PART 13 The Natal Main Line – from north of Ladysmith to Charlestown on the Transvaal border - including the branch to Utrecht from Newcastle compiled by Les Pivnic and Bruno Martin. ©

Please note: All photographs, maps and text in Soul of a Railway are protected by copyright and may not be copied or reproduced in any way for further use without prior permission in writing from the compilers of this series, Les Pivnic, Charlie Lewis and Bruno Martin.

Between Newcastle and Charlestown the NML surmounts the continental divide at Laingsnek. This significant barrier was known as the Ingogo Heights (see Bruno's profile above).

The original alignment involved two reversing stations at Boscobello and Inkwelo. They survived (amazingly!) as late as 1938 when a deviation was opened thereby eliminating the tedious process of employing reversing stations on a main line. Apart from the Ingogo reverses, additional temporary reversing stations were used during the construction of Laing’s Nek tunnel. These fell away when the tunnel was opened in 1891.

There have been several other deviations opened since 1891 (see map), the most recent being the spectacular realignment between Newcastle and Vooruitsig as described by Bruno below.

There are two lines branching off the NML in this section, by far the more important being Glencoe to Vryheid which I will be covering in a separate chapter and the line from Newcastle to the collieries at Utrecht which is included in this chapter. Please note: The important Locomotive Depot at Glencoe will feature in the chapter dealing with the line from Glencoe to Vryheid.

I wish to thank the following who contributed to this chapter either photographically and/or with historical text and advice. In this regard especially, my special thanks to Bruno Martin for joining me in compiling this chapter and providing the accurate historical background which follows the list of contributors. They are:

Bruno Martin, Peter Stow, Eugene Armer, Greg Hart, Dick Manton, Yolanda Meyer, John Middleton, Peter Micenko, Glen Mills, Charles Parry, the Late Roger Perry, Ashley Peter, and last but decidedly not least, the SAR Departmental photographers whose images now form part of the Transnet Heritage Library (THL)

Thanks as usual are also due to Andrew Deacon for formatting the chapter and Charlie Lewis for posting it.

Bruno, co-author of "The Natal Main Line Story" with Heinie Heydenrych, has prepared extensive notes for inclusion in all the SoAR NML chapters including this one:

THE NATAL MAIN LINE

Constructed between 1876 and 1891, the 304-mile long Natal Main Line stretching from Durban to Charlestown near the Natal/Transvaal border displayed the characteristics of a mountain railway with 190 miles adopting a ruling gradient of 1 in 30 while 214 miles were graded between 1 in 50 and 1 in 70. After an initial level start, an altitude of 3 054 ft above sea level is reached 58 miles from Durban; the line then falls 1 000 ft in the following 13 miles; 12 miles further on it has gained 1 500 ft and 47 miles beyond, following a steep ascent to the summit of the Mooi River Heights 5 152 ft is reached near milepost 133 from Durban. At Ladysmith Station, 190 miles from Durban, the altitude is 3 284 ft. The summit of the Biggarsberg is crossed at 231 miles from Durban on 4 300 ft and the ascent of the Drakensberg takes the line to its highest elevation of 5 400 ft at Laing’s Nek. Not only was the track alignment beset by severe grades but abounded with tortuous 300 to 400 ft radius curves as it followed a lengthy and unduly roundabout route. On some sections, the almost continuous succession of curves amounted to 360 degrees per mile. A train would literally turn a full circle for every mile it progressed – at great expense to motive power, wheel flanges and rails. Over the past 140 years, the Natal Main Line has undergone a remarkable transformation through several stages of reconstruction and renewal which has inspired some impressive works of civil engineering.

LADYSMITH TO CHARLESTOWN

The extension from Ladysmith to Charlestown had an easier track profile than the earlier construction from Durban to Ladysmith, both in curvature and gradients, and was laid with heavier rails from the outset. Although the disadvantage of combining the steepest inclines with the sharpest curves had been recognised at the time of the building of the first sections of the Natal Main Line, it was not until the extensions from Ladysmith to Charlestown and from Ladysmith to Harrismith were built that compensation for curvature [1] was introduced by District Engineer A H Birkenshaw.

The ruling grade for the extension from Ladysmith to Charlestown was set at 1 in 70 compensated for curves of 400 ft minimum radius with the exception of the ascent of the Biggarsberg which was graded at 1 in 50 compensated for curvature. For the ascent of the Drakensberg, Assistant Engineer Fawcus, who was working on the OFS branch at the time, was called upon to devise a route to overcome a rise of 1334 ft over a distance of 16¾ miles between Ingogo and Laing’s Nek siding. The adoption of reverses between Ingogo and Majuba, at 288¼-miles (Reversing station No.1 - Boscobello) and at 290 miles (Reversing station No.2 - Inkwelo) offered the best solution to the problem of gaining height and culminating with a 2 213 ft long tunnel graded at 1 in 70 under the crest of Laing’s Nek.

Built between 1887 and 1891 the opening dates of each section were recorded as follows: Ladysmith – Elandslaagte, 15¾-miles on 30 June 1888; Elandslaagte – Wesselsnek, 8⅛ miles on 17 October 1888; Wesselsnek – Biggarsberg (later renamed Glencoe Junction), 17½-miles on 12 September 1889; Biggarsberg – Newcastle, 36½ miles on 15 May 1890; Newcastle – Charlestown, 32½ miles on 7 April 1891.

MODERNISATION AND EXPANSION

For more than 40 years the original alignment from Ladysmith to Volksrust remained unaltered with only bridge structures being replaced and heavier rails laid to meet the increased weight of the motive power and wagon stock. Electric traction was introduced on the Ladysmith – Glencoe section on 27 July 1927 as part of the Natal Main Line electrification project.

ELIMINATION OF THE REVERSES ON THE INGOGO HEIGHTS

It seems quite extraordinary that the reverses on the Ingogo Heights remained in operation for almost 5 decades before a bypass was built on what was after all the main trunk railway linking the port at Durban with Johannesburg. During the depression years of the 1930s track realignments were undertaken on the northern end of the Natal Main Line as an unemployment relief measure [2]. Improvements to the track alignment between Uithoek and Volksrust involved building 22 deviations amounting to 30 miles of new line over a track distance of 82 miles. The most significant re-alignment comprised 14 miles of new line embodying three tunnels totalling 3 700 ft in length between Ingogo and Laing’s Nek to bypass the reverses on the Ingogo Heights. Two villages, Arbeitslus at Ingogo and Werkgenot at Mount Prospect, complete with schools, health services and recreation facilities were established to accommodate the large workforce and their families needed at the construction sites. A restricted electric service commenced on 3 October 1937 with the class GL Garratts und Class U (‘U-Boats’) locomotives assisting on the unfinished section between Ingogo and Laing's Nek Tunnel. The daily fast mail train from Durban to Johannesburg, No.192, conveying 1st and 2nd class passengers, was worked from Durban to Volksrust by electric traction for the first time on 10 December 1937. The maximum load conveyed was 12 bogies, 485 tons. It was not until 14 August 1938 that the relocated alignment was completed and brought into service. Electric traction now extended over the entire length of the Natal Main Line, a distance of 327 miles, making it the longest continuous stretch of electrified railway in the British Empire at the time.

