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To Part 3
To Part 4
After visiting the Transport Museum we continued without any train sightings after we came to the Johannesburg to Cape Town mainline near De Doorns in the Hex River Valley on 11 January. Apparently the Shosholoza Meyl to Johannesburg (departure Worcester 13:30) was running rather late, but the Rovos Rail "Pride of Africa" from Pretoria to Cape Town came within half an hour.
18E 18670 (series 2, ex 6E1 series 5 No. E1570, UCW 1975) and 18711 (series 2, ex 6E1 series 5 No. E1610, UCW 1976)
Lounge car with observation platform at the rear of the train
In Worcester we could see no trace of the Shosholoza Meyl, but a westbound freight train with 3 18Es, but there was no way to get near enough to take photos. Instead, we found a road towards the depot, from which we could see a couple of locos.
Old baggage car
Class 33-400 No. 33-501 (General Electric U20C 36629/1969)
A steam loco stood there as well: Class 25NC No. 3407 "Pauline" (North British Locomotive Co. Ltd. 27293/1953)
After 3 Swiss-build prototypes of the class 14E, the 10 "series" 14E1 locos were built in South Africa. Here are 14110 and 14108 both UCW 1994).
Class 14E1 No. 14110
Class 14E1 No. 14108 - these dual-voltage locos used to haul the "Blue Train" for some years to save the changes in Beaufort West and Kimberley, but have since reassigned to freight services only.
Class 35-400 No. 35-411 (General Electric U15C 40530/1976) waiting at the depot
After a night in Stellenbosch we took quite a detour to Cape Town via Franschhoek, Sir Lowry's Pass and the Cape Peninsula. First I wanted to take a look at the Winetram in Franschhoek - this strange diesel-powered car is part of a winery tour and only has 3 stops, from where the visitrs are taken to the wineries by bus.
Winetram in Franschhoek
Winetram at the stop "Rickety Bridge"
Winetram at the stop "Rickety Bridge"
To go to the old lighthouse at Cape Point one can use the funicular named "The Flying Dutchman".
Cape Point funicular
View down from the top
Car no. 1 comes up to meet us at the siding
After 2 nights in Cape Town the biggest adventure (at least railway-wise) was on the agenda: a trip to Johannesburg with the Shosholoza Meyl. Scheduled trip time is 26 hours, the distance about 1000 miles. All that in a 2-berth sleeper coupé was 720 ZAR (about 55 EUR) - quite a bargain if you compare it to the "Blue Train", where you pay 15200 ZAR (~ 1100 EUR) for the trip to Pretoria which is only slightly longer!
You can also take your car on the Shosholoza Meyl - loading on the platform in Cape Town
4-berth compartment. We checked the list and were assigned compartmend "B" in coach 8, and started to feel quite happy about the "upgrade" until it became clear that it was a typo and should have read "8D" instead of "8B". But this 2-berth coupé was comfortable as well, and even more spacious than those in the "City Night Line" from Berlin to Paris. And the best thing: you can actually open the windows!
After entering or compartment, we still had some tome until departure, so I went up to the front to take photos. Next to our train, 6E1 series 5 No. E1605 (UCW 1975) and a sister were waiting for their next job
Our loco was 6E1 series 7 No. E1818 (UCW 1978)
When they noticed me taking photos, the drier and his assistant invited me to the cab - and even offered me a cab ride! I had to decline though because my girlfriend was waiting in the compartment and would have gone mad when I wouldn't have shown up before departure ;-)
Manufacturer plate at the front door
Second loco was 6E1 series 5 No. E1592 (UCW 1974) in the old gulf red and whiskers livery
A bit hidden behind all the pillars: a Japan-built 8M set used on the line to Khayelitsha
Standard around Cape Town are the 10M3 trainsets
Some 5M2A sets are still in use as well
Another 10M3
And yet another next to the container storage in Maitland
Bye-bye Cape Town! Our train consisted of 21 coaches: generator coach, 9 sitters, dining car, kitchen car, 6 sleepers, luggage car, and 2 car transporters
Sign in 7 of the 11 official languages
A 5M2A set in Bellville
Tulbaghkloof
Our train is winding its way through an amazing landscape
Freight train headed by 6E1 series 7 No. E1813 (UCW 1978), E1813 (also series 7, UCW 1978) and E1597 (series 5, UCE 1875) in Worcester, waiting under the bridge
Worcester: 18E series 1 No. 18522 (2009 from 6E1 series 7 No. E1773, UCW 1977), 18E series 2 No. 18691 (2012 from 6E1 series 6 No. E1733, UCW 1977) and 18E series 2 No. 18682 (2012 from 6E1 series 3 No. E1323, UCW 1973)
Entering the Hex River Valley
Hex River Valley
Towards the end of the valley
Another freight train, with 14108 and 14107, in Matjiesfontein
Coming into Laingsburg
Entering the Great Karoo
Our locos
18E series 1 No. 18163 (2005 from 6E1 series 6 No. E1742, UCW 1977) and 18E series 2 No. 18706 (2012 from 6E1 series 3 No. E1331, UCW 1973)
Near Beaufort West
In Beaufort West we will continue in the next and final part.
