Natalspruit to Vereeniging – Part 1 by Les Pivnic ©

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In previous chapters of SoAR, System 7, Western Transvaal, we have covered the section from Germiston running south to Union (Junction) and then turned eastwards towards Rooikop, Heidelberg and Volksrust.

We will now go due south from Union and pick up our photographic journey at Natalspruit continuing south from there to Makouvlei – the southern border of the Western Transvaal System. The photo presentation will favour a chronological order to allow the reader to appreciate the transition from steam to electric traction over the line.

There are several things that need to be mentioned before we start looking at the images (please refer to Bruno's map).

Photographic access:

There was a main tarred road running alongside the track from a halt named “Airport” just south of Natalspruit to a point beyond Angus and again from near Daleside through Meyerton and on to Redan. The main road only left the line on its final approach to Vereeniging. The halt “Airport” referred to the temporary post-War International Airport at Palmietfontein. This Airport was brought into use to serve Johannesburg because Rand Airport at Germiston didn’t have a runway long enough to accommodate the type of aircraft being used on International routes immediately after the War. This included the BOAC Comet – the first commercial jet aircraft in use on the Springbok Service in association with South African Airways. The earlier BOAC flying boat service to Vaal Dam had also been discontinued.

The line in those early days was single, with several manned stations on the section using semaphore signals to control the movement of trains. I actually witnessed the line-doubling process which would eventually go all the way to Vereeniging and on through the OFS. The doubling as far as Vereeniging was completed in 1953 and onwards to Bloemfontein before the end of the fifties.

Passenger trains were not lacking on this section. There were the main line trains to and from the OFS and beyond but there was also a comprehensive steam-hauled local passenger service between Johannesburg and Vereeniging as well as an additional local service between Germiston and Natalspruit which at different times extended to Angus and Kliprivier. All of this in addition to heavy goods traffic.

Pre-1958, steam traction ruled the roost with Braamfontein Loco providing most of the engine power to work the passenger services. Germiston provided class 10s for the Natalspruit/Angus/Kliprivier locals as well as 15Fs, 12As, 12ARs for the goods traffic. Braamfontein usually rostered classes 15AR and 16CR for the Johannesburg – Vereeniging local services. Class 15Fs were used on all the main line trains except for 11-Down and 4-Up to and from Bloemfontein. These were worked by Bloemfontein-based class 16DAs (wide firebox) and 16Es until 1953. Class 15ARs would on occasion be used on the top-link main line passenger trains as well but the norm was generally the class 15F. Braamfontein also had a solitary class 15A No 1970 which shared in all these duties. In those days she was not the pristine engine that became so well known as “Milly” under Alec Watson’s care at De Aar in the 1970s. However, she was still doing top-link passenger work between Johannesburg and Kroonstad as well as her share of the local passenger service to Vereeniging.

In this early period under photographic review the link from Rooikop to Natalspruit had not yet been built – that would be opened in 1955. The original single line bridge over the Vaal River as well as the old Station was also still in use. By the mid-1950s, Vereeniging would have a smart new station and a new alignment of the main lines southwards to the OFS would be brought into use going due south to cross the Vaal River over a new double-track bridge further down-stream.

One of my biggest regrets is that in the late 1940s/early 1950s, I was quite happy to just ride on those trains coming through from the OFS behind a 16DA or 16E – I never thought of photographing the action! Why? Because in those years I was naive enough to think that it would never end! Why bother with a camera? Do it next time! That next time never came – not with the camera anyway – I just continued to ride those trains like 444-Up joining at Vereeniging and having the thrill of my life en route to Germiston with a 16DA or 16E at the head end! So all the photos that I will offer shortly are devoid of a 16DA or 16E working either 11-Down or 444-Up! Hopefully the remaining offerings will still be of interest. In the late 1950s, class GMAMs assisted the other classes to keep the traffic moving – those were busy times on the SAR!

