South African Greetings
 

I have recently become involved with "The Friends of the Choo Tjoe". As the name implies it is to do with steam trains with a 70 kilometre line from Knysna to George in the Garden Route of the Southern Cape. It is known as the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe but 5 years ago part of the line was washed away and Transnet, the company that ran the line, is no longer interested in resurrecting the line of the steam engines. This is a great pity as the line attracted many tourists to the area and in many Steam Railway books there is a photograph of one of our steam trains crossing over a bridge on the Kaaimans River Pass.

My background is a love of steam and many a Saturday was spent on Kings Cross station in the 1950s with my Observers book of British Engines, ticking off the numbers and names. Halcyon Days.

Hello Esprit and welcome to the Railway Forum. Sorry to hear about Transnet's lack of intrest with the Choo Tjoe. I had a trip on it way back in 1997. As a young boy, I also did the Garden Route from Cape Town to P E. Even though I was a young teenager, I found the route one of the best I have ever seen. I miss the old trains of Africa, traveling from Ndola to C T. After a week or two, on to P E for another week before traveling on to Joburg. Then back to Ndola via Maffiking, Bulawayo, Victoria Falls etc. Not much of a trip now, if you can find a train thats running in Zim now.

Thanks for the welcome Syd. I have a picture of the Kaaimans Bridge, but I have no idea how to attach it. That is one of the problems of being an old git.

I have a lovely picture I took as a lad on Kings Cross of Dante with a guard walking by the side of those 6'2" wheels. I will try and find a better picture of it before posting that one as the photo is matt, not gloss and has lost detail.

regards Roger

Hello Roger and welcome to the forum, enjoy and all the best.

Welcome to the Forum Roger. Look forward to your posts.

Best wishes,

John H-T.

Hi Roger and a warm welcome from me too, hope you enjoy
Regards
Phil

Welcome aboard!