Port Shepstone & Alfred County Railway (ACR)

Compiled by Bruno Martin

Editorial contributors:

Charlie Lewis and Charles Parry ©

Please note: All photographs, maps and text in Soul of a Railway are protected by copyright and may not be copied or reproduced in any way for further use without prior permission in writing from the compilers of this series, Les Pivnic, Charlie Lewis and Bruno Martin.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND THANKS

The request for photographs taken on the Natal Two-Foot Gauge Lines generated a selection of over 700 images from our contributors. As a result, it was decided to split the chapter into seven parts following on from the numerical sequence of System 6 Natal:

Part 21. Estcourt–Weenen Railway.

Part 22. Umlaas Road–Mid Illovo Railway.

Part 23. (Umzinto) Esperanza–Donnybrook (Stuartstown Railway) and Union Bridge–Madonela branch.

Part 24. Port Shepstone–Harding Railway (Alfred County Railway).

Part 25. Port Shepstone and Alfred County Railway (ACR).

Part 26. Natal Narrow-Gauge Motive Power.

Part 27. The Natal Narrow-gauge Preservation Group.

A special thank you is extended to Leith Paxton, who generously provided us with his collection of images and placed all his information on the narrow-gauge railways at our disposal.

The following photographers and colleagues contributed photographs to this chapter:

Allen Jorgensen; Allen Jorgensen via Dick Manton collection; A E (‘Dusty’) Durrant via Dick Manton collection; Bill Botkin via Charlie Lewis; Charlie Lewis; John Carter; Les Pivnic; Charles Parry; Derek Phillips; Dick Manton; Ian Parry; Jo-Anne Micenko; John Middleton; Leith Paxton; Peter Bagshawe; Peter Micenko; (late) Phil Girdlestone; Robert Horlacher; Sandy Buchanan; Yolanda Meyer – Transnet Heritage Library. 

Apologies to anyone I should have thanked but have overlooked.

"Regaining a paradise lost is impossible, and trying to is a fool's errand" - Taki

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE

PORT SHEPSTONE & ALFRED COUNTY RAILWAY

1987 - 2004

SETTING THE SCENE

Close to 20 years have passed since the Alfred County Railway (ACR) or, to give it its full name, The Port Shepstone & Alfred County Railway Company Ltd was liquidated, and its short career consigned to the annuls of history. The company was a pioneering endeavour in South Africa to take over the rail service on a previously South African Transport Services (SATS) operated branch line as a private-public partnership company. After SATS closed the railway at the end of October 1986, it took 14 months of protracted negotiations between the Alfred County Railway Committee and SATS before an agreement was signed on 3 December 1987 to bring the plan to fruition. Starting its operations on 4 December in an atmosphere of optimism and determination, the company sought to turn around a loss-making rural branch line into a business-orientated commercial venture.

Opened in stages between 1911 and 1917, the 122 km long, 2ft/610 mm gauge Port Shepstone-Harding branch provided a vital transport service to a sizeable agricultural area growing sugar cane, bananas and timber products. Operating on the line since 1981 was the 'Banana Express' passenger train, a popular tourist attraction on KwaZulu-Natal's lower South Coast.

The idea of saving the Port Shepstone-Harding Railway took root while Allen Jorgensen, a well-known professional photographer and industrial communications consultant, travelled on the last train on the narrow-gauge Ixopo-Donnybrook line on 12 July 1986. He had just received word that the decision had already been taken to close the Port Shepstone-Harding line also towards the end of the year, leaving him shocked and saddened. Having visited the line as recently as March and reassured by local railwaymen that it was 'safe' for another three or four years, it was hard to comprehend that events had taken a turn for the worse so suddenly. At the time, the Avontuur Branch in Port Elizabeth – world famous for the 'Apple Express' – was also threatened with closure.¹

Allen subsequently travelled in August on a freight train from Port Shepstone to Harding "to pay his last respects" and, at the end of the trip, he was convinced that the railway could be saved as a tourist attraction and a viable freight carrier. Upon returning to Johannesburg, he contacted several of the narrow-gauge railway's customers and organisations, such as the Alfred County Chamber of Commerce, the South Coast Publicity Association, and other South Coast Tourist Attractions, to sound out their level of support in keeping the railway open. As a result, a meeting was held in Harding on 19 August 1986, attended by 19 local business people, to form the Alfred County Railway Committee (ACRC). Allen Jorgensen then invited Charlie Lewis, a senior SAR/SATS civil engineer and lifelong railwayman, to come on board to join the committee.

THE ALFRED COUNTY RAILWAY COMMITTEE

PORT SHEPSTONE-HARDING PRIVATISATION PROJECT

A A JORGENSEN

As rumours abound about the possible privatisation of the Port Shepstone-Harding narrow-gauge railway, it is perhaps the time for me to 'clear the air', so to speak. I also think the time has come for South Africa's rail enthusiasts to consider this project in a serious light as the promoters of this project hope that their support will be forthcoming.

As railway enthusiasts, we all lament the closing of railway lines, particularly those which are steam operated. We must, however, not confuse our sentiment or emotion with hard cold economic realities, for railways – steam-operated or not – will only survive if they provide an economical service to clients.

Having said this, let me now review the details of the Port Shepstone-Harding privatisation project and how I became involved. Like most enthusiasts, I was shocked and saddened when word was received in July 1986 of the imminent closure of this line. Having visited the line during March and having been reassured by local railwaymen that it was 'safe' for another three or four years, it was hard to comprehend that event could have developed to this end so quickly.

Naturally, I then visited the line to 'pay my last respects' in August and perchance met some local people who informed me of events leading to the public announcement of closure. But, more importantly, they expressed sincere unhappiness about the course of events and their inability to halt the line's closure. I was then invited to chair a meeting to discuss with local people whether other ways might be found to save the railway. So moved was I by their determination to support the railway that I proposed that we set up a committee to make one last attempt by privatising it. At this meeting, held on 19 August and attended by 19 local people, the Alfred County Railway Committee was established.

On 7 October, I delivered a letter from the committee (signed by five people, including myself) to the then Minister of Transport Affairs, Hendrik Schoeman, and the Railway Board. I explained our motivation and found the minister very sympathetic to our proposals which were then forwarded to SATS management. A meeting with management then followed on 23 October, and I used this opportunity to expand on our ideas for privatising the line. I am pleased to say that SATS management took our proposals seriously as we were determined that they should be so regarded, this being presented as a business-orientated commercial venture. We are now awaiting the reaction of the new Minister of Transport Affairs (which will be known by the time you read this article).

As regards our motivation, we hope to continue providing a railway service to on-line customers and thus retain the infrastructure of the line – namely track, stations, workshops, and equipment. This will make the development of the line's tourist potential possible, including upgrading the 'Banana Express' into an authentic replica of a 1920 train, including a dining car. Paddock Station, which has been declared a National Monument, will be developed into a railway museum of narrow-gauge railways in Southern Africa.

The bottom line for all of this, as in any business, is profit. If we are unable to operate the railway as a viable business, it will be abandoned. To the railway enthusiasts of South Africa, I can only ask that you consider these alternatives. Recent developments in the United States of America, home of 'private' railways, should be of interest but also regarded as relevant to the local situation.

The large railway systems in America, of which there are many, are in some cases larger than SATS. In recent years they have disposed of many low traffic density branch lines to 'shortline' operators. During the last six years alone, 133 new railways have come into operation, and the owners have turned marginal or money-losing branches into profit-making railways. You may wonder how this is possible. Simply stated, small businesses do not have the high overheads of larger businesses and are more flexible in providing a service to on-line shippers. In America, where road transport competition has been a significant problem for many years, these new railways have managed very well indeed.

Read the September 1986 issue of Progressive Railroading if you doubt me. In the meantime, let me quote from an article entitled 'Focus on Short Lines and Regionals'. First, 'The movement toward the creation of a short line and small regional railroads is the issue of the next half-decade for the rail industry', and last, 'The most significant aspect of short line operations is that they are filling a transportation need more effectively and more profitably than could the trunk line carrier. In general, they have found a niche in the market and are filling a void in a way that is generally profitable for them, as well as beneficial to shippers and the local economy'.

I hope that this will indicate to enthusiasts that we are dedicated to proving that this can work here in South Africa, and what better place to start than at Port Shepstone! As an enthusiast, I am very fond of this railway and wish to see it preserved for all time. However, as a person involved with railway matters from a professional point of view, I have realised that a project of this magnitude must be dealt with as a serious business and if that is the necessary route to saving this railway, I am prepared to make the commitment.

The fact that we feel we have a solution to preserving this unique railway should be of interest to all railway enthusiasts, but we need your help! We plan to float a public company and issue a prospectus inviting investment capital. On our side, we plan a substantial investment of over R400 000 but need to raise a total amount of about R2 million to purchase the rolling stock, locomotives, spares, machine tool equipment as well as to purchase material handling equipment, finance a radio signalling system, convert locomotives to gas producer combustion to eliminate live spark emission as much as to save on coal and water costs. Operating capital is required, as well as additional funds for further improvements to the physical plant and rolling stock. Details of all this will be available in the prospectus, which will be distributed free of charge. In addition, a 19- minute video production has been produced, and I hope many people will have the opportunity of viewing this presentation.

The time is right, our government is promoting privatisation, and we feel that by supporting the Port Shepstone-Harding project, you will all be making a positive contribution to furthering the cause of rail transport in South Africa. If you know people who might be interested in the investment prospects of this venture, then please contact me in Johannesburg at (011) 614-4934, or write to P O Box 66 437, Broadway 2020. Let 1987 be 'the' year of the railway and the rebirth of the Alfred County Railway.

(With acknowledgement to SA RAIL/SA SPOOR, Vol.27 No.1, January-February 1987, p.18)

THE BIRTH OF THE PORT SHEPSTONE &

ALFRED COUNTY RAILWAY LIMITED

On 7 October 1987, a letter from the ACR Committee outlining the Operating Proposal and Business Plan² was delivered to the Minister of Transport Affairs and South African Transport Services (SATS) management, Mr Eli Louw. A meeting with SATS management then followed on 23 October, where the opportunity was taken to expand the committee's ideas for privatising the line. The new company endeavoured to provide a railway service tailored to customer requirements, utilising the existing infrastructure, motive power, and rolling stock. With the 'Banana Express' in mind, which had already anchored its place as the most popular of the Natal South Coast's attractions, the tourist potential of the train would be further enhanced by upgrading it to an authentic replica of a 1920s train, including a dining and lounge car. Paddock Station, declared a National Heritage Monument, and the cottage adjacent to the station master's house would be developed into a railway museum dedicated to the history of narrow-gauge railways in Southern Africa. In addition to the exhibits of the narrow-gauge railways, it would embrace rolling stock and locomotives from all the different narrow-gauge tramways that once operated on the sugar estates.

The signing of the concession agreement on Thursday, 3 December 1987, by Dr Bart Grové of SATS and Allen Jorgensen, a director of the Port Shepstone and Alfred County Railway Company Ltd, to formally take over the operations of the Port Shepstone-Harding line marked a watershed moment in South Africa. For the first time, a previously government-owned branch line was to be operated as a business-orientated commercial venture – the first such venture in South Africa. Even though the terms of the agreement granted ACR complete control of running the railway with locomotives and rolling stock bought or leased from SATS, the fixed infrastructure on the railway reserve between Port Shepstone and Harding remained the property of SATS. The ACR was obliged to pay SATS a monthly royalty of its turnover:

1988      5 per cent

1989      5,5 per cent    or  R5 750 (whichever was greater)

1990      6 per cent       or  R7 865 (whichever was greater)

1991      6,5 per cent    or  R8 650 (whichever was greater)

1992      7 per cent       or  R9 520 (whichever was greater)

While the ACR was the Train Operating Company, maintaining the track and associated infrastructure was at the expense of the concessionaire – the ACR. This pitfall embedded in the agreement with SATS was soon exposed when washouts damaged the track and formation during the last week in September 1987 and saddled the ACR with a massive repair bill before any revenue-earning operation could begin.

THE REVIVAL OF THE ‘BANANA EXPRESS’

Preceding the signing of the formal agreement with SATS, the operation of the popular tourist train, the 'Banana Express', was restarted. SATS granted permission for the 'Banana Express' to run for 15 days during the July school holidays on the 13 km long section from Port Shepstone to Izotsha. A total of 3 750 passengers were carried from 11 to 26 July 1987 – the overwhelming response from the public was so encouraging that the train service appeared assured of becoming a permanent feature on the Natal South Coast.

Charles Parry reports in Natal Newsletter No.36 August/September 1987:

“The coinciding of my leave with part of the 15 days of operation of the Port Shepstone-Izotsha passenger service saw my family arrive at Port Shepstone loco shed on Wednesday, 8 July. We met Rob Allingham (from the USA), one of the interesting team we got to know, and he was offered our services. Within minutes (with Sally's indispensable housekeeping knowledge), we were the coach-cleaning department setting out to spruce up the exterior and interior of a green converted van. A sure way to get to know the vehicles. We had to learn our trade as it took the whole afternoon to do one coach. After that, we cleaned the interiors of the remainder of the coaches – three more converted vans and ex-NGR coaches 27 and 29.

