Sandstone has acquired another 3’6’ gauge coach that has Royal connections. It is an ex CSAR Dining Car, last numbered 57 in South African Railway’s ownership.

The April edition of Old Glory Magazine has given Sandstone a great spread on our recent “harvesting with steam” event in January as well as some good publicity for our upcoming  Easter Cosmos Festival from April 2^nd to April 5^th. CLICK HERE  - Enjoy the read.

This well-known sabre-rattling newspaper has produced a wonderful article on travelling called “Karroo travelling season” which includes a wonderful piece on Sandstone for your holiday travels! Enjoy the article,
CLICK HERE TO READ ARTICLE

O&K 11112 is a favourite with our younger visitors on Seb’s Heart of Africa Railway. Picture by Sandstone.

We tend to think that 1925 was not that long ago but it is now 100 years ago and two of our steam locomotives have just celebrated their 100^th birthday!

On the 2ft gauge system we have O&K 0-4-0WT number 11112, which was rescued from Fazenda Tentativa Sugar in Angola where it was their number 5. It last saw service in Angola in 1969 and was returned to working order by Lukas Nel and his team at Bloemfontein in 2016.

Marc-Henri Andre, from Switzerland, has been a frequent visitor to Sandstone over the years, particularly to our Stars of Sandstone events. As well as being an accomplished photographer, he is also a talented artist and has produced many sketches of Sandstone scenes and our locomotives. He also produced a number of bespoke calendars for us.

Sandstone’s acquisition of the two Royal Train coaches of 1947 came to the attention of one of our readers, Dr Brian Austin, who is a member of the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers.

We recently received two articles from Stewart Currie at  the RSSA Reef Branch, both from Allan Jorgensen, published many years ago in South African Transport magazine.  “7 Light Rails”, from September 1978, has a piece on the Lawley locomotives of Buzi Sugar, Mozambique, two of which survived in the Peter Rampton collection in the UK.

We recently discovered two coaches from the 1947 Royal Train  of South Africa near Ladybrand.

Railway Historian, John Middleton, is well known to South African railway enthusiasts for his numerous books on South African Railways main line  and Industrial locomotives over the last 30 years or so. His latest book, Industrial Locomotives of South Africa (Volume 1) has been published. This covers the three Cape provinces, Free State (including a Sandstone entry), Kwa-Zulu Natal and North West provinces. It is available as a hardback book (B5 size) has 496 pages, almost 300 photographs (158 in colour) and 40 maps. Volume 2 which should be ready in 2024 (its already in draft form) will cover the rest of the former Transvaal plus Swaziland and Lesotho.The book is a magnificent work of reference and has obviously been part of the author’s life for some time.

The cosmetic restoration has begun of NGG16A 141, which donated it’s power bogies to NGG16A 155 in 2021 so that 155 could be finally restored to working order.  Our pictures show the engine units and part of the wheelsets after cleaning and painting.

Three locomotives, originally from Sandstone’s Bloemfontein facility, are now under cover. From left to right, 11 Class 929, 19D 2654 and 24 Class 3688.

All the locomotives and rolling stock moved from Bloemfontein and Germiston are now in a covered facility at Sandstone.

The Sandstone Railway stock list has been a feature of the website for many years. For 2021 we are adding a photo gallery of all our locomotives in 5 parts.

Part 1 Narrow gauge steam (ex SAR)

Part 2 Cape Gauge Steam (ex SAR)

Part 3 Cape Gauge Industrial

Part 4 Narrow Gauge Industrial

Part 5 Diesel locomotives

We hope you enjoy them!

Sadly the Cherry Festival will not be held in Ficksburg in 2020 due to the Covid 19 pandemic but a number of local establishments will be open over the weekend of Thursday 19^th November to Sunday 22nd November together with Sandstone who will be holding a steam festival over the four days. Sandstone has been closed since the pandemic began but will re-open  for visitors from November 1^st 2020.

From the 19^th November until 21st November Sandstone will be offering train rides together with walking tours of the Sandstone Heritage collection.

Entrance is R200 for adults and R125 for children under 12.
Trains will run from 11h00 on Thursday 19^th and Friday 20th^th and from 10h00 on Saturday 21^st and Sunday 22^nd.

Please note that strict Covid 19 protocols will be followed and no one will be admitted if not wearing a mask. A screened temperature over 37 degrees will also result in non-admittance together with other members of the party.

Click here to Read more

Watermota

Sandstone Heritage Trust has a varied collection of stationary engines but one gem that is currently under repair is a Watermota K2 6hp twin cylinder 2 stroke inboard marine engine. These engines were produced by Watermota Ltd of Newton Abbot, UK from 1910 to 1955. Their long production run was testament to their durability and reliability. Also produced was the K1 3 hp single cylinder version. Both were used in small launches. The design was noted for its ability to feather the propshaft blades for forward, reverse or neutral obviating the need for some form of gearbox.

Watermota are also well known for their range of Ford Anglia based marine engines produced in the fifties and sixties.

Today the Watermota K1 and K2 types are highly prized as display engines around the world while some are still in service as light craft. The Sandstone example is having new brackets made for the ‘gear’ lever mounting, together with some seals and a new cam for the water pump.

The Watermota K2 marine engine. Starting was by a crank handle on the top chain pulley.

Today Watermota is still very much in business supplying marine engines – particularly Hyundai Seasall as well as other brands, accessories and parts.

Update on 14R 1745 - Impending scrapping put on hold

Sandstone is pleased to announce that the impending scrapping of Class 14R locomotive No. 1745 has been put on hold for the present. An Australian enthusiast and owner of an ex SAR locomotive in South Africa has expressed a desire to purchase some parts from 1745. In the interest of preservation Sandstone has agreed to delay any action with 1745 until the enthusiast has visited South Africa later in June 2015 and assessed the viability of a number of parts on 1745 for his use.