Friends of the Rail Forum

Attached please find the details of a steam trip to Athi River planned for 26 October 2013.

Charles Raven is the main force behind this, and it is hoped that a good number of Anglican vicars from a conference he is organising in Nairobi the previous week will participate. Members of Friends of the Railway Museum hope to be involved in the trip, and Kevin Patience and I will do what we can to help as usual.

Quite expensive at around R900 per person for an afternoon trip. I know it includes transport to and from Nairobi station and also entrance to the heritage house, but this still makes FOTR's all day steam train trip to Cullinan at R200 per person seem a bargain by comparison.
I wonder how the distance travelled and price per kilometer compares to the Cullinan round trip?

Fair comment, Steve. The distance from Nairobi to Athi River is only about 27 km, I believe, so the trip is about half the Pretoria to Cullinan trip. As you say, it includes buses from the hotels to Nairobi Station, the tour of the heritage house, and tea and snackies. But generally I think one just has to say that South Africa is cheaper than Kenya, so direct comparison of prices doesn't always give the right impression.

It was confirmed today that this trip is going ahead. I believe the US dollar price has been reduced slightly, and there is also a lower price in Kenya shillings for Kenyan residents. Steve, they must have been listening to you!

Details of the preparation of the loco are posted (and regularly updated) at http://www.friendsoftherail.com/phpBB2/ ... 26&t=11710

We will also post some photos soon.

Photos beginning to appear at http://www.friendsoftherail.com/phpBB2/ ... .php?f=319

We'll be posting new photos from now until after the trip, so keep checking that link.

Regrettably this trip has had to be postponed. The locomotive is working fine, but the commercial and marketing side of things has proved tricky. We are currently in talks with Kenya Railways about costs and hope to be able to run a steam safari in the not-too-distant future.