I have to contribute, especially for all the multi-millionaires rading in this group, that there is still an abundance of steam locomotives on scrap line in South Africa! I was on the highway driving into Port Elizabeth, several days ago, and unable to stop (had to get a plane) but as I passed the railroad shops outside the city, spotted a loco shed with several beautiful locomotives being serviced inside. Outside was a string of about 8 rusty steam locomotives. I could not determine the wheel arrangements nor assess their restoration conditions. All looked pretty worn and without a lick of paint on them. The locomotives being serviced were all well painted and highly polished, obviously well maintained and in operational condition.
Time to break your piggy-banks (or warthog banks if you like) and scramble up some steam!!!
Can anyone comment on these locomotives or the state of South African steam?


Aurora7@juno.com

Richard,
There is still quite a bit of steam here and there in South Africa. They ran regularly scheduled steam until about 1995 or so in sparse amounts, and continue to operate the George-Knysna Train regularly with steam(see photo image).

In addition there are many engines which the railway owns, as well as some tour operators, and many are run out or Cape town in the Southern region.

There are probably many sheds and scrap lines where various engines can be seen through out the country. At one time they kept a strategic reserve of steam in the Karoo.

I was there in 1977 and 1984 for a month each time, and it was the best steam I ever saw! More photos on my web site if interested.

By the way Port Elizabeth featured the last city suburban(Commuter)steam operations, and I was lucky enough to see it in 1977. Those engines would really hit the gas departing each station. Class 15AR, 19D, and 24 class mostly. The shed at PE was still full of engines in 1984 when we were there. Probably 50 in steam, but the commuter service was all but finished by then. Something to behold!

A few years ago several engines were sold to somebody in New Zealand, and recently I saw a promotion for some trips with them in NZ.

Glad you saw a glimpse of SA steam in PE!

Steamingly,
Greg Scholl

http://www.gregschollvideo.com/gallery/pic10.html

Videos

sales@gregschollvideo.com

I wonder if it would be possible to re-gauge these 3'6" gauge engines to 3' gauge? It seems like this could be accomplished by pressing the un-powered wheels on their axles and installing wider tires on the drivers (as was done on the re-gauged Russian Decapods).

I'd think a 19D 4-8-2 or 24 2-8-4 would make an interesting addition to some of our narrow gauge railways.

Good Steaming,
Hugh Odom

> I have to contribute, especially for all the
> multi-millionaires rading in this group,
> that there is still an abundance of steam
> locomotives on scrap line in South Africa! I
> was on the highway driving into Port
> Elizabeth, several days ago, and unable to
> stop (had to get a plane) but as I passed
> the railroad shops outside the city, spotted
> a loco shed with several beautiful
> locomotives being serviced inside. Outside
> was a string of about 8 rusty steam
> locomotives. I could not determine the wheel
> arrangements nor assess their restoration
> conditions. All looked pretty worn and
> without a lick of paint on them. The
> locomotives being serviced were all well
> painted and highly polished, obviously well
> maintained and in operational condition.
> Time to break your piggy-banks (or warthog
> banks if you like) and scramble up some
> steam!!!
> Can anyone comment on these locomotives or
> the state of South African steam?


The Ultimate Steam Page
whodom@awod.com

> I wonder if it would be possible to re-gauge
> these 3'6" gauge engines to 3' gauge?
> It seems like this could be accomplished by
> pressing the un-powered wheels on their
> axles and installing wider tires on the
> drivers (as was done on the re-gauged
> Russian Decapods).

> I'd think a 19D 4-8-2 or 24 2-8-4 would make
> an interesting addition to some of our
> narrow gauge railways.

> Good Steaming,
> Hugh Odom

I often wondered about that as well Hugh. I'd love to see a 25NC or GMAM Garratt on 3 foot in the USA, but you are correct that a Class 24 would be much better suited. Maybe the White Pass should investigate this idea! Imagine bankers on the WP&Y like out of Knysna with a pair of 24s!

What always amazed me was that after watching 25NC's on the De Aar-Kimberly and other mainlines in SA, you tend to forget this is not 4 foot 8 1/2. Those 60 inch drivers on the 25NC's made them camparable to US 2-8-2's in some instances.
Watching a South African 4-8-4 at 55 miles per hour was also a treat, and made one forget about the dieselized USA far away at the time!

