25NC 'Amazing Coincidence'
Posted: 05 Nov 2012, 21:28
Photos by Dave Rodgers
Dave wrote:Following on from the amazing coincidence, after 34 years when enlarging a slide for scanning, finding Englishman Peter Odell was the fireman on Class 25NC No. 3517 on my first photo of a train on the De Aar - Kimberley line in South Africa on Sunday 25th June 1978, I have been in considerable discussion with Pete about his other turns during our visit.
Apart from a few hours spent on the line on the following morning we didn't return to the line until Thursday 6th July. We arrived at Orange River, mid-point on the De Aar - Kimberley line, at dawn and the first train photographed shortly after sunrise was Class 25NC 4-8-4 No. 3431 'Lindy Lou' which is seen blasting away from the water stop, next stop Kimberley with the 'Rhodesia Mails' bound for Bulawayo (05.50 De Aar - Kimberley). The Driver was Louwtjie Erasmus and No. 3431 was his regular engine. And guess who the fireman is..Peter Odell!
At this time De Aar shed was turning out around 35 Class 25NC's each day for both passenger and freight service on this mainline (Beaconsfield shed, Kimberley supplied around another 5 locos).