012, King Mohammed VI of Morocco inaugurated
Casablanca’s new tramway. The 31km line links the east and south-
west districts via the city centre, and calls at 48 stations. The Alstom
Citadis trams are 65 metre double units accommodating up to 606
passengers. They are to carry up to 250,000 passengers daily. The
service is to run at intervals of 4 minutes 45 seconds during peak
hours and 8 minutes 30 seconds during the off-peak. The average
speed attained is expected to be 18.8km/h. The signalling system
supplied and installed by Alstom will ensure safety and is to give a
75% priority rate at street intersections.
Accompanied by French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, the King
travelled by tram between the United Nations and Mohammed
V squares. He decorated executives from the Casa Transports
company for their distinguished contribution to the project.
NAMIBIANORTHERN NAMIBIA RAIL HICCUPThere are still no passenger trains on the 392km line to Tsumeb
from Kranzberg junction, 210km west of Windhoek on the main-line
to Walvis Bay. The condition of the track is said to be such that
safety would be at risk. On the other hand, TransNamib is running
trains northwards from Tsumeb over the new line to Oshikango.
For the past two years buses were arranged between Tsumeb
and Kranzberg. This facility was not provided over the 2012-2013
Christmas and New Year season, however, stranding “hundreds”
of travellers according to press reports. TransNamib’s Elaine
Claasen explained to the press that the company is “facing fi nancial
challenges” and that hiring buses is very costly.
TRANSNAMIB’S DEAD DUCKSIn a “controversial deal worth more than N$44 million clinched nearly
10 years ago”, writes New Era (published in Windhoek), TransNamib
acquired Chinese-built locomotives and a diesel-multiple-unit (DMU)
passenger train, which was specifi cally intended for use on the new
Northern Extension railway from Tsumeb. According to New Era, the
DMU, named Omugulu Gwombashe Star, is currently confi ned to
Windhoek, “after Chinese engineers repaired the damages caused
by long-distance travelling about two years ago, at great cost.” The
paper quotes TransNamib’s Christina Kharigus saying the train “has
not been fi xed since it became unfi t for passenger transport.”
New Era adds: “The other locomotives that TransNamib bought
along with the DMU were also found unsuitable for local conditions,
and TransNamib does not know what to do with them.”
TRANSNAMIB FACT SHEETPrior to 1988, the railways and associated road motor services
in Namibia were operated by the South African Railways
administration. On 1 July 1988, the responsibility was handed over
to the newly formed Namibian National Transport Corporation. Ten
years later, TransNamib Holdings Limited was established.
Today the country’s railways cover some 2,628km. The line to
Luderitz has been out of use for a number of years but the 140km
west of Aus is currently being reconstructed for return to service in
2014. The 389km section from Kranzberg (210km from Windhoek
on the main-line to Walvis Bay) to Tsumeb requires substantial
“ One of the reasons economic historians investigate the past is because they believe that history has valuable lessons that can inform the tough decisions policy makers face.” Back in 2009, Namibian works and Transport Minister Helmut Angula
told parliament that four Chinese locomotives costing about N$36 million which arrived in Namibia in 2004 suffered 265 failures between October 2004 and June 2007, and were then withdrawn from service. “The decision to buy them,” the Minister said, “was economically justifi ed, but due to a lack of a proper technical analysis of the Chinese manufacturer’s design and a lack of quality control, these locomotives were not suitable for the Namibian environment.”
TransNamib’s diesel-multiple-unit passenger train - the Omugulu GwoMbashe Star – cost $US2.3 million, works and transport minister Helmut Angula told parliament in 2009. ”From July 2006 it ran once a week between Windhoek and Ondangwa. In March 2007 it broke down with a broken gearbox casing. As this was a one-off unit manufactured for TransNamib, a replacement part had to be manufactured in China. This arrived in September 2007.” During the test run however: “the complete gearbox disintegrated”. More replacement parts arrived 15 months later, at the end of 2008, but the unit was deemed unsuited to lengthy journeys.
14 Railways Africa Issue 1 // 2013 www.railwaysafrica.com
AFRICA UPDATE
rehabilitation, as do the branches to Outjo (72km) and Grootfontein
(91km). Passenger service on these lines - constructed when the
narrow gauge was replaced in the early sixties - has been suspended
temporarily for safety reasons.
Conveyance of containers throughout the territory is served by
terminal facilities at key points, Windhoek, Ondangwa, Oshikango,
Keetmanshoop, Aus, Otjiwarongo, Tsumeb and Grootfontein, all of
which have 45-ton reach-stackers and gantry cranes.
NIGERIALAGOS-KANO OPENFollowing many years with no train service, Nigeria’s 1,106km
Lagos-Kano main-line reopened in December 2012. One passenger
train and one freight are currently running every week. Applauding
this, an editorial in Leadership (published in Abuja) points out that
one of the advantages is the haulage of petroleum products by
rail, using newly acquired pressurised tank wagons. “The haulage
of petroleum products and other heavy duty materials such as
SOUTH AFRICA
N A M I B I A
A N G O L A
WINDHOEK
To Cassinga
Oshakati Oshikango
Ondangwa
Tsumeb
Oshivelo
Otavi
Outjo
Grootfontein
Otjiwarongo
OkahandjaKranzberg
Usakos
Rehoboth
Mariental
KeetmanshoopSeeheimKolmanskop
BogenfelsKarasburg
Oranjemund
N
0 250 km
Nakop
ToUpington
Gobabis
AT
LA
NT
I C O
CE
AN
Luderitz
SwakopmundWalvis Bay
To Katima Mulilo
BO
TS
WA
NA
www.railwaysafrica.com
were caught red-handed when police in Ndola swooped on them as
they vandalised the Ndola-Luanshya railway line.”
