Introduction :

Another Steam in Action orientated weekend whereby we tackled another one of the monster list of jobs to be done.  This week’s star attraction was the Class 15F No.3052 ‘Avril’ which has been allocated to Steam in Action usage.  The engine is privately owned by David Shepherd and is currently in the custodianship of the Sandstone Heritage Trust.  David is delighted that the engine is to be back into reasonably regular service after it spent much idle time waiting for work on the Bethlehem – Ficksburg line, which didn’t materialize. 

n    Click here to read more about this engine’s background.

n    Click here to read how Steam in Action transferred this locomotive from storage at Sandstone Heritage
Trust’s Ficksburg Storage facility, in the far Eastern Free State, all the way to Germiston in Gauteng.

In amongst the locomotive work, and the surprisingly convoluted shunting that was involved to get the locomotive in a position to empty out the coal tender, attracting most of the attention of the Reefsteamers and the many visitors we had, the coach maintenance project continued, being a mixture of electrical and handyman work.

SIA PROJECT : Class 15F No.3052 ‘Avril’ - Removing the Tender Side Braces :

Class 15F 3052 ‘Avril’ hasn’t done any work since she arrived at our Depot since the Ficksburg Locomotive transfer project.  We’ve been wanting to get this machine back into service to fulfill the ethos of Steam in Action and to please David Shepherd in letting him knowing that his locomotive is doing what she’s designed to do.  (besides our own enjoyment of running these old steamers, of course.)  Besides, steam locomotives really don’t like standing idle – coming up with all sorts of leaks and problems when they are eventually put back into service.  There is one more prosaic reason to get ‘Avril’ earning her coal n’ water – we are potentially running into a Reefsteamers version of load-shedding. We’re running short of motive power.

Mechanically-stoked Class 15F No.3016 ‘Gerda’ and Class 12AR No.1535 ‘Susan’ are both waiting for hydraulic boiler inspection, the 12AR needing 7 new boiler tubes fitted.  We hope not to have any boiler related surprises revealed on the Class 15F, but that’s always a possibility.  Class 15CA No.2056 ‘Dorothy’ is temporarily on the sick list with the bogie bearing problem, and ‘hand-bomber’ Class 15F No.2914 ‘Spikkels’ is out of action with a failed exhaust pipe seal and struggles to steam with the resultant weak vacuum in the smoke box.  (It turns out that a previous Millsite Depot repair job had been done by pouring normal building concrete into the crevices of the smoke box saddle around the cylinder exhaust pipe, located under the blast pipe.  This concrete has broken up under the heat and vibration, and bits have been blown right out up through the petticoat and the chimney.  I do hope no one was hurt or startled by fragmented chunks of hot concrete tumbling out of the sky when the steam train went by!.)  Anyway, ‘Spikkels’ boiler certificate only has another month to run anyway.

Presently, Class 25(NC) No.3472 ‘Elize’ is the only locomotive that we can roster up to steam efficiently and safely with a day’s notice.  We should have the Class 15CA running again in a week or two when we get the front bogie back together, but it’s good strategy to get Class 15F No.3052 ‘Avril’ running properly.

Actually, the locomotive is in great condition internally and steams very well, but has developed numerous leaks at various glands and spindles.  Thanks to the preparation of the Sandstone Heritage Trust staff before Reefsteamers moved the locomotive from Ficksburg for Steam in Action, Avril’s boiler now has a new 3 year boiler certificate.  However, the triangular braces in the tender’s coal hopper and the rear scuffle plate are badly corroded.  The problem was noted as developing some years ago when the locomotive was first transferred to the Free State.  There was no visible evidence of the tender sides bulging out with a full load of coal but it can be taken as certain that excess strain was being places on the upper frame.  The rear scuttle plate, which had already been patched in the past, is also showing signs of corrosion and the rust has eaten right though the outer skin at various points.

The first step of the tender repair job was a closer inspection of the rear scuttle plate, just in front of the water inlet hopper.  It showed evidence of corrosion over about ¾ of its length.  (Pic T01 below)  It didn’t look too bad considering the general scruffiness of this hard working, frequently wetted and exposed area, but the complete penetration of the outer skin means water will be drawn into the gap between the plates by gravity and capillary action – and set up hidden corrosion between the plates. 

