Natalspruit to Vereeniging Part 2 by Les Pivnic ©

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The introduction to Part 1 of this section provided much of the background to the photographs being offered in this three-part series. In Part 2 we will now actually witness the transition from steam to electric traction but still with a fair helping of diesel images during the transition period.

Talking about a fair helping of diesel images, it would be useful to take a closer look at the introduction of diesel traction in 1958. A large Diesel Depot was built in Germiston just north of the Steam Shed to accommodate and maintain the new class 1-DE (class 31) as well as a number of class 32 and all the class 61 diesel hydraulic locos. This whole diesel project was part of a greater scheme to totally eliminate steam traction on the Witwatersrand. As previously mentioned, the diesels were intended to shunt the various yards on the Reef and also service the non-electrified private sidings. Apart from two experimental diesel locos introduced to service in 1939 in Natal, this was the SAR’s first move to introduce diesel locomotives as a major addition to existing steam and electric traction.

The fact that the class 1-DE proved to be so versatile actually brought about changes in traction practice that hadn’t even been planned.

There were also a number of class 32 diesels stationed at Germiston doing main line work to the Eastern Transvaal as well as working on the main line to Natal as far as Volksrust. The bulk of the 32s was intended for service in South West Africa and indeed went there to replace steam.

While the Henschel-built diesel-hydraulic class 61s proved to be problematic, the American-made (GE) class 1-DEs and the 32s proved to be so successful that it was almost inevitable that diesel traction was here to stay in spite of major electrification projects that were already in hand with many more to follow.

So with that bit of background to the new diesel era on the SAR, we shall pick up the pictorial presentation where we left off in Part 1.

1. On 10th October 1959, I was back lineside to photograph the action between Natalspruit and Vereeniging. Near Kliprivier, two class 1-DEs with 705 leading roll down-grade from Redan as they approach the Home signals with a block-load of coal heading south.

2. Having walked through the double Pratt truss bridge to the northern bank of the Klip river, I photographed 1-DE no 702 working a goods load to Germiston. Closer examination of this image under magnification shows that she had a pretty good load on for a single diesel and – who can spot the steam locomotive in the photo?

3. Yet another single 1-DE, No 732 working a healthy goods load to Germiston. Also on 10th October 1959, this was taken further north towards Rand Water halt. There was a lot of test-running going on with the diesels at this time – hence the single units on these loads.

4. Back near Kliprivier on the same day, 1571 class 15AR was seen working 1465-down, the Saturdays only passenger packet from Johannesburg to Bloemfontein. The train departed at 9:00am and arrived at Bloemfontein at 7.10pm. The leading coach right behind the tender is worth noting as an ex-CGR mainline day/sleeper saloon.

5. Another shot on 10th October, near Kliprivier: 2132 class 12AR nearly smoked me out as he shut off approaching the station with a goods load for Leeuhof.

6. Probably the most interesting photo taken on 10th October was this shot between Henley-on-Klip and Meyerton. The train is a local passenger from Johannesburg to Vereeniging and the engine is our old friend – 1970 class 15A, which later became famous after being named "Milly" by Alec Watson at De Aar. The rake of coaches of this particular set was also interesting. It included the usual L-17 – 3rd last coach.

7. I had to chase this interesting train and got her again passing the Home signal as she approached Redan. No 1970 was no stranger on this line but she was the only 15A stationed at Braamfontein Loco and this made her rather special when seen out on the road!

8. Thanks to the undemanding timetable (please see my logs below) and at the risk of repetition – here she is arriving at Vereeniging. So she knew all about railway photographers making a fuss of her long before she got to De Aar!

9. Having had my fill with 1970, I got back out on the main road to Germiston and between Meyerton and Henley-on-Klip made this photo of 3111 class 15F working 434-up, the East London - Johannesburg Express (later named "The Amatola" after the mountain range traversed by the Cape Eastern mainline). The clerestory roof-line of this train was only broken by the A-31/AA-32 twin diner with her elliptical roof.

10. At the same spot, train 434-up had hardly disappeared towards Henley-on-Klip when this VERY smart 12AR No 2124 came rolling by with a goods load for Leeuhof. This engine had a regular crew and was at one time sub-shedded at Kazerne.

11. The 10th of October 1959 provided several interesting photographs including this shot of 16CR 836 with a string of empties heading north for Germiston. These Hendrie Pacifics were earning their keep doing goods work as well as their share on passenger duties.