ZIMBABWENRZ TO MOVE 6M TONNES IN 2013The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) aimed to move 6.4 million
tonnes of freight in 2012 but – blaming economic circumstances-
was unable to reach the target. Undaunted, the stated objective for
2013 is 6 million tons, despite a fl eet strength of only 65 locomotives
against a requirement for 83. There are 3,271 operable wagons, a
thousand short of what is needed. There is a six-month backlog in
salary arrears for the railway’s 7,000 employees, Public Relations
Manager Fanuel Masakati told Newsday. The posts of those retiring
are not being fi lled.
LOCOS FROM CHINA FOR NRZAccording to a note from John Batwell based on a National Railways
of Zimbabwe (NRZ) release, “the government announced early
in 2012 that it had secured funds to purchase 14 locomotives
from China, hopefully for delivery during 2013. The NRZ deposited
$US2.9 million some time ago, but the manufacturers insisted on
full payment of $29 million. The locos are believed to be CSR type
SDD6 (Co Co) as used in Angola and Namibia. Diesels most recently
acquired by NRZ were of classes DE10A and 11A in 1982.“
A subsequent note from Peter Bagshawe advises:
“A contact in Australia tells me that CSR is trying to sell six of these
locos for under $US1.5 million each to commercial interests in
Australia and Latin America, so far without results. Reading between
the lines, it seems that NRZ has not come up with the rest of the
money, and the Chinese stopped production after six had been built
and are trying to recoup their costs by selling them off cheap.”
cement, iron rods etc usually shorten the life span of these roads.
Besides the wear and tear, the carnage these trucks cause on the
highways is monumental. For the safety of the road users, we want
to propose a total ban on the haulage of these products, especially
petroleum products, by road, when rail lines become operational.”
The article adds pertinently: “It now behoves the Nigerian Railway
Corporation (NRC) to ensure that the rehabilitated rail tracks are
not only maintained, but are secured.”
NIGERIAN TRAIN PASSENGERS’ SAFETY EMPHASISED In an end-of-2012 editorial, Leadership (published in Abuja)
comments on the recent reopening of the 1,128km Lagos-Kano
main-line. “As a matter of urgency,” it suggests, the Nigerian
Railway Corporation (NRC) “should work out a formula that would
guarantee the safety of its passengers. Providing passengers with
insurance cover while in transit is also a necessity.” The paper
adds: “The Corporation should also redouble efforts at ensure that
the engines and wagons are maintained in optimal condition to
meet passengers’ expectations.”
COLONIALIST MONO RAILSAn editorial in Leadership (published in Abuja), writing about the
recently reopened Lagos-Kano main-line, observes:
“If our government is abreast with development in the rail system
the world over, we should not be rehabilitating the mono rail system,
which the colonial administration bequeathed us. The vogue now is
the electric train or the dual rail system.”
[Naughty colonialists, building monorails in Nigeria (of all places).
Actually, we believe the writer has his terminology confused. His
“mono rail” apparently means single track as opposed to double
(which we think he intended when he spoke of “dual rail”). But we’re
not at all sure double track is the world “vogue”. Vast lengths of single
line cross Canada, the USA and elsewhere. Doubling takes place not
to comply with fashion but only when traffi c volumes (hardly trains
running once a week), justify the expense... – Editor: Railways Africa.]
ZAMBIARAILWAY VANDANLISED IN ZAMBIAAccording to the Times of Zambia, following a “spot-check”,
the Luanshya-Ndola branch in the copperbelt has been badly
vandalised with “the line uprooted in many portions and sold to
scrap metal dealers who have over the years been targeting the
lucrative export market.” The paper reported recently: “Most of the
railway slippers [sleepers] have been shipped out of the country for
sale to some furniture companies as confessed by suspects who
ZAMBIA
NDOLA
LUBUMBASHI
COPPER BELT
Katanga Province
Chingola
Nkana/Kitwe
Mufulira
Mokambo
Sakania
Luanshya
To Kabwe
ZAMBIADEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC OF CONGO
N0 km 80 km 160 km
An NRZ DE10A at Victoria Falls in 2010. Photo: Geoff Cooke.
16 Railways Africa Issue 1 // 2013 www.railwaysafrica.com
AFRICA UPDATE
CORRIDOR CONTROL CENTRE FOR BULAWAYOA joint international railway operations control centre is to be
established in Bulawayo, to direct traffi c on the South Africa-
Zimbabwe-Zambia-DRC corridor. South African Transport Minister
Ben Martins announced this in parliament, explaining that the
fi ve affected administrations are in talks to streamline workings
on the line. In addition to the state railways of the four countries,
the privately-run Bulawayo-Beitbridge line in Zimbabwe is a key
component.
GOEFF’S TRAINS’ YEAR REVIEW & A LOOK AT 2013Geoff Cooke sums up 2012:“I ran two successful Geoff’s Trains tours to Zimbabwe in 2012. The
fi rst was our steam charter that ran from Bulawayo to Cement (14A
Garratt), Bulawayo to Plumtree (16A Garratt) and then to Victoria
Falls 15A Garratt). The 2011 tour had been affected with boiler
foaming problems that concerned both NRZ and ourselves, and it
was decided to operate this year with diesel assistance. This was
a success, with NRZ willing to explore the operation of the tour in
a way that benefi ted them with greater reliability and reduced fi re
risk, and our clients with some of the best photography in years.