The coal resting in the rear ledge (Pic T01 below, again) had to be moved completely into the sloping coal hopper to clear the coal ledge for the inspection, cutting and welding work.  We were planning to completely empty the tender anyway, by using the coal grab, and thus needed to get the coal into one easily scoop-able heap.  Lee Gates and Aiden Mc. Carthy were put onto the job.  This was Aiden’s first visit to the Reefsteamers Depot for a while and he was a bit rueful on coming back the day there is coaling work to be done.  It wasn’t at all bad though and at least the work was done in the shade of the ‘Top Shed.’  We both did the coal man’s dance (The ‘Coal Cascade Two-Step’) to quickly shift coal on the slope (Pic T02 below)  It looks like one is trying to run upstairs on a downwards moving escalator (with lots of marbles on the steps) and hopefully, the coal is loose enough to cascade down the slope under your feet with minimal effort.  It’s great cardiac exercise but is quite hard on the boots, safety or otherwise.  And if one is over six foot tall, you have to watch that you don’t bang your head on the angled i-beams that support the clearstory roof.  (You can see the grey painted angles in the picture.)

Don’t forget your hard hats, please!

Locomotive coal has a way of settling over time and becoming increasingly interlocked.  If one doesn’t have a flat surface to shovel against, then it is hard work to get the shovel in between the coal chunks.  You can twist the shovel to work the leading edge in – which is murder on the wrists, or alternatively scrape from the top and scoop away at one spot to ‘wear it down’.  Aiden was the first to be able to work his way down to the metal surface and then sat on the scuttle plate, winded, while I gleefully took over for a few minutes and managed to flat-plated single-handedly move more coal than we’d both done in the last 10 minutes! 

The coal smelt bad though, as if half a dozen tom cats had been rebelliously lifting their tails and squirting their calling cards inside the tender.  We soon found deposits, sometimes literally nuggets, of bird guano and I suspect probably that of God’s other little critters, which gave the coal an unusual, unpleasant sour ammonia smell.  Both Aiden and I were trying not to breathe too deeply, as the stuff dispersed into the air.  Ever tried deliberately breathing shallowly when exerting oneself with a shovel? 

Just another one of the unexpected challenges of steam loco preservation…

Actually, the ammoniac coal is another motivation for the ethos of Steam in Action.  A steam locomotive in regular use is unlikely to have individual lumps of coal in the tender remaining there long enough to collect corrosive guano.  Given the natural size of locomotive sheds, with the cathedric spaces and open roof trusses, even locomotives under safe, covered storage are prone to guano damage.  Even the Reefsteamers have pigeons (and a well smoked barn owl) in amongst the rafters.  Coal, and especially coal dust, stored wet is another source of corrosion, as well as is wet ash – as evidenced by the tendencies of the lowest boiler tubes to rust out when the smoke-box isn’t cleaned properly, as well as the char collecting between the fire arch and the rear tube plate.  Active well-tended steam traction doesn’t get the chance to corrode!

The rear braces of the scuttle showed evidence of severe corrosion.  But the damage on the angled webs has been further aggravated by years of shovel lip impacts.  (Pic C03 above)  Remember that this part of the tender’s coal compartment has a flat floor and any coal here has to be manually scooped into the coal hopper proper.  Thus the characteristic squarer notches in the webs.  (I guess coal trimmers don’t work to a bell curve.)  We also found a crudely done patch on the center panel.  The edges weren’t sealed, which allows even more crevices for water and fine coal granules to enter and get to work in peace, rather like cockroaches in their gaps behind skirting boards.  We found other patches on the side panels, both of which were above the top ledge.

Every single one of the main side braces have been almost totally eaten away by rust, although the vertical angle-irons that support them are still intact.  You can see the extent of the damage in Pic T04 below.  

When welder Shaun ‘Smudge’ Ackerman pitched up for inspection (conveniently, once the coal work was finished), we had a tour of inspection of that tender before getting down with relief and out into the open air, to blow the black snot out of our noses and have a welcome cup of tea.  The dull and overcast day was refreshing.  The reception track initially looked as if it was bustling with activity, with the coaching crews moving back and forth and a lot of visitors watching the action. 

