Driver's Eye View Plus - Steam in South Africa at Sandstone Estates with Avonside 0-4-0T “Xanthe”

After taking photographs and shooting video film around the Sandstone Estates railway for two days, it was time to ride one of the trains and the locomotive crew were kind enough to allow me to attach a camera to their engine. I have used text from the excellent “The Sandstone Steam Railway - the story continues” book compiled by David Richardson to tell the story behind the railway. One of the dilemmas facing the Sandstone Steam Railway was the diversity of their locomotive fleet ranging from Heavy Garratts weighing in at over 60 tons to diminutive little sugar cane locomotives coming in at under 2 tons. As a result of safety issues arising from running locomotives of such differing sizes on the same line, it was decided to build a separate line for the smaller engines and sugar cane waggons were converted to carry passengers. This new line is refereed to as “Seb's Childrens Railway” leaves the main farm, railway and museum complex at Hoekfontein to run through open savannah down to and around an attractive lake where it crosses the dam holding back the lake water before entering a natural forest from which the train emerges to complete its circuit around the lake before heading back to its starting point at Hoekfontein station. Please join me for a ride behind Avonside 0-4-0T “Xanthe”.
Map at 00:47 - www.facebook.c...
To find out more or maybe to arrange your own visit, please click on this link - www.sandstone-...
Tour arranged by FarRail - www.farrail.com/
Locomotive featured - Avonside 0-4-0T “Xanthe”
Track gauge - 2ft (610mm)
Tour date - 17th July to 1st August 2024
Recomended reading - sandstone-esta...

[@allanblackesq]

Just sent this video link to my father in Australia. he was the footplate inspector at Sandstone.

[@Timsvideochannel1]

He had an interesting job, I hope the video brings back good memories.

[@johannperaus6890]

Hi Tim! This is a good sound from the little steam engine 👍. Best regards from the Mühlviertel, Hans 🍻🇦🇹.

[@Timsvideochannel1]

Hello Hans, it was fun riding the little train, in a previous life it had been used on a sugar cane railway.

[@OtiAdventureToller]

What an amazing little railway!

[@Timsvideochannel1]

Hello Abi, it's a bit like the railway at Trago Mills.

[@OtiAdventureToller]

@@Timsvideochannel1 that's what it reminded me of!

[@annawitter5161]

So cute!

[@Timsvideochannel1]

It was fun to ride, a bit like the park railway in my home town.

[@KOLEJ22DrogaPrzygody]

Hey super , great video , like, my friend .

[@Timsvideochannel1]

Thank you for the "Like", I'm pleased you enjoyed the video 😊.

[@afriquelesud]

#bucketlisted 😊🎉

[@Timsvideochannel1]

I hope you get there one day 😊.

[@panikrystyna1]

Czy to bajka czy nie bajka? Za siedmioma górami, za siedmioma lasami była dziwna kraina. A w tej krainie były malutkie szyny. a po tych szynach jeździł malutki pociąg. A w tym pociągu ludzie stawali się pełni radości życia. Czy to bajka , czy nie bajka? Witam, Tim. Pozdrawiam, dziękuję.😀

[@Timsvideochannel1]

Witam, bardzo spodobał mi się Twój opis małego pociągu. Kolej Sandstone Estates nie przypomina żadnej innej, jaką widziałem. W swoim poprzednim życiu mała lokomotywa i jej ciężarówki pracowały na plantacji cukru. Republika Południowej Afryki to kraj, który pobudza wszelkie emocje, jest piękny, bogaty w zasoby naturalne, a mimo to większość jego mieszkańców jest biedna, mężczyźni nie chcą pracować, większość pracy wykonują kobiety, dzieci są szczęśliwe, chodzą do szkoły, a kiedy szkoła się kończy, biegają, skaczą i bawią się. W nocy jest bardzo zimno, poniżej zera, a w południe temperatura wynosi od 20 do 25 C. Cieszę się, że film Ci się spodobał.

[@sellier-bellot22]

Like the British use to say : what a brilliant weather today !!! LOL😄i saw a long fence over there what for ???

[@Timsvideochannel1]

I couldn't have wished for better weather. Please click on this link to learn about future plans for the railway including the reason for the fences - www.sandstone-estates.com/index.php/general-news/3697-seb-s-children-s-railway-with-a-new-dimension

[@sellier-bellot22]

@@Timsvideochannel1 i'll do my best !🥸

[@rogertemple7193]

This is really awesome with a cab view on the tracks it is very interesting here, thank you.🚂🚃🚃💗

[@Timsvideochannel1]

Hi, I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride, it's an unusual railway 😊.

[@robertcoleman4861]

Thanks Tim, I could spend a week at that wonderful estate the more i see of it the more i like it looking fwd to the next episode cheers Bob.🚂🚃🚃🚃🛤🌍

[@Timsvideochannel1]

Hello Bob, Sandstone Estates is unlike any museum complex I've visited, they have a couple of special events a year where they run many of the exhibits to create scenes from the past. You might find this video magazine interesting - sandstone-estates.com/index.php/railway-heritage-58/2ft-narrow-gauge Cheers. Tim.