“The second tour was a South Africa/Zimbabwe combined trip that
explored the heritage left by Cecil John Rhodes. The only steam
charter was a trip with class 14A 512 from Victoria Falls station to
the bridge and back, but we also fi tted in a visit to the Hwange
Colliery locomotives and the Bulawayo steam shed.
And for 2013? We will return in
May with a tour that focuses on
photography around Thomson
Junction and Victoria Falls. It is
planned to base a class 15 and
a class 16A Garratt at Thomson
Junction and run a series of day
trips from there. The Garratts,
and Hwange and Victoria Falls,
KEEPING AIR FLOWING EFFICIENTLY
105 Theuns Street, Hennopspark, Centurion, 0157
PO Box 51063, Wierda Park, 0149, South Africa
www.vanrail.co.za
Tel: +27 (0)12 653 4595
Fax: +27 (0)12 653 6841
Email: [email protected]
GM84
8 PRE
SSLIN
K_TR
E
will also feature. A pleasing development is that the Baobab Hotel
has new owners. It is being refurbished and we will use it, something
that has not been possible recently. There will be a post-tour option
to travel to Bulawayo for a few days. So many enthusiasts booking
these tours have travelled to Zimbabwe with us before that it is now
better to offer this as an option (a second option is a few days in the
Chobe National Park). Both of these groups come together again for
a visit to Selebe Phikwe. For some years now these enthusiast tours
have supported the KGVI Rehabilitation Centre in Bulawayo with both
funds and book donations. This year we have supported two pupils
through the centre and fi lled some library shelves, and hope to
do the same next year. Hwange Colliery charges us for admission
but they donate our money to their own charity that helps local
people affected by HIV. The result - our Zimbabwe tours help two
local charities each year. “Encouraging news is the start of the
tram service between Vic Falls and the Bridge. An identical tram has
started running in South Africa’s Cape Winelands. Both trams were
built by Prof Engineering, based in Johannesburg but presumably the
same company that manufactured railway locomotives in Harare for
many years. There must be a story there worth reporting?”
Class 14A Garratt no 512 in October 2012. Photo: Geoff Cooke.
The new tram at Victoria Falls.
Photo: Geoff Cooke.
17Issue 1 // 2013 Railways Africa www.railwaysafrica.com
AFRICA UPDATE
Transnet Engineering’s (TE) recent completion of 100 salt carrier
wagons for Botswana Rail – part of an order totalling 562 vehicles
- followed the successful execution of an order for 200 wagons for
mining giant Rio Tinto’s operations in Mozambique, both projects
being carried out at the Uitenhage plant.
A recent specialised project involved the development of two
prototype car-transport wagons with adjustable hydraulic top
decks in line with specifi c requirements from a customer. TE was
awarded this contract In open tendering, confi rming that the
Uitenhage plant has the capacity and ability to compete with the
best rolling stock manufacturers internationally.
In addition to Uitenhage, Transnet has manufacturing plants at
Koedoespoort, Pretoria (for locomotives, in partnership with
original-equipment manufacturers); at Salt River in the Western
Cape (for coaches, wheels and other rolling stock components);
and in Bloemfontein, among others.
ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW FOR AFRICA FROM TE
RAIL NEWSSOUTH AFRICAN
18 Railways Africa Issue 1 // 2013 www.railwaysafrica.com
SA RAIL NEWS
R100 MILLION FOR METRORAIL SECURITY
Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) management met
representatives of the Utatu-Sarhwu union on 3 January to discuss
safety measures for Metrorail employees and commuters. This
followed the Christmas Day murder of driver J P du Plessis in the
control cabin of a commuter set at Hercules in Pretoria.
Prasa has announced an allocation of R100 million to complement
current security measures through the introducing of technology
such as CCTV surveillance, Metrorail’s Lillian Mofokeng told the
press. Mobile armed guards are to be deployed in “identifi ed
hotspot areas”. Helicopter services would be contracted to enable
rapid response to emergency situations.
It was agreed at the meeting that the measures discussed will be
reviewed after three months to assess the impact.
RAIL “MORE SUSTAINABLE”Both international and local research has proved that rail is
environmentally more sustainable than road transport, says David
King of Stellenbosch University. In a project for Transnet Group
Planning completed in September 2012, the university’s Growth
and Intelligence Network (Gain) - part of its Centre for Supply
Chain Management - measured congestion, accidents, policing and
regulation as well as noise and land use. These factors, all inherent
in transport, are classifi ed as “externalities”.
PROPOSED GAUTENG-DURBAN TRUCK HIGHWAY Hard on the heels of research supporting government’s repeated
commitment to getting freight off South African roads and back
onto rail, comes news of a proposed six-lane Gauteng-Durban
“dedicated truck highway”. Ironically, the proponents reportedly
expect fi nancial support for the project from Transnet which,
they say “will be the main benefi ciary” of such a road. Details
of the scheme were released to FTW by eThekwini municipality
transport economist Paul Sessions who is quoted saying: “we’ve
got government funding for the environmental impact study
early in 2013, and we are also going ahead with the planning –
working out the route and actual costing of the fi rst phases of the
dedicated truck highway and we are also talking to the SA National
Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) and the government about their
possible involvement.”
BARLOWORLD / EMD JOINT VENTURE Speaking at the group’s annual fi nancial results presentation in
December, Barloworld Chief Executive Clive Thomson said “big
things” are foreseen from the rail joint venture recently established
with Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD), a subsidiary of Caterpillar group
company Progress Rail Services Corporation. He has hopes of
winning part of Transnet’s intended order for 1,064 locomotives,
budgeted at R35 billion over seven years. EMD Africa, Thomson
reported, had submitted a bid for the latest Transnet locomotive
tender and expected to hear the outcome by February 2013.