In 1958 work on double-tracking the line between Glencoe and Newcastle involved no major reconstruction other than widening the formation, duplicating bridge spans and remodelling stations. This double line section was taken into use during June 1962. On the Ladysmith – Glencoe section the only stretch of double track lay between Glencoe and Uithoek which was completed in 1939. Track duplication between Danskraal and Uithoek started towards the end of 1962 and was opened to traffic in October 1964. Several improvements were made to the alignment, the most notable deviations being at Pepworth and Elandslaagte.

The most recent piece of new construction is the 37 km long stretch of double line between Newcastle and Vooruitsig against the backdrop of the Drakensberg. Work on this project started in 1973⁷ and was carried out in three stages: the first stage entailed building a deviation to skirt the urban area of Newcastle and providing a new station for the town; the second stage entailed building a cut-off line from Clavis (near Charlestown) to Vooruitsig, bypassing Volksrust, and the third stage, the ascent of the Drakensberg. The new route represents the third alignment change of this part of the Natal Main Line and abounds with the most dramatic quantities of mountain railway engineering. In order to produce a ruling gradient of 1 in 66 with 800-metre minimum radius curves, the track formation was carved through difficult terrain which entailed excavating some 5,5 million cubic metres of material in the unstable strata composed of shale and dolorite with a high boulder content. Three twin bores, with a total combined length of 7 200 metres were driven through geological formations with coal deposits which resulted in the Inspector of Mines imposing ‘fiery mines’ tunnelling conditions. In addition, six major bridges of the hollow box-girder type design were built to span the river valleys. The bridge across the Harte River consists of eleven 45-metre long box girder spans towering 77 metres above the valley floor. This new railway line was opened to traffic in November 1984. With the opening of the new alignment, the historic Langsnek⁸ Tunnel was abandoned. [3]

Completed in November 1984, the reconstructed Natal Main Line between Durban and Vooruitsig on a maximum grade of 1-in-50 embodies no fewer than 106 tunnels (104 single bores and two double track) totalling 39 850 metres (24¾ miles). According to a SATS media release in 1985, the bi-directionally signalled line from Durban to Johannesburg [5] had a capacity to carry 130 000 tonnes daily. At the time there were 10 express freight trains, four container trains and 30 general freight trains occupying the Natal Main Line every day and carrying annually in the order of 32½ million tonnes of freight. In addition, there were 54 passenger trains operating on the Durban – Johannesburg corridor every week which amounted to transporting 1,6 million passengers a year. Motive power in 1985 was class 6E1 electric locomotives with a continuous power rating of 2 252 kW (3 020 hp).

In 2013, the long-distance passenger service had dwindled to 4 trains a week in each direction, a weekly daylight service and a once a month Premiere Classe service. The latest Shosholoso Meyl passenger service timetable (2019) shows three trains a week in each direction.

[1] The underlying principle of compensating for curvature is to make the track resistance on the straight and curve equal so that the pull exerted on the engine on a given ruling gradient remains the same. An allowance of 0.04 ft per degree of curvature for reducing grades on curves of less than 2 000 ft radius was adopted.

[2] A Government Scheme, known as the ‘£10 million South African Railway Scheme’ introduced in 1933, had as its objective improving the main line alignments as a measure of providing employment during the years of economic depression.

[3] The metric system was introduced throughout by South African Railways & Harbours on 1 April 1971 hence the use of metric measurements in this paragraph.

[4] The spelling of Laing’s Nek/Laingsnek was changed to Langsnek in 1987.

Laing's Neck or Lang's Nek/Langsnek is a conundrum: the NGR Engineer in Chief's Report for 1894 lists Laing's Nek as a pick-up station and in Campbell's book the spelling is Laing's Nek. The 1911 TT has Lang's Nek, the 1920 and 1940 TTs Langsnek (one word), copies of the pages from WTBs have either Lang's Nek or Langsnek. A 1970s SAR Natal System diagram has Lang's Neck (imperial measurements version) and a later (metricated) edition of the same diagram Laingsnek. The 2006 TFR diagram has Lang's Nek (although it appears to have fallen into disuse sometime after 1950). It's a case of "You pays yer money and takes yer choice!"

An article titled 'Langsnek now official' published in SA Rail, Nov-Dec 1987, page 173 gives some background as to why the name of the pass was misspelt. I have come across another lengthy article about the subject but I haven't had time to locate it. I should change the spelling of the siding on my maps to either Lang's Nek or Langsnek which seems to be the SAR's spelling and Laing's Nek was the spelling used for the road pass until officially changed to Langsnek in 1987. At this late stage, I'll leave it as is. I'll wait and see if any readers query it.

[5] Doubled throughout with the exception of a 12,5km (7¾-mile) stretch between Rietvallei Junction and Rooikop on the outskirts of Johannesburg where there is an alternative route.

1. From time to time in these Natal Main Line chapters we have referred to the Corridor Express both in text and photographs. Courtesy of the Transnet Heritage Library we bring you this wonderful poster illustrating the luxurious appointments of NGR's 1st-class only 'Corridor Express'. Note the exorbitant surcharge of 5/- for a berth that included Sleeping Accommodation. We are indepted to Bruno Martin for compiling a brief description of the train gleaned from E D Campbell's "The Birth and Development of the Natal Government Railways"

THE CORRIDOR DINING EXPRESS

The NGR took the initiative to popularise the journey between the coast and the Rand by introducing a luxury train service between Durban and Johannesburg. Designs were prepared in 1900 for a new type of passenger vehicle to include the ‘latest modern ideas which could be introduced on a railway system such as that operating in Natal’. In 1901 an order was placed in England with Messrs Brown, Marshall & Co. and Messrs Cravens Ltd for two ‘corridor’ train sets and delivery was to begin in June 1902. Each set consisted of 6 vehicles: four passenger carriages, a kitchen car and a luggage van. The new passenger carriages were 60ft 6in long and 8ft 9in wide – a considerable increase from the standard carriage stock that was 36ft long. The all first class passenger carriages contained 7 compartments: 2 were en suite connected with sliding doors for accommodating 2 and 4 passengers in separate compartments (family compartment), respectively; 2 compartments for accommodating 4 passengers each and 1 compartment accommodating 2 passengers. This arrangement of berths offered a superlative standard of comfort for 22 passengers in each carriage at ordinary first class fares. The name ‘corridor’ was applied to the train sets because of the arrangement of the compartments which created a passageway running throughout the entire length of each carriage.

