I use Heidenau snow tyres all year round

The big problem in todays world is getting the younger generation to work steam. Its hard work and something most of todays youngsters do not know. Diesels & electrics are sit back and get fat machines

Kev, how is the playback on your screen?? Watching this it is so poor I can hardly even see the other bikes. Perhaps its my internet or screen but its bloody poor

Interesting video, the type of roads I like to ride. The video playback quality is not the best but still enjoyable to watch.

Looked fine to me. Was this your older 500 or the one you picked up earlier this year?

Hey Gary, life here is so so fantastic. Never been so happy in my life. You should come over sometime. Have a watch at some of my clips

Oh it has been shared hundreds of times. That day John and i left Kimberley about 30 minutes late so went like the clappers to make up time. At 1 minute on clip we are racing through Witput with regulator open. Normally we would be coasting through there but as I say we wanted to get to De Aar on time and sure enough we did. Probably the fastest trip I ever had on any steam loco on that line

your not joking. Lets hope she remains in preservation forever. I am so glad I worked her so many times in steam days. She was a great loco to work

@@AdventurescotI can imagine and I envy you. The only Northerns that could hold a candle to Red Devil's efficiency are the S1 Niagaras and the S2 Super Niagara from the old New York Central Railroad. They were only around for 11 years in service and Red Devil was in service for 50 years. She was as old as some of the 4-4-0 Americans like General and Jupiter when they were withdrawn.

@@JonAschenbrenner yes that's very true. I have models of Red Devil and Niagaras etc and love the lot of them. I often think the 25s on SAR were copies of the Niagras but have a feeling it was the opposite way around. Think the Niagaras were copies of the 25NCs. These big SAR Northerns just went forever. They would fly along that narrow gauge track at hi speed all day & night without any problem. I loved working them

@@Adventurescot How can the Niagaras be copies when the Class 25 Northerns came along almost 10 years after the NYC made their Super Northerns?

@@JonAschenbrenner no no, I don't mean they are copies in the respect that one copied another. What I mean is that so many modern parts were put into these two classes of locos that are virtually the same design. Pistons with the 5 or 6 piece rings, single slidebars, roller bearings etc. Both were extremely ultra modern machines and had many very similar designed parts

It sure is open for cars and plenty places to stop along the way. I'm still not sure if its open to the summit yet though. You also need to pay at the barriers half way up

Oh yes, for sure I will be at more meetings this year. Next time I will bring my big 5" gauge 4-8-2 SAR class 23

Even closer than I am with my locos. Come along one day

Lol!

Bongo was an amazing Lion. As per usual like with most animals I made friends with him and often sat getting big cuddles from him.

We were running a bit late after being stopped by signals at Kraankuil so my great driver John Gilberthorpe let her rip. We made up the 11 late minutes and arrived into De Aar on time