Spanish Train and Other Stories - Some thoughts on the AFRO 4000 Saga

Diesel motive power and operations in Southern Africa
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Steve Appleton
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Spanish Train and Other Stories - Some thoughts on the AFRO 4000 Saga

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In 1975 the singer-songwriter, Chris De Burgh released his second album entitled “Spanish Train and other Stories”. The title track was immediately banned in South Africa on sacrilegious grounds, due to the mention of the Devil playing poker for souls of the dead with Jesus Christ and the album was re-titled and issued here as “Lonely Sky and other Stories”.

Forty years on we have another Spanish train which is likely to be banned, that being the AFRO 4000 Co-Co diesel locomotive built by Vossloh Espana 13, of a total order of 20, having already been delivered to the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) through a leasing agreement with the company Swifambo. The ban would be as a result of the locomotives being too tall to safely travel under the wires of our electrified lines.

Read Peter Ball's thoughts on The Heritage Portal here: http://www.theheritageportal.co.za/arti ... -4000-saga
"To train or not to train, that is the question"
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