Since I was a little boy, I have always had a camera in my hand - going on many adventures with my father around the country to chase trains! In 2015, I completed my degree in Biokinetics and practised as a biokineticist for four years, before taking up photography full-time in 2021 and co-founding Stimela Photographic Events. Over the last decade, I have specialized in capturing trains and landscapes over the picturesque Southern African landscape. Away from the beaten track, the railways of South Africa often navigate the exquisite landscapes of our country. From the long, heavy freight trains that move to our ports, to the colourful passenger sets that travel between cities - our railways are aesthetically pleasing on the eye. Of special interest, are the various Heritage Operators around South Africa that operate steam locomotives from time to time - affording us a glimpse of the past.
So sad that our wonderful and old steamers now need the assistance of two growling, noisy and smelly diesel-electric units! But what a wonderful video! I travelled this route in 1955, as a twelve-year-old boy on a camp outing from Cape Town to Elgin. Wonderful memory! I am now eighty years young! Thank you for your video! This is also an amazing reminder of what a wonderfully beautiful part of the world in which we live.`
Glade to see that umgene stem has not converted to oil burnes that does tremendous damage to the culture and the reputation of the stem era .people stil want to hear the sond of the spade and the firemans skill to main tain while the regulater is full open and the injector in full operation oil burners the so called fireman just sits and open , tapes just like a steam engine without a brass number plate. They can just as will put a diesel on the job.
For all the GHG objectors. That bit of coal that was burnt when relayed into diesel for trucks to move all that cement, makes trucks look like rogues. Bring back the rail.
truly a thing of beauty. I grew up in KZN towards the end of steam; we didn't see many of the 'big boys' like the 15F or the 25c/NC, more Garretts and 19Ds (on the branch lines). Amazing machines, all of them.
Born in Victoria-West, spent my forming years before school in the 60s and early 70s with my dad on the railway lines while he worked for Plasser, places like Beaufort West, De Aar, De Put, Merriman, Hutchinson, Three Sisters, Leeu-Gamka... I remember playing next to the lines when the Class 25 Condensers thundered by. I remember my fathers cousin, Oom Boet, driving die steel Kyalami between De Aar and Kimberley. I remember a skinny fireman named "Veerpoot" on Beaufort West. I remember innocent simplicity. I remember...
Ek stem saam daardie Lokomotive het die ANC op gestny vir skroot metaal want op daardie spesivieke lyn kan net 'n 19 klas gery het want die spoore is te lug vir so 'n swaar Lokomotive.
They were unable to turn it in Cape Town as it never reached Cape Town. On most occasions they are able to do so. The recent wash away and derailment close to De Doorns the reason.
Thank you mate! I agree. Blue Skies, Blue Train and Green Grass, all very visually appealing! Glad to see her running again. PS. Really enjoying your shots of the Malmesbury Express!
Wow that is great to see this beautiful video one day I want to take the trip to enjoy to see the beautiful view and thanks so much to share with us wonderful journey
Great to see 439 back alive, sad that she broke down. She's almost 130 years old now, which is a very respectable age for any locomotive, let alone one going out on the mainline. Sad also is the state where the railways are in especially in the Johannesburg-Pretoria area, almost refreshing to see a mainline in the video that actually has wires above it and electric loco's running on it! Can anyone tell me about the diesel in the consist, I didn't recognise it as a former SAR class or a Queensland loco either.
Very sad to see the state of our railways these days! The diesel you see is a former Narrow Gauge class 91 Diesel that was converted to 3ft6 and modified by Grinrod (I believe). Certainly looks very different now!