By the end of 1902, one of the Corridor trains sets had arrived in Durban. The ‘Corridor Dining Express’ made its first revenue-earning trip from Durban to Johannesburg on 3 June 1903. In his book, The Birth and Development of the Natal Railways E D Campbell states the train initially consisted of four vehicles, namely a kitchen and buffet car, 2 sleeping cars and a compo-luggage car. Meals were prepared in the kitchen car and served to passengers in their compartments. Only later in 1903, was a top-class restaurant car attached to the consist.

Additional rolling stock for the ‘Corridor Dining Express’ was built in the Durban Railway Workshops during 1904. The 13 vehicles were one first-class sleeping saloon; 5 second-class sleeping saloons; 4 restaurant cars and 3 passenger cars. With the completion of the new rolling stock, the ‘Corridor Dining Express’ service operated daily between Durban and Johannesburg. ‘Conductors, resplendent in their frock-coated uniforms and gold braid’ were appointed to these trains according to E D Campbell in The Birth and Development of the Natal Railways. In February 1906 departure time from Durban was put forward to 5:50 pm and arrival in Johannesburg was 6:06 pm the following day. The return journey departed from Johannesburg at 8:00 pm and was accelerated to arrive in Durban at 7:23 pm instead of 8:50 pm the next evening. In that year the daily Up and Down ‘Corridor Dining Express’ from Durban to Ladysmith was made of six vehicles hauled by a single Hendrie ‘B’ and seven vehicles from Ladysmith to Charlestown hauled by a single Hendrie ‘A’.

2. Our photo-coverage in this chapter starts at Elandslaagte situated 16 miles north of Ladysmith. Note the pronounced overhang of the roof of the station building to allow passengers further protection from the elements – a feature of Natal Government Railways architecture. The precise date is unknown but the buck-eye coupler on the wagon in the siding would indicate sometime post 1930.

3. Moving to the modern era, we are still near Elandslaagte with this shot by Greg Hart – Greg provides the caption: Elandslaagte 4 May 2014, a block load of coal headed for Durban climbing the bank out of Elandslaagte station.

4. A container train climbs up over the crest from Pepworth side and glides down towards Elandslaagte through the cosmos flowers. in late March 2014.

5. The Pride of Africa, operated by the private company "Rovos Rail", on its way to Durban hauled by the 'pride' of the current state railways. We won't add further comment on the state of the locomotives but they are disrespectfully passing the War graves near the site of the battle of Elandslaagte in October 1899. For further information about the brave men who died at this battle we strongly recommend Dr David Biggins' website: https://angloboerwar.com/forum/17-memorials-and-monuments/25884-elandslaagte-cemetery

6. Wallsend c 1966: 12AR 2116 and GL 2354 working a 'Dead Section Order'. These were issued when maintenance work was needed on the catenary thus requiring a power shut-down. Railwaymen's slang for DSO operations was 'hauling'. In pre-diesel days hauling was done by spectacular combinations of motive power, the one depicted generating 136,000lbs+ of tractive effort - or about as much as one 'Big Boy'.

7. Three 1E units arriving at Glencoe in the 1920s. Peter Stow adds: "Note the vehicles above the second unit. It was common practice to use old rolling stock as tool stores or other such accommodation. The vehicle to the right appears to be a CGR arc roof main line coach, possibly in non-revenue service by this time".

8. A rare photo of two class 4E electric units (No 226 leading) double-heading a goods train on the NML. Now for the mystery: I took this photo from train 189 (JHB–DBN) about 65 years ago but I didn’t record when or where it was taken! The original style electrification masts indicate that it was somewhere between Glencoe and Estcourt [general consensus seems to be that it is Glencoe]. Note the Station foreman’s bicycle leaning on the electrification mast. The 4Es spent the very early part of their lives from 1952, working in Natal and a few on the Western Transvaal System because the Cape Western electrification scheme between Bellville and Touwsrivier was delayed by ESCOM being late with their hi-tension feed from the National Grid. From 1953/4 they were gradually transferred to the Cape - the last of them going to the Cape in 1956.

9. An even rarer photo of GH 2320 on shed in Glencoe in January 1955. There were only ever two GHs and their story has been well told by Holland [1] and Paxton [2].

Briefly: they were built by Maffei in 1928 to the general specification of Col Collins, SAR's successor to D A Hendrie as CME. Designed for use on the newly-introduced and accelerated Union Limited and Union Express services between Cape Town and Johannesburg, Collins seems to have been ignorant of the advances made by his predecessors because these fine-looking engines had severely retrograde cylinder design, resulting in high coal and water consumption. After unsuccessful trials on the Cape Main Line they were briefly tried on the reef, whereafter they were sent to Glencoe c 1930 specifically to work over the Ingogo reverses to Volksrust. There was a colliery adjacent to Glencoe shed which suited the GH's heavy appetite - someone in head office had worked out it was cheaper to cart their coal one mile instead of 1000 miles to Cape Town (in pre-MBA days nogal).

When the deviation and electrification of the section to Volksrust were completed in 1938, the GHs, along with the U-boats (see next photo) were diverted to the Vryheid line. The one depicted was the last in service, surviving until October 1956.

[1] "Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways" Vol 2: 1910-1955. Note that Frank Holland expresses his surprise that Maffei didn't step in and convince Collins to allow modern cylinder design, with which they were fully conversant.

[2] "Locomotives of the South African Railways": a concise guide by Leith Paxton and David Bourne

10. The story of class U is very similar to that of the GHs, except of course that they were purely freight engines. Usefully powerful they also had an inordinately high coal consumption due to their outdated cylinder design. Dubbed "U-boats" by footplatemen they were sent to Glencoe to work freight over the mountains to Volksrust. Upon completion of electrification to Volksrust in 1938 some were sent to perform hauling and trip working along the reef but two were retained at Vryheid (later Glencoe) for mine trip working. It should be mentioned that after their withdrawal from NML service their mechanical stokers were removed thereby precluding their use in anything but short-haul service. Our picture shows one in the last year of its life, in January 1955, when it was working its time out on trip working between Victoria and Masons Mill yards at Pietermaritzburg.

