Locomotive Graveyard De Aar August 1988

In August 1988, whilst on holiday in South Africa, I visited the engine sheds at De Aar. This community was built around a major railway junction on the route from Johannesburg to Cape Town, and is located on the southern end of the Karoo Desert. In a previous video I showed images of the locomotive shed, this one shows the locomotive dump beyond. I hope you will enjoy this film. If you do please subscribe to my channel where you will find other railway related and other material.

[@tims1542]

Very moving footage, thank you john.

[@Retaud21]

Many thanks for your kind comment Tim. If you are interested, I have posted other railway videos relating to Southern Africa, France, Germany and the UK on KZbin.

[@tims1542]

@Retaud21 brilliant stuff thank you. It will make excellent weekend viewing. Happy Easter to you and yours

[@IckAck03]

The epitaph was really beautiful.

[@jn1ty]

The main problem with these is they are so expensive to restore and so expensive to move to someplace where they would have the resources to restore them. Sad to see them go.

[@merlinjackson4098]

The Lament of the Steam Locomotive: Requiem in Pace. A very sad poem, well executed. I'm 75 now, but I was honour to serve on them. Soon, I too will be like these machines. No, I did not enjoy the sacrilege portrayed in this video!

[@warwickker-fox2098]

So symbolic... and summarisies the state of SA today... of how something was developed advanced worked well ... is today now broken and stripped and destroyed.... looks all too familiar.. im just saying

[@pauljackson2844]

Absolutely in their element - destroying stuff.

[@Retaud21]

Hi Paul, Many thanks for your comment. Also no consideration given for the health or safety of the workers. If you are interested, you can find many more of my railway related and other videos on You Tube,

[@trivialinsignific]

if you immediately know the candle light is fire, the meal was cooked a long time ago -

[@richardmarshall4322]

Reminds me of photos of Cashmores in Newport in the60's. Also the long lines of locos like at Barry

[@Tom-Lahaye]

Sad sight, especially since then already rare classes were scrapped like the 12A with original boiler and the 3R with the number 1459 written on the cabside.

[@BradvT13]

Fortunately 3BR No. 1486 is nearing the end of her restoration and should be running soon. She's looking better than new 🙂

[@Tom-Lahaye]

@@BradvT13 That's nice, hope to see some videos soon with her on the Umgeni Steam Railway.

[@vqey2]

Can’t believe that there were still locos in that yard after all those years. When was the last one taken away ?

[@Einwetok]

Rust in Pieces

[@ianmandy127]

Very sad to see 2828

[@Retaud21]

Hi Ian, thanks for commenting on the video. If you are interested, you can find several more railway related videos on my channel.

[@ianmandy127]

@@Retaud21 watched a few videos great stuff

[@merlinjackson4098]

I disagree, a steam locomotive is not inanimate object. Evidently you have not served on one.

[@trivialinsignific]

you understand that these locomotives are inanimate objects and they had no self awareness, they were never alive and therefore can not die ?

[@supraman1395]

You must be fun at parties..

[@Nathan93Baker]

You do realize that once they're gone, they're gone for good. Steam is never coming back.

[@trivialinsignific]

@@Nathan93Baker understood - you know what might interest you ? recently i watched a video by some guy that snuck into a closed chinese train repair depot, inside was a steam locomotive manufactured in 1981