After being closed for nine months, the railway slowly woke up. On Thursday, 9 July, NG/G16 No.88 was steamed and used to bring some coaches out for cleaning and use. But the rails were rusty, and the main running line was used for parking coaches for cleaning.

Prorail, the company pioneering the work on privatising the Harding Branch, had just purchased Nos. 88 and 116 from SATS. No.116 was steamed on Friday but kept on standby until the last two days of operation when it took over from No.88.

Alan Jorgensen and Charlie Lewis had much on their hands – doing publicity for the train, details such as firewatchers in the canefields, and dealing with last-minute problems with SATS (there were many). Basil ‘Badger’ Roberts (from the UK, employed by Prorail, with extensive experience in railway preservation overseas) and Rob Allingham attended to mechanical and structural problems on the vehicles.

On Friday, No.88 took a train of four coaches to Izotsha on a trial trip and brought back, in addition, the two 'Smartie' coaches (ex NGR No.4 and a converted 'G' covered truck) that had come from the Durban '85 EXPO site, by road. All went well, and all was set for the running period, 11 to 26 July.

John Carter of Somerset West was in charge of advertising on the length of the South Coast; thousands of leaflets went to hotels, tearooms, caravan parks, and put on car windscreens. At first, there was concern about loadings: 150 passengers per trip were required to break even with the costs involved. The first trip had 46 passengers, but this rose steadily on Monday and 100 on Wednesday almost filled the train.

Thursday was a day to remember. Coach No.959* had to be used if 150 passengers were to be accommodated. It had been condemned by SATS two years ago, but as it was an ex-SWA sleeper, it has space for 40+ passengers and could be the pride of the train. Following the attention of Badger, SATS had to be persuaded to inspect and pass No.959 for use. It was taken with a full (simulated) load of passengers between the morning and afternoon runs to Beach Terminus, propelled back, and passed with flying colours. (I remember riding No.959 on the Weenen line; it feels like a 'Cape' gauge coach in size and ride)

* Coach 959 was initially sleeping coach No.136 from 1937 to 1959 on the narrow-gauge Otavi Railway in South West Africa (now Namibia). It was rebuilt and used as a day coach on the Estcourt-Weenen branch until 1983, then transferred to Port Shepstone. Under the ACR, it was again rebuilt in 2003 to increase passenger seating.

Before the test, No.959 had already had a good clean, but the simulated passengers were brake blocks on the floor. We thought we had all afternoon to dispose of the mess and clean finally; we were settling down to lunch when just as NG/G16 No.88 was setting off from the loco shed for the afternoon train, an urgent message came from the station – No.959 was needed immediately. So, all available hands got on board, and we spent five precious minutes doing what we could. As the coach was being coupled to the front of the train, the dust was being swept out of the doors facing the seaside while passengers coming were on board through the opposite side doors. 148 passengers caught that train. Loading increased beyond 200 per train, and prospective passengers had to be turned away on the last day. A total of 3 750 passengers were carried during the running period.

Departures were scheduled for 09:30 and 14:30. Running times were approximately 17 minutes to Beach Terminus, 16 minutes to Izotsha and 20 minutes allocated for locomotive watering and reversal. The return trip to Beach Terminus was 20 minutes, with a 35-minute stop for tea and scones at the Dawn View Hotel (orders placed before departure from Port Shepstone) and 17 minutes for the run back to Port Shepstone. The fare was R9 per person or R25 per family. It made a leisurely morning or afternoon outing.

There is a good market for a tourist train. However, the staple diet of the privatised railway must be freight, as it always was under SATS. Complex negotiations with SATS and an Act of Parliament must be accomplished before the line can open under its new management”.

THE OFFICIAL START OF THE ‘BANANA EXPRESS’

Following the historic signing, on 3 December 1987, of the operating agreement between SATS and the Port Shepstone and Alfred County Railway Company Ltd, the 'Banana Express' officially started running on 4 December 1987 from Port Shepstone to Izotsha to coincide with the school holidays.

Charles Parry reports in the January/February/March 1988 Natal Newsletter No.38:

1. NG/G16 No.88 with its cab plate bearing the Alfred County Railway name, resplendent in Brunswick Green livery, providing the motive power.

2. The schedule for three trains a day:

9:00 am Tea/scones at Dawn View Hotel (Beach terminus) 2¼ hours.

Noon      Lunch at Dawn View Hotel (Beach Terminus)   2½ hours.

3:30 pm Braai at Dawn View Hotel (Beach Terminus)    3 hours.

3. Coaches were painted in provisional Alfred County Railway livery – dark green with a yellow band below the window line, except for those still owned by SATS, Nos.4, 27 and 959. Coach No.29’s guard's compartment was adapted to serve a shop that made a brisk trade selling Alfred County Railway T-shirts and other items.

4. An attractive brochure compiled by Allen and Judy Jorgensen went on sale in mid-December, which should whet the appetites of potential shareholders.

5. NG/G16 No.156, the last Garratt that went into service with the SAR in 1968, was brought into service by the ACR – its livery is standard SAR black.

6. NG/G16 No.116, in LMS maroon livery, ran for the first time on Saturday, 9 January 1988, with the afternoon train.

7. The ACR opened a booking office at Shelly Centre, Shelly Beach.

8. Delivery was taken of a motor trolley that worked on the line up to the time of closure by SATS.

9. Patronage of the service began slowly, but by 12 December picked up and was sustained with publicity at a high level.

10. Every weekend, the timetable provides a service for local and Durban residents to enjoy an off-season ride. Departure times are:

Saturdays: 12 pm and 3:30 pm.

Sundays: 9:00 am and 12:00 pm.

Fares are R10 for adults and R6 for children.        

By 10 January 1988, it was reported that more than 10 000 passengers had been carried. During the holiday period, the 'Banana Express' made three return trips a day to Izotsha, but the service operated only on weekends during school term time. However, from 20 March 1988, the service was extended to Paddock, where passengers could enjoy a braai (BBQ) in the station gardens. Further services were scheduled to run on 5 April, 24 April, 12 May, 31 May, 14 June and 3 July. The departure time was at 09:30.

As all tourist-reliant operations have learnt, promotion and publicity are crucial to earning revenue from passenger services. Since its launch in early December, the ‘Banana Express’ passenger service was well-publicized, so that by the end of the school holiday season, it had re-established itself as a favourite holiday attraction on the Natal South Coast. Additionally, the arrangement for stopping at the Dawn View Hotel (at the former Beach Terminus Halt) for refreshments was an instant success.

Three NG/G16 locomotives, Nos.88, 116 and 156 and compo-coach/van No.29 were initially purchased from SATS, while coaches Nos.4, 27 and 959 were hired. NG/G16 No.156 was of particular interest because it was the last of eight narrow-gauge Garratts assembled by Hunslet Taylor in Germiston fitted with boilers supplied by the Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds, England. It was also the last steam locomotive taken into service by the SAR on 11 October 1968.

The ACR employed two full-time drivers, two part-time drivers, four firemen, and a traffic manager, all based in Port Shepstone, complementing 40 staff.

1988 - AN UNCERTAIN START

A public share offering for the Port Shepstone and Alfred County Railway Company Ltd was opened on 14 March 1988 to raise a working capital of R2 million to finance the take-over of the railway and purchase locomotives, freight trucks, and passenger coaches. By the closing date of 15 April, a total of R900 000 was raised, the bare minimum required for the project to proceed. Nevertheless, the company was established with Charlie Lewis appointed Managing Director and Director of Operations based in Port Shepstone, while Allen Jorgensen filled the role of Commercial Director in Harding in the heart of the customer community.

At the start of the train services, the track, wagon stock, and locomotives were severely rundown or even derelict. So, all stops were pulled out to have a fleet of eight locomotives in working order by 1989, which would eventually be increased to 19, with some 400 freight trucks and several passenger coaches refurbished.

Before the first revenue-earning freight train could run, flood damage to the track and formation had to be repaired. The repair bill immediately took a R300 000 slice from the share capital raised. Consequently, it was not before 1 March 1988 that the first test and material train operated as far as Izingolweni. Then, on 29 March, NG/G16 No.88 powered the first freight train to Harding. It embarked on its return journey the following day with a load of timber, stopping at Izingolweni for the night and arriving in Port Shepstone on 31 March. The full goods service was scheduled to begin on 6 April.

INTRODUCTION OF MODIFIED ‘ST’ TIMBER TRUCKS

The Port Shepstone-Harding Branch operated a fleet of 200 purpose-built ST timber trucks for carrying pulpwood, sawn logs, and treated timber. S was the SAR/SATS designation for a flat truck and T for a flat truck carrying timber. These trucks had solid ends with 2 m high side stanchions and a 1,6 m wide loading deck providing a payload space of 24 square meters. The earlier B and DZ low-sided open-top trucks only had 12 square meters of payload space.

The train loaded with timber from Harding on 30 March offered the first opportunity for the fledgling ACR to display its modified ST-type trucks. The cornerstone of the modification was to increase the payload space, which was achieved by rearranging the stanchions and replacing the solid backs with two stanchions at each end. The rearranged stanchions allowed the 2,4 m long logs to be positioned crosswise rather than longitudinally in three pockets giving a payload space of 36 square metres. This modification increased the amount of timber carried from 9 tons to 15 for gum and 19 for pine.

The table below illustrates the much-improved ACR payloads by running shorter trains and raising the gross load from 230 tons for 64 axles to 250 tons for 40 axles.

The advantage of cross-loading the ‘STC’ trucks can be seen in the 60 to 70 per cent increase in the carrying capacity of each train. Unfortunately, with increased loading also came some unforeseen problems: if the wood was wet, load shifts could occur during transit which was one of the causes leading to derailments. Therefore, loading took longer because logs were not of a precise length and would stick out unevenly. They needed to be ‘panel beaten’ into position to equalise the overhang for optimum stability. In addition, heavier loads could cause problems braking on downgrades if 10 inches of vacuum were not maintained. An innovation introduced by  ACR was the use of composition brake blocks with a higher friction coefficient than the standard cast iron blocks to provide more effective braking on the long downhill sections. A further saving resulting from the lower tare weight of the STC trucks was effected on the inbound journey, as the Garratts consumed less coal, hauling fewer and lighter trucks.

To cater for the transport of 6 m long poplar logs, ST trucks were modified with extruding ‘L’ shaped stanchions angled to clear loading dock and platform edges. The standard 1,6 m truck floor was thus widened to about 2,5 m, making the ‘STW’ (ST Widebody) the widest vehicle in service on South Africa’s 2ft-gauge railways. Furthermore, while the end stanchions were fixed, the others in between could be moved and positioned to suit different pole lengths. The wide-bodied trucks also carried neatly packed five to six-tonne pulpwood bundles from the plantations that were speedily trans-shipped in Port Shepstone.

Other rebuilds undertaken were the ‘STDR’ or “Ijuba trucks”, where a central longitudinal partition divides the truck into six ‘pockets’. Droppers 0,8 to 1,2 m long were cross-loaded in a ‘V' configuration, raising the payload to 10 tons per truck and cutting the trans-shipping time in Port Shepstone by half.

In addition to the above, trucks were modified to carry PX, half, and full-size containers 2,4 m wide. Containers became important revenue earners during ACR's first five years before the business was snatched away at uncompetitive rates by road hauliers.

Another important source of revenue during the first few years was livestock - sheep, goats, cattle and horses.  This traffic held up quite well and then rapidly disappeared.  One day, after an interval of five years, we were suddenly required to move a large herd of cattle from Port Shepstone to Harding.  The beasts were transhipped, six to a wagon, during the afternoon for the 23:00 train to Harding.  

At 23:45 that night, Charlie was called out to Izotsha by an agitated driver Dawid Burger, who pointed to a wagon halfway along the train where one of the beasts was mooing complainingly with all four hooves firmly on the roadbed - it had fallen clean through the rotten floor. The contretemps was solved by calling out the track gang, who first replaced the floor planks with sleepers at one end and then, with the aid of ropes and a mighty heave by everyone present, lifted the creature back into the wagon.  "We could only speculate as to how far, how fast and for how long the unfortunate animal had trotted along to keep pace with the train.  Miraculously, it was quite unharmed."

TRAIN OPERATIONS IN THE EARLY YEARS

In the first year of operation, the following locomotives were in use: NG/G16 Nos.88 and 116 (both introduced in July 1987), No.156 (December 1987), No.140 (July 1988)³, No.155 (August 1988), and followed by No.154. Meanwhile, NG/G16 Nos.150 and 153 were transferred from Umzinto shed. An attractive enhancement was the diverse liveries of the locomotives with No.88 in Brunswick green, Nos.116 and 140 in LMS maroon and No.156 in SAR standard black.

Initially, there was one weekly return freight service to Harding. However, as a direct result of having Allen Jorgensen, the Marketing Director, amid the community, the ACR got off to a promising start with several timber-carrying contracts signed in early July. Consequently, two return workings to Harding per week were running at that juncture. By August, this had increased to three trips to Harding (equal to five trips carrying capacity pre-closure by SATS) and two return trips to Paddock. Within six months of operating, 6 000 tons were moved monthly. Train operation was initially by paper orders but then changed to wooden staff with sections from Port Shepstone to Izotsha, Izotsha to Paddock, Paddock to Izingolweni and Izingolweni to Harding. Later this section was divided at Nqabeni. 