Two routes to Vereeniging from Johannesburg:

Passenger trains used two routes between Johannesburg and Vereeniging. The main one was the line just described via Germiston and Kliprivier but there was a secondary route which grew in importance over the years and shared the passenger traffic between the two points. The second route, opened by the CSAR in 1904, left Johannesburg in a westerly direction and turned south at Langlaagte leaving the Reef Main Line. It then turned south-westwards through Soweto before heading due south just after Midway on the line to Bank. The Vereeniging line then passed through Lenz, Lawley, Grassmere and Evaton before reaching Houtkop (nowadays renamed Houtheuwel) where it swung in a south-easterly direction through Leeuhof and Duncanville to Vereeniging – joining the line via Kliprivier just short of the station.

This line didn’t have the luxury of a main road near the line at all. At some locations a main road crossed the line and continued in another direction. This is evident in the photographs that follow – they are predominantly taken on the Natalspruit – Vereeniging section with just a few offerings on this secondary route.

Diesel traction arrived in 1958 with the introduction of the class 1-DEs (later reclassified class 31). The photos will show how the diesels quickly won favour with the Operating Department taking over a lot of steam workings prior to the electrification of the line which followed very quickly and only one year later in 1959.

However, Braamfontein Steam did not capitulate too quickly! Steam traction survived on the Vereeniging locals almost to the end of 1959! In all probability, the last steam-hauled local passenger train (with class 16CR 833) was worked from Vereeniging to Johannesburg on 29th November 1959.

Initially, the steam sets of coaches were used with electric locomotives doing the work – classes 3E and 5E but by the early 1960s EMUs had taken over from the loco-hauled sets.

I’m pleased to add that Peter Micenko who worked as Assistant Engineer Civil Construction at Leeuhof and Acting/Relief District Engineer Heidelberg will be adding his photos as well as his comment to mine during the course of these chapters.

1. In 1951 it was still possible to ride behind a classic CSAR class 10 on a local suburban service between Germiston and Kliprivier. No 1477-Down departed Germiston at 2:45pm and arrived at Kliprivier at 3.54pm. The return working, 1480-Up, departed at 4:20pm and arrived back in Germiston at 5:37pm. In the photo taken at Kliprivier we see class 10 No 737 ready to depart on her return run to Germiston. This train was “all stations” and if it set off late from Kliprivier it could delay 444-Up coming through express from Vereeniging behind a 16DA or 16E. I was often a passenger on 444-Up relishing the fast ride behind a Watson Pacific but as we approached Kliprivier I would anxiously hang over the open balcony of the leading 2nd class saloon to read the signals. If the distant was on I knew that 1480-Up was plodding on ahead of us. In later years I actually queried this aspect with Frank Garrison and asked him why the Station Foreman at Kliprivier didn’t hold 1480-Up until the express had passed? He told me that it was SAR policy to clear local passengers on an outer-suburban section before an express rushed through non-stop. Apparently, waiting passengers would write to the System Manager and complain if a passenger train passed by and didn’t stop to pick them up! Who was I to argue with Frank, but I still felt that 444-Up should have had preference! As a matter of interest, 444-Up was booked into Germiston at 5.35pm – two minutes ahead of 1480-Up. On the final approach to Germiston from Elsburg, the two trains took different routes with 1480-Up going via Germiston Lake and President while 444Up took the direct route to Germiston over the Elsburg embankment.

2. Caught in action in the early 1950s near Angus, here is class 10 No 742 winding it up between stops with the local passenger working from Kliprivier to Germiston! The class 10s were graceful machines especially when caught in action at speed. My only regret is that I didn’t pay them enough attention with my camera when they were still employed on these services. I was too busy riding on these trains to worry about photographs!

3. After the class 10 in the previous photo had rushed past, 15F No 2927 came by with a goods train heading for Germiston from the OFS. Germiston Loco provided the bulk of the motive power for goods traffic on this line.