The next step in the tender repair project was to get the hydraulic coal grab wagon next to the tender to be within easy reach of that coal at the bottom.  The idea was to get the coal completely out of there to facilitate full inspection, and footing for the workers within the tender hopper.  It’s bad enough trying to brace your feet against those sloped surfaces, but with coal underfoot, it becomes dangerous, especially with a torch, or an angle grinder.  Shunting was complicated by the fact that ‘Avril’ was at the back of the top shed, boxed in, nose-to-nose, with Class 25(NC) No.3472 ‘Elize’  And the coal grab wagon was buried within the old running shed yard.  Furthermore, the cross over track was occupied by the four coaches currently being repaired.  There was much shunting action then to get one locomotive out onto the open.  That kind of thing tends to happen at a busy locomotive shed and it kept Piet ‘Buffels’ Steenkamp and Sakkie Kekana busy and out of trouble.!

Firstly the crossover track had to be cleared – with three day sitter coaches and the catering car being pulled out and spotted into track 2 of the running shed, alongside the R4 Garratt and the caboose.  What was funny was to see Willie ‘Sarge’ Wehmeyer stoically going about his work in the midst of the coupling and shunting movements.  With the coaches off the diagonal cross over track, the way was clear to haul the hydraulic coal grab out and dump it behind the forge, before reaching in to get the 25(NC) out of bed and pushed out onto the crossover.  (Pic T05 above)  The tracks were slippery with the constant drizzle and much manual sanding had to be done to give the two-axle shunter some grip.  That was Sakkie’s job, using large margarine tubs as sanding gear.

Only then could Class 15F No.3052 ‘Avril’ be pulled out of the back spot in the single-road ‘Top Shed’, through the audience and the displaced coach repair crew.  I took a ride out on the tender, being very careful to stand in the center to avoid beaning myself on the roof trusses and getting some pictures in murky daylight.  Avril was spotted behind the forge at the back entrance and left alone while the busy little Hunslet Taylor trundled off to run past through the old running sheds and get onto the other side of the coal grab wagon.

With the Shunter at the opposite end of the coal grab wagon, it was now possible to push the grab wagon and the locomotive onto a divergent set of points.  First, the Class 25NC was pushed back into the ‘Top Shed’.  Then came the tricky shunting.  The coal grab cannot reach across the widely spaced yard tracks and still have enough length in the boom to maneuver.  It usually has to be parked on a set of points and the coal wagon or locomotive parked as close to the convergence as possible.  It means very tight shunting, carefully controlled and for goodness sake, don’t stand in the gap!  (Pic T08 above)  Piet ‘Buffels’ Steenkamp did very well with the slow speed control of the shunter, with Shaun Ackerman very cautiously talking them into the gap.  Remember that the out-of-steam locomotive had no operable brakes, an unattended handbrake and outweighs the shunter by a factor of four. 

This maneuver had to be done twice, with a guide line scratched in the soil to spot the hydraulic grab a bit further back the second time.  (Pic T09 above)  As both tracks slope slightly, extra care was taken with handbrakes and scotch blocks.  But in direct contrast to the fuss of the drawn out and convoluted shunting, the unloading of the remainder of the coal went with little trouble.  (Pic T10 below)  Lee, Sakkie and Aidan had to do the coal trimming to get the last bits of coal up into the scoop.  Not only can’t we scoop up small quantities of coal, the scoop action would have ripped up the plates for the stoker trough.  (It’s hidden under the coal in Pic T11 below)  The removed coal was stored on one of the two bunkers on the hydraulic coal grab wagon. 

When the majority of the coal was removed and we put all our steel-wheeled toys away, Class 15F 3052 ‘Avril’ was shunted back into the ‘Top Shed.’  The relevant positions of the two locomotives now reversed with 25NC 3472 ‘Elize’ right at the back.  Lee Gates and Aiden Mc. Carthy got busy getting the last ‘burnt-pop corn’ kernels of the coal out, while Shaun Ackerman got busy collecting the acetylene torch, looking for his missing angle grinder and of course, fetching his favourite tool – the 16 pound mallet!  The coal cleaning was performed with that most advanced of tools – the bucket!  (Pic T12 above)  The coal wasn’t really in the way for footing or work on the rusted out braces, but we wanted the clear out the stoker trough for inspection and to remove the sliding trough covers for inspection as they were said to be damaged.

