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Bulawayo_station_16A_628. Steam in Southern Africa: Rhodesia 1973. Having brought in a freight train on 27th October 1973, Class 16A 2-8-2+2-8-2 Beyer Garratt No.628 (BP 7506/1952), spectacularly rushes through Bulawayo station on its way to the engine shed. roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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Gwelo_station_16A_629. Steam in Southern Africa: Rhodesia 1973. After 20 705 and its train had cleared Gwelo goods yard, 16A Class Beyer Garratt No.629 (BP 7507.1952) marshals some empty livestock wagons to the head of the freight train which it will later take to Bulawayo. roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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Zimbabwe_11_Thompson_Jct_Trn_18_to_Vic_Falls_16A_609 (ex-636)_(BP 7514.1953)_1.10.81 Class 16A 609 (BP 7514/1953) approaches Thompson Junction on 1st October 1981, with a freight from Bulawayo, en route to Victoria Falls and on, to Zambia. This locomotive had previously been numbered 636, that being changed to 609 following a RESSCO refurbishment process. roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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Zimbabwe_14_Victoria_Falls_approach_0730_arr_from _Bulawayo_16_ 615_(ex-648)_(BP 7526.1953)_27.9.81 The morning of 27th September 1981 and running late, so going flat out(!), Class 16A 615 (BP 7526/1953) approaches Victoria Falls with the 12-coach overnight train from Bulawayo, which the Garratt had brought from Thompson Junction. This was another locomotive re-numbered following attention by RESSCO - it was formerly No.648. roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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Zimbabwe_15_Victoria_Falls_station_16A_615_(ex-648)_(BP 7526.1953)_27.9.81 16A 615 (BP 7526/1953) has brought the daily train from Bulawayo to Victoria Falls on 27th September 1981 and is taking on water prior to returning later in the day with a freight train from Zambia. That freight will come around the curve seen in the distance, just beyond which is the iconic railway bridge which crosses the Zambesi in full sight of “The Smoke That Thunders” - how the local people once described the Falls. The station name board is inscribed: Cape Town: 2651 kms; Beira: 1534 kms and Bulawayo 451 kms. Sad to say, no timetabled ZR passenger trains have run to Victoria Falls, since 2020. roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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Zimbabwe_16_Victoria_Falls_station_1730_to_Bulawayo_16A_602 (ex-626)_(BP 7504.1952)_28.9.81 The sun has been gone for some time, so the photographer pushes Kodachrome 64 to the limit, to catch 16A 602 (BP 7504/1952), blast out of Victoria Falls station with the 1730 overnight train to Bulawayo. The locomotive had been numbered 626 before refurbishment by RESSCO. The date was 28th September 1981. roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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Zimbabwe_1_Bulawayo_shed_East_end_SAR_14R_ZR_15A_&_16A_27.9.81 The early morning sun illuminates the east end of Bulawayo engine shed on 27th September 1981. Locomotive classes being prepared for work are 14R 4-8-2, on hire from South African Railways (SAR) and Zimbabwe Railways (ZR) Beyer-Garratts 15A 4-6-4+4-6-4 and 16A 2-8-2+2-8-2. roger.griffiths@hotmail.com