Sandstone Estates are an extensive farming complex located in Free State, South Africa, close to Bloemfontein. Owned by entrepreneur Wilf Mole, they are also a global-scale hub of transport preservation.
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A large former colonial farm, Mole bought the complex after making his money from becoming the owner of the Nokia franchise for South Africa.[1] Like many farms in South Africa, it had no narrow gauge railway to tranpsort produce direct from the fields to the main shipping ports but Wilf, who is a dedicated railway enthusiast paid for one to be built with his own capital. Since 2005, the farm has become 100% organic.
A steam enthusiast, in the mid-1990s Mole was approached by Alan Clarke of Transnet Heritage Foundation, who realised the foundation did not have the resources to rescue the collapsing Midmar Museum in KwaZulu-Natal.[1] The collection formed the basis of what became the Sandstone Heritage Trust.
Today, the trust's collection is still based around the railway transport of Southern Africa, but also covers an extensive global road transport and military vehicle collection.
The 26 km 2 ft narrow gauge complex runs from Grootdraai in the south, northwards to the main farm at Hoekfontein, onwards via Mooihoek to a large loop at Vailima sidings/Ficksburg and the farm's main depot at Vailima.[2]
At Ficksburg, located alongside the Transnet Freight Rail Bethlehem to Bloemfontein line. The Ficksburg site is also the hub of a short 3 ft gauge line, where the locomotives included artist David Shepherd's North British Locomotive Company 15F, and the standard gauge workshops.