South African Steam: Trans Karoo Steam Finale March 1997 

Yes I remember my breakfasts on the Trans Karoo very fondly!

So do I!

Magic times!

Dankie!

Yeah they were just all round great machines!

It was spectacular!

Cheers!

Those locos were certainly very impressive on the front!

It was great to see, but sad that it was over...

Thanks!

Very impressive locos!

Yes they were certainly world class back then...

This was a steam revival of sorts, the electric traction from JHB to KDR was replaced by steam at the request of pro-steam people at Braamfontein for quite a few years.

It's probably because the gauge is only 3' 6''

@@abywater Well in N.Z we too have colonial gauge but ours don't look like that. I just love how it makes South African locomotives have some uniqueness while others like Eastern European ones all have a similar vibe that you cannot determine country to country.

unrestrictive loading gauge and narrow rack gauge

I read in the book Twilight of South African Steam by AE Durant that the class 25s were roughly based on the NYC Mohawks, only at a 3:4 size ratio.

They are massive for 3'6" gauge!

Travelling behind steam on an express passenger traffic was an amazing experience!

Dankie baie!

Yes it had a faulty bypass valve on the fireman's side, and it was blowing through rather than sending steam to the cylinder.

“David Warble”. That is somewhat disrespectful of the man who almost single-handedly did his best to advance the case for continuing to use steam traction in an improved form on SAR. If he hadn’t been hindered by the narrow-minded thinking prevalent in that organisation who knows how much longer we would have enjoyed the sights of well-maintained steam locos instead of having to endure the painful sight this lead loco provided?

@@struck2soon That must have been a spell check. I didn't mean to write Warble. I love his locomotives.

@@struck2soon I just changed it and it tried to change it to Warble again.

Yes, the bypass valve was stuck or blowing through I believe.

I never got to see a condenser in action. Impressive locos but quite complex... I hear they exhausted super fine soot particles that found their way into everything!

They're both still around, although neither are in working order at present.

Thanks for your info. I'm guessing that both are NBL engines and would love to see them in action again.

It's 3'6" Cape Gauge

@@steamfreak a gauge used in: Australia New zealand Japan South Africa And many other countries.

@@maxwellthehedgehog6273 Thanks you, I am aware of that.

Dankie!

Apparently a broken bypass valve on LHS which meant that (according to my notes at the times) the live steam for one of the power strokes was exhausted straight up the chimney. Would have made for an interesting time for the fireman! I do recall it being almost painfully loud.

That would make sense judging by the particularly long exhaust on one of the strokes. And a lot of the fire being pulled out the chimney...

+steamfreak3450 Thanks for the explanation - I was wondering too...

struck2soon iimio

Amazing locos!

Yes it definitely did. One of the strokes on the left hand cylinder was going straight through the bypass valve.

Ja, very true

Probably 'cause he wasn't expecting that to shoot out of the smokebox. I think it's 'cause they whacked on the blowers too much.

The noise of that exhaust... The live steam was blowing straight out the chimney on the lead loco's left hand cylinder. Faulty bypass valve I think.

They really were a treasure...

😢 Ja ek ook...

Thank you for your valuable input...