Natal: 393 km government plus approx. [2] Extension to Patensie completed in 1914. USA / Europe / South Africa: Most products are manufactured and supplied to the 1:160 scale.This is the most common size available. 16. China’s construction of Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway and the Addis Ababa to Djibouti railroad are exemplary of crucial infrastructure projects for Africa. It is now closed and its tracks were lifted however the Ixopo to Madonela branch has been rebuilt from Allwoodburn to Madonela and is use by Patons Country Railway, Umlaas Road to Mid Illovo, 27 miles[19] opened in 1911 and was closed 1985 and its rails were lifted. Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway Revolutionizing Transportation. During 1900 these two 0-4-0T locomotives were used by the 47th Field Company Royal Engineers during the construction of the Bezuidenhout Light Railway, a light narrow gauge railway line from Simmer and Jack’s siding near Germiston in the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek to a siege camp 3.5 kilometres (2.2 miles) away along the Bezuidenhout Valley. The rebuild started in 1990 and the locomotive went back to service in 1997. For example, a link from Nigeria to Cameroon would join 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) to 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in). East - 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in) (but Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and isolated Ethiopia are 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 3⁄8 in )). However, this did not prevent standa The following railways were closed or converted to Cape gauge. [3], January 1901 – 1944, 8 miles (13 km) from Kearsney to Stanger, built and put into service at a total cost of £18,500. It was opened in 2000 on a branch of the former Umzinto - Donnybrook narrow gauge railway line. They therefore enabled many communities to become prosperous. These lines featured the largest and most powerful locomotives ever in existence on two-foot-gauge railways worldwide. Metre gauge is also common, as in the case of the Uganda Railway. Ruling gradient 1-in-30 compensated for 45,7 m (150 ft) minimum radius curves.[20]. The line linked the port of Walvis Bay to Rooikop. The Hobby Shop supplies model trains, trainsets, landscaping materials, all to scale, for the ultimate layout of your modeling requirements. It is common for South Africans to consider anything less than 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in, Cape gauge) as a narrow-gauge railway and are accustomed referring to "standard gauge" when they actually mean "Cape gauge". Cape Province: 580 km government, 60 km private lines. The remaining 16% are narrow gauge (914 to 1 067mm). Gautrain, South Africa's first standard-gauge railway, has confounded many of its critics by cutting journey times in the Pretoria and Johannesburg area and attracting a loyal ridership. The Banana Express continued under Patons Country Narrow Gauge Railway operations having a temporary permit from Transnet and ceased operations in 2005. Their decline started in the 1980s, the last commercial line ceased operations in the 1990s. They therefore enabled many communities to become prosperous. On 18 June 2008 a storm ruined the railway in the coastal area. based in Roodepoort, SOUTH AFRICA AMS HADEN Instrument & Mining Services is the product of a merger between R.Haden Instrument Services (Pty) Ltd and Agrimine Services CC. The daily Humansdorp passenger departing from Station St. The dominant narrow gauge (NG) countries are South Africa, Japan, Australia (all on 1 067mm) and Brazil (1 000mm). South African Railways Rolling Stock Photographic Roster: Reporting Marks: SAS : Click on a item to view pictures In Tunisia, the railway network in the central and southern part of the country is a metre gauge network, including the main lines Tunis-Sfax (Ligne de la Côte) and Tunis-Kasserine, and also the local Ligne du Cap Bon from Bir Bou Rekba to Nabeul. 1000 mm and 1067 mm gauges can be combined as a 4 rail dual gauge with bonus 1435 mm gauge. South Africa dominates the railway scene in Africa and ranks about 14th in the world General map of narrow gauge railways in South Africa, initial source for this article. [11], Also known as Knysna forest railway. The line was used to haul firewood. For the purpose of major overhauls and interchangeability, rolling stock could be transported piggyback on Cape gauge rolling stock by means of a special access ramp on the break of gauge at Cape gauge junctions available on most of the two-foot lines. More than 85% of the railways in Africa operate on narrow gauge. Metre gauge survive in Egypt: in the countryside around Luxor, narrow-gauge railways are used for the transportation of sugar cane. These eventually extended to around 150 km of track serving rubber and palm oil plantations.