4. Again in the early 1950s, a class 10 thrashes by too fast for my cheap box camera alongside Palmietfontein Airport with a local passenger working to Kliprivier. On these passenger turns the class 10s worked tender-first out from Germiston and returned smokebox leading. If you look closely, you can see several SAA Lockheed Loadstars lined up on the other side of the railway fence. The old Pacific no doubt dropped plenty soot onto her SAA sisters parked so close to the railway line!

5. I mentioned in my introduction that these local passenger workings didn’t all go as far as Kliprivier. Some of them terminated at Angus just past Palmietfontein and others only ventured as far Natalspruit. Here is class 10 no.738 looking very neat and tidy on a local train ready to depart on its return working to Germiston from Natalspruit c 1951. In this photograph the steam-heating piping used for tender-first working can clearly be seen on the loco’s front buffer beam.

6. This is the old station at Vereeniging looking north from the southern end of the island platform. The old station layout was very similar to the island platform layout at De Aar with the main station buildings being situated in the middle of the island. The raised signal cabin can be seen in the middle-distance with the footbridge to the town beyond that. The town was situated to the left in the photograph. The main line gathered through several sets of points behind me and turned sharply left (to my right as I took the picture) and crossed the Vaal River over the original single line bridge.

7. Dave Parsons was on the Transvaal side of the Vaal River as he made this photo of a 15F with a main line passenger train (probably 11-Down) crossing the old bridge in the mid-1950s.

8. Idyllic is the word that comes to mind while looking at Dave's photo of this delightful scene on the banks of the Vaal River at Vereeniging in the mid-1950s – probably on the same day. There would have been a train every few minutes, with never a diesel intruder to disturb the peace. The 15F working 4-Up or 444-Up was crossing the old bridge, leaving the Orange Free State behind and continuing on its passage to Germiston and Johannesburg.

9. On another visit in the 1950s to the Vaal River, Dave again photographed a 15F crossing the old bridge with a main line packet from the OFS. This historic old bridge was replaced in 1955 by the present-day double track bridge further down stream. The unusual perspective emphasises the overhang resulting from applying a standard-gauge profile to Cape-gauge rolling stock.

10. In the early 1950s I photographed the driver greasing the coupling rods on his Braamfontein-based 15F while stopped at old Vereeniging with train 432/3Down – the fast passenger from Johannesburg to East London and Port Elizabeth. His next stop would be at Kroonstad where another loco would be ready to take the train on to Bloemfontein.

11. Vereeniging’s plush new station complex was built on the town-side of the old shunting yard and as this photo shows, was completed before the new platform was even laid out. The platform was then added to facilitate the change-over to the new facility. The old shunting yard was remodelled to conform to the new station layout.

12. One of my first photos of the new station with its platform was this shot taken in the late 1950s. A 15F at the head of a goods train simmers quietly in loop road no.1. The original island platform of the old station was retained for local passenger working and a steam suburban set can just be seen to the left of the 15F. Note also the new colour-light signals which replaced the semaphores when the new station was brought into use. The mast base in the foreground is concrete evidence (no pun intended) of the coming electrification!

13. Here is 432/3-Down arriving from Johannesburg with its 15F drifting quietly in towards the new platform. This train was worked via Lawley from Johannesburg. From the mid-to-late 1950s electrification masts were springing up all over the place!

14. The pair of new class 1-DE diesel locos indicates that this photo was taken in 1958 and shows them coming past the new electric signal cabin at Vereeniging with a goods train for the OFS. It didn’t take long for the diesels to become a common sight on open line working. The original intention was for them to be used on the shunt and to service non-electric private sidings on the Reef. Their amazing early success brought them out onto main lines working anything from coal drags to fast passenger trains. The diesel era had arrived!

