Cullinan trip Friday 27 November

Members can post FOTR related pictures of 15F 3117 here - screenshots or photographs - 800x600 pixels. Maximum size 130k. They will be pruned after 90 days. If you want to keep them for later, save them to your hard drive!
Post Reply
Chris Janisch
Posts: 857
Joined: 25 Jan 2007, 13:10
Location: Pretoria, South Africa

Cullinan trip Friday 27 November

Post by Chris Janisch »

Fireman John Ashworth may like some of these.
He returned to SA for a short railway trip, and was rostered as fireman on 3117 on Friday 27. It was a hot dry morning, but your reporter was on hand to record the occasion, and listen to the beautiful echoes of the 15F's exhaust and shrieking whistle in the gorge at Panpoort..
Attachments
Lifting up the grade through Panpoort
Lifting up the grade through Panpoort
Standing at the overgrown Rayton station
Standing at the overgrown Rayton station
A country scene on the branchline
A country scene on the branchline
Storming up from Montrose with a full head
Storming up from Montrose with a full head
Arrival under the cloumns in Cullinan
Arrival under the cloumns in Cullinan
Kevin Wilson-Smith

Re: Cullinan trip Friday 27 November

Post by Kevin Wilson-Smith »

First one is very nice Chris.

A new spot for the middle one?
User avatar
Stefan Andrzejewski
Posts: 864
Joined: 01 Dec 2008, 17:10
Location: Cape Town
Contact:

Re: Cullinan trip Friday 27 November

Post by Stefan Andrzejewski »

Great photos Chris. I see you had seven coaches plus a service coach. Would the 19D have not coped with that load. From what I have read the Dolly is cheaper to run?
User avatar
John Ashworth
Site Admin
Posts: 23606
Joined: 24 Jan 2007, 14:38
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Contact:

Re: Cullinan trip Friday 27 November

Post by John Ashworth »

You're right, Stefan - the Dolly copes easily with 8 vehicles, and we wouldn't have needed the auxiliary water tank as the Dolly makes it to Cullinan on half a tender of water. But the Dolly has seen a lot of service recently (three trains a week during this peak season in the run-up to Christmas) and it was decided to give her a break and let 3117, which hasn't run much at all since re-entering service, have a run. On Thursday afternoon we shunted the Dolly onto the inspection pit where her grease pads were removed for inspection and other routine maintenance was carried out.
Image
User avatar
Stefan Andrzejewski
Posts: 864
Joined: 01 Dec 2008, 17:10
Location: Cape Town
Contact:

Re: Cullinan trip Friday 27 November

Post by Stefan Andrzejewski »

Looking at these photos again, The 15F looks mighty impressive. You need to get a 25 now
User avatar
Steve Appleton
Site Admin
Posts: 3605
Joined: 23 Jan 2007, 14:14
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Re: Cullinan trip Friday 27 November

Post by Steve Appleton »

Stefan, we do indeed have a class 25, no 3404, which is stabled, by kind favour, at Reefsteamers Germiston shed. Although apparently in good condition it would still be a massive effort to get back into service again when we have many more pressing projects to complete. And, if the 15F is only needed on the occasional really big train and is somewhat expensive to run, the 25 would be even more expensive to run and be needed to work our trains even more rarely.
"To train or not to train, that is the question"
Post Reply

Return to “FOTR - Steam Engine 15F 3117”