We had a pleasant surprise.  (for a change ! )  The sliding covers over the stoker are actually fine.  There is simply a little lip over the first part of the channel that is missing so the first of the covers can be removed – It means that the covers can get dislodged as they are bullied forwards or backwards to change the coal take up area.  We simply need to straighten up the existing covers a bit, put them in with one missing and then close up the rails.  We now have a stack of steel blanks cut as covers – but they’ll come in useful for further stoker upgrades, if the metal plates don’t    *cough*    ‘disappear’ in the meantime.  (Pic T13 below)

Shaun started cutting out the rusted areas in the rear scuttle plate.  The acetylene torch was running low for a start.  But the rust and corrosion was heating up unevenly and making for an unavoidably very rough cut with the acetylene torch.  (Pic T14 above)  That’s okay when cutting something up for scrap, but not when trying to make a clean, neat cut for a patch.  With that cut abandoned, a first and rather hopeful attempt was made to remove the braces by hammering them hard enough to break the spot welds.  (Pic T15 above)  After much whacking, one and half braces came loose.  It turns out that the welds weren’t as weak or as brittle as we’d hoped.  So much for that idea.

With the mallet laid aside, the tedious work of torch cutting and angle grinding had to begin, each brace being receiving the torch and grind treatment before being tapped out of position .  The job was enlivened by the torch’s gas bottles reaching bottom halfway through the job.  Meanwhile Oom Attie was removing paint from the locomotive’s copper pipes and wincing with the occasional fusillade of hammer blows. 

Each weld has to be ground back with the flush faces of bossed grinding disks.  Aiden and Lee found that this technologically simple job was much enlivened by trying to brace yourself on a floor sloping at 45 degrees.  Slipping several feet with a spinning angle grinder in your mitts is a good way to lose a finger or two!  (Pic T17 below) 

Lee took over the second shift of 15F tender grinding, with the shrunken remains of the grinding disk.  But the call came for the last scrub-up and tea for the day.  We didn’t even bother putting the tools away – just hiding them within the tender for the next day’s work.  I stayed at home to do typing work that day – but you can see the cleaned out and prepared tender in the frontspiece FP01 for this section.  Shaun spent the following day finishing off the grinding and then torching out the entire rusted section of the rear scuttle plate, cutting through sound metal. 

Project : Coach maintenance :

Coach work continued steadily through the day and even while the coaches were being shunted.  Fred Sewell’s main project was the conversion of the Day Sitter No.29013 to full 220V operation.  This means the removal of the inverters, as well as the transformers.  Even though the day sitter coaches are wired for 220V, the light fittings still run on 110V.  Fred fitted the transformers to drop the 220V to 24V (which was the original SAR voltage) and then the inverters switch that up to 110V.  Fortunately, we are finding the wiring to still be a good enough condition to handle twice the original voltage, and the old fashioned distribution boards have ample air gaps.

It is well worth the effort in terms of electrical reliability and efficiency.  The hot, heavy and expensive transformers are gone.  The very unreliable electronic inverters have been eliminated from the circuits.  The converted lights now have efficient, compact modern ballasts and tubes (with correspondingly greater light output)  And more subtly, the increased voltage means less amperages are required to transmit the power down a 15 coach train.  Less amperage means less voltage drops at coach power-couplers – which makes the entire electrical system more reliable. 

Fred routed the coach wiring directly to new distribution boards to act as incomers.  From there, the power is routed via master breakers to the original wiring, and also to a convenient BS546 mains plug which is mounted within the wiring chamber.  The incomer boards have double pole isolators as main switches – easily identifiable in international green on the switch levers.  (Some of the old boards have lost their labels over the years.)  This space was originally occupied by a riser cables, rectifiers and transformers – and now looks much neater.  (Pic C01 below)

An interesting feature of the wiring chambers is that the back of the chamber can be opened from within the toilet compartment.  Pic C02 (above) is a picture of our master electrician at work, taken from within the bathroom.  I warned Fred I was there as I’ve had ample experience of how electricians react to unexpected camera flashes, thinking that they’ve just created an arcing fault. 

Fred also replaced one of the original 110V water pumps with a modern 220V unit.  (Pic C03 above)  That eliminates using another inverter – which is very much of a weak point considering the intermittent operation of these pressure switch operated pumps.  Fred had to rig up new distribution gear, but reusing an existing cleaned and serviced pressure switch.  The pump stands out in bright fire engine red but will soon be painted black to blend in with the undercarriage.