At Harding, loading initially was done manually which was very time-consuming until Bell 120 tele-loggers for larger logs and loose stockpiled pulpwood were brought in. A sugar-cane crane was employed to lift bundled timber. Pulpwood constituted about three-quarters of the tonnage carried to the coast; the balance consisted of poplar logs and creosote poles. Inland traffic consisted of general cargo consignments such as fertiliser, bagged maize, cement, small parcels, and farm implements.  A regular customer was Pep Stores, who brought groceries and clothing to Harding in containers from Durban and then transhipped onto ACR's container wagons at Port Shepstone. 

A perennial problem was water supplies, particularly at Bongwana and the crucial one at Izingolweni, where water had to be pumped via a four-mile pipeline from Gilbert Eyles Dam on the Mzimkhulwana (at the western entrance to Oribi Gorge). The height difference was 530 feet, requiring two pumping stations, one at the dam and one halfway up to Izingolweni. The 4-inch diameter pipe was asbestos, and the locals continually chopped holes in it to get the water, so much so that the pipeline had to be repaired each day before the trains could run.

The solution was obvious and surprising that the state-run railway had never considered it: the Garratts' unused tool compartments in the water tanks of both front and back units were welded closed, thereby increasing capacity by some 16 per cent - sufficient to eliminate both the problem water stations. Consequently, the 'Tsumeb' Garratts Nos.139 and 140 had their rear tanks lengthened as well, thereby enabling Harding to be reached with only three intermediate water stops – Izotsha, Paddock and Gindrah (Quarry Siding) – an appreciable saving in pumping costs and reduced running times.

THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE ACR 

The Railway Society of Southern Africa’s Natal Newsletter No.41, on page 8, reports about the opening:

“The Alfred County Railway got off to a good official start on Saturday, 9 July. With about twenty Natal Branch members present, the local RSSA was reasonably represented. There was a slight delay whilst the over 200 passengers were squeezed aboard – there was even a passenger-carrying freight guard’s van in grey undercoat pressed into service to convey the large contingent. Class NG/G16 No.88 appropriately did the honours, bringing the train into Paddock almost on time. There was some excitement at Izotsha, where a local road construction contractor was caught red-handed filling a water tanker under the water column. After a stern talking-to from the police contingent that accompanied the train (as the Minister of Transport was on board), the road tanker driver was permitted to leave the scene. Water could not be taken at Bomela as the tanks were still out of order. It was decided that No.88 did not need refilling from a small standpipe erected about 500 metres further along the line. A considerable amount of earthworks was seen wherever flood damage had been repaired. A surprising sight at Renken Halt was a ‘B’ wagon standing on the loop siding in a derailed state. It was propped up with a large log!

At Paddock, all passengers were treated to champagne and orange juice, after which the honourable Minister of Transport made a pleasant and appropriate speech (mostly in English). With ACR Company directors Charlie Lewis and Allen Jorgensen looking on, Mr Louw symbolically cut the ribbon in front of red-liveried NG/G16 No.116 on a down train with a load of timber, performing a 'crossing' with NG/G16 No.88 during the celebrations. Then he announced the ACR was officially open, and everyone took part in an excellent finger lunch, leaving the more dedicated railway enthusiasts to inspect Paddock Station, the three steam trains and a motor trolley. Locomotive No.88 then proceeded to fill its tank at the water column on the Port Shepstone end: an operation that took 45 minutes as the water flow was meagre and the tank virtually empty. Then commenced a heated discussion amongst the train crews about how they would untangle the four trains with only a mainline, loop and one available siding. The special passenger eventually departed at about 3:45 pm, arriving in a cold and blustery Port Shepstone at 5:20. On the way, there was an unscheduled stop at the Dawn View Hotel to return several errant wine glasses that had found their way onto the train”.

Following the official opening celebration, the ACR started running an all-steam freight and tourist passenger service. Serving the timber-growing areas of Harding, Weza and the Eastern Transkei, the railway provided a vital link between the plantations and the terminus of the South Coast Line at Port Shepstone.

GARRATT MODIFICATION

THE 'RED DRAGON'

On 5 September 1988, Phil Girdlestone filled the key position of Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) at the ACR. He brought a wealth of experience in modern steam practice from his engineering projects on the Ffestiniog Railway at Boston Lodge and Hugh Phillips Engineering in South Wales. A significant innovation was introducing the Gas Producer Combustion System (GPCS), designed by Argentinian engineer L D Porta to improve steam efficiency and reduce coal consumption. Two Garratts, No.141 (BP7866/1958) in 1989 and No.155 (HT3900/1968) in 1990⁵, were modified with the technology introduced by Dave Wardale to the SAR on his modified 3ft 6in ‘Cape’ gauge Classes 19D No.2644 and 26 No.3450 – the famed 'Red Devil' on the SAR.

The stage was set for implementing Phil's design work to improve the efficiency and power of the Garratts, which had never been modified in this fashion before. First, the condition of Garratts ‘mothballed’ (read gently rusting) at Port Shepstone was carefully assessed. Although ostensibly a standard class, there were various detail differences between the five batches of NG/G16s built since 1936. However, after considering boiler age, condition, and tyre profile, the choice was narrowed down to the Beyer Peacock engines built in 1958 and the most recent 1967/68 from Hunslet Taylor incorporating the final SAR developments. Finally, thirty-year-old No.141 (BP7866/1958, one of the ‘Tsumeb’ Garratts, originally TC10, landed in Port Elizabeth on 29 October 1958) was chosen as the most suitable.

At its last overhaul at the Pietermaritzburg Mechanical Workshops in May 1981, No.141 was fitted with a new steel firebox and boiler No.7109 from the Hunslet Taylor order. Only a few lower tubes needed replacing, the driving wheels were in good condition, and the tyre wear was within acceptable limits. Work on the loco started in January 1989 in the Port Shepstone workshop, and it was not before long that it was disassembled into its major components. The rebuild took several months until the red-letter day arrived on 15 August 1989, when the fire was lit for the first time and the first member of a new (unofficial) class of Garratt, the NG/G16A*, was born. The loco was painted red like its 3ft 6in gauge cousin, Class 26 No.3450 'Red Devil', because no other colour was striking enough to mark the occasion that, in 1989, a new class of Garratt had arrived. After two months of trials and fine-tuning, NG/G16A No.141, nicknamed ‘Red Dragon’, went into regular service in December 1989.

*Termed unofficial because it was not an SAR classification.

Coal consumption trial runs were undertaken in March 1990 between Izingolweni and Harding, with NG/G16 No.116 as the controlling locomotive. Although working over the easier 1 in 60 grades, NG/G16A No.141 saved 20 per cent per ton/km. The only initial downside of the NG/G16A was that the front engine unit tended to slip, which was attributed to mechanical issues related to the loss of adhesive weight as the water in the front tank was consumed during operation. This issue was soon resolved by increasing the adhesion weight on the front unit driving wheels.

† Sadly, Phil Girdlestone died in 2016 at the age of 61. 

THE ‘BANANA EXPRESS’

In 1990, the Port Shepstone Municipality approved the funding of a dedicated station for the 'Banana Express', which was incorporated into a beachfront commercial development 1,4 km south of Spoornet’s passenger station. Ample off-street car parking was also provided. At its opening, in December, the new Banana Express Station complex provided the ACR with an attractive and modern-looking terminus for the 'Banana Express' trains, although it looked gaunt with the spaces for the shops and café still empty.

The 'Banana Express' out-of-season schedule had a train departing Port Shepstone at 10:00 every Wednesday and Saturday for a six-hour round trip to Paddock. This included a two-hour stop for a braai at Paddock; meat packs were available for purchase before departure from Port Shepstone, and other refreshments were available at Paddock Station. Fares Adults: R25.00, children (4-12) R14.00. Shorter round trips (2½ hours) to Izotsha departed at 10:00 from Port Shepstone on Thursdays and noon on Sundays. The train stopped at the Dawn View Hotel on the return journey for refreshments.

In addition, the ACR introduced a new feature to their Wednesday and Saturday steam trips to Paddock. Passengers were given the option to detrain at Plains Halt (one stop short of Paddock), where Natal Parks Board officials and local farmers met them. The tourists were taken on a one-hour hike through the nearby indigenous forest, which skirts Oribi Gorge, followed by a braai in the camp boma. The journey departed Port Shepstone at 10:00 and returned at 16:00.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE ACR

Charles Parry

On Thursday, 6 July 1989, I was given a pass to ride to Harding and back by motor trolley. That day the service was four trains over the whole line, two up and two down, and the Banana Express making two lzotsha trips.

We set off before first light at 06:35 and stopped for 18 minutes at the new free-way bridge deviation as the track gang arrived for work. We were to inspect the track over the whole route to establish priorities for track maintenance. The driver was Philip Oosthuizen, in charge of trains operating, and in the other front seat was "Rooi Jan" Bezuidenhout, in charge of the track. Charlie Lewis rode in the up direction.

It was a way to experience the ACR, 122 km of narrow gauge each way, 244 km in 11 hours. The motor trolley is "not designed to give comfort to the civil engineer", said Charlie Lewis as we got underway; it gives no comfort to anybody else on board either! Instead, it responds to each joint and bump in the track, no doubt impressing on those responsible for the urgency of the track maintenance that needs to be done.

Our trolley preceded the two up goods trains and considerably exceeded their speed. The speedometer was not working, but our speed was 60km/h on straights, and 30 km/h or less on the numerous curves, according to my timing of distances between kilometre posts. Although we had the right-of-way at level crossings, the benefit of the doubt was not given to road users; every crossing was approached with extreme caution, with the horn sounding and the trolley able to stop if necessary.

On the up journey, we got to Gindrah before we had a crossing; a 50-minute wait preceded the arrival of train 1955 with 12 loads. The delay was anticipated; at Nqabeni, a generous length of boerewors was procured from the local butcher (recommended!), wood was scrounged from the bushes, and when engine 140 steamed in a good braai was in progress. An old SATS custom continues under privatisation. At Bongwana, train 1957, with engine 88, was waiting for us with 8 loads, to be augmented by 3 more at Nqabeni (shed from a train on a wet night recently).

Then we made the spectacular ascent from the crossing of the Umzimkulwana river, and on gaining the ridge, the view was dominated by the approaching Ngeli Mountains. Harding was reached in 5 hours 55 minutes gross. 3 hours 20 minutes net. The average speed was 36km/h.

After a 40-minute break, the return journey commenced: another crossing at Gindrah brought the first train across the facing points (coast end) as we came to a stand in the loop. Gindrah is in a side valley, and as we approached the halt, we ran parallel with train 1954 opposite us, with engine 155 and 6 trucks.

We quickly got away and, at Nqabeni, were told to proceed with caution as train 1957 had not yet reached Izingolweni. There we overtook the train we had crossed at Bongwana on the up trip, but at Paddock, we had to wait for 1956 to arrive from Port Shepstone, engine 116 with 12 trucks. This train included a load of loco coal and a load of gravel from lzotsha for a user in Harding. Within three minutes of each other, 1957 and 1956 entered Paddock. We were soon away for the spritely final leg of 59 minutes to Port Shepstone. The section throughout had just cleared; 1955 itself, delayed by the Banana Express tea- stop at Dawn View, had booked into Port Shepstone; the operator was able to leave directions to us and 1957 following and book off. It was dark when the trolley backed into its shed, and its travellers went home for a much looked-forward-to bath and rest.

Gross time for return - 4 hours 30 minutes, net - 3 hours 20 minutes again.

THE ACR INCREASES LOADS

In the “Round and About’ column of the March/April 1989 issue of SA Rail, Roger Darsley describes his journey on 21 January: “No.139 left Port Shepstone with three empty wood trucks and one coach. At Izotsha, it picked up five fully-loaded bogies of fine gravel, raked out the fire, blew down and took on water. The weather was humid but dry; however, the train made heavy going on some of the grades. The trailing unit (under the water tank) kept slipping – surprisingly, not the leading unit. From Izotsha to Paddock, we ground to a halt three times. At the first stop, the driver checked all the wagon brakes as the local children considered the train the best entertainment for the day and jumped on and off, creating a considerable nuisance to the crew and possible danger to themselves. Very good pull-aways with wonderful smoke effects and the famous Beyer-Garratt variable exhaust beat!

At Paddock, the coach was detached, and No.139 awaited the down train before continuing to Harding. This [train] arrived after an enjoyable braai and was truly staggering. It was an experimental train in line capacity and was 440 tons gross. On 28 January*, ACR planned to run a 500-ton gross train as an experiment – this would be the absolute maximum, and the train could only be passed at four of the twelve loops. (Although there are twelve loops, the line is run as nine sections at present)

The 442-ton train was No.155 plus four cross-loaded timber trucks, No.140 plus eight cross-loaded timber trucks, six loaded creosoted timber trucks, one brake van and a passenger coach. The ensemble left at 12:55 pm and spectacularly wound its way down to Port Shepstone by 5:05 pm, where it went into a reception siding. No. 155 ran around the train, detached the passenger coach, and propelled it into the station, arriving at 5:15 pm. So the day that started with a footplate ride on No.88 around the shed had really shown a lot of varied working on the ACR.”

