Hi all.
We've been round & about again so here goes.
Yesterday we had a trip from Welkom via Friedesheim (plenty of wood trucks), here we noticed that the entire goods shed roof has been stolen. How nobody can see such a huge structure disappearing is astonishing !! On to Odendaalsrus, Allanridge, Schuttesdraai (only the damaged mielie trucks are still standing here) and Bothaville. All along the way there is plenty of maize traffic but no trains noticed. Then we headed back via Skoonspruit, here we noticed that the Van Schoor hut has been broken into and the roof and window frames have vanished. From there we went passed Losdorings, Wesselsbron, Tierfontein, Willemsrus (found the little black Sen-wes diesel shunter giving the mielie trucks a run for their money here), Protespan and Bultfontein. Again plenty of mielie trucks at the silos but no movement.
Next stop was Brandfort, green signals to the South but we missed the train. Back via Theunissen and Virginia, no trains, only RRL in the Welkom area.
Today we headed to Alleman, the first station from Brandfort going South. The station and three nameboards still stand (2x steel & 1x fibreglass). On the South-end name board can clearly be seen that the station was once named Allemans, the "s" missing. The cabin in still locked up and the panel, telephones and a railway chair still remain intact inside. The Ticket office side is also boarded up but entry was once gained and it is destroyed on the inside, even the steel safe's door is missing ! All the signals have white crosses on them. Some line and points and catenary have been removed along the very overgrown goods platform. The old sandstone platform can still be seen underneath, where the new concrete has been destroyed. On the glass in the cabin is a faded notice: "Stasie gesluit vir verkeer, kontak Bloemfontein..." The re-lay room has also been destroyed and set alight, oddly the CO2 fire extinguisher still works ! On the platform is painted two faded "Flying Springbucks" (Vlermuise). While we were surveying the station area E 1510 & E 1506 "Natal" still with numberplates and in SAR maroon headed through light towards Bloemfontein, only carrying half a marker. The driver looked amazed to see people at the station and immediately reduced speed.
Then we headed back to Brandfort where we found Transnet busy in the station area. From here we headed to Winburg. It is quite funny to go through a town with a railway station and not stop to see what is going on, but as you all know the line is closed and everything is destroyed. On towards Virginia with a quick detour to Glen Harmony which is destroyed and only has a name left. Some track missing but the line looks a bit shiny. From here we went via Whites to Hennenman, plenty of mielies in the station but again no movement.
We then decided to head back towards Welkom via the service roads all along the branchline. At Whites west we found the guys re-laying electric cables to the re-lay room. The old signal cabin still stands but is vandalised, the Southern leg of the triangle to Bloemfontein was lifted a couple of years ago and now the underside of the bridge is being carried away here. Next we moved along the shiny track towards Mooiveld, here only a very rusted name remains and a broken into re-lay room. The destroyed colour light signals and catenary masts just a reminder of the once busy yard feeding the siding to the closely situated Zomerveld dynamite factory. This line was opened in the eighties and hardly survived into the nineties before being lifted. A piece of track still remains on the level crossing.
Between Mooiveld and Kaalvlei we got blue 34 037 and orange 34 058 heading to Kroonstad with a load of mielies. The diver being one of our buddies, gave us a hoot and friendly wave.
Of Kaalvlei absolutely nothing is left. Only the double catenary masts tell of the loops that once were. It in now in the middle of a huge squatter camp. Even the old catenary masts are disappearing. The optic fibre now running underground.
Next we passed the old diesel Depot at Mothusi. If we did not know what once was here we would not have known where to look. Everything is gone and the site together with that of the old uplifted Mothusi shunting yard, looks like a mining site with the trenches being dug to recover any remaining copper cables or metals. On approach of the official vehicle we were amazed to see people literally "popping" out of the ground and "running for the hills".
Mothusi station is destroyed, the platform very overgrown, the footbridge disappearing and all the offices have been removed some years ago.
Welkom station has a new Transnet Freight Rail name attached in front of the old ticket office. At least this station still stands, with RRL, security and a private courier service occupying the buildings.
Sighting greetings.
John & Jacque
No comments:
Post a Comment