11. Starting with this image – the first of eleven, Glen Mills – an Aussie who spent some time in South Africa based at Pietermaritzburg working as a fireman on the SAR stationed at Mason’s Mill Depot, took time off to photograph SAR action which included a visit to Glencoe. Glen provided the captions to his photographs:

"On Saturday 3 November 1973, Train No.1817, the daily ex. Sun. Vryheid to Glencoe passenger, arrived at Glencoe 6 minutes early at 1409. Included in the consist of 10 vehicles were GZ-8 79-011108 carded Vryheid to Durban and GZ-10 72-101377 Vryheid to Berea Road and, probably because it was a Saturday, were never seen again! Armed with a Photography Permit firmly secured in the bottom of a bag, the next three and a half hours were spent wandering around the railway facilities at Glencoe shooting anything of railway interest. Perhaps memory says that the person who signed the Photography Permit and the recipient were the only people ever to read the document! First off are two sets of triple 5E1’s, right to left, E648, E628, E833, E1133, E1100 and E731 in Glencoe yard."

12. "Laying over in Glencoe Yard on 3 November 1973 were 1E units E17 and E8 coupled to a van."

13. "5E1’s E652 and E725 and a north-bound goods ready to depart Glencoe yard on 3 November 1973. Perhaps that is the driver’s assistant striding towards the locomotives and the train would be under way when he entered the cab. The tender of 12AR 1534 can be seen to the left."

14. "The way was clear for 12AR 1536 to do its thing, shunting with passenger cars. The timetable showed that the next two trains due were Train No.189 Mixed Volksrust to Durban daily ex. Sun. to Glencoe, daily to Ladysmith and Fr., Sa. and Su. from there to Durban followed soon after by Train No.188 Passenger Durban to Johannesburg daily."

15. "Shunting finished, 12AR 1534 wanders off to its temporary resting place somewhere in Glencoe yard on 3 November 1973 to await its next assignment."

16. "As the main line seemed to have quietened down and having exhausted all possibilities in the yard, it was time to visit Glencoe Locomotive depot. Seen across the front of the shed on 3 November 1973 were 15F 2984, the tender of 12AR 1530 and 12AR 2116. Behind the 15F is another 15F and 14R 1592. How spotless and clean the shed area looks." [It ought to be mentioned that this was a much smaller facility erected after electrification of the Vryheid line in 1969. It catered for the shunting duties at Glencoe and also maintained the road engines used on the Newcastle-Utrecht branch].

17. "12AR 2116, 12AR 1530 and 15F 2984 as seen from inside the Glencoe locomotive shed on 3 November 1973."

18. "On this Saturday afternoon the day staff must have had the week-end off as we see 14R 1592 masquerading as a 4-0-2. Steam was still being maintained at Glencoe at this time although all lines were electrified. Not a hair, blade of grass, stone etc. out of place." [Until 1969 Glencoe steam was a class I shed* with all relevant steam maintenance personnel. Not all of them would have been transferred away immediately; for several more years there were still shunt locomotives, hauler power and the Newcastle-Utrecht engines to maintain.]

*Note from Les: Glencoe shed will be described in my next chapter which covers the Glencoe-Vryheid line.

19. "1E’s E159, E117 and E121 departing Glencoe on 3 November 1973 on a north-bound goods train."

20. "5E1’s E607, E760 and E747 arriving Glencoe on 3 November 1973 from Vryheid with a coal train. What a different and more magnificent sight this would have been in pre-electrification days with SAR's finest and best such as a GL or a Mallet, etc. doing the honours."

21. "On 3 November 1973, 1E E49 was in the background as 5E1 E629 came in from Volksrust with Train 189 daily to Durban. At Glencoe the consist was reduced to 4 vehicles by the removal of the goods wagon, a versatile vehicle used for LCL on goods or passenger workings as well as for stock. Note that the van has a pair of doors secured in the open position; this practice was seen on quite a few occasions. A note re Train 189 as published on page 18 in the Natal System Private Working Time Book dated 3 December 1973 states: '189 – Volksrust – Ladysmith – Load to consist of Saloons for Ladysmith, perishable bogie trucks for Berea Road, Durban and Pietermaritzburg, also parcels, mails and other bogie trucks of urgent traffic for Pietermaritzburg and Durban. Traffic must be group marshalled to obviate unnecessary shunting. Load between Volksrust and Ladysmith not to exceed 725 tones/88 axles (two electric locomotives). FZ type (grain) trucks when loaded (nett weight not exceeding 18 tons) may be conveyed by 189 between Volksrust and Ladysmith. Traffic connects with 547 (Mon.-Fri.)'."

22. 12AR 1530, yard pilot at Glencoe on 25 October 1976.

23. Roger found another 12AR, No 2104, in the Yard at Glencoe on 25 October 1976.

24. First station north of Glencoe is Hattingspruit. Thanks to Natal Navigation Collieries it had plenty of business in NGR days, a neat station garden and a nameboard in the NGR tradition of white lettering on a black background. Also, because the NGR was English-built and run, before 1910 "Hattingspruit" was spelt the English way - two words. Note the loaded coal wagons: these would have come in via the Navigation Collieries private siding (see Bruno's map). The interesting erection in the left foreground could have been, and probably was, one of the numerous recoaling stages at approximately 40-mile intervals along the entire length of the NML in the pre-Hendrie era - a safe working range for the limited capacity of the tank engines that NGR employed before the great man arrived in 1904. Our resident carriage expert (he was, after all, head of all coaching stock on our railway), Peter Stow, comments:

"The NGR coaches in the foreground are of special interest. They are both 34’ flat-sided vehicles built in NGR’s Durban works in 1891. The nearest one is partially hidden by the wagon so its exact identity cannot be determined but the adjacent one is either one of five 1st and 2nd composite coaches of SAR type D-2 built or one of the five 2nd class coaches of SAR type E-1. The NGR made no distinction in the size of compartments between first and second class in these 2 types so these vehicles did not differ externally. Why they were parked at Hatting Spruit may remain a mystery but it is possible that they were used to strengthen passing passenger trains or more likely provided accommodation on mixed trains. All NGR 34’ main-line coaches were scrapped between August 1926 and January 1928 as they were viewed as obsolete and no longer suitable for main-line use."

25. Travelling by car on the main road between Newcastle and Glencoe in August 1961, I came across two SAR oldtimers in the form of G class tank engine No 215 and class 17 No 1417.

It is interesting to reflect that before the arrival of Hendrie's tender designs in 1904 both types were originally NGR engines employed on the NML; the class 17 was a class A tank with trailing wheels and rear coal bunker removed so that a tender could be attached.