* An experimental 500-ton train was operated on 27 January 1989 from Harding to Port Shepstone using two NG/G16s. The second Garratt was separated from the first by four loaded trucks, reminiscent of the ‘Duplas’ operated by the Benguela Railway in Angola.  Having established that the 'Duplas' could be run safely and effectively, the heaviest thus far ran on 11 May 1989 with locomotives 140 + 156 and a gross load of 526 tons and 26 wagons. 

The decision by Marketing Director Jorgensen to move himself and his family into the heart of the Harding community by occupying the erstwhile Stationmaster's house proved a rewarding one for ACR. In its first 18 months of operation the freight business - both outbound and inbound - grew exponentially, recapturing a large proportion of the business that SA Transport Services had lost by closing the line.

From 1 March 1989, the ACR expanded its service schedule to run two freight trains in each direction, Mondays to Saturdays.

Recommissioned NG/G16 No.129* made its first trip on 2 June 1989 to deliver a load of rails for connecting up the new section of track built under the new South Coast road bridge to allow the railway to pass under the R61 South Coast Highway extension south of Port Shepstone. With No.129 entering service, this brought the number of Garratts in use on the ACR to nine: Nos.88, 116, 129, 138, 139, 140, 141, 155 & 156.

*In May 1996, NG/G16 No.129 was sold to Puffing Billy Railway, Australia. After a long rebuild in the PBR workshops, including fitting an all-welded steel boiler and conversion to 2ft 6in gauge, the locomotive was returned to service on 18 December 2019.

A visit to Port Shepstone Shed by Roger Darsley in November revealed NG/G16 No.155 stored serviceable on the mixed gauge stub line. Inside the shed was No.129 in black livery, No.116 in red livery and modified No.141, which not only sports a futuristic chimney and Class 26-style red livery but also carries cab plates describing it as NG/G16A and a "rebuilt 1989 ACR" plate. Its trial runs were reported as successful but incomplete, as a full technical analysis was underway. No.127 was on the wheel drop, and shunting in the yard was No.138. The reception sidings held Nos.149 and 151 - these two looked like they had had all the bits replaced and had been tried out but needed repainting. On the dump lines were Nos.110, 128, 143, 111, 125, 142, 126, 114 and 130, minus its coal bunker, and Rustenburg diesel No.10. No.88 was up the line on the ‘Banana Express’ mixed, while No.139 was on a following freight, and Nos.140 and 156 were at Harding. The experimental double-headed heavy freight trains, which ran earlier last year, had been a success and as traffic increased, the ACR would go from two single loco freight trains a day to one single-headed and one double-headed train and then three single-headed.

72. A 'dupla' with NG/G16 No.140 leading and No.88 cut in behind the fourth wagon is charging the 1 in 44 grade out of Izingolweni with its full 520-ton allocation in September 1989.

The first Benguela Railway-style 'dupla', a sort of cross between a doubleheader and a combined train, was tested out of Harding on 30th November 1988 with NG/G16 Nos.140 and 155.  It was an immediate success and solved the problem of line occupation on busy days.  By January 1989, these duplas were running almost every other day, and during May, the heaviest ACR train thus far of 526 tons was run.

THE ACR RECORDS ITS 1000th FREIGHT LOAD

A record single-engine payload of 250 tons gross made up of 12 ST trucks and a brake van was worked out of Harding on 2 February 1990 using modified NG/G16A No.141 'Red Dragon'. With its much freer exhaust, the exhaust beat of the two units could be heard most distinctly compared with the muffled exhaust of the unmodified Garratts.

In March ACR recorded its 1000th freight load. The latter months of 1990 and early 1991 saw the ACR posting a healthy trading result despite heavy competition from the road hauliers. However, turning a heavy loss-making branch line into a profitable business was not easy, particularly reaching an optimum balance of two-way traffic — 176 payload tons outwards to 78 tons back-haul was essential for profitability.

On 24 April, Natal Cooperative Timber, South Africa’s largest timber cooperative, officially opened a holding depot at Harding Station. The ACR estimated that it now carried 30 per cent of all timber traffic in the area.

According to a report in the 1990 July/August issue of SA Rail, the ACR now either leased from Spoornet or owned the following locomotives:

NG15 Nos.19 & 146

NG/G16 Nos.88, 116, 127, 129, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 149, 150, 151, 152, 155 and 156. ⁷ ⁸

1991 - RECORD-BREAKING LOAD ON THE TWO-FOOT GAUGE

To commemorate the third year of successful operation, the ACR ran on 15 March 1991, the heaviest ever narrow-gauge load in South Africa hauled by three Garratts from Harding to Port Shepstone.  The following five photographs provide an idea of the occasion.

75. Charlie relates: "On a damp pre-dawn 15 March 1991, train 1010/11/12 backed to the railhead bufferstop; drivers Philip Oosthuizen* with NGG16 No.139 followed by Ronnie Deacon with NGG16A No.155 four wagons behind; followed another five wagons back by Chris Slabbert with NGG16A No.141; then 14 wagons, a guards van loaded with rerailing equipment and a nervous guard in the shape of Reuben Englund, exploded out of Harding. In years of watching and photographing trains, I never saw or heard anything like it - before or since".  

*When he retired from SA Transport Services c 1989, Philip was its senior Locomotive Inspector, a steam enthusiast, and what he didn't know about craftmanship on the footplate and operating matters didn't need to be told.  The planning for this memorable day was mainly carried out by Allen Jorgensen and its faultless execution by Philip Oosthuizen.

A E ('Dusty') Durrant writes: "The very narrow-gauges, typified by those of less than three feet, or 900 mm, have usually been associated with exceptionally light trains over rickety track having steep gradients and sharp curves. Some inkling that this was not necessarily the case began to emerge on the Avontuur Line in the Eastern Cape, where twenty bogie trucks of export fruit were handled by a single NG/G16 Class Garratt, whilst for the heavy limestone trains from Loerie to Chelsea, fifteen trucks of this bulky material were dragged upgrade to the summit with a combination of NG15 and NG/G16 with a combined nominal tractive effort of 35 460lb (16 082 kgf) at 75% boiler pressure. These trains have doubled in length to thirty trucks in later years, totalling some 600 tons, handled by three Class 91 diesels whose combined rated tractive effort is 258 kN (kilonewtons) or 58 050lbs (pounds) force.

All this pales into insignificance when compared with recent happenings on the Alfred County Railway from Port Shepstone to Harding, which in March 1991 achieved three years of privatised operation during which one thousand revenue freight trains were run from Harding to Port Shepstone. Several 'duplas' were operated during this period, with one Garratt at the front and another cut in a few trucks behind, giving a total train weight (excluding locomotives) of about 525 tons with a payload of around 410 tons. With the gradient against loaded trains amounting to 1 in 44, this was no mean feat on so narrow a gauge. 

Then, to celebrate three years of operation, it was decided to run a 'tripla' with three locomotives! Friday, 15 March 1991 seemed hardly propitious for such a feat. It had rained most of the night, mist, fog and drizzle prevailed across the upper length of the line from Harding to Bongwana. One imagined slippery rails and problems with struggling locomotives leading to broken couplings and even derailments. In the event, none of these potential disasters occurred nor showed any signs of approaching. At 06:00, the train waiting at Harding with NG/G16 No.139 at the head; four loaded trucks behind was NG/G16A No.155, followed by another five loaded trucks, then NG/G16A No.141 and finally 24 loaded trucks and a guard's van, the latter well stocked with re-railing equipment 'just in case'. The total weight of the train, excluding locomotives, was about 750 to 765 tons, to be confirmed later after trucks have been unloaded and the contents weighed. The whole cavalcade stormed out of Harding, assaulting the first long climb beyond Hluku with locomotives working hard but by no means being thrashed, both modified engines tending to blow off from time to time. After rolling down to Bongwana, where water was again taken, there was more severe climbing to Gindrah (stop for water) and Nqabeni, again without placing undue stress on the little Garratts. There was a prolonged water stop at Izingolweni, where an inbound train was crossed, and at about 14:00, the long train set forth again, ascending Wilson's Cutting's 1-in-44 gradient in great style. At Paddock, the final water stop, three loads were attached, making an estimated load of 820 to 835 tons and 635 to 650 tons payload, a truly remarkable feat on such a narrow gauge over such fierce gradients.

Thus, after three years of operation, the ACR is seen establishing a vital niche in a fiercely competitive market, still dominated by unfair competition from road haulage that not only wrecks the roads provided freely for them by taxpayers but enjoys rebates on their imported fuel. In contrast, the ACR must pay taxes in full on their indigenous energy! What further developments may we expect from this enterprising organisation? Indeed, air sanding to improve adhesion is actively being pursued, and perhaps later, we may witness a four-engine train which could break the magic' thousand tons' barrier on the two-foot gauge?"

(Published in SA RAIL, May/June 1991, pp.104-105)

SPOORNET ACQUIRES A 28 PER CENT STAKE IN THE ACR

CLASS 91 DIESEL-ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES TAKE OVER THE ACR's FREIGHT SERVICES

Spoornet’s share purchase saw the ACR revise its motive power plan for hauling timber trains by substituting steam traction with Class 91 diesel-electric locomotives hired at a subsidised rate of R500 daily. Class 91 General Electric type UM6B Bo-Bo is an adaptation of GE’s standard UM6B narrow-gauge model with bogies specifically designed for 2ft gauge. It has a net traction power output of 480kW and a maximum axle load of 12 tons. The first Class 91 locomotive departed from Humewood Road depot, Port Elizabeth, on 5 February and arrived at Port Shepstone on the afternoon of 9 February. No.91-006 travelled under its own power all the way from Port Elizabeth, including piloting a Class 34 on a freight train between Bloemfontein and Bethlehem. It was made possible by mounting No.91-006 on specially modified 3ft 6in gauge bogies from a Class 36 diesel-electric powered only by the leading bogie – code-named ‘Bigfoot’. Diesel haulage came into operation on 17 February when No 91-006 entered service. In preparation for the arrival of 91-016 in mid-March, drivers with only steam experience were sent on a four-week training course. In addition to 91-006 and 91-016, 91-001, 91-003, 91-004, 91-008, 91-009, 91-011 and 91-016 were recorded to have worked in rotation on the ACR.

Before the Class 91 diesels could operate to the end of the line, a wide-enough passage needed to be cut through the encroaching trackside vegetation. A Class 91 has a body width of 2,6 m, whereas the NG/G16 was 2 m. So, George van Niekerk, formerly from Port Elizabeth’s Sydenham and Humewood Road depots, the only one of ACR’s drivers who was an experienced Class 91 driver, was given the arduous task of venturing up the line with No.006 adorned with a squad of workers armed with bush cutting tools to clear the trackside vegetation.

Although diesel traction made handling heavy loads safer on the undulating and tortuous alignment, it nevertheless required skill to control a long rake of trucks fitted only with bell buffers and link and pin couplers. When there were derailments, the spillage was substantial and spectacular.

In mid-May, diesel shunter No.11, stationed at Harding, failed, so Port Shepstone shunter No.9 was dispatched light engine on 20 May. Leaving Port Shepstone without a diesel shunter, No.10, which the ACR had never used since purchase, was hurriedly refurbished and taken into service on 30 May. In the interim, steam or Class 91 locomotives were used for shunting.

The two Class 91 diesel locomotives performed satisfactorily, although there was only one major failure since their arrival, with 91-016 suffering on 5 June a blown cylinder head gasket. It was back in service on 11 June.

1992 FREIGHT TRAFFIC WORKINGS 

On 12 May, a group of Australians paid a fee to photograph NG/G16A No.155, heading a freight train to Izingolweni and bringing one back to Port Shepstone. Loads were exchanged at Izingolweni with a Class 91, which powered the freight to Harding. Unfortunately, No.155 failed with a disconnected valve head and had to leave its load at Izingolweni on the return journey. Another arranged steam-hauled freight was worked with NG/G16 No.140 to Harding on 21 May and returned the following day. Some of the income from the fees collected to run arranged steam freights was paid into a 'Super Garratt Fund'.⁴

On 27 May 1992, services were disrupted when 13 of 25 loaded trucks from Harding derailed on the curves above the Dawn View Hotel. With assistance from the Spoornet's Wentworth Breakdown team, the line was cleared on 30 May. Diesel 91-016 headed the breakdown works train. As a result of the derailment, the ACR fell short of its target of achieving 10 000 tons of outwards traffic for the month but nevertheless posted a best-ever record of 9 400 tons. At this juncture, anticipated traffic levels looked promising when the ACR gained a contract to transport crusher dust from Izotsha to Bongwana or Harding.

Freight service schedules were revised in July 1992, which consisted of a night service leaving Port Shepstone at 11:00 pm and arriving in Harding early morning. A relief crew that had travelled up to Harding by road then brought the loaded train back the following day, arriving in Port Shepstone at around 3 pm. If there was sufficient traffic on Wednesdays and Saturdays, the diesels returning from Harding would only go as far as Paddock, where loads were exchanged with the steam-hauled ‘Banana Express’, which ran as a mixed, and was used to bring empty timber trucks from Port Shepstone. Because the steam-hauled 'Banana Express' could only handle a single load to Paddock, the diesels returned to Harding with one unit hauled dead. Part of Wednesday's double timber load from Harding would remain in Paddock and be brought down to Port Shepstone by the 'Banana Express' the following Saturday.  This arrangement was successful for several years, only being discontinued with the loss of the SAPPI haulage contract in 1999. On Thursdays, however, when the diesels were serviced, the departure from Port Shepstone was at noon.