Willie ‘Sarge’ Wehmeyer was all over the place with these coaches.  He was tightening up loose seat frames, as well as re-attaching loose seat cushions.  (Pic C04 above)  A door that wouldn’t close properly needed some attention – the problem turned out to be badly selected and fitted hinges that were standing proud of the door frame.  Willie was also cutting out some of the rotten floor boards next to doors, and making exact patches of equivalent sized boards to fit – rather than just putting a plate over the top.  Plates wouldn’t last in the high traffic area, and would also create problems with the inwards opening coach doors.  Flush fitted patches can also be tiled over eventually – even a black Marley Tile would be an improvement on the peeling areas.  Friends of the Rail have used Marley Tiles in their beautifully presented swing-door coaches and it works quite well and looks good.

PROJECT : Class 15CA No.2056 Front Bogie :

Apart from the red primer coat, the area around the bogie-less front end of the Class 15CA No.2056 ‘Dorothy’ looks like a scrap yard with parts lying spread out over an area bigger than the fire grate.  They’ve actually been spread out for painting and coated in primer to prevent rusting after all the grease and crud has been cleaned off.

As projected, we checked the main bogie leaf springs and found something interesting in the very close inspection that ensured.  One spring had one leaf less than the other.  This means the Class 15CA No.2056 ‘Dorothy’ has been running for many years with mismatched springs in the front bogie.  But oddly enough, she tracks great and has plenty of traction.  But now … where to get another spring to match?  (At the time of writing, we have sourced a replacement, but that’s quite a story on its own and you’ll have to hold your steam for the next edition.)

The two compensation springs are still to be checked against relevant paper work to see if they haven’t gone soft over the years.  However, we don’t anticipate too much of a hassle with these if they turn out to have old-age spread, as they can be re-tempered by a workshop that deals with the springs of rubber tired vehicles. 

Project : GMAM Garratt Stoker Motor Rebuild :

The stoker motor belonging to ‘Lyndie Lou’, the GMAM Garratt No.4079 is making some progress.  Michael Thiel and James Thomson worked on custom fabricating new cast-iron rings for the valve spindles.  There are eight valve rings on the two spindles and only one single ring was found to be fitted when we dismantled the valve gear.  It is little wonder that the poor Stoker would only run with the booster valve fully open! 

It is amazing that the Stoker Motor (Donkey Engine – USA) was assembled and run in that state in the first place.  The GMAM Garratt cannot be adequately fired by hand on the road by a driver and fireman combination.  The grate area is actually smaller than that of a 25NC – but the coal bunker is set far back from the cab and there is no scuff plate.  The engine would need a third man as a coal pusher to get the bunker coal within reach of the fireman – a tedious and messy job.  Mechanical Stokers are often spoken of as luxury items – but the engines to which they are fitted usually cannot be adequately fired by an average grade fireman under main line conditions and the GMAM Garratt not at all.  There’s just no way the single fireman could keep up.

James Thomson machined 8 solid valve rings up in the Lathe-Cave and brought them to Michael Thiel two at a time.  I was busy communing with a coal shovel at the time so I didn’t get pictures of James working his m machinist magic.  Each ring had to have a slot carefully cut at the optimal angle to create a serpentine path for the steam.  The leaders and the edges had to be carefully but minimalistically chamfered.  The slots were custom fit for the head of the bore.  (Pic S03)  They have to open enough to allow the ring to be fiddled over the spool – but must close up when the ring is snug within the valve chamber bore.  And expansion has to be allowed for too.  It was quite odd to see such delicate work being performed on a model train sized vice – but such is the variety of Steam in Action related work. 

As you can see from Pic S01 above, the main power transmitting components of the stoker are back in place, pistons, rods, big ends, crankshaft and its roller bearings.  A full set of home made gaskets have been made.  The only components still to be fitted are the valve spindles and their eccentrics and glands.  You can see in the photo that the flywheel has been reinstalled.  Incidentally, these are made as double ended crankshaft engines with a square drive available at either end.

PROJECT : Brass n’ Copper, Spit n’ Polish :

More like emery granules and acetonic distillate.  Although I can’t necessarily rule out the spit….

