Hello all,

Looks like a ‘Lerro’ style photo freight event was just pulled off in South Africa last month?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QOnKagdZ8 ... NhIHN0ZWFt

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EHxoyyZ-j ... NhIHN0ZWFt

Great to see a Class 25 out and about again down there.

My preference is the sausage dog tender of course ! :-D

Notice they did not have the locomotive super-shined….. freight weathered, looks like right out of the 1980’s.

It’s amazing they pulled this off considering the post-COVID state of Transnet….

Makes you wish they could get it on the Kimberly to DeAar line….. would be worth a stay in the Kraankuil guest house! Good break in run…..it up on the K to D raceway!

In the second video, the grain silos look real similar to the ones at Orange River on the K to D line…..

Refreshing to see.

Cheers

Randy

Bernd Seiler is a German locomotive engineer, also serving as CMO of the Harzer Schmalspurbahnen, and an excellent phtographer as well as a very experienced leader of international steam charters and tours: https://www.farrail.net/pages/touren-en ... lendar.php

I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but I see that I still might get that chance. (Refreshing indeed.) On two occasions during my visit to China in 2005, my friend and I arrived in Lindong and set up for our photos before anybody else arrived. We thought nobody was anywhere near us, but when we happened to look over our shoulders there was a whole busload of photographers from Farrail Tours, and they had formed their photo lines without getting in our way or disturbing us at all. To this day I remember and appreciate that courtesy, and heartily recommend Farrail Tours to anybody who wants to see and photograph the last of the last genuine, non-tourist, working steam in the world.

Are you sure? I don't see any Rosie the Riveters or middle-aged overweight men poured into WWII enlisted personnel uniforms posing for night shots that look like they were illuminated by the nearby Trinity tests.

"Lerro-style photo events" were formerly known as "Carl Franz-style photo events." Franz largely "retired" from the game until a recent charter on the East Broad Top a few weeks ago.

The night/posed-reenactors shots are icing on the cake--and garner far more "human interest" among non-railfans than the fact that the organizers and the RR worked hard to assemble what could honestly pass as a "period freight/mixed" for many multiple runbys, according to 99% of the people who aren't counting rivets.

I seldom heard anyone suggesting an O. Winston Link night photo looked as if it were being illuminated by atomic explosions.......... and, to be fair, some of the WW2-era vintage documentary photography by government photographers were shot with huge flash bulbs that gave a floodlit effect as well.

Hello,

More videos are emerging from the June photo charter. If one can believe Wiki, 25 NC 3437 may be privately owned however it may be in the care or stables of the Steamnet 2000 group in Kimberley. In years past the Steamnet folks have been quietly but steadily working in the Beaconsfield depot roving out within the yard at least one steamable class 25….possibly this one. Then to get it out for an an extended run with apparently no issues was a very good accomplishment, hopefully this opens the door for the future

The scenes from the South African landscape are wonderful.

Winter season there.

Regards,

Randy