Re: Unsafe Acts on the Narrow Gauge
| January 14, 2019 08:29PM |
John West's post mentioning the 2-foot gauge line in "Cry the Beloved Country" brings back memories of a different and quite unexpected hazard that existed during Apartheid. I'll toss in a few photos to set the scene.
My brother Juergen and I rented a car in Durban on a one-way basis with return planned in Port Elisabeth. First we drove to Umzinto and covered the 2-foot gauge line to Donnybrook and the branch to Madonela, the setting for "Cry the Beloved Country". The first photo is of the "mainline" to Donnybrook.
We then continued south to Port Shepstone where we had an outstanding cab ride with driver R. Deacon on the Harding line. Here is Mr. Deacon in his NGG-16 running along the Indian Ocean.
On the long climb into the coastal mountains the fireman spent most of his time with a can of Brasso and a rag polishing all the brass fittings, while Mr . Deacon vented his frustration on how hard it was to find firemen, which surprising revelation ultimately led my brother to two years of firing 19-D 4-8-2s and GMAM garrats between Vryburg and Mafeking (another story). The photo shows a load of pulpwood headed to Port Shepstone.
The next plan was to drive through the Transkei homeland to East London to chase the scenic Grahamstown - Port Alfred branch. Luckily we met a british railfan at the Izingolweni border post who told us of another group who had recently made this trip. The SA border official had stamped their passports with an exit stamps. When they got to the other end of the Transkei they found the post unmanned and continued on. A few days later, at the Johannesburg airport, they were refused permission to leave South Africa, as their passports showed they had already left South Africa. Ultimately they had to go back to East London, drive through the unmanned border post and get stamped back into South Africa at Izingolweni. On this information we drove back to Durban, returned the rental car and flew to East London, saving us from an impossible situation 10 days later.
My brother Juergen and I rented a car in Durban on a one-way basis with return planned in Port Elisabeth. First we drove to Umzinto and covered the 2-foot gauge line to Donnybrook and the branch to Madonela, the setting for "Cry the Beloved Country". The first photo is of the "mainline" to Donnybrook.
We then continued south to Port Shepstone where we had an outstanding cab ride with driver R. Deacon on the Harding line. Here is Mr. Deacon in his NGG-16 running along the Indian Ocean.
On the long climb into the coastal mountains the fireman spent most of his time with a can of Brasso and a rag polishing all the brass fittings, while Mr . Deacon vented his frustration on how hard it was to find firemen, which surprising revelation ultimately led my brother to two years of firing 19-D 4-8-2s and GMAM garrats between Vryburg and Mafeking (another story). The photo shows a load of pulpwood headed to Port Shepstone.
The next plan was to drive through the Transkei homeland to East London to chase the scenic Grahamstown - Port Alfred branch. Luckily we met a british railfan at the Izingolweni border post who told us of another group who had recently made this trip. The SA border official had stamped their passports with an exit stamps. When they got to the other end of the Transkei they found the post unmanned and continued on. A few days later, at the Johannesburg airport, they were refused permission to leave South Africa, as their passports showed they had already left South Africa. Ultimately they had to go back to East London, drive through the unmanned border post and get stamped back into South Africa at Izingolweni. On this information we drove back to Durban, returned the rental car and flew to East London, saving us from an impossible situation 10 days later.
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488 stops for water at Los Pinos tank on closing day Oct. 1979. Photo courtesy Don Richter
The NGDF was started by Don Richter and is currently operated in his memory by Nathan Holmes and others. Others who have contributed to the upkeep of this board are (in no particular order): Charles McCandless, Everett Lueck, Ted Wilton, Cole Adams, James Bane, John Moellmer, Jon Bentz, Linn Moedinger, lloyd lehrer, Rod Jensen, John Craft, Steven Forney, Herb Kelsey, Bill Ramaley, Russ Sperry (El Russo Loco), Josh McNeal, John West, Jim Armstrong, Bob Bergstrom, Greg Scholl, Blake Forbes Doug van Veelen and Mark Fuller.