Natal mainline and Redan area – 28/04/2014

A break from Stars of Sandstone posts went out to the Natal mainline around Greylingstad, this area is very prone to mist in the morning and the 28th was no exception. Got PRASA 18 425 with a late running Durban passenger and 43 115 & 43 116 with a load of container coal for Tutuka power station near Standerton. I chased the train to the power station but really any photo ops on the branch due to limited access. Spent the afternoon around Redan but not much traffic probably due to the long weekend

Natal Mainline & Vereeniging – 21/03/2014

Selection of photos taken on the 21/03/2014 on the Natal Mainline and around Vereeniging. Aim of the day was get some photos of the second last running of the Durban sitter, this brought out almost all the Gauteng gricers Mark Berry, Eugene Armer & Jean Dulez and myself. Saw lots of trains but the weather forecast was partly cloudy and tended more to cloudy, so not great for photography. Had a look at the new branch to Grootvlei power station, most of track has been laid so hopefully will be opening soon.

Kroonstad Line – Morning 01 March 2014

First time I have seen 34 class diesels on the line and not sure why they were hauling to dead 6E1s. Very cloudy morning with both passenger trains running around 3 hours late the light was not that great. Around midday it clouded over and started raining and still raining on Monday. We are having a very wet and overcast summer on the highveld so photo opportunities have been limited.

Photos from December

A few shots of the Shosholoza Meyl Trans-Karoo heading from Beaufort West to Cape Town pulled by a pair of 6E1s. I never seem to be able to get passenger trains with locos in the Shosholoza Meyl liveries. Last photo is of Rovos Rail leaving Kimberley.

Semaphores and 6E1s

On the 30th November I went down to area between Westleigh and Rooiwal on the Johannesburg Kroonstad line to photograph the Shosholoza Meyl trains from Port Elizabeth and East London with semaphores at Rooiwal. According to news reports these semaphores will probably be replaced with CTC next year. After chasing a few freights I moved up the line to the Vereeninging area and was very lucky to get a 6E with a 6E1 on a container train, in the close up the difference in bogies is clearly visible. Last photograph shows a set of 18E locomotives in the new TFR livery, these are conversions from the 6E1s