John Middleton has kindly provided the background to their situation at Ballengeich:

"Both of these were at Natal Cambrian Collieries. G 215 originally arrived on loan from SAR sometime during 1960 or 61 (so your sighting narrows it down a bit) but was purchased by Natal Cambrian in January 1962, so was still an SAR loco when you saw it, it lasted until scrapped around August 1972. Class 17 1417 was bought much earlier, in October 1949, and lasted until scrapped in August 1970 (its tender survived and was sold to Enyati Collieries). So, both worked for some years after you saw them. Finally, Natal Cambrian is also recorded (in the Rolling Stock Register) as having bought G class 217 in June 1953 but I never found any further reference (e.g.: in the boiler records) which means it was likely scrapped pre-1960 but might have still been around at the time of your visit. Presumably G 215 was hired because they had no other working loco at the time?"

26. A close-up of class 17 No 1417

27. Class G No 215 – on loan from the SAR at this time in August 1961 – photographed at Ballengeich.

28. One of the awfully sad things that has happened since we started Soul of A Railway is the passing of Don Baker in February 2017. Don would have loved to see his photos of main line haulers in these pages, the particular one depicted showing a northbound hauler on the outskirts of Newcastle c 1977*

29. Restarting northbound out of Alcockspruit in the mid 1970s.* The 12AR+15F combination represents 95000lbs of starting power to hoist the three 5Es and their load into Newcastle.

30. A wonderful going-away shot of one of the most interesting aspects of NML operation in those days.*

* The exact dates and locations of these photos by Don are as related to me by the man himself but subject to Charlie's ever more unreliable memory.

31. From Dick Manton: "This was 15F 3131 on 7th April 1980 which had worked the RSSA Four Provinces Special overnight from Ladysmith seen here between Rooipunt, junction for the Utrecht branch. I seem to remember it was running late at the time and the loco struggled on the climb northwards from Newcastle."

32. Newcastle Station 1908, altered Hendrie 'B' No 322 with the northbound 'Corridor Express' c 1907/8

33. An unidentified class GL Garratt working a “Dead Section Order” with a goods train and dead electric units over a de-energised section of line. Long after their displacement from the Durban-Pietermaritzburg main line the GLs proved particularly adept at hauling electric trains through dead sections, this particular one northbound out of old Newcastle station c 1967.

34. Peter Micenko: "During 1976/77 there was a lot of surveying and geotechnical investigations for the proposed 'Mountain Route' (now fact, see map) which would increase capacity and decrease transit time between Vooruitsig and Newcastle. This involved staying in a caboose in a siding in the vicinity of the Newcastle Loco Depot with geologists, the late W.E.F. (Bill) Belovay and Paolo Biondi and driller Mr J. (Oom Koos) Spangenberg. After work one evening there was just enough light for me to get an evening shot of 4 x 15F's on shed. In the depot were No's 2983, 2984 and, later, Springs prestige 15F number 2985. I gather 3117 was also there at the time and I am glad to report that the latter two locomotives are still with us."

35. Dick Manton writes: "This was taken during a very brief visit to Newcastle shed on 4th July 1978 when there were several 15F's on shed - this one is 2952. This is the only shot I took after we had missed a double headed departure from Utrecht which had left well before sunrise whilst we were still asleep in the VW Combi camper!!"

36. From Roger Griffiths: "We were making our way north through the Natal coalfields, heading for Swaziland. On Monday 25th October 1976 we finished the poorly-lit day at Newcastle shed where a clutch of 15Fs were brewing up. We were told that two were going to Utrecht colliery to pick up a load, so we went there and waited for the 15Fs to arrive, turn, pick up their load and literally explode off on their return journey. The crews wanted us to follow, but the dirt road was bad and we had a timetable to keep to so we had with much regret, to call it a day. A pity, but at least we had a glimpse..." This is Roger’s first shot in the Loco Shed showing 15Fs 2978 and 2950.

THE UTRECHT RAILWAY

At the turn of the 20th century the Utrecht Collieries Company began mining coal seams in the Balalesberg to the north of Utrecht. A rail link to the main line was vital and a tentative agreement* for its construction was entered into in 1906 between the company and the Natal (Colonial) Government. The line was built by the Utrecht Collieries Company’s contractor, Messrs Anderson Bros, for £100 000. From the junction on the main line, 3½ miles south of Newcastle, the length of the line is 24½ miles to Utrecht and further 1½ miles to the terminus at the mine. Lord Methuen, then Governor of Natal, officially opened the line on 25 April 1910.

Mainly flat country is traversed, so that the steepest grade against trains going to Utrecht is 1 in 50, while fully loaded trains towards the junction are faced with a maximum grade of 1 in 100. On long pulls, the gradient is reduced to 1 in 110. The sharpest curve has a minimum radius of 740ft – there are only four of these – 955ft radius being the average. The line crosses two major rivers: the Ingagane is crossed with four 60ft spans and the bridge over the Buffalo River comprises five 60ft spans towering 50ft above the rock formations in the river bed. At the time of the opening of the line Utrecht was served by a fully equipped station about a mile and a half from the business centre of the town.

* In terms of the agreement, the line was to be worked and maintained by the NGR at the expense of the owners for 25 years. This agreement was carried over with the formation of the SAR in 1910. After the original agreement expired on 5 September 1932 a new agreement was signed on 6 December and amended on 10 April 1942. The line was sold to the Welgedacht Exploration Company Ltd on 22 May 1958. In terms of a financial guarantee, dated 27 October 1958, between the SAR Administration and the Welgedacht Exploration Company, the privately-owned railway was operated by the SAR on behalf of the owners, the Company being liable for any loss and entitled to any profit that may result from the working of the line.

With the doubling of the Natal Main Line from 1958 to 1962, it became necessary to remove the junction of the branch line at Rooipunt (Utrecht Junction) and to provide a separate track to a junction at Newcastle Station. This was formally agreed to by the SAR Administration and the owning company and ratified under Act 21 of 1960.

37. After a prolonged track and bridge strengthening program, 15Fs took over from 19As on the Utrecht coal runs in 1970. This pair were heading for the mines soon after sunrise with a mixture of 40 empty Bs and DZs. In the background is the Amcor steelworks at Newcastle.

38. Little more than a year previously the late Dusty Durrant visited the line to photograph 19As at work on coal trains, in this case No 683 being banked out of town by No 687. The modus operandi at that time was to bank trains from Newcastle to Utrecht and run them as combined trains for the loaded return run.

39. First light on 1 June 1978 revealed a heavily overcast sky which did not bode well for a day of photography on the Utrecht branch but it helped to create this side-on silhouette of 15Fs 3037 + 3117 charging through Jakkalspan siding with coal empties for Utrecht.