However, he acknowledged that there is competition for Transnet’s
business; 15 entities paid for and collected tender documents.
He said he was aware that China South Rail Zhuzhou Electric
Locomotive (CSR) had been announced as the successful bidder
for a recent Transnet Freight Rail contract for 95 electric
locomotives worth about R2.6bn. The winning bid was awarded to
joint venture company CSR E-loco Supply, in which CSR has a 70%
stake and black economic empowerment partner Matsete Basadi
holds the balance.
The joint venture, Thomson explained, enables Barloworld to bid
competitively through using long-established EMD locomotive
technology. Although EMD locomotives have been operating in
South Africa for many years, the manufacturer sees a better chance
of success in current tendering by having a locally-based partner.
Thomson also referred to opportunities for EMD Africa elsewhere
on the continent, notably in respect of mining projects requiring
railway equipment.
Transnet Freight Rail 34 652, one of many EMD locos in service.
Photo: Col André Kritzinger.
The train consisted of empty fl atcars, as well as diesel 33.019 being
hauled dead behind the electric locos. Photos: Jacque Wepener.
Jacque Wepener photographed this Transnet Freight Rail train heading
north at Holfontein in the Free State on 3 January.
The class 33, sold recently at a TFR auction in East
London, was on its way to the purchaser in Gauteng.
Sister loco 33.120, sold at the same auction, was seen
later going north in another train (TFR regulations
prohibit the hauling of more than one dead unit in
the same consist). Both these GE type U20C locos,
partially stripped but including bogies, realised
R220,000 each (R2,657 per ton).
19Issue 1 // 2013 Railways Africa www.railwaysafrica.com
SA RAIL NEWS
BLOCK LOADS AT ERMELOCharlie Lewis, writing on sar-L at Christmas:“Peter Stow told me he had recently been to Durban on holiday and
on the way home he called in at Ermelo. Every few minutes, huge
block loads and corresponding mt workings were moving in and
out of the yard – very impressive. Alistair Christisson has written
that freight traffi c is on the increase and record tonnages are being
handled. Eugene Armer and Peter Rogers have sent magnifi cent
photos of modern traction in beautiful locations.”
FILTHY METRORAIL TRAINCharlie Lewis, writing on sar-L at Christmas:“A few days ago, I caught a train from Newlands to Kalk Bay. It ran
to time, as did the return working, but the carriages were fi lthy,
graffi ti despoiled almost every surface and the windows were
opaque (what’s wrong with old-fashioned windows that open?).”
[If we recall correctly, the offi cial explanation is that stones get
thrown through open windows, injuring passengers and involving
Metrorail in formidable damage claims. – Editor: Railways Africa.]
POSSIBLE TFR SPLIT DELAYS RAIL GREEN PAPER The South African Rail Green paper on rail transport is apparently
“on hold” and the “round-table meeting of stakeholders” planned
for late October 2012 did not take place. It is understood that a
proposal to split Transnet Freight Rail operations from infrastructure
is favoured by the Department of Transport (DoT) but not by
Transnet. DoT apparently bases its case on overseas precedent
which allows private operators to run trains on state-owned lines.
[The splitting of rail operations from infrastructure has indeed been
implemented overseas – but by no means with universally reported
success. Very careful assessment of the concept needs to done and
all known examples meticulously evaluated. – Editor: Railways Africa.]
CONTROVERSIAL PRASA CEO The recapitalisation of South Africa’s Passenger Rail Agency
(Prasa) amounts to one of the biggest, if not the biggest, deals in
the country’s history – and that
includes the notorious “arms deal”.
The Financial Mail (FM) speculates
that it may put CEO Lucky Montana
at the top of many party guest lists
for some time to come. Certainly,
says the magazine, he’s no
stranger to controversy.
Montana’s previous position was
deputy director-general at the
Department of Transport, from
which he resigned following death
threats from minibus-taxi interests
opposed to the government’s “taxi recapitalisation” policy,
which he was administering. Minister Jeff Radebe then appointed
Montana to head the SA Rail Commuter Corporation, which
was effectively renamed Prasa in 2009. Here he has weathered
accusations of corruption by the SA Transport & Allied Workers
Union (threatening an action for defamation that appears to have
frightened them off).
Subsequently he exchanged blows with the Black Business
Council over his interpretation of broad-based black economic
empowerment. Montana shrugs his seemingly broad shoulders.
“When implementing something new and different,” he explained
to the FM, “you are bound to face challenges”.
Lucky Montana, Prasa CEO.
Class 19E locos on block coal train at Ermelo. Photo: Eugene Armer.
GAUTRAIN ALLOCATED R861 MILLIONDuring presentation of the 2012/2013
adjustment budget and the medium term
budget policy statement in the Gauteng
Provincial Legislature, Finance MEC Mandla
Nkomfe announced that R861 million had
been granted for the Gautrain Rapid Link.
These funds were to be transferred to the
Gautrain Management Agency “to continue
with ensuring effi cient management and
implementation of the Gautrain project.”
Improving fi nancial management in the “tight
fi scal environment” was vital and the MEC
called on all employees of the province to
exercise prudent fi nancial management,
adding that this is “non-negotiable.” The
Gauteng Provincial Treasury is working
with all departments to improve fi nancial
management: “Special attention is being
given towards clearing all accruals in the
province; I should however hasten to state
that this is a process not an event,” he was
quoted saying.
