‘RED DEVI AGAIN IN ‘ L’ TO RUN NRM’ PLAN
With advice from native and foreign enthusiasts, 65 of the country’s most significant locomotives 54 of them steam - were given ‘national heritage’ protection in November, under an agreement between rail operator Transnet and the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA). To house many that are currently in open storage, Transnet Heritage has taken over the nine-road Bloemfontein steam shed - with several engines already moved there - and has an agreement with the nearby workshops to begin cosmetic restorations. To help pay for their upkeep, the engines can be loaned to preservation groups - and Cape Townbased railtour operator Atlantic Rail is negotiating for such an arrangement with Wardale’s red Class ‘26’ No. 3450. Last steamed on September 23 2003, ‘The Red Devil’ is now stored at the Monument station used by Atlantic Rail for its steam specials with Class ‘24’ 2-8-4 No. 3655 and ‘16DA’ ‘Pacific’ No. 879. Atlantic Rail intends to overhaul ‘The Red Devil’ for use on a proposed train from Cape Town to Wolseley, to connect with the new Ceres branch steam operation (SR448). Other notable machines on the ‘protected’ list include Class ‘25’ condensing 4-8-4 No. 3511 one of only two condensing tender locomotives left in the world - and unique surviving Cape Government Railway ‘5B’ 4-6-2 No. 723 of 1904, one of South Africa’s first ‘Pacific’ designs. Several Garratts are also earmarked, including ‘GMAM’ 4-8-2+2-8-4 No. 4070, and the last remaining light ‘GO’ 4-8-2+2-8-4 designed for branch line work, No. 2575. Although the news signals a major clear-out of
DAVID WARDALE’S super-advanced 4-8-4 ‘The Red Devil’ is destined for a return to main line operation - thanks to the setting aside of more than 50 steam locomotives for a new national railway museum in South Africa.
Transnet-owned locomotives that have not made the final selection (see panel), one enthusiast who advised SAHRA said: “We think, under the circumstances, we have got the best ‘bang for the buck’ with the budget available. South Africa is never going to be able to fund ‘Barry-style’ restorations, and sadly the reality is that some locomotives are likely to be scrapped.”