Our public trains depart from our own private Hermanstad Station. Very safe and secure, we provide free on-site parking.
Please be aware that FOTR only takes bookings directly on this Website, by phone on 012-767-7913 or 082-098-6186, or through Computicket (on-line at Computicket.com or at Computicket's offices and Checkers/Hyperama Money Market counters).
Except under special circumstances, no other person or company has been officially appointed to sell or resell FOTR tickets or train triips. If you have any doubt please check with FOTR Marketing as to whether any third party selling tickets or trips has been authorised to do so.
FOTR cannot be held responsible for any unauthorised tickets or trips fraudulently sold and any such tickets purchased will not be valid for travel on FOTR trains. In addition, any monies paid for such unauthorised or fraudulant tickets will not be refunded by either FOTR or Computicket.
You've boarded one of our 60-year-old railway coaches at our private Hermanstad Station and settled into your seat, knowing that your car is safe and being looked after by our staff. One of our vintage steam locomotives has chuffed-up and coupled onto the train. The guard has waved his flag, the loco whistle has blown and we're off!
You sit back and completely relax as the city slips effortlessly by, accompanied by the smells and sounds of the steam loco up-front. The coach wheels beneath rap gently over the rail joints -- clack-clack, clack-clack. You cannot help but enjoy train travel in the relaxed way it used to be. You sip hot coffee or cool refreshments from the on-board kiosk and answer your children's many excited questions. You do not have to keep your eyes on the road. You point out the many familiar sights: the Union Buildings, Loftus stadium, UNISA, Gautrain, the 1910 Pretoria station building, etc, all from a different angle. Before you know it, we are back at Hermanstad station and you didn't even have to drive. That wasn't simply train-travel that you've just experienced, that was time-travel as well! Indeed, with us you really do travel back in time. And... you do not have to dream it!
On this website you will find details of various FOTR steam train excursions to Cullinan and our "Tshwane Xplorer" shorter trips around our beautiful capital city. Our trips are very popular. They fill up fast. Book now for a great day out that you, your children and your friends will remember for a long time to come. Come along with us and in so doing, help us to preserve South Africa's unique railway heritage.
We are proud to be Tshwane-Pretoria and the nation's premier steam heritage railway club. We have been looking after our capital city's heritage steam locos and running steam train excursions for 25 years and hope to continue well past another 25. Your support is vital and appreciated. As a non-profit recreational club run by volunteers, we rely almost entirely on the surplus revenue generated by our train trips to play our part in keeping the South Africa's proud and unique railway heritage alive and to continue to provide a "living musuem" for all our people to experience and enjoy now and into the future. We are preserving South Africa's railway heritage not just for our generation, but also for our children's generation and for their future children too!
"Mampoer Fees" Express to Willem Prionsloo Agricultural Museum near Rayton
(Saturday1st June 2013)
Our annual steam train to the "Mampoer Fees" at Willem Prinsloo Acricultural Museum near Rayton where they distill their own special brand of mampoer, and "brand" it is!. Transport will be provided between Rayton station and the museum grounds.
Don't like mampoer? No problem. The train will continue on to Cullinan carrying those passenegers who do not wish to partake of the mampoer!
"Autum Day" Diamond Express to Rayton and Cullinan
(Sunday 2nd June 2013)
It may be cool in the mornngs, but the highveld autumn days are fabulously sunny and warm. So you, your family and friends should spend it relaxing in the quaint village of Cullinan after a lazy steam train ride out into the country!
We leave our private Hermanstad station at 08:30 and get to Cullinan in time for you to wander around the village and take lunch at one of the cafes and restaurants or just bring a picnic and braai in the park. We depart Cullinan at about 15:00 for a similar relaxed journey back home.
"Fathers' Day" Diamond Express to Rayton and Cullinan
(Sunday 16t5h June 2013)
We regret that this train is now fully booked! We do still have some places on our trains to:
*- Rayton (for the Willem Prinsloo Museum's "Mampooer Fees" - also continuing to Cullinan).
*- Cullinan on Saturday June 1st and ton Sunday June 2nd.
Please click the "Book Now" button to reserve your places on either of those (or any other futrure train).
Children and Mummy, this is your big chance to impress dad! Take him out on our vintage steam train ride to Cullinan. Transport him back into his boyhood memories! Back to the days when wanting to be a train driver was cool, the days at school when travelling by steam train with your school chums was the only way!
We leave our private Hermanstad station at 08:30 and get to Cullinan in time for you to wander around the village and take lunch at one of the cafes and restaurants or just bring a picnic and braai in the park. We depart Cullinan at about 15:00 for a similar relaxed journey back home.
Did you know that you or your company can charter your own private steam train? Rent-a-train from FOTR for your staff incentive, product launch, birthday, wedding or just because you can!
As part of our educational brief, we welcome visits by groups of school children of all ages. We will show them how trains were and can even arrange train rides.
Before departure, browse our railway station shop. We have railway books, magazines (new and old) and other railway artifacts on sale. Tea, coffee, cold drinks and "lekkers" also on sale.