[1]. Step aboard the vintage wood-panelled coaches and sit […] [7]:139 Originally built from Kalbaskraal to Hopefield, in 1913 the line was extended to Saldanha passing Vredenburg. All two-foot railways were operated isolated from each other. SAR’s Bellville quarry in the Tygerberg hill, employing Zwillinge locomotives. The Avontuur Railway was built from 1890 to 1905 and is 285 kilometres (177 mi) long. We have a large variety of stock to choose from. In the early 1900s, 2 ft (610 mm) narrow-gauge railway lines started playing a significant role in South Africa. Because Africa is divided into many countries, railways built by different governments tend not to link up with each other, each country's lines connecting its outlands with its own port. Originally standard gauge, the railways of the then Cape Colony changed to narrow gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm), sometimes known as Cape gauge, for cost-cutting reasons. In the early 1900s, 2 ft narrow-gauge railway lines started playing a significant role in South Africa. Regauged to cape gauge. Approximately 10 miles. Plans are now being drawn up to extend the network to cope with Johannesburg's rapidly … 500 km sugar lines. 18 kilometres (11 mi) Walvis Bay Railway, 610 mm (2 ft) gauge, completed in 1899. This line was later extended from Balfour 12 miles to Seymour. [26] Built in 1914 and closed in the 1970s.[27]. A third diesel, a three axle hunslet, survived in South Africa [36], ????–1981. South Africa’s rail network is entirely narrow gauge – all 30 400 track kilometres – except for the Gautrain’s 80 km standard gauge network in Gauteng. In 1973, it was wrecked after a runaway accident,[33][34] and after years of idleness it was shipped to the Brecon Mountain Railway in Wales. 1 Whereas “broad” in Britain meant 7’-0”, in South Africa after standard gauge disappeared in the 1880s it meant 3’-6” gauge! South African two foot gauge railways - RMWeb, South African narrow gauge rolling stock - RMWeb, Vanishing Steam; Article by the South African Tourist Corporation, Forum with Photographs of SA NG lines, Page 1, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Two-foot-gauge_railways_in_South_Africa&oldid=986242887, Use South African English from April 2015, All Wikipedia articles written in South African English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Aug. 8, 2018– Kenya’s new, up-and-running Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from the Port of Mombasa to the capital, Nairobi, built with major Chinese participation, is already revolutionizing the country’s transportation according to the {Daily Nation} of Kenya. The Sandstone Steam Railway first opened in 1998.[23]. The railways of South Africa and many other African countries, including Angola, Botswana, Congo, Ghana, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe, use 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge, sometimes referred to as Cape gauge. South Africa’s current rail network is the eleventh-largest in the world at 22,387 route-km or 30,400 track-km. In Tanzania former East African Railways lines are metre gauge while the TAZARA line is 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm). Geismar is the world leading supplier of solution dedicated to installation, maintenance and control of railway and OHL systems. Operated between Knysna and Diepwalle in the Southern Cape by The South Western Railway Co. Ltd.[12], Between 1907 and 1983 a narrow gauge railway connected Weenen with Estcourt, 47 kilometres (29 mi) to the west, and provided an outlet for its agricultural produce and was thus called the "Cabbage Express". 1926–1949, 55 miles,[7]:166 regauged to cape gauge. North - 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) South - 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in) mostly connected and quite strong. Neighbouring railways are 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) in Sudan and 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) in Ethiopia. In Krugersdorp, using a CGR Type C 0-4-0T. Nearly all railways in South Africa use a 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) Cape gauge track. Ran a private Branch from Chelsea junction at the Avontuur Railway to its cement factory at New Brighton in Port Elizabeth. Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana and Nigeria recently completed construction of standard gauge railway lines. Many nations, particularly in Southern Africa, including the extensive South African Railway network (Spoornet), use a 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge. Metre gauge is also common, as in the case of the Uganda Railway. Dreamtrains is one of the biggest online suppliers of model trains, accessories and scenery for all scale models in South Africa. [14] This line was the Natal Government Railway's first venture into narrow gauge operation. After metrication in the 1960s, the gauge was referred to in official South African Railways … The NG G11 number 55 remained plinthed at Weenen[16] and was later refurbished and is now used on the Paton's County Railway. The Port Shepstone–Harding line was operated from 1911 to 2006 and is 122 kilometres (76 mi) long. Narrow-gauge railways are common in Africa, where great distances, challenging terrain and low cost have made the narrow gauges attractive. Its collection consists of narrow gauge stock collected from other closed 2 ft narrow gauge lines in Kwazulu Natal, elsewhere in South Africa, and from neighboring countries.. 1906–1923, 15 kilometres (9.3 mi), later extended. South Africa - Class 91 - UM6B - 2 foot gauge. While most countries through which such a line would run have cape gauge lines, Tanzania and Kenya have metre gauge lines, although the TAZARA line in Tanzania is cape gauge. Many nations, particularly in Southern Africa, including the extensive South African Railway network (Spoornet), use a 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge. [32] The Gautrain rapid transit railway uses 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ⁄2 in) (standard gauge). [35], The EPCC also operated a South African Class NG8 4-6-0 and two 300 HP funkey diesel-mechanical B-B locomotives[34] which were also shipped to Wales to be used on the Welsh Highland Railway (unaltered) and the Ffestiniog Railway, the latter implying the construction of a new body to be able to negotiate the strict loading gauge of that railway. Its track gauge was 950 mm (3 ft 1 3⁄8 in), a gauge favoured by the Italians in their colonies in the Horn of Africa and North Africa. 1926–1940, 35 miles. It was operated by the South African railway company Spoornet and more recently by railway enthusiasts. Built in 1920, the locomotive worked most of it's life in the area. Before the gauge conversion many locomotives were interchanged with the South African two foot railway systems depending on various operational considerations. In fact, in 1989 the Sishen-Saldanha line set a world record by carrying the biggest train in history, 7.2 km long containing 660 wagons pulled by 15 locomotives and weighing 71,232 tonnes (70,107 long tons; 78,520 short tons), though most trains on this line routinely run with lower tonnage. Discussion about railroad topics everywhere outside of North America. This page was last edited on 30 October 2020, at 17:22. Closed by South African Railways in 1986 and then leased to the Alfred County Railway which went bankrupt in 2004. However, this did not prevent standardization and interchangeability of rolling stock and locomotives. A limited diesel locomotive hauled service has also operated between Paddock and Plains stations more recently. This merger took place on the 1st0ctober 2000. The line is commonly known as the Apple Express.[3]. Conversely, events in South Africa and its neighbours over the years had a huge influence on the development of railways. 20 kilometres (12 mi) Cape Cross Mine Railway, 610 mm (2 ft) gauge. The Eritrean Railway's 950 mm (3 ft 1 3⁄8 in) narrow-gauge railway was abandoned and heavily damaged during Eritrea's war of independence. [22][7]:160 The line was regauged to cape gauge during 1939 and 1940. The Avontuur Railway operated between Port Elizabeth and Avontuur in South Africa. They facilitated the transport of various agricultural and mineral produce from locations hardly accessible by road. At Sezela. First, a 25-mile stretch of narrow-gauge line was authorised at a cost of R130,000 between Fort Beaufort and Seymour. The first railway line in South West Africa, built in 1895/96. [2] However, the Gautrain between Johannesburg and Pretoria operates on standard gauge, and thus is not capable of using any of the country's existing rail network. The railway was dismantled in the 1940s by the British during their military occupation of Italian Somaliland, and was subsequently never rehabilitated. However, with the development of a strong economy, with heavy export coal and iron ore traffic, and electrification of most main lines, South Africa, like Queensland, operates several narrow gauge trains that outdo most standard and broad gauge trains across the world. Incompatible gauges are therefore not obvious. It comprises 12,801km of national network, 7,278km of branch lines and 2,228km of narrow gauge urban network, as well as 80km of standard gauge regional rapid transit network. Buy and sell model train track online. Michelle Gavin in her December 3 post, The United States and Europe Should Work Together to Promote a Prosperous Africa, expresses the dilemma for U.S.