New Hercules Site & Archives

[Bryn Morgan]

Hi,

I read that you will soon be moving to the the new Hercules site. I would love to have been able to be there but I unfortionately am in the UK and cannot make it - However my thoughts will be on the train that day.

I wanted to suggest that an archives be put in place either in a small area of the station building or in another one specifically for the purpose (though I am not sure wether you would be able to get planning permission to erect another structure on the premises???). I have read about the demise of the Museum/Archives housing all the valuable steam loco works drawings etc. which have now been closed to the public (I'm sure you will know what I'm talking about) and these things mysteriously vanishing etc.
Another such archives needs to be established as soon as possible with a reputable preservation group who respects such things and makes these copies or the like available to the public at special request.
The more resources available the better even if there was one at each presevation group or club! It would be good if everyone could share their information/resources and those local to their particular steam presevation site could have acces and benefit from it. I would like to set up a museum/archives one day when I build my railway in SA.
A call needs to go out for anyone who has access or holds any SAR Steam works drawings, documents, photos, slides etc. from the steam era to donate their documents to the archives/library . Steam in Action addresses the physical side of steaming while FOTR could establish and take care of the archives material and share it with other SAR Steam Preservation Groups to further SAR steam preservation.

Just a thought to get a new librabry of SAR Steam up and running again.

Kind Regards

Bryn

[John Ashworth]

Bryn, thanks for your good wishes and your thoughtful suggestion. I'll respond with my own thoughts, and hopefully other FOTR members, and indeed others from the South African heritage rail community, will also contribute.

The first things is to comment on the word "soon". Although today we are moving a number of unrestored coaches packed with less valuable items, as well as 20 tons of girders, pipes, gates and corrugated iron sheets, it will still be some time before we can actually move, largely due to cash flow constraints. We are virtually building a new loco depot from scratch as the new site currently only has a platform, goods shed and office. The existing track consists of one loop in the paltform and two spurs. We have now erected a fence and installed a security guard cum caretaker. Given our expected income, it will be two to three years minimum before we can raise enough money to build the most basic facilities (new track, inspection pit, coaling and watering facilities, etc) allowing us to move to the new site and to operate steam trains from there. That process could be speeded up if we get donations, sponsors and/or investors, but at the moment we only have a 5 year lease from Transnet (with only 3 years remaining) and that deters potential sponsors and investors. We are in the process of negotiating a longer lease with Transnet.

Secondly, it has always been our intention that the new site will serve as both a museum and an operating steam depot. Thus we are open to collecting items of historic interest which will not necessarily be restored to working order - our two fireless locos and the molten steel ladle are examples of this. In that regard I think we would also be open to collecting all sorts of historic items apart from locos and rolling stock, and eventually displaying them. So archive material could fall under that category. Planning permission for a new building is probably not a problem, although cash is.

Thirdly, storing archive material is a huge responsibility. Storing it in the correct conditions, cataloguing it so people know what is there and can find it, and having library staff to make it available to those who need it, are all big (and expensive) responsibilities. I think we would need long discussions on who would fund and operate such an archive if it were to be located on the FOTR site.

Hope that helps to kick off a discussion!

[Bryn Morgan]

Hi John,

Thanks for your prompt reply. Very interesting reading and indeed gives me a little insight into the nitty-gritty of what this involves.

I meant to be a little more specific so please forgive me:
These days storing of information is important and done digitally mostly, to clarify, I meant storing of valuable SAR documents on discs or flash-drives that can be easily catalogued and used with a high shelf-life so that if ever the originals vanish or are damaged, there are copies available and copies that can stand the test of time a little better. More specifically also, reference material pertaining to SAR Steam and locomotives, coaches etc.
A disc archive would be most useful. Take original documents, scan and save to disc or a hard-drive.
My thoughts were pertaining to do the above so that in the interim while waiting to put together a SAR Library of "Paper Documents" items/documents are not lost forever.

