Museum coaches move to Bellville

[Dylan Knott]

The following Museum coaches have been reported to have arrived at Bellville C&W Works:

C30 - 8255
C22 - 8155 & 8157
Catering cars 132 &133. (Gutted hulks)
ZO - 14873
B3 - 695
Private - 56
Baggage - 3931 & 3933
Kitchen - 268
Diner - ? (Exterior panels removed)
29011, 29001, 40056.

Reason unknown but most are badly vandalized.

[Luca Lategan]

Museum meaning? Ex Union Ltd? Ex George?

I saw yesterday that there seems to still be a few celestory roof coaches stored near the old Union Ltd shed near Esplanade.

[Derek Walker]

Are those 2 catering cars 132 Wilge (8477) and 133 Zebediela (8473)? that were derelict at Culemborg? If so I need to update my catering car page. The 2 that were at Germiston seem to have been removed, which means there aint all that many of these left.

[carldasnevesvieira]

The diner without the exterior panels if it is the same I saw back in 2007 still attached to 268 then I suspect her to be 234 "UMKOMAAS".

When I saw the two at Esplanade I actually thought it was Protea but I was sent a photo of her so the only possibility is Umkomaas----she is a THF coach ...sorry I should say THF victim like everything else.

Best Regards
Carlos

[Steve Appleton]

I too have to wonder who funded this removal and its purpose. Transet is not known for its generosity at present when it comes to assisting or subsidising anything to do with heritage equipment. I have to ask whether these coaches are perhaps not being readied for sale into private hands? How safe is Bellville compared with the museum at George? I would have thought that vandalism would be a more serious problem there, in which case, goodbye!

[Dylan Knott]

Well the two catering cars have the words "CUT" sprayed on their sides. So reckon that seals their fate.
I cannot see these coaches being refurbished as they have deteriorated in recent years. We initially applied to lease them from TFHP, but alas nothing ever came of this and this is the result. The coaches are not safe at Bellville, nothing is. George would be far better. Surely, someone can get an answer out of TFHP or I will do so myself.

The other coaches at Salt River embrace:
A24 Protea, AA25 #276, A Diner Tugela, Lounge cars #796/797/697, C-22 #14120, E16 8860, E2's 28108/28118/23169/23316, Private 15079, Private 76, Private 67 "Voorloper", #3888, Guardsvan 2754 and another unidentified coach. Also K42, K51 and 3 refrigerator cars. Wrecked GMAM tanker.

Private 56 could also be at Bellville.

[carldasnevesvieira]

I tend to agree that THFP or whatever they will be called by the end of the month are not kind or generous with heritage unless the said rolling stock had some historical link to their past not to the past of SA.

Trying to look at this issue from an objective point of view ,kind of difficult considering the fame and reputation of the said organization and the fact that even selling them either as a whole unit ( I heard that they could not even sell the Blue Train --and that is the "families" jewels) or for scarp will not bring much money, the fact that they have no intention to restore them in the near future ---I can only conclude that they want to hide them from public view and probably avoid another Millsite which did no good for their PR. ---In other words all the coaches will remain in present condition. The future and safety of them rests with someone who will put pressure on THFP or someone with "connections" (my best bet)who will walk into the CEOs office and get them and the others before they turn from history reality into history dust.

[Dylan Knott]

No, these coaches were all at Culemborg and not George. So it makes no sense to move from one carriage yard to another.

I have already made contact with a Transnet Exec who has promised to ask TFHP for an answer.

[carldasnevesvieira]

Hi Dylan

Let us know what the Exec gets out of THFP.

Generally coaches raise very little interest amongst the railway community either there or here in the UK. If it did,more action would have been taken sooner and I know of a recent coach in "preservation" here that got cut.

I know it makes no sense to move the stock from one yard to another but then when did they do anything that made any sense.

Keep us posted.

Cheers
Carlos