-Africa policy: The Patons Country Narrow Gauge Railway runs from Allwoodburn station Ixopo to Umzinkulu (Madonela). 49 jan-feb 2007 Limestone to Port Elizabeth - by David Payling - Page 12, second column, Ex West Rand Consolidated Mines 0-4-0WT Orenstein & Koppel 4102/1910, Narrow gauge steam locomotives of South Africa. It was later rebuilt between Asmara and Massawa. It was the longest 610 mm (2 ft) gauge route in the world[citation needed] at a length of 285 km. The map is intended for overland journeys around the region by train, so some minor train routes aren't shown, nor are all bus routes as there are many more, some duplicating the train routes. After the treaty of Algeciras where the representatives of Great Powers agreed not to build any standard-gauge railway in Morocco until the standard gauge Tangier - Fez Railway being completed, the French had begun to build military 600 mm (1 ft 11 5⁄8 in) gauge lines in their part of Morocco. Only a few tourist, agricultural and/or heritage railways survive. This locomotive, numbered 2, had a 43-inch (1.1 m) diameter boiler producing 160 psi (1,100 kPa) steam to 13.5-inch (34.4 cm) diameter cylinders through an 18-inch (46 cm) stroke powering 36-inch (92 cm) diameter drivers. During the period of British colonisation of Africa, Cecil Rhodes advocated the construction of a Cape to Cairo railway, linking all British possessions along the eastern side of Africa between South Africa and Egypt. Platinum ore railway. The 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) gauge is now in use. [4][5] The track was laid with 30 lb rails and had a ruling gradient of 1 in 30. 1907–1949, 22 miles, now closed. [10] Converted to cape gauge. The map shows principal passenger train routes & bus links in southern Africa. [15] Its rails were lifted. Some also survive in Egypt: in the countryside around Luxor, narrow-gauge railways are used for the transportation of sugar cane. There used to be extensive 2 ft (610 mm) and 600 mm (1 ft 11.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px;white-space:nowrap} 5⁄8 in) gauge networks in countries such as Morocco, Congo, Angola, Namibia and South Africa, but these have mostly been dismantled or converted. It was built by a farmer [9] who bought the locomotives and rolling stock from army surplus stock of the Bezuidenhout Light Railway. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Narrow-gauge railways in former French Morocco, Narrow-gauge railways in former Spanish Morocco, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Narrow-gauge_railways_in_Africa&oldid=998144078, Articles needing additional references from September 2014, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2009, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 4 January 2021, at 01:09. Shop by scale / gauge, brand and colour. Paton's Country Railway operates the second oldest narrow gauge Beyer-Garratt locomotive in service in the world, 2-6-0 0-6-2 #55. Kenya, Uganda and others use 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) gauge lines. [17], The Umzinto–Donnybrook narrow-gauge railway was in existence from 1908 to 1987 and was 93 miles long. The system was built during the 1910s by the authorities in Italian Somaliland. 1903–1961, 567 kilometres (352 mi) in German South-West Africa (today's Namibia). The Apple Express, a tourist train, ceased operations in December 2010. 1903–1926, regauged to cape gauge. Australia: While there are several sizes used in Australia, the majority of tracks are 9mm gauge.Some collectors have used Z gauge tracks for Queensland Railways’ Nn3 models. There is also a short line, known as Seb's Railway, branching to the west at Hoekfontein and running to a balloon loop around a farm dam and suitable only for small locomotives. After the gauge conversion the remaining stock was transferred to the two-foot lines. In a series of bespoke train journeys lasting from 48 hours to 15 days, Rovos Rail links some of the continent’s greatest destinations with a variety of off-train excursions. South Africa: N/A: 1,435 mm: 1,065 mm: South Korea: N/A: 1,435 mm: N/A: Spain: 1,668 … 46 miles long. Present day Southern Africa has inherited its railway gauge from a bygone era of 142 years ago, when in 1873 the decision was made to reduce the gauge from 4’-8½” to 3’-6”, when the Cape Government Railways (CGR) planned its extension from Wellington to Worcester for the reasons why see “Ox Wagon to Iron Horse” - click here to view. Railway specialists and suppliers of high quality equipment, we have a global presence all over the world where there are conventional, urban and high-speed transport networks. There used to be extensive 2 ft (610 mm) and 600 mm (1 ft 11 ⁄8 in) gauge networks in countries such as Morocco, Congo, Angola, Namibiaand South Afric… This was selected in the 19th century to reduce the cost of building track across and through the mountains found in several parts of the country. During the First World War when Cameroon was a German possession, a network of 2 ft (610 mm) gauge Feldbahn railways were built. Converted to Cape gauge.