South African Steam: Trans Karoo Steam Finale March 1997

[@olafeklund6200]

Brought back memories of many trips on the Trans Karoo. They had fabulous lounge cars, and the dining car and the quality of the food was great. It was especially nice to go for breakfast and watch the sun come up over the Karoo on the southward trip.

[@steamfreak]

Yes I remember my breakfasts on the Trans Karoo very fondly!

[@brucewilliams8714]

Winter, 1991, Klerksdorp. Late night visit with Ashcat to the loco shed to see the two NCs rostered for the run into Jo'burg the following morning, Breakfast, (almost too early for hotel staff), and then chasing the train for as long as we could. I got some good video. Even more, during the rest of the Safari. Happy days there, Trevor.

[@steamfreak]

Magic times!

[@matthysswanepoel187]

was the best still the best still music to my ears i will not see this again in my life wish we could turn back the time

[@steamfreak]

So do I!

[@ChristoBrand-d6e]

This was hard wotk, not a sin to work hard, did it for 14 years.😂😂😊😊

[@steamfreak]

Very nice!

[@Crosshead1]

Love the 25s, C or NC. Some great 'footage' there. Such a pity we didn't have HD video back then. Maybe one day we'll see these magnificent machines back in steam and in HD.

[@steamfreak]

Yeah they were just all round great machines!

[@edwardbotha792]

This bring back a lot of good memories and wish they could bring back the trans karoo

[@steamfreak]

Those locos were certainly very impressive on the front!

[@philbraithwaite287]

I remember that day well, followed them from JHB to Klerksdorp.

[@steamfreak]

It was great to see, but sad that it was over...

[@blikkiesvdm]

Hierdie ou Reuse sal Altyd be wonder word. Pragtig.

[@steamfreak]

Dankie baie!

[@sanniegroenewald1054]

Dit is darem maar mooi

[@steamfreak]

Dankie!

[@augustinogeorgecloete8050]

I work 1500km from home I would love if the bring trains back

[@steamfreak]

Yes they were certainly world class back then...

[@devinbattley8492]

So cool. The beauty of steam propulsion.

[@steamfreak]

It was spectacular!

[@Isochest]

Was this the prelude to full electric traction between Cape Town and Johannesburg?

[@steamfreak]

This was a steam revival of sorts, the electric traction from JHB to KDR was replaced by steam at the request of pro-steam people at Braamfontein for quite a few years.

[@scootergrant8683]

I love how large South African locomotives have large boilers that sit low and seem to overhang the loco.

[@abywater]

It's probably because the gauge is only 3' 6''

[@scootergrant8683]

@@abywater Well in N.Z we too have colonial gauge but ours don't look like that. I just love how it makes South African locomotives have some uniqueness while others like Eastern European ones all have a similar vibe that you cannot determine country to country.

[@IndustrialParrot2816]

unrestrictive loading gauge and narrow rack gauge

[@Uptownloki47]

I read in the book Twilight of South African Steam by AE Durant that the class 25s were roughly based on the NYC Mohawks, only at a 3:4 size ratio.

[@steamfreak]

They are massive for 3'6" gauge!

[@7822welshsteam]

At first I thought we didn't have the real sounds. The valve timing is very strange on the first loco. I wondered whether David Wardale had been messing around with a new compounding system!

[@steamfreak]

Yes it had a faulty bypass valve on the fireman's side, and it was blowing through rather than sending steam to the cylinder.

[@struck2soon]

“David Warble”. That is somewhat disrespectful of the man who almost single-handedly did his best to advance the case for continuing to use steam traction in an improved form on SAR. If he hadn’t been hindered by the narrow-minded thinking prevalent in that organisation who knows how much longer we would have enjoyed the sights of well-maintained steam locos instead of having to endure the painful sight this lead loco provided?

[@7822welshsteam]

@@struck2soon That must have been a spell check. I didn't mean to write Warble. I love his locomotives.

[@7822welshsteam]

@@struck2soon I just changed it and it tried to change it to Warble again.

[@thefredtkt]

Great video

[@steamfreak]

Thanks!