Are there still tons of engines in the stored area at De Aar or are all of them gone now???Anyone know?

Greg Scholl


Videos

sales@gregschollvideo.com

I wonder if those may be locmotives owned by Rovos Rail. I know they have aquired quite a few steamers and have restored most of them, maybe the ones you saw are the next batch, or not.

Thanks, Taylor

thrush@smt-net.com

I was approached a few years ago by a promoter who wished to build a new tourist railroad and couldn't find a good set of equipment. No interchang was involved, I encouraged him to import a whole train set from Africa and build the track to suit. It never did happen but no reason why it couldn't.

42" is very big time railroading as any visitor to Queensland or New Zealand can verify. Even the hauling capability of the 24" and its loading gage is very impressive.

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

Currently, I have 780 steam locomotives listed in South Africa in "Surviving World Steam Locomotives". Like the former Soviet Union and some northern European countries, South Africa stored hundreds of steam locomotives in "Strategic Reserves" long after steam offically ended on SAR.

Most of these have since be acquired by museums and/or tourist railways for possible display or parts. I have 6 listed in strategic reserves; what you saw as probably the Humewood Road Shed in Port Elizabeth; where there are 16 steam locomotives of both 3ft 6in and 3ft gauge. Five are listed as operational, four as being under restoration/repair; the remainder are either stored or on display.

Transnet Heritage Foundation (THF) owns most of what remained of the strategic reserves, at total of 378 steam locomotives. Most are stored at Bethleham, Beaconsfield, Bloemfontain, Dal Josafat, Germiston, Klerksdorp, Kroonstad, Millsite, Queenstown, Warrenton, Witbank, just to name a few.

Some steam locomotives are being sold and exported. I believe it was a SAR steam locomotive which was just recently exported to Australia, where it began running this week. I have tried to see firsthand the three SAR steam locomotives outside of Houston, but the private location is far from public roads, and after a hour to two I finally gave up.

Of course, if you owned a copy of "Surviving World Steam Locomotives", you would know all of this, and could have storing digital pictures of your find in the database instead! :)

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Surviving World Steam Locomotives
james1@pernet.net

Currently, I have 780 steam locomotives listed in South Africa in "Surviving World Steam Locomotives". Like the former Soviet Union and some northern European countries, South Africa stored hundreds of steam locomotives in "Strategic Reserves" long after steam offically ended on SAR.

Most of these have since be acquired by museums and/or tourist railways for possible display or parts. I have 6 listed in strategic reserves; what you saw as probably the Humewood Road Shed in Port Elizabeth; where there are 16 steam locomotives of both 3ft 6in and 3ft gauge. Five are listed as operational, four as being under restoration/repair; the remainder are either stored or on display.

Transnet Heritage Foundation (THF) owns most of what remained of the strategic reserves, at total of 378 steam locomotives. Most are stored at Bethleham, Beaconsfield, Bloemfontain, Dal Josafat, Germiston, Klerksdorp, Kroonstad, Millsite, Queenstown, Warrenton, Witbank, just to name a few.

Some steam locomotives are being sold and exported. I believe it was a SAR steam locomotive which was just recently exported to Australia, where it began running this week. I have tried to see firsthand the three SAR steam locomotives outside of Houston, but the private location is far from public roads, and after a hour to two I finally gave up.

Of course, if you owned a copy of "Surviving World Steam Locomotives", you would known all of this, and could have been storing digital pictures of your find in the database instead! :)

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Surviving World Steam Locomotives
james1@pernet.net

> I often wondered about that as well Hugh.
> I'd love to see a 25NC or GMAM Garratt on 3
> foot in the USA

Greg,

It was possible to regauge from 60" to 56.5" using wider tires, but going from 42" to 36" is almost twice as far. You would probably have to rebuld the frame, cylinder saddle, make new axles, etc. On a class 24 and a 25 NC, I believe they had cast frames, so that would probably be out of the question. Probably not worth the hassle.

Now, if someone wanted to try converting an East African Railways class 59 Garratt from meter gauge (39.4") to 36", it might be more likely! For those who don't know, a class 59 is bigger than a South African GMAM!

a231pacific@aol.com