Hercules site.

[M. Hardy-Randall]

Greetings from the snow and the cold wind area.

I have been trying to locate the site using Google Earth, but no luck. I think I have identified the Rovos train in the yard, to the north of the main station, and a lot of locos alongside. Am I looking at an old shot of the site or in the wrong place?

Would some kind soul, for those of us who are not living next door, please write a brief description. Or have you done so already and I have not found it?

Many thanks

Malcolm

[John Ashworth]

Not sure how to describe the two sites, the current one at Capital Park and the new one at Hercules. I'll try to take my GPS to both sites in the near future and give you latitude and longitude.

The new site at Hercules probably doesn't have a Rovos Rail train in it. It's probably near the suburb of Hermanstaad. It's right next to a huge PPC cement factory, and has a smallish marshalling yard (probably ten or twelve lines) which is probably full of cement wagons and open trucks, with a pair of shunt diesels or a couiple of electric units depending on the time of day/week. To the southern side of the marhsalling yard is an old goods shed with a platform and not much track yet - that's our new site.

You might see a Rovos train in our old site at Capital Park, which is near the suburb of Gezina. If you can find Pretoria zoo, just north of the town centre, we're a kilomtere or two north of the zoo. Capital Park has a station, a huge marshalling yard, diesel and electric depots and two container terminals. We're in the old steam loco depot, which is next to one of the two container depots. You might be able to see the huge coal stage - we're immediately south of that, and Rovos has the bigger share of the depot just south again of us.

Capital Park is about 4 km northeast-ish from Hercules.

I have seen aerial photos and maps - maybe Steve A, Kevin W-S or Mike H can provide links?

[John Ashworth]

And I've just realised there's a street map showing our current site at Capital Park on our main website here

You can get to Hercules by following the railway line to the left (west).

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

My Google earth just conked!

But, the maps below from my GPS should help you locate it easily enough.

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

Got Google working......

[M. Hardy-Randall]

Many thanks for the photos, I have found it. I was originally looking too far to the west.

Good luck with what looks like a huge project.

Malcolm

[John Ashworth]

Malcolm, your query and Kevin's nice pictures have spurred me on to instal Google Earth on my computer. I'd never done it before because I use Linux and installing new software usually takes more computer knowledge than I have, but with Mike's advice and guidance I've just succeeded and I'm now happily looking at those pictures of Capital Park and Hercules on my own screen.

They were both taken some months ago. That looks like our 15F 3117 on the inspection pit at CPK - we moved her into the compound some time ago. And at Hercules, it doesn't show the newly-completed boundary fence.

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

I will leave you to play with the new toy! If you fiddle with the Google settings you will find that you can display the date of the photos.......

[M. Hardy-Randall]

I have not as yet found out how to display the dates, but notice that as far as the Gotthard Tunnel working sites are concerned Google can be up to two years behind.

During my search for the Hercules site I noticed what appears to be a large loop in the line through Pretoria station, is that double or single track please?

Cheers

Malcolm

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

Nathan, John A ??????

[John Ashworth]

I'm not really sure what loop Malcolm is referring to. Can you give me the coordinates?

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

You are always sayng the one section makes you loopy. Is it that one?

[M. Hardy-Randall]

The loop appears to be electrified double track around the station area, is that correct please? The resolution on my system with Google Earth is not that good and I do not have access to the plus part of the service.

Pretoria Station.jpg (145.73 KiB) Viewed 8272 times

Cheers

Malcolm

[John Ashworth]

OK, I see where you mean. But that's not Pretoria Station - I think it's Belle Ombre. I know the loop you mean - you can see it from Paul Kruger Street as you drive north past the zoo. As far as I recall it is single track. It has overhead electrification. Ages ago I asked one of the old drivers about it, but for the life of me I can't remember what he told me!

Pretoria Station is south of this loop. If you follow the road which is just to the right (east) of the loop about 13 or 14 blocks southwards, you'll see Pretoria Station. Paul Kruger Street goes straight to the front of the impressive station building.

[M. Hardy-Randall]

Thanks John. I have looked at the area with Google Maps and got better resolution of both the old site and the new one at Hercules. From the air the main station does look quite impressive. I could not get the satellite to tilt to give me a better picture!

Cheers

Malcolm