40. When the first train of the day (previous picture) reached the Buffelsrivier the situation had improved sufficiently to capture the Fs charging the bank away from the river.

41. The daily except Sundays 'Mixed' from Newcastle to Utrecht was in fact a 'goods train with passenger accommodation', advertised in the SAR time-table to leave Newcastle at 08:50. On 1 June 1978 it is seen approaching Jakkalspan, with 15F's 3010 + 3111 by which time the horrible morning weather had completely cleared.

The passenger accommodation is clearly visible and Peter Stow's description of this type of swing-door country vehicle is so apt we take the liberty of repeating it here: "The coach was a unique South African development. Given the racial segregation in the country at the time, this type of vehicle was developed for branch lines offering first and second class accommodation for whites, the same separately for non-whites as well as for passengers travelling third class, each with their own access door, as well as baggage and guards accommodation. It was in essence a complete train in one vehicle. This type V-36-C illustrated in this view was of the latest design of which no less than 73 were built between 1935 and 1952. In the official documents they were called five classes vans but because they had 3 toilets, to the irreverent they were referred to as tri-bog compos."

42. Eugene Armer: "This is a particular favourite of mine, since it depicts very well that characteristic SAR image of hardworking 15F's getting the job done." [Ed: Fully agree Eugene!]

This beautiful action shot epitomises SAR's most numerous class in typical everyday service teaming up to move heavy freight, in this case a block coal train of 2,000 tons. Having worked empties from Newcastle earlier in the morning, 15Fs 3037 + 3117 blast upgrade out of Utrecht, literally taking coals to Newcastle! No 3037 was named 'Jakkalspan', with the SAR winged-style nameplate visible on the smoke deflector. The second locomotive, No 3117, is today painted green and based at Hermanstad in Pretoria, where Wonder Steam Trains recently returned it to operating condition. Eugene provided further info as follows: "I believe that Wonder Steam Trains are taking over the entire operation and are currently waiting for their Operating Permit from the Rail Safety Regulator. This means that no trains have operated this year out of the Hermanstad site in Pretoria, not under the WST banner, nor under the FotR banner."

43. Eugene writes: "This is the nameplate of 3037: 'Jakkalspan'. I remember you wrote an article for the old SAR Magazine about the official naming of steam locomotives. I have no doubt this was not one of the official names! I wonder if this was a set of 'Newcastle' plates that had been reworked to 'Jakkalspan'. Or perhaps simply a set of newly cast plates done in PMB? Anyway, I thought it would be of interest, since Jakkalspan was the siding on the branch where trains would sometimes cross. There was only a passing loop there when I visited."

(Ed: Yes indeed Eugene, after the original set of nameplates were cast in the late 1940s, several nameplates to the same style have appeared over the years – in some cases several copies of the same name!)

44. Dick Manton provided this splendid shot by Allen Jorgensen of a double-headed coal drag departing Utrecht for Newcastle.

45. The two 15Fs 2983 + 3034 “exploding” (as Roger describes it), blasting away from Utrecht with their load to Newcastle.

46. Towards the end of steam on the branch, doubleheader 15Fs 3010 + 3111 were crossing the Buffalo River on 1st June 1978, returning to Newcastle with the daily except Sundays mixed, which on this occasion was mostly loads of coal, plus an assortment of general freight wagons and the previously described tri- compo passenger van at the rear.

47. On a cool winter afternoon, while working the return working of the Daily except Sundays "mixed" from Utrecht to Newcastle, 15Fs 3010 + 3111 paused at Jakkalspan siding with both safety valves lifting simultaneously. On this particular day (1 June 1978) most of the train consisted of loads of coal, with some general freight wagons and a composite van bringing up the rear. The photographer's trusty 1976 VW Beetle "Bashmobile" can be seen parked in the veld.

48. A block load of coal arriving at Newcastle off the Utrecht branch on Republic Day, 31 May 1978 (a public holiday at that time). The train is running alongside the electrified double track Natal Main Line, drifting downgrade towards the yard. The concrete sleepers lying along the right of way were a sign of the impending dieselisation of the branch. 15Fs 3111 + 2952 were working the train, with the yellow-shirted fireman of 2952 hanging out of the cab perhaps in conversation with his colleagues up front in 3111.

49. An NGR train hauled by a Kitson 4-6-0T descending from Mount Prospect to the reversing station at Inkwelo soon after the opening of the line in 1891. (see diagram, No 47 below).

The use of reverses to gain altitude was quite common on railways worldwide. An early application on a main line was on the Great Indian Peninsula railway's line from Bombay to Poona over the Bhore Ghat. Opened in 1863 it had only one reversing station. Thanks to the genius of their Engineer John Whitton, the New South Wales Government Railways were not far behind the GIPR with their penetration of the Blue Mountains in 1869. It employed six reverses - two on the eastern and four on the western escarpments. But these works paled in comparison with Henry Meiggs' route up the Andes for the Central of Peru with its 24 reverses, begun in 1870 and completed in 1893. These works are mentioned to show that the two reverses needed to scale Ingogo mountain, completed in 1891, were not a big deal and a pain to operate, which makes them more remarkable for only having been eliminated in 1938.

NATAL GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS

No. 15

GENERAL APPENDIX TO THE WORKING TIME TABLE

January 1st 1905

Until further notice

LXXXVIII

REVERSING STATIONS (BOSCOBELLO, 288¼ AND INKWELO, 290 MILES) – MAIN LINE

1. At these stations all trains will have to reverse – the engine running round the train, by means of the loop provided, so that the engine shall always be at the head of the train, excepting in the case of trains which may have an engine in the rear as well as in the front, or trains composed of not more than three vehicles, when the necessity for the engine running round its train will be obviated during daylight.

2. All trains running over the reversing stations must have a brake vehicle in front as well as in the rear, and the guard will, according to rule, travel in the rear brake vehicle.

3. Each reversing station is provided with a distant fixed signal from each direction, which shall stand constantly at ‘danger’, and all trains must approach the signals with extreme caution.

4. In the case of Inkwelo Reversing Station, the down distant signal is erected at a point clear of the safety points. These safety points are to be kept constantly closed and locked in the proper position to intercept any vehicle which may break away, except at the moment of passing a train over them.

5. All trains approaching either reversing station must, in the absence of a hand signal from the officer in charge, come to a dead stand clear of fouling the point between the converging lines and there remain until the hand signal is given to proceed.

6. At Inkwelo, which is protected by a safety siding as described in clause 3, drivers of all down trains and engines must necessarily be prepared to stop clear of such safety siding in the absence of a hand signal from the pointsman, but such hand signal is not to be taken as authority to enter the reversing station itself, which entry will be controlled by the officer in charge as described in clause 4.

