Randfontein

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

Rusting........

[Dylan Knott]

Which locos is this and when?

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

Taken last weekend. This used to be the loco (I think) that SANRAM used to run. Was taken there.

I will post some other photos shortly, and you will be able to see this loco better - I do not know my steam locos at all!

[Gabor Kovacs]

Hi Folks!

By the looks of this loco, and where it is parked at SANRASM, it's one of the 14R's that was donated by Grootvlei GM (Gold Mine), near Springs. Have no idea what her number might be!

Looking further at the picture I assume she might be a candidate donor of her regulator header for the other 14R, No 1909, which is currently out of commission due to a cracked regulator header!

It's a pity that SANRASM has decided to use this locomotive for spares, when there are 5 other 14R locomotives, that are in far worse conditon located at their North Site, and would be ideal candidates for donating their spares to get 1909 repaired! Shows you what can happen, and no wonder why SANRASM is sliding down the popularity "rail".

A very disappointed
Gabor!

[Dylan Knott]

How many locos does SANRASM have and how many sites are there?

Also what happened to 14CRB 1771 and 15BR 1990?

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

Gabor - I have looked, and I have no other photos as local. It had no identification numbers or marks on it.

Dylan - I am not an expert, but I think there are three sites. There is a site where I took this photo (which is where they run steam trains on the first Sunday of each month), a site nearby (which may be the North site - is it?). There is also a site at Chamdor which I think also belongs to SANRASM.

How many locos? Wacks! If I remember there are 30 odd at Chamdor alone......
Gabor - you can answer all the above maybe better?????

Here is a picture of the Kitson. It is not in very good nick as far as I could see, which is a pity.

[Gabor Kovacs]

Afternoon Gents!

Responding to both Kevin and Dylan's statements and questions;

1. SANRASM has offically two sites, the first, which is their operatonal site which is base adjacent to the ex REGM Millsite Reduction Works (REGM is an ex JCI Gold Mine now operated by Harmony Group). This site in the mid 90's was divided permanently into two when the new deviation of the Magaliesburg Main Line ploughed it's way through, due to the surface mining of the area by REGM. I still today wonder why this particular route was chosen, when there were was so many alternative ways to deviate the Magaliesburg Main line, ie closer to the Krugersdorp Game Reserve or a new live from Robinson station!

The "North Site" is where the original setup of SANRASM started, and many a very successful Open Day was held here. Nathan would surly agree to this statement of mine.
This division by the Magaliesburg main line, forced SANRASM to upgrade, develope and move most of their operation equipment to the southern side, thus "South Site" of the Magaliesburg deviation, where there was no provsion made for housing locomotives properly and no inspection pit was built!
The North Site, now is mainly a static display area, and unfortunately does contain a few very interesting locomotives and rolling stock in a very sad and an inappropriate "musuem conditions"!

See this link; http://maps.google.com/maps/mm?ie=UTF8& ... 05343&z=18

If one looks at the above URL map picture, then one can clearly see the two site, ie; the "North Site" and the South Site, with the Magaliesburg Main Line clearly dividing the two "sites" from the south-east to north-west!

The second offical site is at of course at Chamdor, SANRASM's "never to be finished Museum site"!

See link; http://maps.google.com/maps/mm?ie=UTF8& ... 05343&z=18

Dare I say that I once served on the EXCO of SANRASM. At the time, if I can recall correctly SANRASM had ±150 locomotives on their asset register, most being located either at one of the above venues, but many locomotives where still "stored" off site at mines, SAR steam sheds or depots and ect!
Many were industrial type tanks locos and so forth, but SANRASM did manage to collect a good respresentive collection of SAR locos, a few direct from SAR and SATS days, but many a SAR Classed locomotives were secured ex industrial.
SANRASM at one stage also had a good fleet of rolling stock, many passenger coaches and goods vehicles included!
Unfortunately as time has past their once formidable asset register, now looks like scrap metal merchants tender document for cutting purposes!
John Batwell or even John Middleton can give us a list as an indication as to what they had at their "height" and what they have now!
With regards to Class 14CRB 1771 still loco is still at Millsite and unfortunately has been very badly stripped, very unlikely that this will ever be a runner again, unless . . . . . . . ? ? ? ? ? ?!
To my knowledge 15BR 1990 is a THF loco, and is stored in the "fenced off" area at the TFR's Millsite Loco Depot. This loco is also heavily stripped and with THF beginning it's trip into the annuals of the history books, I wonder what will happen with this loco, maybe cut up like all the other locomotives at places like Kimberely, Warranton and Bloemfontein!

Gabor

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

Gabor - thanks!

Chamdor - Looking at Google there are less then 30 engines - yet when I was last there (a long time ago) there seemed to be lots and lots! Deceptive when you are on the ground!

I can remember a few years back when Millsite was full of steam locos - stacks around the coal elevator, standing on the line alongside the sheds and then behind wire at the workshops. Last time I went all these seemed to have disappeared.

[John Ashworth]

Gabor, I really appreciate your knowledge of all this - thanks for sharing, and I hope this forum will be a venue for much more sharing of such information, which could so easily get lost. Thanks also for the Google map links - fascinating!

[Gabor Kovacs]

With my recent visits to the Millsite area of Krugersdorp, I managed to make very brief visits to SANRASM's sites.

With regards to my intial reply to Dylan N's question as to which loco, I replyed as follows;

By the looks of this loco, and where it is parked at SANRASM, it's one of the 14R's that was donated by Grootvlei GM (Gold Mine), near Springs. Have no idea what her number might be! . . . . . . .

I would like to correct my statement and confirm that in fact this locomotive is SANRASM's 14R 1909, in a very sad state of dis-repair, and overall condition!
Strangely enough still has most of it's jewellery on, but for how long???

[Derek Walker]

Is this your errant class 14CRB 1771 that I photographed at Millsite in March 2009?

class14CRB-1771.jpg (89.29 KiB) Viewed 6252 times

[Nathan Berelowitz]

1771 looks like its already loaded on the container wagon!