Freight Schedules

[marlonvanderlinde]

Good day everyone
As this is my first post, Im saying and thanks for having me :)

I would like to ask a question, which i cannot seem to get information on, neither these forums or google had answers. Perhaps I am searching for the wrong keywords.

What I do on weekends, is to try and sit next to lines and wait for trains to pass, and photograph them. I usually do this far from civilization since I don't feel like bveing robbed/mugged and all the others things we enjoy so much here in S.Africa.

I live in in durbanville, so I usually just take a chance and go out to the wellington swartland area, as there are some nice crossings where I can park and wait. Problem is, I mostly miss the trains, or by the time I see them, Im on the wrong road and they dissapear in the hills.

What I would LOVE is to know which lines runs where, and WHEN freight trains run on these lines. It's not too much to ask, just when and where, but it seems the answers are few and far between.

If anyone could tell me where and when I could sit and wait-in, for freighties, anywhere around the western cape, I would be overjoyed :D

Many thanks, and regards
Marlon

[John Ashworth]

Marlon, welcome to the forum. I'm sure there is someone here who can answer your query.

[fanie kleynhans]

Hi Marlon, on the Bellville - Worcester main line there is normally a freight leaving Bellville at about 15:00 every day but not to sure over weekends though. Tuesday afternoon I was at Muldersvlei when it went past at 15:30, so my guess is from about 16:00 it should be going past Wellington. I have also seen freights leaving Bellville at about 12:00 but not to sure how regular those are.

Here is one just north of Wellington I shot earlier in the year:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 52&nseq=19

Then there is also all the different passengers train, Shosholoza Meyl, Rovos, Premier Classe and Metro Boland Blitz. Unfortunately I dont know times for freights coming into Bellville.

On the line going to the west coast leaving the main at Kraaifontein is regular traffic also. From my house in Brackenfell I can clearly hear the diesels going past, especially now in winter when the north wester is blowing but not sure about times on this line.

[Dylan Knott]

I have the freight timetables for the Bellville - Caledon line. Presently there are 4 freights a day and twice a week its increased to 6 freights when the Bredasdorp line is cleared.
How long this will continue is anyone's guess as rumours persist that this line will soon be concessioned!

[Stefan Andrzejewski]

How do you think that will affect traffic on that line Dylan

[Dylan Knott]

Easy, there won't be any traffic on the line. No private operator has 12 x 35's or 8 x 33's to run the trains. It will all go over to road and we then share 88 more trucks per day on the N2!

[Dylan Knott]

Contact Eersterivier Cabin 021 940 2154 and they will inform you of freight times on the Stell and Caledon lines.

[marlonvanderlinde]

Ok, excellent, many thanks!
It's a bit painful to hear that lines might be mothballed.
I suppose this is reason one for my photography, capturing things before they are killed and silenced...
I wish is wasn't that way.
But thanks for those tips, funny that freight runs from Bellville, one would think that it would be from the ports.

Anyway, Ill see what I can do to catch them. I found a railway map, and I assume the bellville line you are referring to is the same one running out next to the faure station sharing with the metro rails...

Thanks again.

PS: oh Fanie, I can hear them at night from Durbanville too at times, in the distance, Id LOVE to catch those diesels (during the day) somewhere... it's a damn mission and one I have been failing at for ages.

[marlonvanderlinde]

Hi everyone
Thought' I would check in again. Its been a hard two weeks, using the schedules from a kind user on fotr and the maps I could find.
So far, no diesels, Ive seen many trains, but no diesels. Had outgoing freight trains, incoming business metro's and what not's on the wellington-Gouda'ish line, but no diesels, and it appears none on weekends, only week days. I think I am going to give up in getting photodocumentary on our trains, as it is just impossible.

An email to Spoornet, raised (probably understandable) security concerns for them, and they did not want to give me the schedules/maps.

Let me know if you get into any new information, especially for weekends, and super-especially for diesels.

Its hard being a friend of the rail if the rail(read trains) does not want to be my friend :D

Kind regards
Marlon

[fanie kleynhans]

Hi Marlon, since it seems you can only railfan over weekends it will always be a bit more difficult to find trains. Something else that you can try is follow the Malmesbury Metro train on a Saturday afternoon. That train is hauled by a 35 diesel, I dont have the times on me now but you can get it of the metrorail website.

If you want to hear some nice diesel sound go visit the Worcester - Voorbaai line one day, nothing beats the sound of the class 33's on that line, only problem is they run only Monday to Friday.

[Stefan Andrzejewski]

Fanie if memory service me correct. The Malmersbury leave CT around 2.15pm from Kalbaskraal through to Malmesbury the old road runs next to the line. Perfect for shooting.

[marlonvanderlinde]

Fanie/Stefan!
Thanks, that is actually very useful info.
I will have to be "sick" one day, and just pop through on a weekday.
Thanks for info.

[Stefan Andrzejewski]

Marlon for passenger trains a Tuesday is normally a good day. You have departing the Premier Classe and Shos Meyl and arriving Blue Train and 2X Shos Meyl as well the normal freight and Metro to Worcester.

[marlonvanderlinde]

Thanks.
I will be able to do this today, and see what I can do.
Just one very last question. When you say Worcestor/Voorbaai line, where does that oen run, I only know if the line passing through brackenfell and one past klipheuwel behind the north end of durbanville.

Ill find the shosholoza and blue trian schedules now and be ready for them
Regards
Marlon

[fanie kleynhans]

Stefan I think the Malmesbury metro departs CT a bit earlier, just had a look on the metrorail website but dont seem to find times for Saturday, just Mon - Fri. Some time ago I saw it going through Brackenfell at 14:30.

Marlon the Worcester - Voorbaai line leaves the CPT - JHB main line just after the Worcester yard, then goes through all the little towns on the way to Voorbaai: Robertson, Ashton, Bonnievale, Swellendam, Heidelberg, Riversdal, Albertinia and finally Voorbaai.