Death of a steam railway 

We stayed by the line in 1982, and rode on it in 1984. The locos were all Class 24 Berkshires. I was told during the 1984 visit that one of them had derailed when going down the grade from George. When we came back from Knysna, at the foot of the climb back to George, it started to rain. The crew detached two goods cars from the train, and put them in a siding. Then, we had to make a request stop on the grade. You could tell the driver absolutely didn't want to come to a stop - but he had to. When he started back up the grade, the normally "slippery" 2-8-4 was guaranteed to slip!

I've heard that the train was also pulled by Class 24 steam locos before the 19D's took over the task in the late 90's. At the moment there are 2 steam groups running in the Western Cape, Atlantic Rail in Cape Town and Ceres Rail Company in Ceres. These groups have nrecently formed a partnership with each other and are now running as one business. Atlantic Rail have wooden coaches which are similar to the coaches of the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe in terms of design but unfortunately don't have a large seating capacity. The locosused are currently a 24 and a 19B from Ceres Rail. Ceres Rail are using the coaches from the Union Limited and their locos are 2 19D's built by North British Loco which have been converted to burn oil because of the invironment they run in and the 19Bmentioned earlier. I think Atlantic Rail could also benefit from a few coaches like the ones of the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe in terms of design, seating capacity and building materials as well as an NBL-built coal-fired 19D.

Wonderful to watch. This was my last stamping grounds on SAR as a fireman. I started in Germiston then worked out of Kimberley for years on the big 25NCs and finally ended up working out of Voorbaai. After firing the fast mainlines I did find the George to Knysna line extremely easy to work. Even hand firing a GEA garratt up Montagu was easy work after Kimberley. Looking at your clip around Victoria Bay reminded me of a night we were working back to George on a class 24 when the ashpan fell off. I had to get under the engine and unbolt it to stop it dragging on the track. Once back at George I packed the drivers well polished kit into his bucket when he noticed his shifting spanner was missing. "Where's my spanner?" he asked. Of course I had left it down on the track near Victoria Bay. He knew this right away and said to me "well you best get yourself down there and go fetch it". I replied "no ways am I walking all that way for a spanner" and he replied "don't be bloody stupid, take the engine" and sure enough off I went on this class 24 alone back down the dark track. . Driving a big hissing steam loco alone along a dark forest track is extremely scary work and an experience I will never forget.

While I don't like the idea of the end of these magnificent machines, you did a good job of relaying the character of this particular line. Thanks.

I remember it in the 60's and 70's. The usual locos were Class 24 2-8-4's.

We traveled on it before 2006. All my children with us.2006 my youngest son died.

Wonderful video well presented and narrated. Thank you for sharing it.

"RFP for the operation of the George-Knysna line In late 2021, Transnet Freight Rail (TFR), the owner of the George-Knysna line, put out a Request for Proposals (RFP) from the private sector for the restoration and operation of the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe on the line. This tender closed on 19 April 2022. Two companies submitted bids. As one of these bidders, The Outeniqua Choo Tjoe (Pty) Ltd assembled a team of track repair contractors, bridge engineers, hydrologists, steam and carriage restoration specialists, tourism specialists, and tourism journalists (amongst others). Most of the members of this team were also members of the recently-completed Kruger Shalati Train Hotel on the Bridge at Skukuza in the Kruger National Park."

great video. Thanks for preserving and sharing the experience.

dolly did a good job getting up those steep hills

They are apparently starting restoration of the line, carriages and locomotives.

I so enjoyed your video. I am wondering if this old steam train is still running again.

Thy got know proud this government.