Two interesting photos Kevin. The inside view of the cab could be most any SA engine, as they were all pretty well kept, except for pool engines during regular service. One could always tell the engines that had regular drivers(er engineers), and pool engines. Also a few engine such as ones used on the regular passenger trains might have been better kept, but most likely they too had regular crews, thus had the boiler bands and everything else spotless.
Note the ledge above the firebox door and the coffee pot. I don't think there was an engine in SA that didn't have this ledge over the firebox, and something warming on it. I remember peeking inside a rather clean 19D at Grahamstown and saw a porcelin tea or coffee pot warming some liquids.
As for the 15CA shot, I had never seen one with chrome or silver cylinder sides. That had to be a prestige engine, as there were not many in active service in 1987. Another key to that is the regular original type headlight. After about 1980 they were all dual seal-beam style, not the old regular style like in the picture. The old headlights that were original gave the SA engines an even more American appearance.
Also not on the shot, the number plate on the side of the cab. I can't read it, but there is a curved portion above the oval plate, that has been added. Its probably named after someone, and thats the name there. It was common practice to do this even when in regular service on some of the special engines. The 858(4-6-2) that I mentioned in one post was the Alan Watson, named for the shed foreman in De Aar I believe.
Also many of our readers may not know it, but many of the S. African engine got names, and had them displayed under the headlights. There were several 4-8-4's on the De Aar-Kimblerly line like this. I don't remember exactly, but there was one named Zelda, which was named for the daughter of a Doctor. Oddly enough, my mother was taken ill in South Africa in the 70's, and her Doctor was this guy who said he used to be in De Aar(this was in Port Elizabeth). Thats how we found out the story of the Zelda 4-8-4.
Of course the Bush clan knows "Molly" being the 4-8-4 in our videos that was 3436. Dont know if this engine is still around or if it got scrapped. There must be a listing of these engines somewhere. I do know that the 3405 that I rode the cab of in 1984 is now in England of all places. Too bad the gauges are not the same!
Greg
PS...Have your dad email me backchannel....I have that contact and email for him.
