The TERMINATOR (?) on the narrow gauge

Contrary to appearances, my parents were not actually in danger of being terminated by a robot from the future. They were traveling from Vryburg to Mafeking, South Africa, and my brother, who was hand firing the 19D 4-8-2 at the head end, climbed down from the engine while the train was stopped for a meet and took the opportunity for a quick visit in their passenger accomodation. South Africa tended to export their high quality coal, and to give what was left over to the railroad. They must have had a particularly marginal load of coal on this trip. and his appearance was not likely to improve in the next 60 or so miles to Mafeking. There was still some hard slogging ahead on the roller coaster profile of this rail line to the Botswana border.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/11/2020 10:30PM by Olaf Rasmussen.