The 1992 November/December issue of SA Rail reported that the ACR undertook a humanitarian mission to supply drinking water to the drought-stricken areas of Southern Natal. The mission, initiated by the Rotary Club of Margate in cooperation with the Southern Natal JSB, entailed transporting drinking water to rural districts accessible by rail between Port Shepstone and Harding. In response to the request for help, the ACR cut cartage rates and took the first of three tankers containing 13 000 litres each at no charge. Water was distributed to residents in the Bomela, Izingolweni and Nqabeni areas. 

The ACR ranked as Spoornet’s second-largest customer at Port Shepstone behind the combined traffic generated by Kulu Lime and the Natal Portland Cement Operation.

105. Having descended 1100 ft from Harding down to Bongwana and Hughenden, trains then had to climb 500 ft out of that valley again on their way to Nqabeni and Izingolweni.  This was NG15 No.146 and NG/G16 No.156 with a heavy mix of pulpwood, poplar (destined for Lion Match at Umgeni) and passenger coaches in September 1990.

1992 ‘BANANA EXPRESS’ WORKINGS

The 'Banana Express' to Izotsha remained steam-hauled, and the mixed passenger/freights to Paddock. NG15 No.146 was back in traffic, working the 'Banana Express' to Izotsha on 21 and 24 May. Meanwhile, the triangles at Port Shepstone and Paddock were reinstated in February, making it possible for the single working Class NG15 to be turned around. In addition to the NG15, other locos, NG/G16 Nos. 140, 141 and NG/G16A No.155 took turns to haul the 'Banana Express'.

A new timetable for the 'Banana Express' came into operation on 1 July 1992, coinciding with the introduction of a two-class system. The best coaches (Nos.1, 2 and 10) were designated 'First Class' while the rest were 'Tourist Class'. In this connection, coach No.1 was extensively rebuilt, re-entering service on 11 June. In addition, the coach fleet was strengthened by converting two cattle trucks into open coaches 11 and 12. These were available for service on 25 June while veteran NGR coach No.4 was taken out of service.

The 5th Anniversary of the ACR running the 'Banana Express' was celebrated on 4 December 1992 with a special train for staff to Izotsha, hauled by NG/G16A No.141, and a braai has held at the Boboyi Bridge on the return trip.

OUT-OF-SERVICE STEAM LOCOMOTIVES PLACED IN STORAGE

Steam locomotives surplus to requirements or non-operational were sent for storage at Paddock rather than staged at Port Shepstone to deteriorate in the humid air. They were stored on a siding about two kilometres from Paddock station, also used as the local army base, so security was high. Between 3 and 25 June 1992, the following locomotives were towed cold to Paddock attached to freight, mixed or works trains: NG/G Nos.88, 110, 114, 116, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129 and 138. Having hauled failed diesel shunter No.11 from Harding to Port Shepstone on 29 June, NG/G16 No.156 was retired at Paddock. Occasionally, when the diesel shunters failed, Garratts Nos. 140, 141 and 155 were relegated to performing the mundane task of shunting Port Shepstone yard.

On 28 November, another batch of steam locomotives was sent to Paddock for storage: No. 151 was towed by No.141 on the 'Banana Express'; No.139 and 143 similarly on the 2 and 5 December, respectively, and No.142 by Class 91-006 on a freight train on 3 December, No.140 and No.149 followed before the end of the year, so that at year’s end, there were only three Garratts (Nos.141, 155 and 156) and tender loco NG15 No.146 left in service.

"...nothing more than an ordinary diesel-operated railway and the Garratts standing around idle."

The shareholders and owners of the ACR’s Garratts* reacted with utter dismay to the news that Class 91 locomotives would take over the freight haulage. The prospect that it was not very likely that the line would see much live steam again, except for the ‘Banana Express’ and special charters, was not well received despite the promising results obtained during testing of the modified NG/G16A, which demonstrated its haulage capability could equal a Class 91. Letters from overseas shareholders published in the ‘mailbag’ pages of the 1995 January/February issue of SA Rail/SA Spoor chastised the management of the ACR for showing a total disregard for the interests and wishes of the original ACR supporters, whose investment was in preserving ‘regular commercial steam operation with goods and passenger trains on the scenic narrow-gauge line. The ACR’s foundation and raising of private capital were based on this concept’. In addition, some investors suggested the ACR was somewhat economical with the truth when presenting calculations of revenue scenarios and operating costs [given that ACR's annual reports, as required of a public company, gave a detailed breakdown of the company's financial performance during each year under review, this was simply not true]. Break-even should have been achieved within a few years, but after a promising start, overseas investors requesting information on traffic figures received little information on the losses accrued despite optimistic forecasts Understandably, the shareholders were aggrieved to see their investment exclusively dedicated to preserving the Garratts and keeping them running, now tied to nothing more than an ordinary diesel-operated railway and the Garratts standing around idle.

* Fifteen Garratts were privately owned, of which eleven (Nos.127, 129, 138, 139, 141, 142, 143, 149, 151, 155 and 156) were owned by a single shareholder.

In its defence, ACR’s management explained that its original prospectus, based upon using steam traction, depended upon two key factors. The first was SA Transport Services hire charge for a class 91 diesel for which they had quoted R2000/day, and the second was the then current haulage charge by road hauliers, calculated on a nett payload of 25 tons. These were the parameters used in determining that steam was more economical.  That was in 1987.  In 1992 SATS (now called Spoornet) reduced its daily hire rate for a Class 91 from R2000 to R500. In the interim, the legal payload of a timber lorry had increased from 25 tons to 33 tons (thereby enabling road hauliers to reduce their rate from Harding to Saiccor to below the rail rate).  The decision to use diesels was based on hard economic truths - a case of providing the shipper with a cheaper rate or losing the staple business and closing the railway. 

The difference between using two Class 91s or two NG/G16As came down to the additional cost of labour and steam locomotive maintenance. Given the new hire charge of R500 per locomotive per day, two Class 91 locomotives under the control of one crew hauling 600-tonne trains were the yardstick by which motive power would be the norm. Provided steam traction could perform the same task with the same measure of reliability and operating expense, the same or less than the diesels. In the event, steam could not compete. 

In the words of Phil Girdlestone, the ACR’s CME “NG/G16s, or their derivatives, will never again regularly provide power for Harding-bound trains except on special occasions. They are outdated, especially mechanically, and overshadowed in performance, economic and operational terms by the Class 91s.”

1993 - FREIGHT WORKINGS

Transporting timber from the plantations around Harding to the Sappi/Saiccor mill at Umkomaas was the primary staple traffic for the ACR. Pulpwood traffic was disappointingly low in the first part of 1993 but began to improve at the end of April, with May and June producing respectable tonnages. Inland traffic also improved in May and June with a substantial tonnage of bulk commodities such as maize and fertiliser carried, together with farm implements, livestock water tanks and a contract for stone grit loading at three trucks a day. Most trains were running as double trains, especially on the Harding-Izingolweni-Harding shuttles. In addition, steam-hauled freight trains were run to help the diesels when there was a traffic build-up or one of the diesels was out of service. These ran either to Paddock or Kulwana, handled by NG/G16A No.141.

The ACR purchased Radio Control equipment, and train control went over to radio (from Telkom phones) at the end of April 1993.

Meanwhile, competition from road hauliers continued to affect tariffs. Road transport deregulation (1977 Road Transportation Act) allowed vehicle payloads of 33 tons by the late 1980s. In the early 1990s, a 22 m long, eight-axle ‘Super Link’ carried a legal payload of 39,7 tons, with a 5 per cent overload tolerance. The limit increased to 43 tons in 1996, resulting in a permissible gross vehicle weight of 58,5 tons. Further relaxation saw payloads up to 45 tons carried on heavy vehicle multi-trailer combinations. Small wonder then that complete deregulation in the early 1990s (which had not been foreseen by the promoters of Alfred County Railway) was instrumental in drawing away rail traffic from the agricultural districts by road hauliers, resulting in the wholesale closure of most branch lines by 2001.

The volume of timber freight fluctuated from month to month with a noticeable decline with the onset of the rains in October 1993. Traffic picked up at the beginning of December but tapered off towards the year-end, coinciding with the farmers closing their operations for the Christmas and New Year holidays. Inward traffic, mainly comprised of fertiliser, substantially increased over the previous year, but the rains meant that the water contract with the local Joint Services Board finished, and increased competition meant bulk maize traffic was significantly reduced.

From 27 October 1993, ACR took over the management and operation of the Sappi Depot at Harding. This business deal comprised overseeing a weighbridge where the road trucks and trailers were weighed before their loads were transferred to the railway trucks.

Spoornet was awarded an R300 000 contract by the ACR to repair three bridges on the coastal section of the line. Work started towards the end of November on the Izotsha River bridge, where a short siding was put in for storing trucks loaded with materials and equipment.

Trains operated as doubles or singles according to necessity and availability of the diesels.

1993 MOTIVE POWER MOVEMENTS

Steam locomotive movements: NG/G16A No.141 'Red Dragon' was returned to service on 25 March after its 15M repairs. NG/G16 No.155 was waiting for its new boiler certificate. On 30 March, NG15 No.146 and NG/G16 No.156 were sent from Port Shepstone to Paddock for storage, with NG15 No.146 being steamed to haul No.156 cold and a short freight. However, No.146 had a short stay in Paddock as it was towed back on 20 April to work the Transnet Museum’s ‘Union Limited Tropics’ train. The Transnet Museum’s trains were run from Port Shepstone to Izingolweni and back on 28 April. NG/G16A No.141 'Red Dragon' was in charge of these trains but was piloted by NG15 No.146 on the return run from Izingolweni.

The Wentworth breakdown train visited Port Shepstone to conduct maintenance work on the Class 91s. On 10/11 July, the bodies were lifted off the locos so the wheelsets could be changed around to even out the wear. In August, two visits were necessary: the first was after the failure on 16 August of 91-008’s main engine bearings. Class 91-009 was sent from Humewood Road depot as a replacement. Meanwhile, No.91-008 was fitted with 3ft 6in gauge bogies and towed to Wentworth for repairs, then towed back to Port Shepstone on 31 August.

In the interim, steam-powered freights had to be run to back up the service. Usually, these were run to Paddock, but some trains went as far as Gindrah. The diesels ran fill-in turns from Harding to Paddock or Nqabeni/Gindrah to exchange loads with the steam freights. Locomotives used were NG/G16A Nos.141 'Red Dragon' and 155. Altogether six freight turns to Paddock and two to Gindrah were run in August and September 1993. A drop in traffic during November, December, and January 1994 saw only one diesel locomotive kept in service.

During the 12 months of 1993, the steam locomotives in regular service chalked up the following distances: NG/G16A No.141 'Red Dragon' 9 569 km; NG/G16A No.155 4 523 km; NG15 No.146 1 181 km. The boiler certificate for NG/G16A No.155 was renewed in July and those of NG15 No.146 and NGG16 No.156 in December. NG/G16 No.156 was towed from Paddock to Port Shepstone on 13 October, followed by NG/G16 No.149 on 10 November. The intention was to overhaul NG/G16 No.156 using the engine units of NG/G16 No.149 (the last locomotive was partially rebuilt when the diesels took over the freight service) to enable the withdrawal of NG/G16 No.155 for major mechanical work.

THE ACR'S INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO TIMBER HAULING: PIGGY-BACKING

1993 ‘BANANA EXPRESS’ WORKINGS

In the first half of 1993, the number of tourists visiting the Natal South Coast, especially from overseas, declined noticeably because of security concerns that significantly affected the 'Banana Express' loadings. However, April's Easter School Holiday period produced reasonable figures when most extra scheduled trains ran. Besides the Transnet Museum Special in April, NG/G16A No.155 was used on a charter passenger train to Paddock on 19 March, and No.141 'Red Dragon' hauled a special mixed train to Paddock on 11 June for overseas visitors. On 30 June, the local Peace Award chartered a train to Paddock in conjunction with International Youth Day. This train was hauled by NG15 No.146 as No.141 'Red Dragon' was on the regular Paddock mixed that day. On the return journey from Paddock, NG15 No.146 astounded ACR's operating staff by bringing in a Garratt-sized trailing load of 12 timber trucks and three passenger coaches in the very capable hands of driver Frans Olckers.

All passenger/mixed trains from July to December 1993 were worked by NG15 No.146 and NG/G16A Nos.141 & 155. On 18 July, a special mixed train was run for a group of Dutch visitors under the auspices of the Transnet Museum led by 'Dusty' Durrant. This particular train was worked by NG15 No.146 and NG/G16A No.155 as far as Renken, where NG15 No.146 returned light to Port Shepstone for the 'Banana Express' and NG/G16A No.155 continued unaided to Izingolweni. The mixed return train was worked by NG/G16A Nos.141 & 155. Many other specials were run to Izotsha for companies and school parties.

