At the beginning of the twentieth century, two foot (610 mm) narrow gauge railway lines started playing a significant role in transporting various agricultural and mineral produce from locations hardly accessible by road. It enabled many communities to become prosperous.
These lines featured the largest and most powerful locomotives ever in existence on two foot gauge railways worldwide.
All two foot railways were operated isolated from each other. However, this did not prevent standardization and interchangeability of rolling stock and locomotives.
The larger railway lines operated their own workshops performing minor to major maintenance and/or repairs. For the purpose of major overhauls and intercheability, rolling stock could be transported on Cape gauge rolling stock by means of a special access ramp on the break of gauge at Cape gauge junctions available on most of the two foot lines.
Their decline started in the eighties, the last commercial line ceased operations in the nineties. Only a few tourist, agricultural and/or heritage railways survive. Many defunct locomotives are plinthed at various former railway station sites or performing their duties on the Welsh Highland Railway and other heritage railways in and outside South Africa.
It is common for South Africans to consider anything less than 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in, Cape gauge) as a narrow gauge railway and are accustomed referring to "standard gauge" when they actually mean "Cape gauge".
Overview [1]
Port Elizabeth – Avontuur / Patensie
The Avontuur Railway was built from 1890 to 1905 and is 285 kilometres (177 mi) long. Extension to Patensie completed in 1914.
The Apple Express, a tourist train, ceased operations in 2011.
The Port Shepstone – Harding line was operated from 1911 to 2006 and is 122 kilometres (76 mi) long. Closed by South African Railways in 1986 and then leased to the Alfred County Railway which went bankrupt in 2004. The banana express continued under Patons Country Narrow Gauge Railway operations having a temporary permit from Transnet and ceased operations in 2005. On June 18, 2008 a storm ruined the railway in the coastal area.
The following railways were closed or converted to Cape gauge.
2 January 1901 - 1944, 8 miles (12,8 km) from Kearsney to Stanger, built and put into service at a total cost of GB£18,500.[2][3]
Otavi Mining and Railway Company 1903 - 1961, 567 kilometres (352 mi) in German South-West Africa (today's Namibia). Built at the gauge of 600 mm, which did not prevent exchanging locomotives with the two foot (610 mm) lines in South Africa when it was taken over by South Africa (as part of the British Empire) in 1915. Regauged to cape gauge.
Before the gauge conversion many locomotives were interchanged with the South African two foot railway systems depending on various operational considerations. After the gauge conversion the remaining stock was transferred to the two foot lines.
The gauge difference is explained by the metric system used by the Germans who built the Otavi Line contrary to the South Africans who used imperial units.
1903 - 1926, regauged to cape gauge. 46 miles long.[4] Originally built from Kalbaskraal to Hopefield, in 1913 the line was extended to to Saldanha, with a branch to Vredenburg.
1906 - 1923, 15 kilometres (9.3 miles), later extended. It was built by a farmer named Bezuidenhout [6] who bought the locomotives and rolling stock from army surplus stock. The line was used to haul firewood [7]. Converted to cape gauge.[8]
1907 - 1949, 22 miles, now closed. Operated between Knysna and Diepwalle in the Southern Cape by The South Western Railway Co. Ltd.[9]
Between 1907 and 1983 a narrow gauge railway connected Weenen with Estcourt, 47 kilometres to the west, and provided an outlet for its agricultural produce and was thus called the "Cabbage Express".[10] This line was the Natal Government Railway's first venture into narrow gauge operation.[11] Its rails were lifted. The NG G11 number 55 remained plinthed at Weenen[12] and was later refurbished and used on the Paton's County Railway.[13]
The Umzinto to Donnybrook narrow gauge railway was in existence from 1908 to 1987 and was 93 miles long. It is now closed and its tracks were lifted.
Umlaas Road to Mid Illovo, 27 miles[16] opened in 1911 and was closed 1985 and its rails were lifted. Ruling gradient 1-in-30 compensated for 45,7 m (150 ft) minimum radius curves.[17]
1925 - 1931.
1926 - 1949, 55 miles,[19] regauged to cape gauge.
1926 - 1940, 35 miles. First, a 25 mile stretch of narrow-gauge line was authorised at a cost of R130,000 between Fort Beaufort and Seymour. This line was later extended from Balfour 12 miles to Seymour.[20][21]. The line was regauged to cape gauge during 1939 and 1940.
At Sandstone Estates a 26 km line 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. It first opened in 1998.[22]
It's collection consists of narrow gauge stock collected from other closed 2 ft narrow gauge lines in Kwazulu Natal.
The Patons Country Narrow Gauge Railway runs from Ixopo to Umzinkulu. It was opened in 2000 on a branch of the former Umzinto - Donnybrook narrow gauge railway line.
At Zebediela. Closed 1959.[25]
At Sezela. A 125 mile cane sugar rail network.[26] Built in 1914 and closed in the 1970s.[27]
A sugar plantation in Natal.[28]
A sugar plantation.[31]
Ran a private Branch from Chelsea junction at the Avontuur Railway to it's cement factory at at New Brighton in Port Elizabeth.[33] Locomotives included a 33-ton 4-6-2 built by Baldwin Locomotive Works with a separate 23-ton tender carrying 5 tons of coal and 2,040 USgal (7,700 l) of water. This locomotive, numbered 2, had a 43-inch (1.1 m) diameter boiler producing 160 psi (1,100 kPa) steam to 13.5-inch (34.4 cm) diameter cylinders through an 18-inch (46 cm) stroke powering 36-inch (92 cm) diameter drivers.[34]. In 1973, it was wrecked after a runaway accident [35] [36], and after years of idleness it was shipped to the Brecon Mountain Railway in Wales. The rebuild started in 1990 and the locomotive went back to service in 1997 [37].
The EPCC also operated a South African Class NG8 4-6-0 and two 300 HP funkey diesel-mechanical B-B locomotives[38] which were also shipped to Wales to be used on the Welsh Highland Railway (unaltered) and the Ffestiniog Railway, the latter implying the construction of a new body to be able to negotiate the strict loading gauge of that railway. A third diesel, a three axle hunslet, survived in South Africa [39]
???? - 1981. Approximately 10 miles. Platinum ore railway. Converted to Cape gauge.[40]
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