GAUTRAIN’S SECRETS SHARED Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane is
quoted saying that representatives from
Tanzania, Ghana and Mozambique have
requested that Gautrain Management
Agency CEO Jack van der Merwe “share the
Gautrain’s secrets”. According to Moneyweb,
“she said central government, Gauteng
and KwaZulu-Natal are [collaborating] on
the construction of a freight train between
eThekwini and Gauteng, with those who were
involved in the Gautrain being able to share
their expertise.” Gauteng MEC for Roads and
Transport Ishmael Vadi was reported saying
“the train is a benchmark of how public
transport should be designed, constructed
and managed.”
Moneyweb added: “Van der Merwe said the
project had been worthwhile and it would
undertake it again, if Finance Minister Pravin
Gordhan were to ‘spread some money to
our side’”.
20 Railways Africa Issue 1 // 2013 www.railwaysafrica.com
SA RAIL NEWS
PRASA EMPOWERMENT MODEL In implementing its multi-million-Rand rolling
stock renewal programme, the Passenger
Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) has set
aside 33% for the benefi t of empowerment
companies. Entities interested in participating
were invited to a “compulsory” meeting on
1 November. Failure to attend disqualifi ed
any further potential participants. National
Empowerment Fund (NEF) General Counsel
Mzi Dayimani told The Sowetan that the
fund would most likely provide about 30%
of each empowerment company’s equity
contribution.
Dayimani was quoted saying “We are willing
to assist companies that prioritise the
empowerment of women and black people,
and the creation of capacity.”
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21Issue 1 // 2013 Railways Africa www.railwaysafrica.com
SA RAIL NEWS
Transnet group employees are being offered an “unbelievable
offer” at “prices from as low as R7,397 per person sharing” which
includes:
* Two days and one night’s accommodation on The Blue Train
(in a De Luxe Suite) from Pretoria to Cape Town or vice-versa
– including snacks, all meals, all drinks (alcoholic & non-
alcoholic), high-tea, off-the-train excursion and personal
butler service
* Two days’ car hire with 200km free per day, limited waivers,
airport surcharge & tourism levy
* Two nights’ accommodation at the 5-star African Pride Crystal
Towers Hotel & Spa Cape Town in a superior room with
breakfast daily
* One-way fl ight from Cape Town to Johannesburg or vice-versa
(airport taxes included) or return fl ights from Durban to either
Cape Town or Johannesburg
* Value Add Cape Town Hotel: Complimentary use of the steam
room and sauna as well as early check in and late check out
(subject to availability)
* Complimentary parking, WI-FI, drink voucher, 20% dinner
discount voucher, one complimentary return transfer into town
Employees based in Durban (who presumably use a Premier Classe
train to reach Johannesburg), pay an add-on charge of: R8,223 per
person sharing, i.e a fi gure exceeding that of the basic special Blue
Train offer.
[Recent press reports of Blue Train happenings lead one to believe that
average loadings seldom exceed 20 or so passengers on the entire
train. Bargain-price handouts to the staff therefore represent income
that would otherwise not be realised. The extent of the sizable annual
operating loss is not in the public domain – Editor: Railways Africa.]
BLUE TRAIN BARGAIN (TRANSNET STAFF ONLY)
The Blue Train negotiating the S-bend at Braamfontein in 1992.
Today the express bypasses Johannesburg. Photo: Editor.
W W W. R A I LWAYS A N D H A R B O U R S . CO MFor more information contact Barbara Sheat Tel: +27 72 340 5621 Email: [email protected]
Floorplan NOW OPEN! Call for Speakers
22 Railways Africa Issue 1 // 2013 www.railwaysafrica.com
SA RAIL NEWS
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METRORAIL DRIVER MURDERED AT CHRISTMAS Metrorail driver J P du Plessis, 58, was found dead in the cab of an
empty commuter set near Hercules station, Pretoria, on Christmas
Day. He had multiple stab wounds and is thought to have been
killed for his cellphone. Appalled Metrorail management announced
that no trains would operate in Gauteng on New Year’s Day as a
mark of respect to an exemplary and dedicated employee.
For safety reasons, it was decided to cancel all trains scheduled
after 18:00 until 4 January.
TFR DRIVER KILLED IN ATM ROBBERYTransnet Freight Rail (TFR) Locomotive Driver Bongiwe Nkosi (31)
was in the wrong place at 02:30 on 5 December when gunmen
opened fi re on a railway combi in Utrecht, mistaking it for a police
vehicle. She died of her injuries. Service driver Sizwe Gule (29)
was hospitalised in critical condition. The combi had stopped at
a service station to offl oad shift workers while robbers were busy
bombing the facility’s auto teller.
FATAL CRASH IN EGYPTIn the early hours of 15 January, a military train carrying young
recruits to an army camp derailed in the Giza neighbourhood of
Badrashinthe, a suburb of Cairo. At least 19 people were reported
dead and 107 injured, according to the health ministry. The train
was travelling from Upper Egypt to Cairo.
SOWETO DERAILMENTA Metrorail commuter train derailed between the New Canada
and Crown stations south of Johannesburg on 8 January. Details in
press reports were sketchy and contradictory. Johannesburg
emergency services were quoted saying eight people sustained
injuries and were taken to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. It was
suggested they jumped off the train when they saw smoke and
thought it was on fi re. Sapa quoted Metrorail Provincial Manager
Thembela Khulu saying no one jumped from the train and there
had been no injuries. The only smoke was from a grass fi re next to
the track.