From 25 September 1993, fares were increased on the 'Banana Express'. At the same time, the Sunday service to Izotsha was retimed to leave at 11:00 instead of 11:30. The passenger coach situation on the 'Banana Express' became critical when several converted freight wagons were withdrawn from traffic. Fortunately, four Port Elizabeth narrow-gauge passenger coaches arrived just in time for the Christmas holiday season. The coaches were on indefinite loan from the Transnet Museum and were shipped by Unicorn Lines and Sea Deliveries from Port Elizabeth to Durban. They arrived in Port Shepstone on 8 December and comprised coaches No.48 (First Class) and Nos.72, 95 and 888 (Tourist Class). Before entering service, they were all repainted and received any necessary repairs. Extra trains were run to Izotsha on Wednesday and Friday afternoons during the Christmas holiday season. A special fare was introduced on these trains, allowing one child to travel free with every adult ticket purchased.

On 29 December 1993, the scheduled Paddock mixed train was fully booked, so it was decided to run another mixed train to Paddock the following day but combine it with the regular 'Banana Express' operating to Izotsha. The combined train to Izotsha produced the longest passenger train ever run on the ACR. This impressive consist comprised NG15 No.146 (to Izotsha) and NG/G16A No.141 'Red Dragon' (to Paddock), hauling seven empty timber trucks, three coaches to Paddock and 12 coaches to Izotsha. With 250 passengers booked to Izotsha and 45 to Paddock, the combined train recorded the highest passenger loading of the season for the 'Banana Express'.

THE ACR OPERATES THE ‘APPLE EXPRESS’ AND ‘DIAS EXPRESS’ IN PORT ELIZABETH

The ACR was the successful bidder to operate the Apple Express and Dias Express over the Christmas holiday season from 8 December 1992 to 15 January 1993. Volunteers were drawn from the ranks of railwaymen from Spoornet and the general public, and any profits went to charity. Spoornet made the locomotives, rolling stock and maintenance facilities available, whilst Trans Natal Collieries donated coal and the Port Elizabeth Publicity Association assisted with the publicity and brochures. The success of the Apple Express led to the running of many extra trips so that by the end of the running period, the total number of passengers carried by the private/volunteer-operated train had far exceeded the numbers achieved by the SAR/SATS running the service in their best years.

The ACR also submitted a bid for a Spoornet tender to operate the complete Port Elizabeth-Avontuur and Gamtoos-Patensie narrow-gauge system.

1994 'BANANA EXPRESS' AND FREIGHT WORKINGS

The continued decline in traffic volume during the first half of 1994 meant that only one diesel locomotive was in use over varying periods during the week. Other than head gasket failures, these locomotives have proved relatively reliable. However, both locomotives had their bogies changed, 91-008 on 29 June suffered wheel damage when it hit a stone on 22 June, and 91-009 had its scheduled change on 2 August.

New traffic was gained from road transport which made up for some of the shortfalls in timber traffic. In January, pine from Weza to Mandini went over to rail transport, and this traffic increased in August following major plantation fires. In July, pulpwood from Mondi Plantations destined for Sappi-Saiccor was loaded at Hluku siding. Traffic up to Harding had also slackened but picked up again in August when the demand for fertiliser commenced. New traffic included sand, loaded at South Wharf, for Harding and Paddock from September. The ACR had to reinstate the narrow-gauge link to South Wharf on the Umzimkulu River to load the sand. It was cheaper to load sand at South Wharf than at Izotsha. This narrow-gauge section was completed in August, and the first loadings took place on 21 September. South Wharf was mainly used for loading lime into Spoornet wagons. In October, the first load of blocks was moved from Paddock to Harding. On occasions, when only one diesel was available, it was necessary to run steam freights to Paddock or Kulwana and back to clear traffic backlog.

Steam continued to get a look in on freight haulage with NG15 No.146, NG/G16 No.156 and NG/G16A Nos. 141 and 155 were available when there was a build-up of traffic. The overhaul of No.156 was completed in March, and after test runs on the works train from Izotsha bridge during March, it re-entered revenue-earning service on 17 March on the 'Banana Express' to Izotsha. It was restored to SAR condition with a financial contribution from Hunslet-Hutson towards overhauling this historically significant last Garratt built by their predecessors Hunslet-Taylor for the SAR.

The timetable for 1994 had departures from Port Shepstone at 06:00 (Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays), 09:00 (Thursdays) and 23:00 (Tuesdays and Fridays). Return from Harding was usually around 7 hours later, but a fill-in return service to Paddock to meet the mixed train was run on Wednesdays and Saturdays. All trains ran according to availability of traffic and operated as tandems or singles as required.

NG/G16A No.141 last worked on 6 February 1994, after which it was taken out of service with wasted back corners to the firebox. There was a rare failure of a steam locomotive in traffic on 23 February when NG/G16A No.155 suffered piston valve problems at Izotsha whilst working the mixed to Paddock. Class 91-009, on duty on a Harding-Paddock-Harding freight train, was sent light from Paddock to Izotsha to rescue the stranded 'Banana Express' to take it back to Port Shepstone. It was only the second occasion that the 'Banana Express' was diesel-hauled.

In April, Harding shunter, Bagnall No.9, suffered gearbox problems and was brought to Port Shepstone for repairs. When the lengthy rehabilitation of Bagnall No.11 was finally completed, it replaced Bagnall No.10 as Port Shepstone’s shunt locomotive on 17 October. It was painted blue with a yellow stripe.

The ACR’s freight-operating contract at Port Elizabeth was annulled at year’s end of 1994 at the behest of the railway unions opposed to privatisation following the take over in April by the African National Congress (ANC) of the South African national government. Fortuitously, Chris Muller, the ACR’s general manager, remained with Spoornet and was appointed by the latter’s head office as narrow-gauge manager.

THE 'NARROW ARROW'

1994 - ‘BANANA EXPRESS’ WORKINGS

It was decided to run two Izotsha trains daily for the peak week from 4 to 9 April for the Easter school holidays. As was done in December, the Izotsha and Paddock trains were run as combined trains as far as Izotsha on 6 and 9 April. Trains were worked by NG15 No.146 to Izotsha and NG/G16 No.156 to Paddock on both occasions. However, passenger services were suspended between 22 April and 3 May due to the elections.

An “I’m a likeable loco” headboard (based on the Natal South Coast Publicity Association logo “I’m a likeable local”) was made for NG15 No.146, and this headboard was used for the first time on 6 April. In April, 'Banana Express' coach 2 (originally SWA sleeper coach 136, later SAR 959) was withdrawn from service for a major rebuild. The rebuild involved removing the end compartment and reintroducing the bulkhead doors to run corridor trains on the ACR.

A triangle was built at Paddock in conjunction with a private siding serving a newly opened block yard. It was used for the first time by NG15 No.146 when it worked a mixed train on 8 June with 'Banana Express'.

NG/G16A No.155, which was in a rundown condition, was eventually withdrawn for overhaul at the end of February 1994. It had a test run to the Boboyi Bridge on 14 July and worked the 'Banana Express' to Izotsha on 15 July. However, its next duty to Izotsha on 28 July was aborted when it was found that its fusible plugs were leaking. It eventually re-entered regular service on 11 August.

Runaway fires were a perpetual fear along the route of the railway, especially where it ran through sugar-cane plantations and forests.  There were only two major fires along the line in its seventeen years of operation and only one for which the company was unequivocally to blame - on the aforementioned farm of Dennis Ogram.  The second fire was so huge it could have terminated ACR as well as some of the burnt-out farms and businesses on the outskirts of Port Shepstone.

Saturday, 15 October 1994 greeted Charlie with a dilemma.  It was a sparkling clear morning, but there were no bookings for the Paddock Banana Express and insufficient cargo to justify running a freight. By 9:00 am, there were still no bookings, so for the first time since ACR had taken over operations seven years previously, it was decided to drop fire. In case of latecomers, Charlie went to the station to explain why there was no train.  At ten minutes to ten, a minibus arrived loaded with a dozen unbooked would-be travellers from Deutschland.  There was hell to pay.  They justifiably claimed that the train was advertised to run and demanded that he take them to the shed to light-up the still warm engine.  That he was tempted to do - 12 would have just about paid for the coal.  When they were refused, they threatened to donner him. Making a hasty retreat, Charlie locked up and headed for home. 

At eleven o'clock, a gentle zephyr was blowing in from the northwest.  By noon the zephyr had become a hot gale-force berg wind. Around the time the Banana Express normally would have been approaching Paddock, Charlie's phone rang.  It was an extremely agitated farmer's wife who lived near Plains station "your train has started a fire!" she screamed......  'Gobsmacked' would be an appropriate word to describe the lady's reaction when she was gently told the train hadn't run.  Never had a reluctant decision so fortuitously been made. By nightfall, every canefield and several homes and businesses between Paddock and the outskirts of Port Shepstone were razed to the ground.

It never was found out who, or what, started the fire.

1996 - ‘BANANA EXPRESS’ WORKINGS

The refurbished 'Banana Express' provided a three-car corridor set comprising Nos. 141, 136 and NG4, with plans afoot to offer dining facilities in the future. Coach 141 was earmarked to serve as the bar/kitchen car used as a bar for the Ffestiniog visitors on their excursion to Harding. Coach NG No.4 (ex No.10) was the last vehicle to be converted before re-entering service in March 1996.

The 1996 out-of-season timetable continued with morning trips to Izotsha on Thursdays and Sundays, with day trips usually running as mixed trains to Paddock on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Extra trains were run during the school holidays, and in the high season, the Paddock trains were combined with the Izotsha train and ran double-headed as far as Izotsha. On 9 July 1996, the ‘Banana Express’ headed by No.141 hauled three empty timber wagons and five coaches. The train also carried four police officers because faction fighting had troubled the district. During December, traditional Zulu singing and dancing were performed during the train's stopover in Izotsha. In addition, plans were afoot to build a traditional village there.

SLUMP IN PULPWOOD BUSINESS BUT SEVERAL NEW COMMODITIES IN 1996

NG15 No.146 embarked on a somewhat undignified task when used for 'bushwhacking' the vegetation along the line in February 1996. The locomotive was turned around to run tender first, the tender being used as a platform to clear the encroaching bush. By the middle of March, No.146 had reached Harding.

The volume of timber traffic declined during 1996 due to an oversupply, resulting in several mills being mothballed or having reduced production. However, the ACR was always on the hunt for new business opportunities and secured a contract for transporting 1 000 tons of cypress logs from Harding to Port Shepstone for transhipment to Richards Bay. This included 12-metre-long logs carried on runner trucks - quite an achievement on narrow-gauge. A contract was also concluded to supply 12-metre-long pine logs transported from Harding to Port Shepstone and transhipment to Cape Town.

The ACR's 'Up' traffic was mainly internally generated when the fertiliser season ended, but this included new traffic of palletised lime from South Wharf to a new lime works at Paddock. Three B-trucks were converted to flat trucks with end panels for transporting the palletised lime. Meanwhile, the conversion of all 69 STW-2 trucks was completed for use on piggyback workings.

By this time, the ACR was constantly in a loss-making situation. While the road transporters were getting their 'track', the upgraded National Road, almost free of charge, the ACR was committed to spending R770 000 annually to maintain its infrastructure. As a result, road hauliers were able to increase loads, aided and abetted by concessions provided by the government. Yet, the tax paid on trucks covered only a fraction of the cost of repairs to the damaged road surface. The ACR's financial predicament can be gauged by the fact that although some 80 per cent of pulpwood traffic emanating from Harding was carried on the railway, the rates charged in 1996 were 70 per cent less than those set ten years earlier by SATS. This was not even taking into account the erosion in the value of the Rand over the past ten years. The ACR, however, was not standing still and took an active part in the political battle for the survival of rail. Both managing director Charlie Lewis and marketing director Allen Jorgensen were involved in the deliberations, which produced a Green Paper on National Transport Policy. At the time, it was hoped that a Policy would evolve to level the playing field and ensure the survival of the ACR and Spoornet.

Diesel freight operations and the transhipment of 2ft-gauge trucks onto the 3ft 6in wagons and piggybacked to the Sappi-Saiccor mill without unloading and reloading continued successfully. The motive power exchanges at Paddock with the daily timber train hauled by 91-001 and 91-008 diesels with steam traction worked well. Timber haulage was set by quota for several thousands of tons per month. When the suppliers could not provide sufficient timber, the quota payment was supposed to be made up to cover the shortfall, but this arrangement was not honoured.

Class 91 changes saw the locos worked to and from Port Elizabeth under their own power, mounted on Class 36 ‘Cape’ gauge bogies. On 26 November 1995, No.91-008 was replaced by 91-004 and returned to PE for an overhaul. It arrived back at Port Shepstone on 18 February 1996, and 91-009 returned in its place for overhaul.

SALE OF LOCOMOTIVES

Crucial to the financial survival of the ACR was the sale of locomotives surplus to requirements for raising capital for overhauling or replacing plant and equipment. In addition, through the profits from their sale, the ACR could continue working on a steam locomotive development programme. Should a new type of steam locomotive prove itself economically and operationally superior to the current diesel power, then there was a chance that steam freight operations could once more become a reality. At the time, there were 17 NG/G16 locomotives under the control of the ACR; of these, two were on a Transnet Museum lend/lease arrangement, while fifteen were privately owned, of which eleven (Nos.127, 129, 138, 139, 141, 142, 143, 149, 151, 155 and 156) were owned by a single shareholder. All privately-owned locomotives were bound to the ACR by agreements with their owners.