12. The following day I was back in Vereeniging and I just had to get a photo of Driver Hoffman – a Braamfontein man – with dear old 1970 ready to work a local passenger train to Johannesburg. The Hendrie stalwart was again working the passenger link to Vereeniging. I arranged to see him on the road to Germiston but in the meantime there were other trains to photograph.

13. Back at Daleside I found a pair of class 61s, No's 007 & 001 - the last and first of the class, working a goods train from Kroonstad to Germiston. Their GM two-stroke diesel engines had a much more melodious exhaust note than their GE–built sisters – not that this did anything to improve their performance.

14. Also at Daleside but heading south to Leeuhof, was class 15F 2904 with a long goods load. Germiston had nearly all the prewar German-built 15Fs – No's 2902 – 2922 except only for 2904 (seen here) and 2906 which were Braamfontein engines and 2916 & 2918 which were stationed at Volksrust.

15. Doubling back to Redan I found that beautiful 12AR No 2124 working another block load of coal south to the OFS. I had photographed her the previous day - see photo 10. It was worth photographing her again – she was so well turned-out! The three-post home signal behind the engine refers to the line from Grootvlei coming in on the right.

16. Another two class 61s appeared from the south at Redan with a goods train heading north to Germiston - No's 61.003 and 61.005. This put my tally of class 61s on film to four out of seven in service.

17. Then – what I had been waiting for – Driver Hoffman and his mate with 1970 working the local passenger train to Johannesburg. This was the first of three shots as I chased her by road up the line. As previously mentioned, I knew that steam on these services was coming to an end so I decided to make a meal of it – especially with 15A 1970 on the job!

18. My next shot was from the road bridge near Meyerton and yes – they were making smoke for me!

19. My last shot of her for the day was taken south of Angus as she stormed the grade up to the station. If you look closely, you will see Driver Hoffman in the fireman’s seat and his mate standing behind the cab window.

20. Earlier in the day near Meyerton, I saw 15F 3029 working 11Down to Kroonstad. Look at the lovely neat row of clerestory saloons behind the tender. Those trains had a lot of character which was lost when we adopted the Union Carriage & Wagon (UCW) style of elliptical roof.

21. A week later I was back on the line near Kliprivier when 2909 class 15F came rolling down-grade towards the station heading south with a mixed goods load.

22. On 18th October 1959 an unidentified 15F with 11-down to Bloemfontein was photographed at a slightly lower angle to the previous week’s shot. In just two weeks time, the loco would be an electric unit so I took every opportunity to make these images while I could!

23. Same bridge – same day – another unidentified 15F is seen working 444-up Bloemfontein to Germiston and Johannesburg. I had lost priceless photos in earlier years on this line – I wasn’t going to lose these final steam workings as well!

24. I chased 444-up to south of Angus and took another shot of the 15F climbing the grade up to the station where the climb eased and dropped away on the run down to Natalspruit.

25. On 1st November 1959 we entered the final month of steam-hauled passenger services between Johannesburg and Vereeniging as well as the main line turns to Kroonstad. A 15F No 3034 arrived at Vereeniging with a local from Johannesburg.

26. With one of my cameras loaded with Agfa colour film, on 1st November I took a portrait of the 15F ready to depart on her return leg to Johannesburg. On the couple of occasions that I rode these trains with a 15F in charge one was very conscious of the powerful draw-bar pull in the first coach behind the tender, especially when starting away from every stop. Riding 1st class from Johannesburg via Lawley and returning via Kliprivier gave an opportunity to ride in the first coach behind the tender on the entire round trip. Conversely, travelling via Germiston and Kliprivier first and returned via Lawley you would then be in the last coach for the entire round trip.

27. Here is 15F No 3034 departing Vereeniging for Johannesburg with her local passenger packet. Seven coaches was hardly a load for a 15F – no wonder the surging of the draw-bar could actually be quite unpleasant in the leading coach.

28. During November I spent some time around Randwater – a halt between Redan and Kliprivier where the Water Board's private siding tapped off. One of Germiston's ubiquitous 15ARs came by with a local passenger from Vereeniging to Johannesburg.

29. Moving down the line towards Kliprivier this really splendid 12R No 1954 came by working a goods train to Germiston. This engine obviously had a regular crew – pooled engines never looked this good! No 1954, an ex 12B, was displaced from the Cape Midland mainline by 15Fs from Paarden Eiland in 1957/8.