7. The speed of all trains and engines must not exceed ten miles an hour when passing the distant signal of either reversing station.

It will be the duty of the guard of the train to hold the points at each reversing station to enable the engine to run round the train.

8. The outermost points at these reversing stations, which are trailing to all approaching trains are indicated by special ground signal to indicate ‘danger’ continuously to such trains.

9. The position of the points for approaching Up and Down trains will be distinguished as follows:

> For Up trains a small red light or corresponding disc.

>For Down trains a large red light or corresponding disc.

And similarly for trains leaving the reversing stations, the indicating signal will be:

>For an Up train, small green light or corresponding disc.

>For a Down train, large green light or corresponding disc.

10. The facing points to approaching trains on the running road within the reversing stations are indicated by ordinary ground disc signals.

(Source: NGR WTB No.15, 1905, pages 123 & 124)

50. The operating procedure for the reverses as described in the General Appendix were safe but incredibly laborious and time-consuming. The dead ends shown in the 1924 diagram of Boscobello indicate that the procedure had been greatly simplified since 1905 as it was no longer necessary for engines to run around their trains.

51. By 1921 Inkwelo could hardly have been simpler.

52. Bruno has covered the elimination of these reverses in his introduction so all I have to do is to describe the sequence of operations facing the down NGR train in Bruno's annotated enlargement of photo 45: it will run into Inkwelo (reversing station No 2) where, as laid down in the General Appendix of 1905, the engine will run around its train in order to avoid a long setting-back movement to Boscobello. At Boscobello the engine would run around its train again in order to proceed to Ingogo with the engine in front and chimney-first in the normal way.

However, the siding diagrams for both stations illustrated above, dated August 1921 (Inkwelo) and October 1924 (Boscobello), show that by these dates the run-around points had been removed so the more sensible and time-saving method of simply pushing the train between the two stations must have been introduced some time between 1905 and 1921.

53. Many years ago, my good friend and Driver Special Grade at Braamfontein Loco, Charlie McLean, provided me with these two images of a class U 1377 in service on the Boscobello – Inkwelo Reverses - they are the only known photographs of a U at work on the reverses. As a young fireman, he had relieved at Glencoe from Braamfontein.

54. We have mentioned that the U and GH 'Union-Garratts' were powerful but hungry beasts. They must have been reasonably useful on the 77-mile Glencoe-Volksrust run however, more so as their home shed Glencoe had a coal mine in its back yard. They held the fort from 1930 until the reverses had been eliminated by an electrified deviation in 1938 (see Bruno's map).

55. Dick Manton provided this splendid shot of the Four Provinces special near Mount Prospect with the same 15F No.3131 in charge on 7 April 1980 – see photo 29.

56. In the 1960s, I was travelling by car near Ingogo and unexpectedly came across two 12ARs, 1546 & 2116, working a goods train over a “Dead Section Order”. Such occurrences were not all that common and I quickly stopped the car and jumped out grabbing my camera to get this “grab-shot” of steam working the NML!

57. Mount Prospect station on the NML – a THL portrait provided by Greg Hart

58. Here is a bird’s eye-view of Mount Prospect Station – nice and clean in SAR days! (THL photo provided by Greg Hart).

59. The Four Provinces special heading through Mount Prospect with 15F 3131 on 7 April 1980. Note the deterioration of the station precinct – obviously no longer a manned station.

60. The Four Provinces special makes a final appearance on the other side of Mount Prospect with the smartly turned-out 15F 3131 in charge.

61. Turning the clock back, we see a class 1E working a light goods load near Majuba.

62. A fine official portrayal of three 5E1s hauling a block load of coal beneath the slopes of Mount Majuba, scene of a devastating British defeat in the first Boer War of 1881.

63. On 10 October 1965 I was returning from a visit to Glencoe with my friend Duncan Smith and we stopped near Majuba to photograph this goods train hauled by three 5E1 units.

64. A magnificent and historic photograph of 196-up, the 21h00 Daily from Durban to Johannesburg, in the vicinity of Majuba halt with the Majuba Mountain in the background. The train is being hauled by two class 5E locomotives. The time would be around 09h17 and it would have taken 12 hours to cover 312 miles. Johannesburg would be reached at 16h20, based on the times shown in Time-Table No 155 of 2 December 1957. The photo was taken prior to the issuing of Time-Table 156 of 1 December 1958 as it featured on the cover of that issue.

This long distance main-line train was one of the few operated by SAR that did not change composition en-route, either by dropping off coaches or by adding at some point. A note in Time-Table 155 states: “Conveys passengers to and from stations where times are shown. Between Volksrust and Germiston stops to set down passengers from beyond Volksrust.

The coaches are still in the Imperial Brown livery but it is clear that this was not consistent in colour, no doubt influenced to some extent by the time in service and the influence of cast iron brake block dust on the surface. Regarding the composition of this train, behind the locomotives is an oil-fired steam heat vehicle followed by third class vehicles of closed vestibule type H-21, Hendrie balcony of type H-9 and probably another type H-21. The fourth third class coach is a relatively new Cravens Ltd, England built type H-24 steel bodied coach, one of 75 placed in service between May 1950 and December 1951. The fifth vehicle is another type H-9 followed by another 2 Hendrie balcony coaches. The last 2 coaches visible are Watson first or second class coaches, their distinctive bogies clearly visible.

Not counting the contractor's temporary line that went over the summit using zig-zags (photos 65 & 66 below), there were three 'permanent' alignments between Ingogo and Vooruitsig, the last being completed in 1984, double tracked and to a much higher standard than the previous two routes.

65. During the boring of the original Laing’s Nek Tunnel, in order to scale the ridge forming the continental divide, thus facilitating tunneling from both ends, the contractors built temporary reverses for use by the construction trains. This is a photo of the reverses (see also Bruno's map above).

66. A construction train headed by a Kitson & Stephenson 4-6-0T with a second one providing rear-end assistance, traversing the temporary reverses built between mileposts 299 and 301½ crossing Laing’s Nek Pass to allow work trains to bypass the unfinished tunnel. Trains operating on the temporary alignment from the ‘Staff Quarters’ to ‘Tunnel siding’ and vice versa were worked with a banker at the rear. Ever present Mount Majuba prominent on rear horizon.

67. A construction train photographed at the south portal of Laing’s Nek tunnel headed by a Kitson & Stephenson 4-6-0T with workmen posing for what appears to be a special event to unofficially celebrate the final linking of the permanent way. To the left halfway up the slope, two men are locked in a congratulatory handshake possibly celebrating the actual completion of the tunnel in September 1891. On 14 October 1891 Sir Henry Loch, High Commissioner to the Cape, and Sir Charles Mitchell, Governor of Natal, officially opened the tunnel to rail traffic.

