Sightings.

Hi all.

Got orange 34 xxx heading North through Brandfort with the pick-up from Theunissen. At Welgelee the signals were green to the South but no train while we waited, left before she arrived. The Lennings Rail train is standing "camped out" in Bothaville station. We have heard that the Vierfontein to Viljoenskroon line is getting re-laid with new sleepers.

At Leeudoringstad the South signals were green. Soon a long train of CR ore hoppers came in onto the loop behind blue E 10 005 "Newcastle", SAR maroon 10 E, blue E 10 040 & blue E 10 039. As this train was slowly passing on the loop the Northbound signals turned green. A short while later the Tourist Trans Karoo sped past behind SAR maroon E 1559, blue steam car and Shosholoza Meyl coaches. The train looked full for a change. Not to long after this, near Daalder we got orange E 1204 Cape Western & orange E xxxx on a short Northbound load of DZ's. Again not to long after this near Eersteling we got another Northbound load of CR hoppers this time behind blue E 10 022, SAR maroon E 10 xxx, blue E 10 xxx & TFR E 10 101. Then near Makwassie yet another Northbound train, this time tarpaulin covered CALJ & BALJ wagons, behind orange E 10 021 & maroon E 10 006. At Bloemhof we had caught up again with our first train the ore behind E 10 005. She was waiting for orange E 126x to enter the silos for some shunting. Soon she continued South. Then TFR E 18 505 & blue E 18 191 NATCOR IMEX with a Southbound load of containers headed past. All the crews gave friendly greetings.

Got orange 34 031 at Hennenman on the way to Whites with a load of timber for Friedesheim. RRL and Sheltam as well as Harmony surface Rail were seen.

At Bothaville we got blue 34 093 shunting at the petrol siding. Just South of Makwassie orange E 1735 Northern Transvaal headed Northwards, light loco, after completing the shunting at silos along the way. All the way from Leeudoringstad the signals stayed red, no trains, that was until Kingswood was reached, three trains in less than twenty minutes passed us here. The Northbound signals were green. Soon orange E 1369 Orange Free State & orange E xxxx came past on a load of containers. Next the signals were green again Northwards but this time for the loop, so something was crossing this train heading South. A load of Lime behind SAR maroon E 10 102 & TFR E 10 101 came past with squealing brakes and a skidded wheel somewhere. We noticed that the TFR unit was fitted with wire mesh on the side windows to protect the crew against "UFO's". Then blue E 10 012 & SAR maroon E 10 xxx sped past on a load of 106 CR ore hoppers. Just before Grasslands we got the Northbound Trans Karoo Tourist behind orange E 1329 & purple E 18 xxx. There was an extra grey car carrier wagon on this train, also she was running about two hours late. Near Bloemhof we got a Northbound load of ore hoppers behind 4x 18 E's, leading was E 18 263. Just North of Makwassie SAR maroon E 1524 headed Northwards light loco. This unit looked absolutely smart, still with numberplates and quite shiny, and this twenty years after Spoornet came into being. The crews on this line are some of the friendliest we have come across.

J & J are crazy about maps. So while following the rails on a map we noticed "point of interest" near Kingswood station. On another map it showed "War graves". Previously we could not find anything. While waiting for the trains we made a quick RECCE of the area. The best vantage point was the old overgrown goods platform. Between the long grass, weeds and khakiebosse, tombstones could just be seen. On closer investigation we found a fenced off, completely overgrown and forgotten little graveyard. This "War cemetery" had graves dated 1914, from the rebellion against the Union's First World War efforts. Also several children's graves were noticed under the khakiebos. These dated from 1933/34. These young lives were lost as a result of the great depression. Standing there in the silent veld, one could not help but feel the heart-ache of this family. All those years ago, on this site, a farmer and his wife, said goodbye to most of their small children, this after having lost everything on their farm and the farm too. On a bleak and cold, windswept, Western Transvaal winter's day a goods train passed by, the driver knowing the family personally, pulled on the whistle cord and both he and the fireman, took off their caps, bowed their heads and just drifted past in silence, The guard did the same as his van slowly clicked past the cemetery... In a short while this family too would be on a train heading North, gone from their beloved farm...

Orange 34 031 was again shunting at the Mondi timber sidings at Friedesheim. Blue 34 093 was caught at Virginia, having just brought the empties from Glen Harmony, she also did some shunting at the ballast siding. At Wesselsbron a Road / Rail Isuzu truck came through the station, checking the points at the triangle. Near Theunissen a Northbound ore train was noticed behind 2x orange 6E's. Standing light loco, in Theunissen station, was orange E 1402 OFS, waiting to couple up to the Northbound car train. We got this train at Theron with E 1402 leading blue E 1357 & orange E xxxx, going at quite a lick. Between Welgelee and Virginia we caught a short Southbound train of petrol tankers and Lime, behind Spoornet maroon E 1307 & orange E 1633. Also got Sheltam's 31 class exchanging a load of ore hoppers with Harmony surface rail. RRL was noticed, as usual. All the crews greeted us.

Read that Mozambique is to build a new deep water harbour, south of the present one. Will this be near Matola?

Greetings.
J & J.