BEB03_Motkop_fire_draisine_10_7_1999.jpg (156876 bytes)

BEB3_Motkop_fire_draisine. Steam in Southern Africa 1973 - 1999. The 98 mile (157km) branch line from Aliwal North to Barkly East in the Cape Eastern section, was unusual in South Africa. Built close to the mountainous border with Lesotho (formerly Basutoland), between 1903 and 1930, the branch’s route entailed the crossing of two rivers, each in a deep gorge, with high veld before, between and after. To effect the crossing of the Karringmelkspruit, trains had to negotiate six reverses - zig-zags - down and up the valley-sides, while nearing the Barkly East end of the line, two further reverses were necessary for descending to cross the Kraairivier. This difficult railway was never an economic success, but it did open access to small communities that otherwise were poorly served by other means of transport. Not suprisingly then, the building of new roads allowed the branch to be closed in 2002, though recent surveys show the track still in place. With no steam locomotives working over the branch and thereby keeping undergrowth down, the special train was shadowed on both days by a diesel powered draisine which had water tanks, pumps and workers aboard, in order to control any fires started by the 19D. The draisine is seen entering Motkop while the locomotive was being coaled. roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

Cowans_Sheldon_crane_Germiston1.jpg (162508 bytes)

Cowans Sheldon Steam Crane (60 t lifting capacity). Germiston, Gauteng, South Africa. 2018-08-17. tobias b köhler