From the
sar-L (a South African Railways Yahoo group, for those who have never heard of it):
Pierre wrote:I see that Friends of the Rail have started restoring their 15CA. This is
wonderful news as this locomotive, more than any other epitomizes steam
power in the Capital.
Perhaps Les can tell us just when these beautiful locos were first allocated
to Capital Park shed and when they were withdrawn - a sad day indeed.
Perhaps too Les, how many were allocated to Capital Park and also to Witbank
shed, as these locos would have worked through to Pretoria.
They were to be seen on the line north to Pietersburg, east to Witbank and
west, to Thabazimbi and they made Pretoria throb to their sound. Although
the city itself lies in a valley there are in fact heavy climbs out of this
bowl and even once in the bowl there is for instance a taxing climb from
Hercules station where the eastern line branches and the line northwards
continues, up to Pretoria station itself. From here, the alternative line
eastwards through Hatfield climbs slightly then levels out and then drops
through the vleiland and the poort through to Koedoespoort. From
approximately Eerste Fabrieke the climb past Mamelodi begins and continues
on to the once beautiful and unspoilt Panpoort. Mamelodi which stopped about
10 kms away back in the 60's now extends into this picturesque area and it's
once rural, unspoilt charm is now a thing of the past.
It was in this poort that the 15CA's were in their element. The time to have
been there was at sunrise. A train came crashing through about every 20/30
minutes making a hell of a racket. There was the poort itself which created
an echo as well as a line of bluegums from Pienaarspoort to Panpoort about 2
kms further on. Colourful semaphores, fowls clucking and even the odd turkey
or two belonging to the railwaymen whose houses were at both stations and
occupied. I often wondered why two stations were so close together but I
suppose it was for passengers to make use of the trains although there were
just plots and farms nearby.
As good trains passed through giving us a good dose of coal smoke, we waited
for one train and that was the very special LM Mail. Down at the signal
cabin at Panpoort with the little spruit running just beyond and the russet
cliffs of the poort catching the early morning sun we waited and the van
Schoor bells rang and the signal clanged and then we knew it was only a
minute or two and she would be there. Looking towards the climb to Van der
Merwe siding we could sometimes make out a wisp of smoke but more often than
not there wouldn't be much as the locos would be drifting, their fires hot.
So we had to be alert. It was a faraway whistle for the level crossing that
we first heard then a faint rumble and then movement against the sharp light
of the rising sun. The moment is still sharply etched on my mind. The green
bushveld acacias against the rocks the towering semaphores, glinting wires
and rails, a cockerel crowing and someone shouting from the houses nearby
and the hum of the train drawing closer.
Then the silver smokebox of the leading CA leaned into the curve just before
the tiny bridge and behind it followed another and as they hit the bridge
they opened up for the climb ahead, rocking over the points past the
signals, past us with a sound to make your hair stand on end, their hot
breath slamming by and 16 coaches of such variety stirring up the dust and
papers. And then all that power and presence shrank up the hill and their
exhausts faded leaving us shaken. The hens carried on cackling and their
cockerel crowed once more. We could now hear the bushveld birds too and as
we moved away the tinkling bells from the signal cabin. Another train on the
way behind another 15CA.
Pierre.
Our very own Trainman wrote:How wonderful it would be if there was an expression of interest in
assisting with the restoration of this magnificent locomotive. The highly
esteamed 2850. Last one out shopped from Koedoespoort works and one of two
still serviceable 15CA locomotives in clubs hands.
Yes, some twenty small tubes are needed and a lot of the usual work, but she
is in good shape and in fact, there is even some of our own CA funding
available from an account we opened for her years ago. To this account we
have been depositing the kind donations from the foreign steam fans and the
once regular tour operators to this country like Dave Rogers.
Many thanks for the head start. Now, if we can get the local lads to give
the small change that we all seem to have, in these recessionary times, into
this account, I am sure we will make leaps and bounds in getting Pretoria to
wake up to the the harsh bark of a CA in full cry as she storms past the
informal settlements blanketing the hills of Panpoort. Perhaps the ghosts
of Station Foreman past will once more witness this spectacle as the
forgotten ring of a Van Schoor instrument and the jingle of signal wires
heralds 2850's arrival.
This last weekend, whilst firing the 19D on a Cullinan train, I had a good
look at Panpoort, and observed the changes of progress. There is now a big
game fence running on the southern side, past where the old railway houses
once stood. Two steel rails planted in the ground remain to show the gate to
someone's yard. A few traces of concrete foundation remain to show where the
old station building was. On the North side there are now huge power lines
to spoil the koppie shot. Slowly but surely the informal settlements are
getting nearer. The sand road is boomed off and it is not so easy to get
close to the track after that. Heavy Lorries carting sand make huge dust
trails on dry summer days, obliterating the black smoke from the locomotive.
However, the echoes of the exhaust still ring off the hills and they will
forever capture that sound even through the march of time.
Save the Steam, Save a CA.
Give now, whilst you are still employed!!
Save and saveatrainman!
Trevor wrote:Trainman,
It will be good to see 2850 on the rails again! It was sad that the last
working bee we had on 2850 was to remove as many parts as possible before
the metal thieves did...
I just dug out a couple of pics of 2850 in her last months of service before
retirement:
http://pics.steamfreak.com/thumbnails.php?album=194
Cheers,
Trevor.
Stewart wrote:Reefsteamers has 15CA 2056 but it is out of use at the moment needing flue
tubes (lots of bucks)
But one day we must hope that 2850 & 2056 double head out of Pretoria. Like
the old days
Stewart