HEAT CANCELS OZ TRAINOn 13 January, a record 48.5C was measured in Thargomindah,
Queensland. Passengers travelling west to Longreach on the Spirit
of the Outback train were transferred to buses on 14 January, when
Queensland Rail took the precautionary measure of stopping rail
travel at Emerald, fearing the track might buckle.
When the train started its return trip, passengers were taken by
bus to Rockhampton to commence their journey south.
MAN ON LINEA 27-year-old man who had been walking on the line near
Marietta Square in Atlanta was hit from behind by a CSX train
on 7 January. He was taken to hospital but died of his injuries.
Police were unable to establish any reason for his actions, notably
that he made no attempt to leave the track when the driver sounded
the horn.
CROSSING PRECAUTIONS DISPUTEDThe Union Pacifi c Railroad (UP) has disputed arguments suggesting
that insuffi cient warning was provided at a crossing in Midland,
Texas, where four war veterans and 16 others were killed in a
bizarre accident on 15 November. All were in a parade on a fl oat
which was hit by a UP freight train.
UP says the 20-second warning provided by lights and bells at
the crossing complies with federal requirements. The company
questions the actions of the 50-year-old driver of the fl atbed trailer,
which entered the crossing after warning lights started fl ashing
and was hit by the descending barrier. A Federal Safety Board
investigation, which included interviews with eyewitnesses - one
of whom took video evidence - confi rmed this version of what
happened.
FATAL SHORTCUT FOR SCHOLARA 16-year-old from Tongaat in KwaZulu-Natal who took a shortcut
home across the railway on 6 December died after he was hit
by a train. Landing under a train, he was taken to hospital by
paramedics, but tragically died soon after admission.
RAILWAY BLOCKADED IN ONTARIOAn Aamijiwnaag First Nation blockade of a Canadian National (CN)
St Clair spur line near Sarnia, Ontario, that lasted nearly two weeks
over Christmas ended on 2 January. According to press reports,
“ 30% is a matric pass; what is it for train drivers?”
24 Railways Africa Issue 1 // 2013 www.railwaysafrica.com
Mishaps & BlundersMishaps & BlundersOne objective of our regular feature reporting and commenting on rail mishaps is to provide information and object lessons from Africa and abroad, in the hope that – in some cases at least - this might help avoid recurrences.
MISHAPS & BLUNDERS
A third clip, according to the Telegraph, “shows the dangers of
‘pole dancing’ with revellers twirling around a pillar on a station
concourse ending up on the fl oor.” The paper quotes offi cial fi gures
revealing that more than 3,000 people were involved in “slips,
trips or falls” in British railway stations in the last 12 months.
DRAMA ABOARD TRAIN 2Via Train 2, The Canadian, left Vancouver right time at 20:30 on
25 December, bound for Toronto with 200 passengers and a crew
of 13. At about 05:00 on 29 December, the train was halted near
Parry Sound, Ontario, with four passengers reportedly showing fl u-
“provincial police gave the blockaders space to hold a victory feast
and a closing ceremony for the Sacred Fire burning at the site. An
elder smoked his pipe for a group of supporters in the early evening
before people departed.”
The blocked line carries chemicals such as propane to Eastern
Canada. The propane industry and others succeeded eventually in
obtaining a judge’s order that the blockade be “dismantled at the
discretion of the police” by 2 January. An Aamijiwnaag First Nation
spokesman claimed the blockade had been a success and “set the
tone about the power and potential of action within the heart of
First Nations communities across Canada.”
TWO “ESCORTED” OFF AMTRAK TRAINOn 7 January, police escorted two men off an Amtrak passenger
train at the station in Marks, Missouri. Apparently the conductor
requested assistance after fi nding a female passenger “crying in
a toilet” following something she alleged happened between her
and the men. She declined to provide details, according to press
reports, and refused to see a doctor. An Amtrak spokesman was
quoted saying that some 300 trains operate daily and that it is not
unusual for at least one person to be asked to leave.
UK “EMBARRASSING MOMENTS” RAIL VIDEOTo encourage travellers to take care during the festive season, the
UK railway infrastructure administration Network Rail released an
“embarrassing moments” video. In one scene, a woman’s stiletto
heel catches in an escalator step at Euston in London and she
is dragged up on her back. Another female passenger is shown
falling in a last-minute dash for her train at Leeds in Yorkshire.
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MISHAPS & BLUNDERS
like symptoms. Local emergency services confi rmed on reaching
the train that an elderly woman had died. The other three sick
passengers were transported to hospital. Train 2 was delayed
some six hours and eventually arrived in Toronto at 15:53 on
29 December. According to Via Rail, about 100,000 passengers
travel on The Canadian annually.
“As Canada’s national passenger rail service, VIA Rail Canada
(www.viarail.ca) has a mandate to provide Canadian travellers
with safe, effi cient, and cost-effective passenger transportation
services in the country’s two offi cial languages. VIA operates
intercity, regional and transcontinental train services linking 450
communities through its 12,500km network, safely transporting
more than four million passengers annually.”
TRAIN KILLS FIVE ELEPHANTSOn 30 December, a passenger train killed fi ve elephants when
it ran into a herd in the Rambha forest area, about 180km south
of Bhubaneshwar, the capital of Orissa state in eastern India.
Conservation authorities said they had warned the railway of
elephant movements and complained that trains run too fast
through national parks and forests. They estimate India’s wild
elephant population at about 26,000.
SHOSHOZA MEYL WOESHennie Heymans on sar-L, 31 December 2012:“My friend Oom Gert (87) recently went down to Cape Town in
the Orange Express from Bloemfontein to Cape Town. On the way
down to Cape Town the train broke down and they arrived in Cape
Town at 23:00 by bus. On Christmas Day he went down from
Bloemfontein to East London. You won’t believe it: The train did
not complete this journey either. They again completed the journey
by bus to East London!
