Witbank 2007 - on our way there by Nathan Berelowitz

[John Ashworth]

Capital Park to Witbank, 24th August 2007, as seen and reported by Nathan Berelowitz

1. Spoornet modern traction rolls down grade into Panpoort while the 19D on a double header passenger, waits patiently in the loop. Soon the hills will be reverberating once more to the lost sounds of steam at work. The Witbank Marathon train, is the operation combined for the first time with clubs own rolling stock. Operators being Friends Of The Rail and Reef Steamers.

2. Old and the new. The driver of the 18E hangs out in disbelief, as he crosses the 19D up front, on a double header passenger train. Scene is Panpoort, on the east mainline, and the train is a FOTR and Reef Steamers combination en route to Witbank for the marathon.

3. Strung out. The double header 19D and 15CA combination wait for the blue electric unit to pass, and then the signal will call them onwards to Witbank. Panpoort station in steam days was manned and operated with semaphore signalling.The consist pictured here was part Reef Steamers from Germiston, and part Friends of the Rail stock. The 15CA number 2056 has had a long absence from these very same lines they used to once operate on.

4. Place name of a once busy passenger station. Only the one nameboard remains intact, the station is deserted and vandalised. The 19D brings Bronkhorspruit alive once more.

5. 19D and 15CA combination lift their load up the last grade near Witbank yard. The train was en route from Capital Park as part of the annual Witbank to Middelburg Great Train race. This was the first year that coaching stock had to be provided by the clubs, and Friends of the Rail and Reef Steamers combined in motive power and rolling stock. This 21st year of the marathon was also the 21st year of FOTR operations.

[John Ashworth]

The nerve centre of the whole operation