The tunnel, 2213 ft in length on a gradient of 1 in 70, was hailed as “the greatest engineering feat of this nature Natal has witnessed, is without parallel in South Africa”. It involved the removal of 750 000 cubic feet of rock and 1 350 000 cubic feet of soil. Around 500 men were engaged in building operations and the total cost amounted to £80 000. Laing’s Nek tunnel was the longest in the country for 23 years until displaced in 1914 from its number one ranking by the 2586 ft long Stockton tunnel on the Mooi River - Estcourt deviation.

68. The ceremonial inauguration of the section from Newcastle to Charlestown, about 2½ miles from the Natal/Transvaal border, was performed on Tuesday, 7 April 1891. A special train conveying the Governor of Natal, Sir Charles Mitchell, representatives of the Natal Government, senior NGR officials and invited guests left Newcastle at 8 am. The locomotive heading the train was decorated with palm fronds, coloured ribbons, the Union Jack, the NGR Coat of Arms and carrying a headboard with the inscription “PRETORIA TO THE COAST, BY THE DIRECT ROUTE, GELUK”. Below Laing’s Nek another locomotive was coupled to the rear to assist on the 1 in 18 and 1 in 20-inclined temporary reverses past the unfinished tunnel. The train stopped at Tunnel siding where the Governor's party continued their journey in coaches to meet President Kruger of the South African Republic and his entourage at the border. Thereafter all of the dignitaries returned to Tunnel siding to board the train. At 12:15 pm the inaugural train arrived at Charlestown station where it was greeted by a large contingent of spectators. After lunch, the special train departed at 2:45 pm taking President Kruger on his official visit to Natal, stopping at Newcastle, Ladysmith, Pietermaritzburg and Durban. President Paul Kruger is in the front row alongside Sir Charles Mitchell.

69. The back of this THL photo states: “The Railway Calamity on the Natal Government Line, at the 241 mile, on 31 December, 1895. – The Fatal Train about to depart from Charlestown; 44 killed and many injured.” This accident is described in Campbell’s book – “The Birth and Development of the Natal Railways” as follows:

“The close of 1895 saw the Jameson Raid and the tragedy of by far the worst railway accident in the history of the Natal railways. Refugees were fleeing from the Transvaal before the start of actual hostilities. The 6.30 p.m. train from Park station on the 30th December was packed with its load of passengers, mostly women and children. Shortly after 2 p.m. the next day the train, marshalled with four 8-wheeled Natal Government Railways’ coaches behind the engine, followed by six light Netherlands Railway 4-wheelers and the van, was nearing Glencoe, worked by the reliable and experienced Driver Joe Brittain, Fireman George Currie and Guard Pat Currie. As the train rounded a bend flanked on one side by rocks the light Netherlands coaches became derailed, resulting in a casualty list of 36 dead and 50 injured.”

The number killed differs from the statement on the back of the print and Campbell’s book but that is not the issue here – it was a terrible disaster at that time.

70. The information written on the back of the THL photo above.

Prominent in Bruno's map (just before photo 65 above) is the third and last re-alignment of the main line over Lang's Nek, opened to traffic in 1984. It was built to a high standard and we take pleasure in presenting the following striking series of pictures by Peter and Brandon Stow in closing the Natal Main Line story. All captions by Peter himself.

71. 18Es 18-342, 18-227 & 18-095 were having no difficulty with their load of double deck motor car wagons northbound on Majuba Pass between Ingogo and Mt Prospect. 15 July 2017.

72. Container trains were also prolific on the line between Durban and Johannesburg. Here 18E's 18-096, 18-240 and 18-515 expedite a colourful array of metal boxes towards Gauteng. 15 July 2017.

73. Class 18E’s 18-278, 18-288 and 18-050 drop down toward Ingogo with a load of containers for Durban, having left the most scenic portion of the line behind. Behind the locomotives lies the great expanse of a sparsely populated northern KZN. Date: Tuesday 11 July 2017.

74. Class 22Es have started to handle traffic between Newcastle and the North. Class 22 22-032 leads a sister on the long climb between Ingogo and Mt Prospect. 15 July 2017.

75. Empty ore wagons northbound from Newcastle headed by 18E 18-629 are nearing the massive bridge over the Harte River between Ingogo and Mt Prospect. 15 July 2017.

76. Running eight minutes behind the train in the previous shot but on the down parallel bi-directionally signaled line is a northbound container train hauled by a trio of 18Es led by 18-026, crossing “Trowe’s Viaduct” just north of Glen Harte. This train will have priority over the empty ore train and will probably overtake it at some point en-route to the Witwatersrand.

77. A driver’s view of the spectacular Drakensberg as they leave Glen Harte northbound and approach bridge #3.

78. Once on the bridge one gets a clear view of the entrance to 1980m-long tunnel 3

79. Classes other than 18E now operate to the steel works at Newcastle. Here class 20 numbers 20-006, 20-014, 20-020 and 20-052 make light work with a load of empty ore wagons returning to the Northern Cape as they cross the impressive 11 span bridge 3 of the 1984 deviation, 77m above the Harte River, on Saturday 15 July 2017.

80. The same train as in the previous picture approaches tunnel 3 with its uniform rake of ore wagons.

81. Like its predecessor the SAR, Transnet Freight Rail, has its idiosyncrasies. Class 18E's 18-113, 18-615 and 18-227 head a train of fuel wagons called the Red Mamba, whose wagons are marked with blue dots with the wording Red Mamba stenciled on the sides, south-bound from Tunnel 3 over the Harte River between Mt Prospect and Ingogo. 15 July 2017.

82. The photographer's hopes that a special Premiere Classe passenger train from Durban to Johannesburg would run late allowing for pictures of it climbing Majuba Pass were soon dashed when a call to the TCO at Newcastle revealed that it was in fact running a few minutes early. After summitting the pass she drops down here towards Charlestown behind grubby 18-426 + 18-432. Sadly, nearby Volksrust station is now completely bypassed by all trains and this once important junction is now derelict. 15 July 2017. [Ed: in fact it's more than derelict. It looks like Hiroshima after the bomb]

83. Shortly after the passing of the Premiere Classe train northbound, class 18E's 18-344 and 18-087 depart southbound from Charlestown with a load of fuel tankers. 15 July 2017.

In my next chapter we are moving back down the Natal Main Line to Glencoe where we will visit the steam loco depot before going out on the major line to Vryheid and Hlobane – the home of Garratts and especially the mighty class GLs.