15. Two class 1-DEs with No742 leading head 4-Up ex-Bloemfontein en route to Germiston and Johannesburg. I experienced several trips on the main line behind these new diesels and I must say that their performance was amazing. Obviously these trips lacked the thrill of steam traction but in terms of speed and acceleration, they were superb! Travelling behind them, the corridors of the saloons remained nice and clean – free from soot but the smell of the diesel fumes if you put your head out of the window was not at all pleasant.

16. Two class 1-DE diesels set off from Vereeniging with either 4-Up or 444-Up heading for Germiston and Johannesburg. The men handling these diesels were all drawn from the ranks of steam drivers and firemen.

17. This was my first view of train 432/3 arriving at Vereeniging from Johannesburg behind diesel traction. The two 1-DEs with No 737 leading were approaching the new station off the main line via Lawley. Being one of the top-link passenger trains it only conveyed 1st and 2nd class passengers. At this stage the diesels were just being tested on passenger workings. Steam was not yet totally finished with these turns.

18. An unidentified 15F approaches the new Vereeniging station with 432/3-Down ex-Johannesburg en route to Kroonstad and Bloemfontein. In my experience this train was one of the fastest on the section with very limited stops en route through the OFS. Note the increasing evidence of electrification masts – steam's days were numbered!

19. Redan 1958 saw two class 1-DE diesels (704 leading) approaching from Meyerton with a goods train heading south for the OFS. As can be seen, electrification masts were already in position mounted on their concrete bases. The wiring train was not far away! Note the “Starting” Semaphores on the two-doll post – the arm on the left for the main line to Meyerton and Germiston and the route indicator for the line to Grootvlei.

20. Two class 1-DEs wait for the starting signal to be lifted before continuing on their journey up to Germiston with a goods load. Even the trackworker on the left is intrigued by these two new growling multi-coloured beasts!

21. This is what the “multi-coloured beasts” were waiting for! A 15F thrashes past with 444-Up heading for Germiston. This train usually ran express from Vereeniging to Germiston but it was subject to conditional stops to set down through passengers from south of Vereeniging.

22. While I was photographing at Redan on a Sunday afternoon in 1958, a rare beast made an appearance working a coal train to Germiston. It was class 14CRM No 2027. The photo shows her fireman obviously getting ready for the steady climb from Redan up to Meyerton when they got the signal. With an extra eight tons on their driving axles the 14CRMs were significantly more powerful than their more numerous colleagues, the 14CRBs.

23. The single class 1-DE no.730 was being tested on a “Bombela” – SAR parlance for the numerous mine-worker’s trains conveying the workers (in this instance from the Eastern Cape) to the Reef. The train was admitted to platform 2 on the old island layout at Vereeniging. The bare trackless area in the foreground is where the old shunting yard was situated. The new yard is over to the left of the island platform.

24. You can see that the impatient-looking driver on 1-DE 701 is an ex steam man! His stance at the controls is typical of a steam driver looking out for the guard’s green flag! Actually that is precisely what he was doing – waiting for the green flag before setting off from Vereeniging with 4-Up for Germiston and Johannesburg in 1958.

25. Here is the same train now departing from Vereeniging on a Sunday afternoon in 1958. Look again at the driver in his cab – leaning out as though he was on a 15F! Yes, old habits die hard!

26. It didn’t take long for the new diesels to get roped in with all kinds of main line work. In this photo taken near Angus, two class 1-DE with 718 leading are seen working a heavy goods load south to the OFS. Note the superbly ballasted track! On the extreme right you can see the beginnings of a new very large black township on the site of the old Palmietfontein Airport. This township would in time, grow in size to the point where a dedicated electric suburban line would be built directly into the area known as Katlehong (see map). This new line would originate near Germiston at a junction named Kutalo.

27. We did have the occasional 15F working a Vereeniging local from Johannesburg. Here on her return working is an F accelerating vigorously away from Angus and heading towards Natalspruit, her next stop. The third recently-outshopped coach in the consist is an L-17 1st class clerestory corridor coach that was used permanently on this set. In fact, most sets included one L-17 saloon. This photo was taken in 1959.

