You really chose the locations and panned them beautifully. Those trains being banked on the branch-they are some of the most remarkable steam shpts I have ever see. Thrilling. 🙂What strikes me watching clips form China s the lack of steam leaks-the locos seem to have been kept in good condition.
This is a sound such a real pity most youngsters won't hear or see as our Steam Trains are left to rot on dumps instead of being on display so young generation can see our Transport that was such a lovely sound to hear plus see I just love the old Steam Trains so did many people plus children really sad
Oh my god, the tall factory building at 26:55 was the place where I worked for the first time, a paper factory, and I was still a teenager at the time. I had the pleasure of meeting those of you who photographed Forest Train back in the day. I remember there were a few people who were very old, with rosy faces and beer bellies, haha.
Probably they were in many cases. I have personally ridden on 25NCs on passenger doing more than 110kph(70 mph) and on freight at up to 80kph (50 mph) or even more.
These clips are just fantastic Simon. As I was a fireman in Kimberley the clips of De Aar line and especially Kimberley to Bloem mean so much to me. Even seeing some of the locos I worked on is just great. I can see me spending loads of time just watching your clips. Thanks for posting
Thank you Richard, I enjoyed the filming. There is much more on later videos on my channel right up to the end of daily steam in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Enjoy them. I also enjoyed many footplate rides out of Kimberley but never did any filming from there as I had no permit.
I just watched it again Simon for the 3rd time. It brings back so many memories for me. I wonder if I was fireman on any of your clips? Especially around Germiston and Kimberley. Watching all you gricers chasing the trains I recognized many of your cars and a few faces also. Im sure you and I met loads along the way, especially Orange river. Thanks again, Richard Niven
This is the best footage of SA steam I have ever seen and all all your truley footage is amazing. I was wondering if you have any footage of the narrow gauge stuff like the Alfred County Railway and other 2ft lines narrow gauge is my main obsession!
Thank you. There are sequences of Port Shepstone to Harding in various of my videos. The record triple header is shown in 1991 vol 1 from 31 minutes, original SAR footage in 1985 to 1988 vol 3 from 30 minutes plus various videos in between. I visited Alfred County Railway many times.
@@simonleppardchinasteamvide7563 Oh great thank you also I ma going to be making some videos about SA Locos here on RU-vid not on this channel but on another one would it be ok if I used some of your fottage I will giuve you full credit of course.
Fantastic to hear and see the two 25nc at full chat at the start of the video. Thanks Simon 😊 The last I heard no 3472 was still alive and kicking. Whether that is still the case I'm unsure. The now defunct reefsteamers had her in their guardianship
Sat here on a rubbish winter morning in West Yorkshire, watching Beyer Peacock Garratts scaling the banks in the North.....flooding memories of travelling from Bulawayo to Victoria Falls /Livingstone in the 80s as a kid...thank you for posting
Winter in west Yorkshire must be very different to Zimbabwe any time. Thank you for your kind comment. I had many good times following steam in Zimbabwe.
My channel has some China steam from 2011 for those interested. Thanks for sharing your films. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-zQL09QFB4bM.html
And to believe these beasts ran on 3ft 6'' gauge track! Compared to Japanese steamers, which (mostly) run on the same gauge, they're so much more imposing.
Superb footage of some wonderful locomotives. I’m looking for drawings of NBL 15F locomotives, not art drawings, technical drawings. If anyone knows where these can be copied / bought, please share the info.
Thoroughly enjoyable - sight and sound. Thank you for also capturnig the trains behind the locomotive - so easily overlooked. Great raw material for modelling inspiration - thank you again!
Most of the Jilin SLs made that sound.I think it was some sort of modification to the blast pipe, loval to Jilin depot. I never heard it on any other classes or anywhere else.
SAR's decision to relegate steam locomotives to nothing was a bit hasty. They seemed against all reports most have,capable of handling heavy loads at speed. I know that these could not work in multiples as steam turbine,diesel machanical,hydraulic and electric locomotives but there must have been boiler improvements done to let that happen and also have them fired by gas rather than coal to eliminate thick black smokes.(2023.12.01-15:37-socalled South Africa)
There was a formal report comparing the costs of diesel,elactric and steam between Kimberley and de Aar. Electric was the cheapest to run but very expensive infrastructure to install. Steam in the form of 25NCs was by far the most cost effective....
I don't know why I was recommended this but this is so cool to see, and the steam trains are just absolutely beautiful. Do you still travel to China? I'd be interested to see just how much things have changed since then. Thanks for uploading!
Pleased you enjoyed it. My last trip to China was in 1996. Even in that short 10 year period I saw many changes. I went 15 times to film the steam trains. I have posted all my edited videos for you to enjoy.
Many people were made to believe that garratts are slow moving locomotive. GM/GMA/GMAM could turn their wheels at speed and that is thanks to Mr W.A.J Day's making 2×19D locos into 1 GM garratt soon after realising that they were fast.(2023.11.28-08:09-socalled South Africa)
The garretts did have a good turn of speed. The 15ths in Zimbabwe especially when required. The passenger schedule for the 15 coach passenger from Vic Falls to Thomson Junction was 2 hours 50 minutes for the 138 km with 2 stops including taking water. One night the train was 50 minutes late leaving Vic Falls and with a minimum stop for water was on time on arrival at TJ. I was sweating on the shovel and with no speedos on the Zim engines I know we were moving it but the engine was riding like a coach.
No SL with a bell. I do have a JF pulling passenger stock near Jilin which is on a combination of cine and very early video of my first 2 trips in mid 80s. Will be publishing this week.
