System 7, Part 1: Johannesburg between the Home Signals, by Les Pivnic ©

1. Johannesburg Station in CSAR days as seen from the eastern side looking west. A Belpaire class 6 with a string of clerestory saloons stands at platform 3 of the old station. Probably the Limited Express awaiting departure for Pretoria. This platform would become 5 & 6 in the 1932 Station. The famous iron and glass roof structure of NZASM’s original Park Station can be seen straddling platforms 2 & 3 as they were pre-1932. This attractive structure was retained as a prominent feature of the much larger new station completed in 1932. As you can see, point rodding has already replaced the NZASM’s twin-wire system, an indication of the strong British influence that permeated the CSAR and its policies.

The CSAR’s imposing Head Office building as it was then can be seen to the left of the station platforms. After the formation of SAR in 1910 this became the General Manager's Office as well as the Western Transvaal System headquarters.

The Wanderers sports ground was to the right of platform 4 behind the trees (see Part 2, photos 10 and 12).

2. Prior to 1910 Johannesburg Station occasionally hosted exotic machines like the experimental CSAR class M - Kitson-Meyer of 1903, seen here in platform 3. In Frank Holland Vol 1, we learn that this strange beast, successfully modified by the CSAR, was allocated to Germiston until 1918 when she was sold to Transvaal Collieries. The Station's iron and glass roof can just be seen behind the loco's tender.

3. In this scene from early SAR days c 1915 the photographer was looking across the western approach to the old station. The old Kazerne Goods Yard can be seen in the upper-left background. Of particular interest is the 4-doll starting signal gantry at the end of platform 1. Note the miniature repeaters lower down the main post - all on their own little bridge.

4. The grand entrance to the 1932 Johannesburg station, as seen from Eloff Street just short of de Villiers Street c 1934. Were it not for the depression it would have been even grander – it had been proposed to have two full-size elephants with trunks raised on either side of the main entrance. Due to economic constraints the architects had to compromise, placing a smaller elephant head above each of the entrance portals. In the frieze above the elephant heads, transport from ancient times on foot through to the modern railway of the day was depicted. The train was an accurate representation of a class 16D coupled to an articulated saloon as used on the Union Limited. Many years later, the S A Railway Museum Office was accommodated in the offices at street level flanking the main entrance.

5. A Frank Garrison photograph (c 1935) of a class K tank loco working a local passenger train takes us trackside in the much larger station completed in 1932. The K-class tanks were designed and destined for the Manila Railway in 1916, but SAR was experiencing serious motive power shortages brought on by the UK locomotive builder’s wartime commitments, so the order for seven locos from North British was diverted to South Africa where they were put to good use in commuter service between Randfontein and Springs.

6. Continuing with Frank's work, a class 16B has just arrived at platform 5 with a passenger train from Breyten c 1934. The first three coaches are CGR while the fourth is NGR - only the last being a "home-town" CSAR vehicle.

The prominent canopied bridge straddling the tracks was used by porters to take luggage, parcels and mailbags to the platforms which were connected to the bridge by Waygood-Otis lifts within the tile-roofed towers, so much a feature of the 1932 station.

7. Another 16B draws into platform 5 with an express from Pretoria c 1934. Note the motor vehicle ramp behind the train which connected platforms 5 and 6 to Wanderers Street. This was an exit ramp only - a tunnel at the opposite (west) end provided the access to the platforms. The tunnel was restricted to motor cars and motor-cycles but yours truly regularly raced through on his push-bike to go and watch the trains coming and going in a never-ending stream. Frank Garrison Photo.

8. An interesting photo of Frank's c 1936 showing an almost new 2445 class 19C departing with an all 3rd-class worker’s local to Jeppe where it would reverse direction, returning to Nancefield in a township to the south-west of Johannesburg better known today as Soweto. For a while class 19Cs were attached to each end of these trains to facilitate the change of direction. However, being accustomed to the redoubtable Hendrie 16s, the Braamfontein drivers were not too happy with these engines in suburban service and before long the 19Cs were transferred to the Cape. A G Watson never intended the 19Cs to work suburban trains, especially in this curious back-to-back formation.

9. A class 16C drifts in with an Up local passenger from the East Rand. The elevated Johannesburg East Signal cabin alongside the road bridge, together with its mate at the western end of the station were both replaced in 1932 by a single cabin at the east end with an electric miniature lever frame (see photo 8 in Part 2 of System7). The silver roof of the new cabin (yet to be commissioned) can be seen behind the 1st coach of the train.