I am the founder of the "South African Railways Steam Preservation Association & SAR Livesteam Group".
My part in SAR Steam Preservation focuses on preserving SAR Steam through the construction of correctly detailed SAR Livesteam locomotives and the "SAR Steam enthusiast recruitment & investment" as well as promoting SAR Steam all over the world. This involves SAR Livesteam Meetings (my Association has held 3 already, this year will be the fourth) and increasing the numbers of SAR Steam enthusiasts worldwide through DVD's and promotions in order to increase the number of SAR Livesteam locomotives boosting overall exposure which in turn means more global support and following. This will ultimately lead to more investment in SAR Preservation Groups.
Protecting and promoting SAR Livesteam is needed because should too many foreign locomotives find their way into South African Model Engineering Societies (either foreign or local builders) it decreases the chance of children being exposed to SAR steam and grow up an enthusiast wanting to build one, it dilutes the skill and workmanship of people with the expertise to construct detailed SAR Steam and of course SAR locomotives are sold to overseas buyers as well. Take a moment and imagine what would happen if there were no SAR Steam locomotives at Model Engineering Clubs and just electrics or foreign steam. The implications of this are quite devestating. How would that affect children growing up around these engines and growing fond of non-SAR types? This could eventually lead to people not really knowing SAR steam and its locomotives which would gradually fade away as years go by and those carrying the preservation banner die or are to old to continue leaving something of a void. The support and knowledge of South African Steam would dwindle and so would the support and associated investment in SAR Steam Preservation Groups. A lot of local people give SAR Steam support, were it not for them where would we be? If key people in running or supporting these organisations were originaly hooked on SAR Steam by riding behind or seeing SAR Livesteam at a Model Engineering Society then it puts things in perspective had they never got hooked in the first place or perhaps fell in love with the "Sweetpea" (as a random example and I have nothing against foreign locomotives).

In following this line of SAR Steam Preservation it ensures that:

a) Should Spoornet/Transnet or any other Rail Operator decide one day to completely prohibit SAR
steam onto the mainline that all is not lost in terms of seeing/hearing "Working SAR Steam".
b) That if all full-size SAR steam was destoyed, we would still be able use SAR Livesteam as a
template to constructing new full-size locomotives and children could still know what a 15F or 19D
looks and sounds like.

c) Full size steam operators like yourself always have a fresh supply of eager SAR Steam volunteers and
passengers.
d) To build bigger and more detailed SAR Livesteam locomotive so as to get closer to the full size ina ll
athentic respects - sight, sound, driving etc.

I applogise - I have gone off on a tangent, I have a thing about getting a litle carried away because I feel so strongly about my Association and its value to the SAR Steam Preservation Movement.
Anyway, I shall continue to collect information and digitising it.
That's a bit slim that you have only been given a 5 year lease!! How long have Reefsteamers been given at their site? What are the problems with moving items to the Hercules site?

Out of interest, what is the going rate for a small or medium scrap locomotive these days that can be restored to running order?

Kind Regards

Bryn

[John Ashworth]

Thanks, Bryn - inspiring. I hope others will comment.

On the lease, we were unfortunate enough to be signing a lease at a time when there was a moratorium on long leases. I'm not sure if that was just with Spoornet (as it was then - now renamed Transnet Freight Rail) or with state-owned property in general. It is also an issue for other heritage rail operators. The chair of HRASA (the Heritage Rail Association of South Africa - a sort of umbrella body) addressed our AGM a couple of weeks ago and told us that's one of the issues which HRASA is negotiating with TFR about on behalf of all the heritage operators, and he was hopeful that a solution would be found soon.

[Bryn Morgan]

Hi John,

Thank you for that insight. Yes, it was rather unfortunate about the leases but at least it enabled you to get the foot in the door. Perhaps if it wasn't for the lease you guys would not be where you are today?
Almost everything positive - even small things like a short lease - is a step in the right direction which opens up options and possibilities for greater things.
Sometimes the Rail Operator can suffer from a shortage of motive power since South Africa Rail is mainly freight an idea there might be an oportunity to assist them when they are short to haul freight by steam and attach a couple of passenger wagons to make a sort of mixed consist that way one can be promoting steam by taking passengers (and obviously charging for it) and increasing overall exposure plus being on the mainline in a mutually beneficial relationship to help both steam and FOTR.
Probably impractical but there might be something there to work with???

Kind Regards

Bryn