A view from the Railway Magazine
Posted: 03 Jun 2009, 18:00
By David Morgan MBE, Chairman of the Heritage Railway Association of UK, writing in The Railway Magazine, May 2009, p 61
Three Garretts in Steam
I was in South Africa in late February to attend a party given by Wilf Mole on the estate where he has rescued, restored and operates a huge collection of agricultural equipment, old military vehicle and railway locomotives.
As his guests were primarily railway afficianados, the focus was on the railway has has built, which runs round his estate for approximately 27km!
Of 40 locos owned by him, 13 were steamed for this occasion, including three Garretts. He employs a small team to carry out restoration work on most of the items in his collection, which is housed in huge sheds at the centre of his estate, but for this event called upon the help of a volunteer group based in Johannesburg, known as Reefsteamers, whose dedciation and commitment seems to know no bounds.
Reefsteamers operate steam excursions over the national network, having their own depot at Germiston and are thoroughly deserving of support. Indeed, I decided to join them there and then as a member. Again, it was the thought of a special occasion that persuaded so many of us to travel so far. What particularly pleased me was the fact that so many of the South African volunteers were young... and I mean below the age of 30. I have to admit that there were many at the other end of the scale over 70, but we were all united by the common interest.
It is the transfer of skills to the next generation that exercises my mind... [and then it goes off on a UK tangent]