Volunteers struggle to keep steam train on track and rolling
MARC Bouchier, an Umgeni Steam Railway (USR) trustee and treasurer, said it’s been a tough task keeping the wheels of their Inchanga Choo Choo turning – at times they were required to dip into their own pockets to get by.
With no funding from government entities and Covid-19 severely hampering their operations since March last year, Bouchier said USR was determined to preserve the historical importance of steam railways.
“There are few places in the world where you can enjoy heritage railway trips, especially with steam engines, and we’re one of the last existing operators in the country.”
Bouchier said their Choo Choo
was a great drawcard for the ethekwini area and Kwazulu-natal and he believes the promotion of the country’s rail heritage can be a big money spinner.
When USR came into existence nearly 40 years ago, Bouchier said steam railways were being phased out and little was being done to preserve them. “That’s what drove us.”
Bouchier said they were donated a few locomotives and eventually managed to negotiate a lease agreement with Transnet for Inchanga, which had a station building and two tracks.
“We put up a shed, added an extra track and moved our stuff there.”
However, their only source of revenue is from ticket sales.
During the periods of hard lockdown due to the pandemic, Bouchier said, they struggled, and when they were permitted to operate they could only fill 70% of the train’s capacity in order to maintain social distancing.
“This is the third time we’ve been forced to stop running, and when we do, in spite of losing income due to reduced capacity, we still have to get the train cleaned, which includes fogging and sanitising after each trip.
“Those are all extra costs and we have not raised our fare for two years, yet the prices of water, coal and other necessary things have escalated at an alarming rate.”
Bouchier said they nearly reached their tipping point during the first hard lockdown last year. When they reopened in August, it was just in time.
“We’re back in dire straits and I can’t see us running again in July.
“Hopefully, we’ll be back in August. It means the guys will be dipping in their pockets again.”
He said with the country being placed on a hard lockdown every three to four months, he feared the next one would fall at the end of November and into the Christmas season.
“That’s our big worry because that’s our peak period. The money earned at that time is usually put away to see us through the next year to cover our maintenance work and other expenses. We won’t cope without it.”
Bouchier acknowledged their team of volunteers from all walks of life for their enthusiasm and dynamism.
“It’s hard work that gets done behind the scenes. This is a seven-day exercise. Without that, we wouldn’t survive.”