After the last week end spent with sand paper, Oom Attie has no fingerprints!  (Pic V01 below)  Our Class 25(NC) No.3472 ‘Elize’ has been getting little dull and grotty while in and out of service over the last few months, and it was time to get the grand old locomotive smartened up a bit.  We are busy getting Class 15F No.3052 ‘Avril’ looking even more presentable.  So while the cleaning routine is on, ‘Elize’ got the locomotive equivalent of a pedicure and skin buffing during the week.  The brass work is glowing and I was even able to take decent photographs in the dimmer lighting of the clerestoried top-shed.  (Pic V02 below)  Check out that shine! 

B-L-I-N-N-N-G ! 

It’s a tedious job, especially with the convoluted pipe work, flanges, brackets and fittings – but like many tasks that steam locomotives require, it’s a labour of love.  And if two elderly coffin dodgers happen to be sanding an engine’s pipes standing side-by-side on their ladders, it can be quite a sociable task … sand a bit ... natter a bit … sand a bit … natter a bit.

The boiler jacket and cab sides are to be cleaned soon with a high pressure spray.  We would have normally cleaned the boiler and cab sides first before attending to the fiddly stuff – but the high pressure spray is currently being repaired.  So the natural order of the work has been reversed.

A common measure to reduce incidental maintenance on Steam Locomotives is to paint the brass and copper fittings and piping.  Dirty paint can just be rinsed or hosed off, whereas dull brass and copper has to be polished to bring up the shine.  But that’s cheating!  There’s nothing much like the beauty and character of characteristic copper and brass fittings against a gleaming boiler shell, especially in conditions of low angled morning or evening light!  And the originally glossy paint is unlikely to last long on those hot surfaces – quickly going dull and tending to flake.  Actually, flaking or dulled paint on brass and copper has a maintenance disadvantage, for apart from looking scruffy, it can also hide and disguise small cracks and fractures. 

The custom of painting the reverser control and position indicator rods, as well as the regulator pull rod, originated more to highlight them as moving parts rather than for aesthetic purposes.  In other words, don’t use these parts as steps, hangars and ladders, and mind that you don’t get your fingers nipped should the controls be operated in the cab while you’re working on the equipment – like asking for the reverser to be shifted to gain spanner clearance at the power cylinders.  Even the traditional white painted smoke box ring serves as a tell tale indicator for a warped or badly fitting smoke box door, the resultant black streaks showing where the leak is.  A leaking smoke box door diminishes the vacuum in the smoke box, and thus reduces the draft available to the fire.

Class 15F No.3052 ‘Avril’ was running with a pair of Mexican chilli grinders hanging cheerfully on either side of the cab undercarriage … aka bright red painted injectors.  (Pic V04 below)  So amongst the manual sanding work performed by Attie de Necker (Pic V01 above), Sakkie Kekana was put the job of applying paint stripper to those chilli grinders.  He resisted the temptation to use a wire brush or a wire wheel, rather letting the chemicals do their work.  (Pic V05)  Besides, a wire wheel would tend to cut into the material, and would spread some pretty vicious chemicals around.

By the way, that fingerprint comment applies to Steam Preservation in general … it can be hard abrasive work.  Some of the Reefsteamers wonder why I wear gauntlet gloves when shoveling the dusty-diamonds and at work in a live steam cab.  And they laugh at me in a good natured way – wisely wary of the coal scoop that I might wield in ‘humorous’ retaliation.  Partially, it’s cuz I’m a bit clumsy and am trying not to get an early collection of the characteristic steam engine man’s burn-scars on the arms – radial light pink tiger stripes.  (You should see Sakkie Kekana’s and Andre van Dyk’s scar collection!)  But it was also initially to preserve my fingerprints.  My home security is accessed by a biometrics system – a fingerprint scanner to be exact.  I’ve been locked out several times after a day with the Steamers, when the worn or damaged finger prints no longer register on the scanner.  It’s gotten to the point that I had to apply for a special manual access code to get in should the finger prints be unreadable. 

Just one the subtle ways that steam engines change your life!  You just gotta love them!

Pictures from around the shed :

- Lee Gates -

Primarily driven by three entities, Steam in Action aims to
stabilize and further develop steam and rail tourism in South Africa .

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Sandstone Heritage Trust :

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Elize@reefsteamers.co.za

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Email :

trainman@friendsoftherail.co.za

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