Re: Sandstone Heritage Trust closing their 2 foot gauge line

Hi Greg,

If you have any of your South Africa maps handy, Sandstone estates is located at Valima siding. You can see Sekonyela rock, just to the west, from the western end of the Sandstone railway.

Sandstone did indeed try to buy or get an agreement to operate the Bloemfontein to Bethlehem line, but was unable to get anywhere with the current South African bureaucracy. Sandstone themselves were a major shipper, but the railroad decided they didn't want any freight, so the line is currently abandoned, although the rails are still in place.

From all reports, the South African railroad bureaucracy is impossible to deal with. British tour operators have given up on trying to run any steam tours in the country. Even the local steam groups have problems, such as finding that ties have been stolen from the line. A steam trip on the Cullinen line resulted in an engine tipping over when it rounded a curve and found 100 yards of missing ties ahead.

It's too bad, South Africa is an amazingly beautiful country that until recently had hundreds of preserved (and operable) steam locos and plenty of lightly used branch lines where they could operate, but most of that is gone now.

Michael Allen