The culmination of lengthy negotiations resulted in the sale of two NG/G16 locomotives, Nos.138 and No.143, belonging to an ACR shareholder, to the Ffestiniog Railway (FR) in Wales for use on the Welsh Highland Railways (WHR)*. Despite being in poor mechanical condition and with an expired boiler hydraulic certificate dating to 1986, NG/G16 No.143 was chosen because of its historical significance as the last steam locomotive completed in 1958 at Beyer Peacock’s Gorton Works to be delivered new to the Avontuur branch in February 1959. Both locomotives needed to be overhauled by the ACR before their export. Accordingly, NG/G16 No.138 was taken out of storage in Paddock and brought to the Port Shepstone workshop on 26 October 1994. In early 1995, NG/G16 No.143 was moved to Port Shepstone from storage at Claassen’s siding.

* The Welsh Highland Railways’ 25-mile-long link from Porthmadog to Caernarfon was built by the Ffestiniog Railway and financed by a £4·3 million grant from the National Lottery Millennium Fund.

Phil Girdlestone was joined by Shaun McMahon as assistant mechanical engineer to carry out the restoration work of these two Garratts. The overhaul (read rebuild) of No.138 included conversion to oil-firing (burning diesel fuel) using a rotary burner designed by ACR Mechanical Engineer Phil Girdlestone. History was made on 23 February 1996, when the first oil-fired test was made. However, further fine-tuning was needed before the locomotive could be fully steam tested. Then, on 8 March, No.138 moved out of the shed under its own power for the first time since 1991, followed on 12 March with a running-in trip, light engine, to the Dawn View Hotel. A similar run followed on 13 March, whilst the first run under load took place on 14 March when No.138 took seven coaches to Izotsha. All these trips were successful except on 15 March on the run to Paddock with a load when No.138 partially failed at Renken and limped back to Port Shepstone on three cylinders.

Constrained by a tight schedule, long hours were worked by ACR staff comprising 15 artisans and 17 assistants to get both Garratts, Nos.138 and 143, ready for the return trip to Harding booked for 18 and 19 March for a group of over forty Ffestiniog Railway/Welsh Highland Railways Management and supporters. As No.143 was not quite ready to run, No.155 was rostered to run with No.138 for the trip to Harding on 18 March 1996. The consist was made up of two water tankers, 11 empty timber trucks, a breakdown van and six passenger coaches.

In May 1996, NG/G16 No.129 was sold to Puffing Billy Railway, Australia, in 'as-is condition' and was brought down from storage in Paddock. Puffing Billy Preservation Society is Australia's premier preserved steam railway operating on a 25 km long stretch of 2ft 6in (762 mm) track from Belgrave to Gembrook east of Melbourne. No.129 was loaded into a container, left for Durban on 25 June, and arrived at Belgrave on 9 August. After a long rebuild in the PBR workshops, including fitting an all-welded steel boiler, this gauge-converted locomotive was returned to service on 18 December 2019.

In the meantime, the overhaul of NG/G16 locomotives Nos.138 and 143 for the Ffestiniog Railway in Wales was completed. The locos left Port Shepstone for export via Durban on a special train on 2 December 1996, arriving in North Wales on 14 January 1997. The Ffestiniog Railway Trust also purchased NG/G16 No.140³ in 'as-is condition'. This locomotive was taken out of storage at Paddock in February 1997. After dismantling at Port Shepstone, it was despatched on a special train to Durban for export on 10 February. The Welsh Highland Railways held a gala weekend from 19-20 September 1998, where one of the highlights was seeing ex-SAR NG/G16 Nos. 138 and 143 in steam.

1997 – THE ACR CELEBRATES TEN YEARS OF OPERATION

The year 1997 marked ten years of operation of the ACR, and congratulations were in order. It was to the credit of the management team that combined extensive railway operating experience with technical know-how that not only were they still going - albeit not so strongly - but they were still innovative in their commitment to running a freight and passenger service on a branch that previously had cost Spoornet millions of Rand to operate annually.

After being out of service for some time, Class NG/G16A No.141 re-entered service at the end of January 1997 but was plagued again by various mechanical problems, and it was not until April before it was in regular use. Class NG/G16 No.156 was withdrawn from service with an expired boiler certificate in January, whilst NG15 No.146 last worked in April for the same reason. Class NG/G16A No.155 suffered the indignity of being lit without the water level being checked and had to be taken out of service with leaking sling stays and plugs in February. The locomotive was overhauled and only re-entered service in July 1998, resplendent in red livery, bordered with black like that once carried by NG/G16 No.140. Also assisting with the ACR's services was NG/G16 No.127, whose boiler was overhauled between May 1996 and February 1997. Due to the unavailability of its number plates, No.127 received the plates of No.88 in November 1997.

In May 1997, 91-001 arrived from Port Elizabeth under its own power on 3ft 6in gauge bogies to replace 91-004, which had suffered an engine failure and was subsequently towed back to Port Elizabeth. As a cost-saving measure, 91-004 was transported by road from Port Elizabeth and trans-shipped onto ACR rails at Izotsha on 15 November 1997. It was towed from Izotsha to Port Shepstone by Class NG/G16A No.141.

More drama with a diesel loco came in September, when 91-008’s generator bearings shattered, causing a significant fire. It was sent to Wentworth to be re-engined and returned to service later in the month. However, in the face of the diesels' continuing unreliability, the ACR pressed a third steam locomotive in service to act as a backup. In addition, in late September, there was a backlog of nearly 3 000 tons of timber on the ground at Harding, thereby regularly creating a situation for steam backup.

DERAILMENT OF THE ‘BANANA EXPRESS’

Disaster struck on 11 June 1997, when the 'Banana Express' returning from Paddock suffered a derailment near the Dawn View Hotel. In very wet weather, there was a load shift on the cross-loaded timber wagon in front of Coach NG No.4, which fell over, bringing the passenger coach with it. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but NG No.4 was extensively damaged. A local newspaper posted a story afterwards about whether the ‘Banana Express’ was safe to ride, claiming that rails and sleepers were badly eroded along the coastal section.

Repairs were put in hand and coach NG No.4 re-entered service in December, just in time for the school holidays. Since then, only length-loaded trucks could be hauled with the 'Banana Express'. In a report, Charlie Lewis, managing director of the ACR, said the track's condition was safe and that only one in every four sleepers needed to be sound. However, he advised that ACR was amid a programme to replace sleepers and had recently spent R600 000 attending to the coastal bridges.

Due to the unwarranted adverse publicity after the derailment and other unsocial activities such as stone-throwing by the local population, there was a considerable downturn in bookings for the 'Banana Express', which meant drastic action had to be taken to remedy the situation. This took effect from the end of the holiday season in July, with the Thursday and Sunday Izotsha and Saturday Paddock trains being cancelled, leaving just the Wednesday Paddock train. Modification of the ACR passenger coaches included fitting end-doors to allow walking through from coach to coach. Coach interiors were upgraded to look more attractive. All windows were fitted with polycarbonate panes instead of glass (thus preventing injuries when coach No.4 derailed). Coach 143 (rebuilt from Guard's Van 2826) entered service in March 1997, followed by 142 (rebuilt from 2828). These additions provided the 'Banana Express' with a five-coach corridor set (NG4, 136, 141, 142 and 143), particularly useful for special train hires. Coach No.141 served as a bar/kitchen car. In addition, these coaches were fitted with lighting for use at night. From December 1997, the 'Banana Express' was equipped with a new logo displaying the "On the path of the Zulu Chiefs" headboard. This, along with other measures, saw bookings increase over the Christmas holiday period and, in turn, brought the 'Banana Express' back into profit. The 'Banana Express' Thursday service to Izotsha was reinstated in January 1998.

There was no 'up' traffic after November 1997, when the last of the season's fertilizer consignments were trans-shipped. It seemed unlikely that fertiliser would be carried in the next season due to the high trans-shipment costs, moreover, ACR could not compete with road hauliers offering cheap backhauls.  Subsequently, lime traffic was also lost to rail following the closure of the lime factory at Paddock.

THEFT AND VANDALISM

Measures to limit timber theft from the trains while en route were addressed by removing the shunter's steps from each timber wagon to make it difficult to climb aboard. Thieves targeted stationary trains by pulling brake hoses apart to delay their departure: it called for unorthodox measures to prevent this from happening by wrapping razor wire around the rear truck and wiring the hoses together.

Phil Girdlestone, in his book ‘Here be Dragons’, provides some insight into the incidents train crews regularly faced. Obstacles were placed on the rails and point locks stolen (made of brass), resulting in trains diverting from the main line onto sidings, causing derailments and damage to the locomotive’s ‘cowcatcher’ and the brake gear. Windscreens of the diesel locomotives regularly got peppered with stones, but more disturbingly, rounds fired from a handgun penetrated the cab in one incident. Measures were taken to protect the crews by placing polycarbonate sheets in front of the glass windows.

In the pre-1994 election years, violence and unrest were prevalent in rural areas; breakdown crews often faced dangerous situations when attending to derailments.

1998 FREIGHT WORKINGS

In March 1998, three NG/G16s, Nos.137, 150 and 152, stored at Umzinto on the closed Umzinto-Donnybrook line, arrived in Port Shepstone. They were purchased from the Transnet Heritage Foundation (THF) by the ACR but were unlikely to be seen in service any time soon. In addition, THF also offered the ACR two further locomotives on a lease/lend agreement for Port Shepstone's proposed rail and maritime museum. These locomotives were Class NG4 4-6-2T No.16, stored at Humewood Road, and NG/G11 No.55, located at Weenen. NG4 No.16 arrived at Port Shepstone by road on 11 September 1998. Four NG/G16 locomotives (NG/G16 Nos.86, 110, 112 & 128) were sent to Cape Town for the Monex Leisure Industries project at Century City. Two of these locos, Nos. 86 and 112 came to Port Shepstone from storage at Umzinto, arriving by road in March 1998 together with Nos.137, 150 and 152 with the locomotives purchased by the ACR mentioned above. The other two, Nos.110 and 128, were brought down from storage in Paddock in early June 1998, and all four locos were loaded onto ACR piggyback trucks and left for Cape Town via Durban on 15 June 1998. The ACR owned none of the locomotives taken out of storage at Paddock.

Two locomotives arrived on 5 May at Port Shepstone by road, purchased from the 2ft 6in gauge Umfolozi Coop Sugar Planters at the Riverview Estate near Mtubatuba. These were 24-01 ‘Nhlathu’ Funkey, 18-ton 6wDH (1313-1/760) and 24-07 ‘Mamba’, Hunslet Taylor, SD110 6wDH (8188/77). After regauging, the ACR intended to use them as reserve locos for shunting or perway work.

Most freight trains were rostered to leave Port Shepstone at 23:00, returning from Harding early in the early hours of the morning. On occasions, trains left at 06:00, returning from Harding early in the afternoon, whilst Thursdays saw a 09:00 departure to facilitate servicing of the locomotives. Most through freight services were worked by two class 91 diesels with a gross load of up to 600 tons. On 16 July 1998, a special freight was run to Harding behind NG/G16A No.155, returning to Port Shepstone the next day. This trip coincided with a visit to the ACR by the locomotive's owner.

The ACR was contracted by the Umgeni Steam Railway (USR) to perform a 15M overhaul on its Class 19D No.2685 which arrived at Port Shepstone on 30 May hauled by 19D No.2637.

The 1998 July-September issue of SA Rail, on page 109, published the ACR’s financial position:

Expenditure on operations           R48,1 million

Expenditure on infrastructure     R  8,1 million

Expenditure since start-up         R56,2 million

Total income                             R52,9 million

Accumulated loss since start-up R  3,3 million

Some 80 per cent of the pulpwood from the Harding area was transported by rail. Down traffic was mainly gum and wattle to Sappi-Saiccor, while pine was destined for Empangeni and a regular flow of poplar headed to the Lion Match Company in Durban. In addition, tests were carried out transporting treated timber destined for Upington. It was hoped to capture a substantial tonnage of this commodity back to rail for both Upington and Namibia.

Experiments with 'cradles' for bringing timber direct from plantation to station continued in 1998.  See the next four pictures.  The equipment to achieve this was designed by Phil Girdlestone, who was not only an outstanding steam engineer.  The wagons to accommodate the cradles were designed to have only four wheels, with tread steering a la Dr Scheffel of Spoornet fame but much simpler and cheaper to maintain.  The system, using rubber 'sandwiches' which allowed the axles to slew radially (photo 137) was tried and proved on ACR.  Everything was looking promising when the disastrous announcement from Sappi came that they would not be using rail from 1999.

1998 - 'BANANA EXPRESS' WORKINGS

Further improvements to the 'Banana Express' service led to the reintroduction from July 1998 of an Izotsha train on the third Sunday of every month. Finally, an out-of-season train to Paddock was introduced on Fridays starting from 11 September 1998. In addition, there were several charter trains, mainly to Izotsha and Paddock. Although the 'Banana Express' was normally steam-hauled with NG/G16 Nos.127, 141, 155, 156 and NG15 No.146, diesels were occasionally pressed into service when operational reasons required it.