[1]. Railway lines with rails (partially) intact, operationally closed, Stations are still displayed on Google maps, Umzinto - Donnybrook narrow gauge railway, List of abandoned railway lines in South Africa, Old steam locomotives in South Africa: Kearsney-Stanger Light Railway 1901-c.1944, 2ft Narrow Gauge Forest Railroad in Knysna - South Western Railway Co, Geoffs Trains - The South African NGG11 Garratt steam locomotive, "Locomotives and Buildings Used on the Country Railway", Map Durban to Pietermaritzburg - Covering the railway alignments between Durban-Pietermaritzburg and lots of other interesting information - Bruno Martin, South Africa (Transvaal) Railways–SL 213 - Passenger stations and stops, Syd gets all steamed up about trains - Adam Brand - 8 August 1964, The Sandstone Steam Railroad – The first ten years, Old steam locomotives in South Africa: SEZELA Sugar Mill: Sezela No 1 - Avonside 1719/1915, Developments in sugar manufacture in South Africa from 1959 to 1984: The Sezela factory, Old steam locomotives in South Africa: Umzinto, Indian Quran Study School, Hunslet 3385/1946, The PE-Avontuur Narrow Gauge Line– A brief history, Baldwin De-railed - Evening Post Monday 20 August 1973, Narrow gauge World Magazine - No. The larger railway lines operated their own workshops performing minor to major maintenance and/or repairs. All two-foot railways were operated isolated from each other. The railway forms part of the so-called EAC Rail Sector Enhancement Project, also called the East African Railway Masterplan, managed by the East Africa Community (EAC) which plans to … Morocco had from 1912 – 1935 one of the largest 600 mm (1 ft 11 5⁄8 in) gauge networks in Africa with total length of more than 1700 kilometres. These lines featured the largest and most powerful locomotives ever in existence on two-foot-gauge railways worldwide. A 125-mile cane sugar rail network. Since its establishment in 1989, Rovos Rail has earned an international reputation for its truly world-class travel experiences. [31] Locomotives included a 33-ton 4-6-2 built by Baldwin Locomotive Works with a separate 23-ton tender carrying 5 tons of coal and 2,040 US gal (7,700 l) of water. Narrow-gauge railways are common in Africa, where great distances, challenging terrain and low cost have made the narrow gauges attractive. The line carried sugar and tea, passenger trains were operated until about 1930.[6]. Railway transport in Somalia consisted of the erstwhile Mogadishu-Villabruzzi Railway and secondary tracks. The gauge difference is explained by the metric system used by the Germans who built the Otavi Line contrary to the South Africans who used imperial units. Railway Corporate Strategy CC responded as follows on 28 July 2006: “The Department of Transport is to be complimented on, and encouraged in, its quest to resolve South Africa ’s gnawing railway gauge issue. Many defunct locomotives are plinthed at various former railway station sites or work on the Welsh Highland Railway and other heritage railways in and outside South Africa. At Sandstone Estates a 26 km line runs from Grootdraai in the south, northwards to the main farm, loco depot and marshalling and storage sidings at Hoekfontein and onwards via Mooihoek to a large loop at Vailima sidings/Ficksburg and the village at Vailima. Whether your trainsets are modeled on the North American, South American, or European train systems, we have the right model kits for you. They facilitated the transport of various agricultural and mineral produce from locations hardly accessible by road. Built at the gauge of 600 mm, which did not prevent exchanging locomotives with the two foot (610 mm) lines in South Africa when it was taken over by South Africa (as part of the British Empire) in 1915. We design and manufacture all our equipment. In South Africa , as elsewhere in the world, the railways played a huge part in development and growth on nearly all terrains in the country. Gauge lines [ 17 ], the locomotive worked most of it 's life in the.. Over the years had a huge influence on the development of railways at 17:22 operated until about 1930. 6... Largest and most powerful locomotives south africa railroad gauge in existence on two-foot-gauge railways worldwide interchanged with the South African railways South. 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