10. Engine 852 class 16A – one of only two 4-cylinder Pacifics built for SAR – was photographed by Frank as she worked her (now) empty passenger train that had come from Breyten, through to Braamfontein Yard. 852 was always kept immaculate by her regular driver but her sister 851 was not so lucky, she was rather drab – her driver was not an enthusiast!

12. A Hendrie Belpaire-boilered combustion-chambered class 16C leaving Johannesburg with 206-up bound for Cape Town. Running to express timings this train departed Johannesburg at 3.15pm on Fridays and Saturdays arriving in Cape Town at 8.15pm the next day. Within 3 years this clean view would be draped with catenary for the new electric suburban services. Frank dated his photo c 1934.

13. A classic Frank Garrison study of Kimberley-based 877 class 16DA departing from Johannesburg with 2-up – the Union Limited c 1933. The Pacific would work the train all the way to Kimberley where she would be replaced by another wide-firebox 16DA for the run to Beaufort West. In those days when the mines were still producing decent coal and SAR was still buying it, it was common practice for the passenger links to cover two locomotive divisions.

14. Some 3 years later Frank photographed 16E 856 working 206-up out of Johannesburg en route to Kimberley. Note the ugly stove-pipe chimney on test – good thing it didn't last long.

16. In the late 1930s Roger Perry found sister engine 857 at the eastern end of Johannesburg Station, just arrived from Kimberley with a Down Passenger. The 16Es were in regular service from Kimberley from their introduction in 1935 until the class 23s entered service in 1939, whereupon they were transferred to Bloemfontein, remaining there until they were retired after almost 40 years service, in 1973.

18. I've always considered that this SAR photograph of 857 class 16E leaving Johannesburg with the Cape-bound Union Limited is one of the best showing SAR’s finest Pacific hauling SAR’s premier train in its prime in 1937. Three other points of interest - the headboard was double-sided - Union Limited/Union Express. The train heading to the Cape was the "Union Limited" while in the reverse direction it was the "Union Express". In this photo, the headboard was actually hung the wrong way around! The second point is that the first vehicle behind the tender was the van that conveyed the mails – northbound from the UK and southbound for transferring to the Union Castle mailship in Cape Town. Third point - to the right of 857 is old Kazerne Goods Yard from whence Karrier Cobs made their delivery runs.

19. This SAR photo of 859 class 16E departing for Kimberley with the Union Limited is unusual in that it is leaving from platform 11/12 and not the usual platforms 1/2.

22. Here is 2561 setting off for Kimberley on 206-up with the men on the footplate displaying considerable interest in the photographer! One would assume that a Locomotive Inspector accompanied this inaugural trip of a class 23. The General Manager's Office stands tall in the background.

23. Class 23s soon took over the Cape expresses to and from Johannesburg whereupon the 16DAs and 16Es were transferred to Bloemfontein. Here is 3214 ready for departure from platform 1 with a relatively new 2M1 EMU standing alongside at platform 3. SAR photograph c 1938.

24. A class 23 heading the Union Limited at platform 1, with a clear view of the new steel-bodied mail van that became part of the consist from the late 1930s.

25. Sometime during 1938 Dave Parsons found a brand new 15F at the head of a main line passenger train on platform 1 while a 16DA with her train, probably just in from Bloemfontein, simmered alongside at platform 3.

26. In their ongoing efforts to promote the Union Limited/Union Express SAR’s photographers took hundreds of photos in the late 1930s. Here is yet another of a class 23 leaving Johannesburg for the Cape – please note the steam effects are not ours, they are the handiwork of the Publicity Department! The steel-bodied mail van is prominent behind the tender and the wooden-bodied articulated type C-22 saloons were due to be replaced fairly soon as the new Metro-Cammell air-conditioned coaches were already on the water.

27. A new class 23, now fitted with standard smoke deflectors based upon the Deutsche Reichsbahn design, lured Dave to the eastern end of Johannesburg where she was awaiting departure for Bloemfontein.

28. SAR operated a well-patronised parcels service using passenger trains. Here is the depot at the eastern end of South Station Building in Johannesburg. Note the Karrier Cob amongst the horse-drawn vehicles. Thrupp & Company was Johannesburg's leading grocer. I can remember going into their store in Pritchard Street with its elderly gents in brown dustcoats and white aprons ready to serve customers with paper bags of sugar or rice, or whatever one’s heart desired, weighed on an Avery Scale with brass weights!