Level crossing to Adderly street Capetown

[Gawie Botha]

When i was a youngster my late Fatrher was a "Signalman" in the S.A.R. during the 1950-late 1980. He was stationed at "Bay-Junction" Capetown South Africa. At that stage I remember a "Level crossing" entering Adderly street Cape Town,I think the rails came/whent to Table Bay Harbour..not sure?

I can not remember the name of that Railway stasion with the level crossing. I can stil hear the bells when the "Man operated Boom" closed.

Can someone please refresh my memory
I thank u
Gawie Botha
083 279 7965
E-Mail: qvadis@mweb.co.za

[Luca Lategan]

Was it maybe the line from Monument station to the docks??? Those trains stopped during the early 50's and was apparently the last time that level crossing over adderley street was used. The level crossing originally serviced the commuter line to Sea Point, but that closed in 1929. There is a great book "The story of the Sea Point railway at Cape Town" by Rhind, David,1922-2002 that gives loads of information about this line and the level crossing.

[Gawie Botha]

Luca ! Baie dankie! "monumentstasie" Baie reg,baie dankie.
Gawie Botha

[Luca Lategan]

Ek is bly ek kon help :)

With the new Cape Town stadium and BRT-system, I think the City of Cape Town wish that this line was never closed. An extensive service was offered with special lunch-time services, late night trains for theater goers and a sea-to-sea service, all the way from Sea Point to Muizenberg and beyond. Of course the main opposition of the line in those days was the busses, trams and trolley-busses (tracklesstrams), all of which is gone these days or very expensive.

There was also plans in the early 1900's to put the first part of the line, eg from Monument station to the current day waterfront either under-ground or above ground on a bridge, what a shame that it was never implemented.

The Monument-Sea Point line was the first line in the country to make use of Motor-coach (EMU) , rather than loco-hauled trains. The trains was originally fitted with motorcar type hooters, but drivers claimed they were to soft and too much like their own, especially at the busy Adderley crossing and it was replaced by a hooter not too dissimilar to the high-pitched hooters still found on the 5M2A sets in the Cape.