30. November 1959: the diesels were still hard at work moving traffic between Germiston and Kroonstad. In this scene, two class 1-DE with 742 leading were photographed working a block load of coal south towards Vereeniging. The level crossing in the foreground was later replaced by an overhead road bridge. It was this very level crossing that only a few years earlier had given me goose-bumps with the incredible excitement of standing on the open balcony of the leading 2nd class saloon of 4-up behind a 16E as she tore over the crossing with her whistle screeching to warn motorists to keep clear!

31. The Home signal at Daleside is pulled off and two class 1-DE with 732 leading are seen working a mixed goods load south to Kroonstad.

32. The wires were energised! In November 1959 at Redan I took my very first shot of an electrically-hauled train on the south mainline. Two 5Es with 556 leading were heading north for Germiston with a heavy goods load. BUT – steam was not finished – not yet!

33. A long goods train approached me near Daleside during November 1959, heading north to Germiston. It was electrically-hauled by 2x 5E with No 350 leading but look closely – there is a dead 3E behind the second unit – I can only assume that the 3E had failed and the 5Es were working the train forward.

34. On 21st November 836 class 16CR with a heavy goods load was seen working hard near Daleside heading for Germiston. So steam traction was hanging on – only just – by a thread (we didn't realise it at the time but that thread was tough, it would stretch to almost another 30 years)!

35. The next day (22nd November 1959) I was out again with cameras ready. An unidentified 15F came by working a string of empties up to Germiston.

36. On the same day near Redan, a named but unidentified 15F was working 11-down from Johannesburg to Kroonstad. In a week it would be all over for steam on this train.

37. When I walked around Vereeniging Station on 22nd November 1959 I noticed this electrification inspection trolley. Obviously, it had been in use checking the catenary before the electric units started to work the section. This was the only time that I ever saw this trolley – quite an interesting vehicle.

39. Well it had to come – the very LAST day of steam traction on the Vereeniging locals! I was at Redan on 29th November 1959 to photograph one of the last steam-hauled trains to Vereeniging with class 16CR 833 doing the honours.

Some logs of the Vereeniging locals

Towards the end of steam on the Johannesburg - Vereeniging locals via Lawley and Kliprivier, I decided to use my stop-watch and do a few timings on these sections. On 11th April 1959 I travelled out to Vereeniging via Lawley behind 16CR No 796 - log 1. For the return leg I was about to board the train via Lawley back to Johannesburg when my eyes nearly popped out. Backing onto the train was class 15CB, No 2071! What on earth was a 15CB doing on a Johannesburg local? It is assumed that she was in the process of being transferred from Bloemfontein to Waterval Boven and that she was handy at Vereeniging to work this train in place of the 16CR 796 that had failed due to problems unknown to me - log 2. The graph of the trip tells the story of this highly unusual run. I made the 3rd log via Kliprivier behind 15AR 1801 and the final log 4 via Lawley for comparison with electric traction behind class 3E 199.

On the trip behind 15CB 2071 where was my camera? Sitting quietly in my cupboard at home! The moral of the story in those days was definitely NEVER leave home without it! Please note that the red line indicates the booked running time and the blue line is the actual running time.

Log 1: Johannesburg to Vereeniging class 16CR 796 - 11 April 1959

Log 2: Vereeniging to Johannesburg class 15CB 2071 - 11 April 1959

Log 3: Johannesburg to Vereeniging class 15AR 1801 - 4 October 1959

Log 4: Johannesburg to Vereeniging class 3E 199 - 30 July 1960

39. THE LAST SHOT! Vereeniging, 29th November 1959: unheralded, except for one photographer, class 16CR No 833 is ready to depart for the last time with a local passenger train to Johannesburg. I had a lump in my throat as I walked back to my car after making this photo.

41. On the same day 11-down had already been handed over to electric traction. Here are 5Es 343 & 587 working the train to Kroonstad. I took this historic shot at Redan.

42. My last shot on that day was back at Vereeniging to record class 3E No 202 working the first electrically-hauled 432/3 express from Johannesburg to Kroonstad. The driver on this historically-noteworthy run was A.C.O. Kendal. If you look closely, you will see the bedding attendants all leaning out of the windows on the leading 1^st & 2^nd class reserved saloon as the train is drawing into the station.

Steam on these trains was now history! Sadly, I would no longer have to practically live on this line like I had done for the last couple of months!

However, steam traction was still NOT entirely finished on this section! Yes, that was the end on passenger trains but it would still play a part on hauler goods work between Germiston and Leeuhof as we shall see in Part 3 of this series.