28. A smartly turned out 12AR was also caught in action near Angus, working a goods load to Leeuhof from Germiston. Class 12ARs were regularly employed on this hauler work between Germiston, Angelo and Leeuhof. The overhead catenary is clipped in – electric traction was not far off – the year – 1959.

29. A class GMAM with its tank car and a guard’s van was heading back to Witbank to pick up another load of coal for southerly destinations in the OFS and Cape. In studying this photograph I was again drawn to the magnificent track and ballast with its neat edge (please see the caption to photo No 32). What a contrast with the present day scene with untidy trackwork and weeds all over the place!

30. A Braamfontein-based 15AR drifts past with a Vereeniging local packet. Note the “outer-home” signal is pulled off for her but not the “distant” as she approaches Angus Station. This 7-coach set was one which didn’t include an L-17.

31. The driver closes the regulator on his 15F near Henley-on-Klip in 1959 as she races past with 11-Down for Bloemfontein. Six years earlier, this would have been a 16DA or 16E going home but by this time, Braamfontein engines had taken over these workings.

32. Back at Angus, a GMAM shuts off for the long down-grade towards Rand Water and Kliprivier, hauling another block load of coal heading south to the OFS or the Cape.

The final batch of 120 GMAMs delivered 1954 - 56 by Beyer Peacock, North British and Henschel were ordered to assist with moving large volumes of traffic including coal from the Transvaal to destinations in the OFS and Cape. For a number of years they were employed on block coal workings from Witbank to Kroonstad (208 miles) - quite a feat for an imperfect design with limited (14 tons) bunker capacity. Since the beautifully-laid track on which they ran was built for 21-ton axleloads it is hard to understand how such a large order was placed for locomotives with barely 15 tons on each driving axle, considering they were destined to spend their entire service lives on lines suitable for 21-ton or greater axleloads.

33. Knowing that steam traction’s days were numbered on the main line south to the OFS, I spent a lot of time in the area photographing steam in action. For once, I was aware that the railway scene was going to change dramatically! On 9th September 1959, I was pleasantly surprised to see veteran 15A 1970* working 438-Up, the Port Elizabeth - Johannesburg fast passenger! This was usually a 15F turn but here was the old girl doing the job, having picked up the express at Kroonstad. Note the clean stack as she departed Vereeniging for Johannesburg via Lawley.

* Well-known and much loved by enthusiasts, 1970 retired as "Milly" at De Aar c 1984 and was retained for Museum service.

34. Class 15AR 1792 takes on water in preparation for working a local passenger packet to Johannesburg. While two labourers shovel coal forward in the bunker, the fireman seems to have forgotten to keep an eye on filling the tender tank!

I regularly rode these steam-hauled local passenger trains between Johannesburg and Vereeniging and have to add that the timings were so generous that it seldom called for spirited engine work (unlike the PE – Uitenhage services!). I occasionally had a driver who would give his loco her head but it was not the norm. However, picking up 444-Up coming through from Bloemfontein was another story. I have previously mentioned the earlier years when thrilling rides behind 16DAs and 16Es were the order of the day but on one particular occasion in these later years there was a 15AR up front and she put in a magnificent performance! Even the Chief Steward in the dining saloon remarked on how “hierdie klein lokomotiefie wikkel!” – referring to the 15AR.

35. On 7th September 1959, class 15F No 2925 worked 434-Up, the East London - Johannesburg fast passenger, between Kroonstad and Johannesburg. Braamfontein Loco obviously had a lot of experienced firemen – note another clean stack as she sets sail from Vereeniging. This train ran via Kliprivier and Germiston.

