Sandstone Heritage Trust - Rail News - Private Rail in South Africa

RN 93 - The Weekly Steam Shed Report - 29 August - 5 September 2005

After the trial run with the Kalahari at Port Elizabeth, we rushed back to Sandstone Estates to organise the special train trips prior to the Avontuur Adventurer.

THE DECAUVILLE: Derrick and I washed out and prepared the boilers of the Decauville and Little Bess for the boiler inspector who visited the farm on Wednesday. These two locomotives were steamed and the safety valves were set at the working pressure of the boilers. The two boilers passed the boiler inspection and the expiry dates were stamped on the test plates. Little Bess arrived on the farm last week and is really something I would rather park in my living room.
	THE LAWLEY: The Lawley got some special attention before she hauled the first train over the new section of the Vailima Halt line. She was steamed for very special guests, Mr. Peter Lemmey and Mr.& Mrs. Ralph Montagu who arrived on the farm on Wednesday. Here are two photo's taken from the cab
THE NEW EXTENSION LINE: Wednesday 31 August 2005 was to see the very first steam train to travel the new line from Vailima Halt to Pandora junction. While having a qualified train driver, Mrs. Ailsa Montagu with me, I thought that the first steam train over the line should be driven by a woman train driver. This was great and after she drove to Grootdraai and back again to Vailima, it seemed that she had full control and feeling of driving the Lawley.

THE PRE ADVENTURE TRAIN TOUR AT SANDSTONE ESTATES:

THURSDAY 01 SEPTEMBER 2005
We steamed Garratt NGG13 number 49 for this special day. All the guests on this day were part of the Avontuur Adventurer.

Derrick and I came out 02h00 on Thursday morning to steam 49.

Number 49 was standing at the station just before sunrise with myself as driver and Derrick van Zyl doing duty as fireman.
We first did some run pasts at Hoekfontein station and departed for Grootdraai at 07h30. On return to Hoekfontein, the photographers had some time for breakfast before taking on the very long and exhausting day to Vailima Halt. NGG13 also had a chance to ride on the new line with new photographical spots.
We returned to Hoekfontein to replenish the coal on the tender, while photographers had the chance to replenish their stomachs at lunchtime. We again departed for Vailima Halt but the other way around where every one had a perfect photographic opportunity with the locomotive near sunset. We returned to Hoekfontein and all of us enjoyed a "braai" at the old Waenhuis.

FRIDAY 02 SEPTEMBER 2005
We steamed the Lawley again for this day. Driver Derrick van Zyl and fireman Des Clark manned the Lawley and worked this special train to Grootdraai and back to Hoekfontein again. She also performed some run pasts near Pandora. Her fire was dropped at 13h00 and Derrick and I rushed home to depart for Port Elizabeth early on Saturday morning.