The night shunt

[John Ashworth]

A superb sequence of photos taken by Peter Odell on 29 May 2016. It really does have the atmosphere of a steam shed back in the old days, with all those steam locos lined up in the dark.

Sunday May 29

During the day, FOTR had used a Rovos HYS diesel to marshall & move remaining items across to Hermanstad.

Arriving back from Cullinan at 18.00 we were greeted by the most amazing sight of a whole string of steam engines standing on a track on!/just behind the main platform on a track that had not existed when we had departed at 08.00 !

At dusk as 3664 ran round its ECS and proceeded to stable train staffed by Tony, Phillip & myself, a black shape loomed out of the darkness 3 parallel tracks away. It was under-restoration 15CA No 2850 being slowly propelled into the site by the Rovos box under instruction by Nathan.

3664 was asked to stand to one side while 2850 could be placed. Ever the Showman, Nathan was not content with this and over the next 30 mins, in the dark, we were treated to an awe inspiring show as strings of dead locos were pulled out & rearranged in new positions as required. For me it brought back nostalgic memories of Crewe, where Jintys would pull strings of dead locos past the station going to or from Crewe works from Crewe South shed.

And only 4 of us were there to witness this spectacle…….all other volunteers detraining & exiting site the minute the train arrived from Cullinan.

The ghostly figure appearing in 193052 & 194407 is the FOTR Chairman/acting shunter , supervisor, Nathan.

[Mike Haslam]

Peter, thank you for the photos and your effort to preserve steam locomotives in SA. Thanks John for posting them. Without this we would have no record of what is going on.

It is almost, yes, almost but not quite like being there. Smell the smoke, steam and oil. Watch 'Trainman' whirling his arms as semaphore signals for the shunt.

Now, I wonder who might be the owner of that car with registration plate SAR 25 NC. :-)

[John Ashworth]

Turtle, if I recall correctly you were the one who first discovered the "new" Hermanstad site for FOTR all those years ago. This night's shunt is the culmination of a long journey for FOTR in which many past and present members played a part.