Boer War 1899 Train

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

During the Boer War a nmber of Armoured Trains were used - but information about the particular trains is in many cases still somewhat scarce.

This particular armoured train had an interesting way of armouring the engine!

The armoured train operated in 1899 was made up as follows (from front to back):-

A gondola in front, armed with a 7-pounder muzzle-loading gun (crewed by men of HMS Tartar)
An armoured gondola with loopholes
The engine (Hairy Mary) - "armoured" with 12,000 feet of 6 inch rope courtesy of the crew of HMS Terrible. The engine was modified in 1888 in Durban at the railway workshops there.
Two armoured wagons with loopholes
An unmodified gondola used to carry railway line repair equipment.

The train was manned by 120 men of the Dublin Fusiliers and the Durban Light Infantry.

In November this train was operated in late 1899 from Frere northwards to Colensoa and was ambushed and partially derailed at Blaawkrantz River. This train was famous as Winston Churchill was a passenger - he helped get part of the train moving but was then captured and imprisoned in Pretoria. He later managed to escape Lourenço Marques.