Open Days at The Cherry Festival. Friday 16th and Saturday 17th November 2018.
November is Cherry Festival time in Ficksburg . To celebrate The Cherry Festival Sandstone will be holding Open Days on Friday 16th November and Saturday 17th November coinciding with this classic event.
Train rides from Hoekfontein to Vailima Siding will operate at 10h00, 12h00, 14h00 and 16h00. Other attractions will be Ox Wagon rides and Military Vehicle rides while the famous Sandstone Heritage Collection will be open to view. Refreshments will be on sale with the Sandstone Shop open for memorabilia. Entrance is R200 for adults and R125 for under 12’s which includes one train trip. Booking is essential and it will be a day not to be missed. Contact Leigh Sanders or Alina Halafu on 051 933 2235 or e mail, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. We look forward to seeing you there.
After receiving the required paperwork from the RSR, NG10 number 61 has passed its commissioning test at Sandstone. The final documents are now required from the RSR for the locomotive to be placed into service.
Our pictures show number 61 on the Grootdraai section during its trials.
Sandstone’s third Class 91 diesel has safely arrived at Hoekfontein and has been placed in the running shed alongside sister loco 91-010. Initial examination has shown that the loco has a good engine and excellent wheels and bogies. A number of cab fittings are missing together with some electrical components but these will be retrieved from 91-016 acquired from Grindrod in 3’6” gauge some time ago.
Sandstone has acquired 91-019, the penultimate member of its class, from Port Elizabeth. 91-019 is believed to be the last unit given an overhaul by Transnet but a full inspection will be carried when the unit arrives at Sandstone this week. After almost 9 years out of use the unit looks a bit shabby but will be fully assessed by the loco workshop team.
Our pictures from Hansie Claasen show the complex loading procedure at Humewood Road on to the transport lowbed using two cranes.
Ex SAR 19D, Sappi no 2, has been donated to Sandstone by Sappi from the Saaicor Mill at Umkomaas in Kwa Zulu Natal. The Unkomaas Mill was the last industrial steam operation in South Africa and introduced diesel operation in 2015. The 19D, which was SAR no 2633, was built by Skoda as works number 928 of 1938 and is one of only fifteen 19D’s built by this manufacturer.
Planning is now underway to relocate the locomotive to Sandstone’s Eastern Free State base where the locomotive will be initially plinthed and examined for possible future restoration.
The Class NG10, currently under restoration at Sandstone’s Bloemfontein workshop, underwent its first steam test under the watchful eye of Lukas Nel and moved under its own power for the first time in 59 years having been withdrawn from service for preservation in Port Elizabeth in 1960. The restoration will certainly go down in the annals of steam preservation in South Africa as one of the most difficult ever accomplished and on a par with some of the restorations from the famous Barry scrapyard in the UK.
The locomotive will be launched into service at the Stars of Sandstone 2019 event on April 5th.