“He is an old man who prefers travelling by train and hates the
bus. He likes the train because of the privacy and there is a toilet
etc. Today he is a retired professor and the poor chap is ill because
of the late-night transfer from the train to the bus.
“During his student days he worked for pocket money on the SAR
as a dining-car steward during holidays.
“On the fi rst trip to Cape Town he lost his ID with wallet etc when
they transferred from the train to the bus but fortunately somebody
picked it up and he received it again whilst in Cape Town.
“One does not know what to say. He could not book a place on the
train from Bloemfontein as nobody answered the phone. Thanks to
a friend on this list he made his bookings.
“Usually an ‘old’ person likes travelling by train because its safe
and one can eat ‘padkos’ and enjoy a drink or two in the
compartment as the country rolls by! [Padkos (literally ‘road food’
is a South African word for food one takes along on a journey.)
There is no English word for ‘padkos’ I know of. Padkos is usually
in a square basket and usually consists of boiled eggs, frikkadelle
(patties), cold sausage, sandwiches, cold chicken, tomatoes, fl ask
coffee, hip fl ask with XXX for ‘snake bite’ and other ‘boerekos’ like
biltong (jerky) with salt and pepper!)”.
UP DERAILS 20 IN THE BUNDUOn 5 January, 20 vehicles in a westbound, 105-wagon Union Pacifi c
grain train came off the track in an isolated location about 75km
west of Winnemucca, near Sulfur, Nevada. The consist was headed
to Roseville, California. No injuries were reported.
TRAINS RUN NON-STOP THROUGH PORT SAIDUnprecedented violence on 26 January in Port Said, Egypt’s fi fth
largest city, was so extreme that long-distance trains ran through
without stopping, to avoid being caught in the trouble. More
than 350 people were reported hurt, including 150 police. The
demonstrations followed the imposing of 21 death sentences in
the aftermath of 74 people dying in the course of chaos that erupted
at a soccer stadium in the city during February 2012.
In Cairo, police teargas penetrated into the underground railway,
causing great discomfort to travellers.
CANADIAN TRACKS BLOCKADEDVia Rail passenger trains between Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal
were disrupted on three occasions between 30 December and mid-
January by demonstrators who blockaded the tracks, sometimes
for as long as six hours. Participants in Canada’s “Idle No More”
grassroots movement at one point staged almost daily protests
against the government’s Bill C-45, which they say violates treaty
rights and weakens environmental laws.
FOLLOW US ON@RailwaysAfrica
26 Railways Africa Issue 1 // 2013 www.railwaysafrica.com
MISHAPS & BLUNDERS
Act safely at level crossings
London Underground Celebrates 150 YearsNo doubt many Railways Africa readers have had fi rst-hand
experience of London’s famous underground railway at some stage.
The world’s fi rst, it launched a year-long celebration of its 150th
anniversary in early January.
The Metropolitan Railway ushered in a global revolution in urban
transport when it started running public passenger trains on
a 6km route between Paddington and Farringdon on 10 January
1863. Metropolitan locomotive no 1, a restored steam engine, is
to operate special commemorative services, giving present-day
passengers a taste of 19th century travel before electrifi cation.
The network has expanded systematically over the years and
currently serves 270 stations. A record 1.17 billion people used the
“Tube” in 2012.
According to London executive mayor Boris Johnson, “the
engineering ingenuity of our Victorian forefathers” laid the
groundwork for what remains a vital economic tool in the capital.
“It annihilates distance, liquidates traffi c and is the throbbing
cardiovascular system of the greatest city on Earth.”
November 2012 – Umgeni Steam Railways’ restored class 19D no 2685
at Inchanga on a ballast train, in preparation for the busy holiday season.
Photo: John Batwell collection.
Preservation Groups Enjoy Good Holiday LoadingsFriends of The Rail and Reefsteamers in Gauteng, also Atlantic
Rail in Cape Town and Umgeni Steam Railway in KwaZulu Natal
all enjoyed excellent public support for their steam-hauled services
over the recent holiday period. In some cases, tickets were
completely sold out.
Engines out of action was a problem in most areas during 2012
and a general aim in 2013 will be to get additional motive power
in service. The reliability of advertised excursions is at risk when
only one loco is available and there is no backup in the event of
unforeseen problems. Friends of The Rail were fortunate in having
alternative power in hand, following the recent repeat derailment
near Cullinan due to sleeper theft.
Reefsteamers has received the boiler tubes needed for its class
12AR no 1535, Friends of The Rail is busy restoring class 15CA no
2850 and Atlantic Rail is working on class 16DA Pacifi c no 879.
Reefsteamers have been heavily occupied with a major fencing
project to improve security at its depot in Germiston.
Visits to ReefsteamersFor several years, Attie de Necker has been the contact person for
visits to Reefsteamers’ Germiston depot, as well as functioning as
site manager. “Attie is retiring from depot visits and station pilot
duties,” Lee Gates writes, “but will continue to assist as train
manager and senior driver. A new lower-mileage depot manager
will be starting in the near future. As soon as we have run him in,
put the fi rst dent in the tender and tightened all the loose bolts, we
will announce new contact details for visitors to use when they
need assistance round the depot.”
Until then, Reefsteamers appeals to the public to email depot-
related queries to:
[email protected] or [email protected].
As little local preservation news has come in
since the previous edition of Railways Africa,
we look this month at two most interesting
highlights from the United Kingdom.