36. The class 15AR No 1792 which was seen taking water in photo 34 is now ready to work 730-Up local passenger packet to Johannesburg. This set also has an L-17 clerestory saloon in the consist. The old island platform provided a convenient facility for the local passenger workings to Johannesburg. The engine still has its original front buffer for the primitive link-and-pin system that was used before Gould (American) automatic couplers by Buckeye were introduced, somewhat gradually, from 1910 onwards*. Lying on the cinders, left foreground, is a link just waiting to trip up an unwary shunter.

* The first application of these couplers was in 1904 by the ultra-progressive CSAR on their superb rolling stock for the "Limited Expresses" between Johannesburg and Pretoria

37. Here is 15AR 2023 making a smoky departure with 438-Up, the Port Elizabeth Express (in later years the "Algoa") to Johannesburg and no, I didn’t ask for smoke! In fact, in all my years of railway photography I can only recall one or two occasions when I actually asked the footplate for smoke. I tended to prefer photographs that recorded the natural scene – if smoke was made – great! I’m the first to admit that steam shots with smoke are great but one can go overboard too! I’ve seen photographs taken by a certain British railfan and publisher of railway books where nearly every photo has great palls of smoke pouring from the chimneys – that is not for me and it reflects very poorly on the fireman!

38. Back at Redan on 3rd October 1959, class 15AR No 1574 was drifting down-grade from Meyerton with another local packet from Johannesburg. The sleepers on the left were dropped off ready for track maintenance which in those days was of a very high standard.

39. On the same day, Redan also provided an opportunity to capture GMAM 4103 working a goods train south. Redan, junction for the cross-country link to Grootvlei, had some interesting signals at the northern end. The post on the left had a siding/goods starter and beneath that a route indicator while the remaining two posts each had a starter for the main line to Meyerton and (below) a route indicator for the branch.

40. After the GMAM had trundled on south towards Vereeniging, 434-Up, the East London - Johannesburg Express thrashed past with 15F 3074 in charge. An old steel sleeper has been put to good use showing the mileage to Port Elizabeth from Redan: 669-and-a-half miles.

41. The biggest surprise on 3rd October 1959 at Redan was when this very respectable class 23 No 3301 came down-grade from Meyerton with a goods train! This was most unusual as no class 23s were at that time stationed anywhere nearby. In fact, my records show 3301 as being a Beaconsfield engine. So what she was doing here is anybody’s guess! My eyes nearly popped out of my head when the “15F” approaching Redan in the distance materialised as a fine-looking class 23!

42. Still on 3rd October 1959 Frank Garrison and I decided to try and get a few photos around Lenz on the other line to Vereeniging. It would be nice to have a change of scene! We had hardly arrived at Lenz and taken up a position near the home signals when our old friend class 15A No 1970 came thumping past with a local for Johannesburg from Vereeniging. Note the “wrong-road” arm on the three-post gantry. Also evident is the doubling of the line which would incorporate a realigned curve from Midway. The old line had a vicious curve – almost a right-hand bend – in the track! I recall being on the train to Vereeniging one Saturday when our 15AR set off briskly from Midway and showed no sign of slowing for the sharp curve to Lenz! As we lurched into the curve the driver applied his brakes – I’m sure that he hadn’t intended to hit it so fast! We got around that curve with the coach at quite an acute angle but it was very scary!

43. Frank and I moved halfway to Lawley and found this class 15AR No1574 working a Vereeniging local. The doubled electrified line was making progress on this section too!

44. We moved closer to Lawley and got another surprise! 3rd October was FULL of surprises! Two class 61s No's 61.003 & 61.006 trundled past the home signal (note “wrong-road” arm) with a goods train from the OFS. Such pictures would soon become rare because it didn’t take long for them to be relegated to shunt duties due to problems encountered especially on open line work.

45. Back at Lenz for a final shot of the day, we photographed these two class 1-DEs nos.735 & 734 working a goods load to the Reef from the OFS. The Lenz Military Camp can be seen to the right of the leading diesel.

Coverage of the Natalspruit – Vereeniging line including the actual transition to electric traction will be covered in the next chapter.