[@theolerou7490]

Vir my die mooiste klank wanneer die stoomlokomotief in aanloop is (wegtrek) n Wonderlike ervaring om met stoomtrein te reis. Nou 71jr oud so ek ken hulle goed

[@vivianventer527]

And that was end of long distance Train Travel for Me . Flew back to Durban

[@steamfreak]

Travelling behind steam on an express passenger traffic was an amazing experience!

[@budgie8264]

Thanks Mate nice video.

[@steamfreak]

Cheers!

[@jurgens4134]

Puik Die naasbeste nadat ek dit as kind kon ervaar het wat n vooreg was dit

[@steamfreak]

Ja, very true

[@Mbu1050]

Stupendous engineering

[@steamfreak]

Very impressive locos!

[@JohanKuhn-k2c]

Was een fan die stoompassers op die transkaroo ek staan bekent onder die bynaam poffie

[@steamfreak]

Lekker!

[@ChristoBrand-d6e]

Dit is die LEWE. Stry?😂😂

[@steamfreak]

Ja, seker

[@kunalmathur4591]

This is meter gauge or standard gauge?

[@steamfreak]

It's 3'6" Cape Gauge

[@maxwellthehedgehog6273]

@@steamfreak a gauge used in: Australia New zealand Japan South Africa And many other countries.

[@steamfreak]

@@maxwellthehedgehog6273 Thanks you, I am aware of that.

[@struck2soon]

Something badly wrong with the valve events on lead loco, any ideas?

[@steamfreak]

Apparently a broken bypass valve on LHS which meant that (according to my notes at the times) the live steam for one of the power strokes was exhausted straight up the chimney. Would have made for an interesting time for the fireman! I do recall it being almost painfully loud.

[@struck2soon]

That would make sense judging by the particularly long exhaust on one of the strokes. And a lot of the fire being pulled out the chimney...

[@stephensmith799]

+steamfreak3450 Thanks for the explanation - I was wondering too...

[@britinibrocker]

struck2soon iimio

[@MagnetOnlyMotors]

0:37 Good way to use a wrench. 1:12 sounds like a leaky valve.

[@steamfreak]

Yes, the bypass valve was stuck or blowing through I believe.

[@gertjiegert1092]

Die beste ooit. Dis moer toe. As gevolg van ..........

[@steamfreak]

Dankie!

[@markwilliams4201]

Goodbye to a treasure of SAR,as well as a workhorse.Spoornet,you made a big mistake taking this train and the Orange express off the lines.You should be ashamed.....

[@steamfreak]

They really were a treasure...

[@koegelenbergandriesng.153]

Baie met hom gery Laingsburg toe.

[@steamfreak]

Amazing locos!

[@normansilver905]

We rode across the Karoo on a SAR passenger train pulled by a condensing steam 25 locomotive in 1979. Quite a ride. BUT the condensing steamers were not too popular.

[@steamfreak]

I never got to see a condenser in action. Impressive locos but quite complex... I hear they exhausted super fine soot particles that found their way into everything!

[@joesprinter8202]

Does anyone know what happened to the two NBL locos?

[@steamfreak]

They're both still around, although neither are in working order at present.

[@joesprinter8202]

Thanks for your info. I'm guessing that both are NBL engines and would love to see them in action again.

[@nigelslade5276]

Sounds first loco has valve problems.

[@steamfreak]

Yes it definitely did. One of the strokes on the left hand cylinder was going straight through the bypass valve.

[@hawkeye-vv4kb]

Why the "ooooooh hel" at 2:35 ? ... lol

[@scootergrant8683]

Probably 'cause he wasn't expecting that to shoot out of the smokebox. I think it's 'cause they whacked on the blowers too much.

[@steamfreak]

The noise of that exhaust... The live steam was blowing straight out the chimney on the lead loco's left hand cylinder. Faulty bypass valve I think.

[@blikkiesvdm]

Ek tjank sommer laaaaang trane.

[@steamfreak]

😢 Ja ek ook...

[@jopiejgdewittuffie]

ik vind treinen kijken niks

[@steamfreak]

Thank you for your valuable input...