Metropolitan Railway no 1 is being used in the London Underground 150
celebrations. Photo: John Batwell collection.
In central London citizens could travel beneath the city’s increasingly
congested streets on the world’s fi rst underground railway. The Metropolitan
Railway, which opened in 1863, was at fi rst steam operated.
RAILWAY HERITAGE
28 Railways Africa Issue 1 // 2013 www.railwaysafrica.com
Preservation is A Preservation is A Vital Part of The Picture Vital Part of The Picture
By John BatwellBy John Batwell
Those who built the original Underground had to overcome
suspicions of the new subterranean transport system, characterised
in one newspaper leader as “suggestive of dank, noisome tunnels...
passages inhabited by rats, soaked with sewer drippings and
poisoned by the escape of gas mains”.Their solution – bright, gas-
lit trains and airy, vaulted platforms (that are still in use) – had the
desired effect. On the fi rst day, 30,000 people tried out the new
system, producing revenue of £850. By the 1880s, a network of
lines extended across central London, relieving pressure on roads
jammed with horse-drawn buses, carts and cabs. Its construction
was highly innovative. Engineers pioneered the technique of “cut
and cover”, where a trench was dug from above and roofed over.
Open sections at intervals enabled fumes to escape.
A second era of expansion around the turn of the 20th century
necessitated new deep tunnelling techniques – for which London’s
clay underpinnings were an ideal medium – in constructing the
Piccadilly, Northern and Bakerloo lines.
Today, the London Underground generates £2.18 billion in revenue,
just over half of Transport for London’s annual income, and a
long-term programme of upgrade work has been spared from
the government’s public spending cull. With the city’s population
expected to rise from 8.2m to 9m by 2020, pressure to expand
capacity and service frequency is unrelenting.
The Underground lays claim to the creation of the London
commuter, liberating workers from the city slums in the 1920s and
1930s by sparking construction of suburban estates that fanned
out from stations along the new lines.
As well as steam rail trips, a string of activities and events is
planned for the 150th celebration, including two new two-pound
coins issued by the Royal Mint, special postage stamps from
Royal Mail and 12 short stories commissioned by Penguin Books.
Aldwych station, closed in 1994, will stage theatrical events to
mark the event.
Gresley Class A4 Pacifi cs All Back in UKIn 1964, one of designer Sir Nigel Gresley’s streamlined 4-6-2 class
A4 steam locomotives – no 60008 - was donated to the American
National Railroad Museum in Wisconsin. Two years later, another
– no 60010 - went to the Canadian National Railway Museum in
Montreal. In October 2012, both were brought back to home ground
to join their four preserved counterparts. The reason – to have all
six remaining class A4s on English soil for the National Railway
Museum’s 2013 celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of
60022 Mallard’s 126mph (203km/h) world speed record in 1938.
One of the four preserved in working order in the UK is no 60009,
which carries the name Union of South Africa. Nos 60008 and
60010 are to return to North America next year.
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SURTEES RAIL GROUP
Class A4 locomotive Union of South Africa is one of six surviving members
lined up for the Mallard celebrations arranged by the National Railway
Museum in York. Photo: John Batwell collection.
RAILWAY HERITAGE
THE TORTOISE AND THE HARERemember the race between the tortoise and the hare?Dawie Kuyler offers a new slant. He writes on sar-L:
“Please allow me to share with you some useless info - A 24 class engine leaving Alicedale at 03:00
going to Grahamstown went uphill at the speed of a running rabbit. I know this, because the
rabbit was running full speed next to the line just in front of the train, in the engine light for quite
a distance before it went into the bush.”
In the lonely veld
Stands a small tent
And alongside in the twilight
Moves the shining train;
I see in the tent
Through the open curtain
A table with plates
And fi ne glasses
That softly shine
In the candle’s light
And I think, “Were I only
In that small tent,
I would be so lucky.”
By the lonely tent
Stands a small girl
In mute wonder
Of the shining train.
She sees me enjoy
My sparkling wine
And expensive meal
By electric light
And I guess the thoughts
Of the small girl:
“Oh, if I were just
In that cheerful train,
I would be so lucky”.
In die eensame veld
staan ‘n tentjie klein,
en daarnaas in die skemering
skuif die ligtende trein;
ek sien in die tentjie,
deur die oop gordyn,
‘n tafel met bordjies
en glasies fyn,
wat sag in die lig
van die kersie skyn,
en ek dag: ‘Was ek net
in die tentjie klein,
ek sou tog so gelukkig syn.
Naas die eensame tent
staan ‘n meisie klein,
in stomme bewond’ring
van die ligtende trein;
sy sien my geniet
my glansende wyn
en kost’like maal
by elektriese skyn;
en ek raai die gedagte
van die meisie klein:
‘Ag, was ek maar net
in die vrolike trein,
ek sou tog o so gelukkig syn’.
JACOB DANIËL DU TOITJacob Daniël du Toit (1877-1953), better known by his pen name Totius, was a military chaplain with the Boer commandos. After the war, he
studied for a doctorate in theology in Amsterdam. From 1911 a professor of theology in Potchefstroom, he is credited for translating much of
the Bible into Afrikaans. Tragic family events are refl ected in much of his poetry. His small son died early of an infection; the young daughter
was killed by lightning.
The typically literal Google translation,
predicably characterless, does not even
attempt words like “bewond’ring” and “syn”.
Trevor Staats (an Australian nogal) – puts
forward a decidedly better version:
END OF THE LINE
30 Railways Africa Issue 1 // 2013 www.railwaysafrica.com
TREIN IN DIE VELD
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