This weeks action

Hi all.

Caught the normal RRL, Sheltam and Harmony workings all week.

Got an orange 34 class heading down to the showgrounds exchange yards. Glen Harmony station had timber trucks.

Harrismith was visited, Altitude 3519 FT, 241 Miles from Durban. The signal cabin still stands, as does the station. Local businesses are using some of the old station offices. Old water tanks still stand. Several disused, rusting and empty loops bake in the sun... This station has no Shosholoza Meyl palisade, although the Economy Orange does stop here.

Rivierdraai's cabin still stands but badly vandalized with no roof and no floor, 245 Miles from Durban. The line to Industriqua "branches" off here. Judging from the state the line is in there are no more trains that way. Catenary has been removed as has rails. A very overgrown goods platform still exists. Several of the catenary masts on the main line have been knocked / bent by a train and have been left as is.

Passed by Glen Lennie, just a concrete name left.

Paid a quick visit to Bethlehem, no trains. Rails have been uplifted in the station/yard area. A blue 35 and an orange 34 were standing at the loco. A long load of petrol tankers and an orange 36 class in the goods yard area.

Meets had a couple of mielie trucks at the silos.
The spoorbaan were busy at both ends of the tunnel between Meets and Valsriver,

Near Valsriver and Kaallaagte we found old embankments and sandstone bridge abutments of the old alignment. Kaallaagte also has had its goods yard lifted. Here we got orange E 1252 & orange E 1708 NATCOR ONE. They were waiting to proceed to Bethlehem with a short train of AY hoppers. The grass on the platform is so high it almost hides the train.

At Hennenman orange 34 499 came through en-route to Kroonstad with a load of mielies and AY hoppers.

We got orange E 1401 OVS & orange E xxxx, heading North at Leeudoringstad, on a long load of DZ's, mielies and containers Next, just after Grasslands, orange E 144x was standing at a green signal with a short load of FZ's, the pick-up. The adjacent line's signal was showing yellow. Soon the green turned to yellow in front of the pick-up and the yellow turned green. Then 4x blue 18E's came past with a Northbound load of ore. Leading was E 18 350, greetings from the crew. Still the pick-up stayed put. Again the Northbound signal turned green. This time 3x TFR 18E's came past on a load of orange tarpaulined CALJ trucks. Leading was E 18 609. The tarpaulins had Lime Acres stencilled on them. A few weeks ago the Weigh bridge - Test truck was noticed at Leeudoringstad silos. It is now standing at Makwassie.

Greetings.
J & J.