A particularly important charter train ran to Paddock on 17 July 1998 for the Transnet Parliamentary Study Group, comprising senior Transnet officials and Parliamentarians. Unfortunately, NG/G16A No.141 'Red Dragon' that had hauled the train derailed at Plains after vandals had tampered with the points. Luckily, there were no injuries, with only the front unit of the Garratt partially derailed, which bent the cow-catcher and fractured the exhaust elbow under the smokebox. The study group took in the incident as part of the experience and completed their journey by bus.

As for the 'Red Dragon', it was placed in storage at Port Shepstone shed following the incident because its boiler certificate was about to expire. A lack of funds prevented the necessary repair work from being undertaken, so it was never returned to service — an untimely and sad end to the ACR's flagship. See photo 147 and footnote¹³.

2000 - HARD RIDE AHEAD FOR THE ACR

Late in 1999, Sappi-Saiccor dropped a bombshell by terminating the long-standing timber contract with the ACR.⁹ The loss of this contract was a severe financial setback to the ACR's timber operation carried by the ingenious 'piggyback' method on the 'Narrow Arrow' between Port Shepstone and Umkomaas.

In 2000 - an annus horribilis for the ACR - torrential rain triggered floods in Natal during the first two months. Flood damage to the formation and landslips in two cuttings required significant repairs before train operations could begin. These washaways had a profound impact on the fortunes of ACR.  It took the company three weeks to repair them at a cost of R300 000.  Understandably, many farmers could not wait that long to get their timber to the mills, especially as the road, which had also been washed away, was repaired within three days by the Provincial Roads Authority at no cost to ACR's road competitors. As if this was not enough, the company's problems were further compounded when all three diesel locomotives were out of service during the first week of March, and a further week of operation was lost.

The ACR held its AGM at Paddock on 28 June 2000. Minutes from the previous AGM indicated that traffic was scarce due to an ongoing campaign by road hauliers to put the ACR out of business. In addition, some reports suggested the ACR had experienced a period of extreme financial hardship during a few weeks of the second quarter of 2000, resulting in urgent export traffic having to be sub-contracted out to trucking companies. Fortunately, this proved to be a temporary measure and rail traffic was restored, but some farmers, adversely affected by the line's month-long inability to move traffic, never returned to rail.

The Wentworth Breakdown Crane was seen at Port Shepstone changing out bogies on Class 91 diesels whilst a swap of diesel locomotives from Humewood Road took place at the end of July.

There were no serviceable steam locomotives available from the beginning of the year 2000 – all were waiting for boiler work, but a shortage of funds prevented the repairs from being undertaken. The 'Banana Express' operated from time to time but was now permanently diesel-hauled. The telephone connection was suspended, and the booking office at Port Shepstone was stripped of all its fittings. Although Spoornet moved two Class 91 diesels to Wentworth, the arrangement to collect the third, No.91-011, was stopped at the last minute, evidently following representations by local authorities in the Port Shepstone area. Not only was the 'Banana Express' still operating a passenger train to Izotsha and Paddock, but it was well patronised even before the December school holidays. There was also a substantial amount of timber conveyed by rail from Paddock to Port Shepstone, from where it was then transhipped to standard gauge trucks for further conveyance by Spoornet.

2001 - ACR SUSPENDS FREIGHT SERVICES

Although the Minister of Public Enterprises instructed Spoornet to compensate ACR for flood damage incurred up to December 1999, which would have given the ACR a much-needed financial boost while the company continued its quest to get public-sector involvement in the railway's fixed infrastructure. Spoornet instead decided to deduct the payment from the company's debt despite protests from the ACR. Faced with no possibility of cash-flow relief, the ACR was forced to lay off 80 per cent of its staff and suspend the freight service from 16 March 2001. As a result, the last freight service to Harding ran on 12 March 2001, just two weeks short of thirteen years since the first run.

Spoornet published on 13 May 2001 in The Sunday Times classifieds page the following tender:

CALL FOR TENDER OF EX-ACR LINE

PROPOSAL FOR RAIL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA

SPOORNET, a division of Transnet Limited

invites business proposals from interested

parties for rail-related operations on the

following railway line:

610 mm narrow-gauge line between

Port Shepstone and Harding (122 km)

on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.

The business includes running a train service,

transshipping the freight to broad gauge

trucks, as well as maintaining the infrastructure,

consisting of the permanent way, trucks, buildings and

structures. Spoornet withdrew operations on both lines in 1986.

A private operator has been active on the line since then.

Two parties responded, but their proposals were rejected for various reasons which were not disclosed.  In the light of what has happened to South Africa's once proud railways, it is our opinion that there never was any intention to re-open the line.

THE 'BANANA EXPRESS' SERVICES CONTINUE

The ‘Round and About’s NEWSLINE’ in the 2002 May/June issue of SA Rail noted that earlier reports of the imminent closure of the ACR were incorrect. Train services continued operating from Port Shepstone to Izotsha and Paddock, including the ‘Banana Express’, with scheduled departures at 10:30 to Izotsha and Paddock on selected days during July, August, September and October. Fares for the two-hour Izotsha trip were R50 for adults (1st class) and R40 (tourist class), with children under 12 charged half fare. For the six-hour round trip to Paddock, R120 was charged for adults and children under 12, half price. Not only was the ‘Banana Express’ still operating, but most Paddock trains also conveyed timber to Port Shepstone.

The ACR negotiated with Sandstone Heritage Trust to lease NG/G16 No.153 to work the 'Banana Express' from August 2003. Unfortunately, the deal fell through at the last minute. However, the ACR did not give up and immediately made other arrangements. During August, Roelf Van Wyngaardt, the well-known steam maintenance personality at the Loraine Gold Mine in the Free State, was contracted to return ACR locomotive NG/G16 No.127 to traffic. He had the boiler recertified with some backbreaking work, and No.127 was returned to service at the end of September but carrying cab plates belonging to No.140. It was steamed for the first time on 26 September and the following day, hauling a passenger train from Port Shepstone's Banana Express Station to Port Shepstone Spoornet Station and back.

On 2 October, the scheduled Izotsha train was worked by NG/G16 No.127 in tandem with diesel 91-003. This was because the water supply at Izotsha had not been reconnected, and the locomotive was still under trial. However, the trip was successful, and the next duty was a shuttle service between the two Port Shepstone Stations, the 'Lighthouse Limited' on 4 October. From 5 October, NG/G16 No.127 (masquerading as No.140 again) worked all services to Izotsha and Paddock unaided. Unfortunately, the Izotsha water supply did not prove reliable due to rusted pipes, and the fire brigade had to be called out on two occasions. On 11 October, the first steam-hauled train to Paddock was forced to turn back before it reached its destination, having been delayed at Izotsha waiting for the fire brigade to bring a supply of water. The problem was eventually rectified by making a new column, and subsequent Paddock trains got through without problems.

Spoornet was informed that diesel locomotive 91-003 was no longer required after 5 October, but it remained at Port Shepstone. Restoration work on a second steam locomotive, NG/G16 No.151, was well in hand to return it to service. Work was also carried out repairing the coaching stock. Open Tourist Class Coach No.8, which had been taken out of service because its timber framework was rotten, was rebuilt in-house with a steel body, re-entering service in December 2002. Then, the first-Class coach No.72, from Port Elizabeth, was entirely rebuilt by outside contractors and re-entered service in July 2003. This coach sported a trial red and white livery. The same contractors were restoring the ex-SWA sleeping car No.136. This rebuild included increased seating capacity from the previous 24 to 36, giving much-needed extra capacity on the train.

THE CURTAIN COMES DOWN ON THE ACR

Spoornet went to court to shut down the Alfred County Railway; the company was ordered to vacate the premises by 31 March 2004. The dispute was over an R2,9-million interest-free loan* extended to the railway to repair flood damage when ACR took over the operations. On 11 June, the ACR was placed under provisional liquidation by a Durban High Court order but was permitted to keep operating until 2 August.

* According to the report “Steam train awaits fate” on 10 June 2004 in The Mercury, Spoornet claimed the ACR owed R3,5 million, that proper records had not been kept while annual reports to the registrar of companies had not been submitted for three years as required by law.

A local tourism 'expert' campaigned to save the operation, and copies of a petition were placed at tourism offices, drawing many signatures. At the time, there were two NG/G16s in working order, Nos.127 and 151. The South Coast Steam Company, conceived as an organisation dedicated to preserving the narrow-gauge railway, was eager to secure the continuation of the tourist train. Whether Spoornet would lease its narrow-gauge infrastructure to the South Coast Steam Company or the likes of Hibiscus Coast municipality was the subject of urgent debate between the various parties. The lessee would be tasked with appointing an operator to run the railway.

In the meantime, arrangements needed to be made for an operator to temporarily take over the running of the 'Banana Express' to ensure the service interruption was only for a short duration. At the same time, funds were needed to rehabilitate the line. However, Charlie Lewis of the ACR's executive was frank in his contempt for the South Coast Steam Company and described it as "a bunch of tourist train wannabes who thought we (the ACR) were doing such a bad job, they ought to do better".

FAREWELL, ALFRED COUNTY RAILWAY

The last ACR 'Banana Express', was run to Izotsha on 25 July 2004.

Link to YouTube The last trip of the Alfred Country Railway – ‘Banana Express’

https://youtu.be/8GdB5CwM_Zs

(Thank you, Carol Pivnic, for suggesting I place a link to this video)

Bookings had been taken for 29 July, and the locomotive steamed up and was ready for the trip when a phone call was received at 09:00 from the provisional liquidators advising that instructions had been received from the lawyers at the Durban law firm acting for Spoornet to cease operations with immediate effect.

On Monday, 2 August 2004, the Alfred County Railway was placed in liquidation – below is the press release from Charlie Lewis, Managing Director of the ACR.

"On Monday, 2 August, Alfred County Railway ACR, owner and operator of the 'Banana Express' steam train, was placed in final liquidation by Spoornet. Even to the last day, we had expected common sense to prevail, but this was not to be. We have been kept in the dark about the future of the service despite our numerous offers to keep it running even temporarily have been either ignored or rejected by both Spoornet and the Municipality.

According to Spoornet's press release, it has used track safety to justify this drastic action; note no mention of 'purely a business decision', which was previously given as a reason. As a professional engineer with twenty years of experience in narrow-gauge track, I can assure the public that we have kept the track safe for the speeds we run trains. This has been independently confirmed on two occasions during the past 12 months by Spoornet's inspectors. Since the latest increase in road-truck payloads in 1997, we have been lobbying the public sector to help with the infrastructure costs while monitoring the track ourselves – as we have always done. Anyone who now takes over and gets help with the infrastructure would be advantaged in a way that we were not.

After all the negative publicity given out by both Spoornet and the Municipality to justify their inexplicable actions, the public may be under the mistaken impression that the 'Banana Express' was inefficiently run. In fact, ACR's debts were accumulated while serving the community by carrying freight from Harding to Port Shepstone for onward transmission by Spoornet. As a result, we were forced to discontinue this unprofitable service in 2001, and since then, the cost of road freight has doubled.

We would thus prefer to dwell on the commercial success of the ACR since restructuring our company to concentrate on tourism. The original 'Banana Express' was started in 1981 by John Tack, South Coast Director of Publicity, with volunteer help from Rotary.

When SATS closed the Harding line in 1986, the train faced oblivion until ACR rescued it in 1987. Since then, by continuing our service and the variety of tour packages linked to the train, we have made the 'Banana Express' a global tourism icon. Furthermore, restructuring has enabled ACR to increasingly settle its outstanding debts while maintaining and improving the track and stations, rebuilding and refurbishing carriages, and restoring two steam locomotives with a third pending. To the best of our knowledge, operating a rural branch commercially without the aid of any kind and achieving a positive cash flow is without equal in South Africa and probably is unique.

Even more important is the socio-economic effect of the ACR's accomplishment.      According to surveys by Hibiscus Coast Tourism, ACR's 22 000 passengers in six months up to April this year spent R55 million during this stay. The 'Banana Express's' share of that supported more than 300 families.

We are proud of this service record to the community over the past 17 years. We sincerely hope for the sake of the many whose incomes will be affected, including ACR's loyal and able staff, that our world-famous steam train will be running again before long."

Arguably KwaZulu-Natal's best-loved and most popular tourist attraction, the 'Banana Express', which had ferried more than 350 000 passengers over the 17 years of its existence and the railway that had conveyed more than a million nett tons of freight, and in the process passing through several cycles of euphoria and despair, sadly came to an end.

THE LAST ACR TRAIN

'Charter Mixed' 27 May 2005

This charter was part of the two-week 'Drakensberg Explorer Tour' run by Dave Rodgers Steam Loco Safari Tours. Although Paton's Country Narrow Gauge Railway (PCNGR) nominally ran the ACR Day, Charlie Lewis did much organisation on the ground, including clearing vegetation for photo stops. Charlie also arranged to have a container lorry follow the afternoon train for the passengers to stand on to take optimum shots of the Izotcha bridge with the sea behind.

The charter involved two return trips with a mixed train as far as Izotsha using NG/G16 No.127 and NG/G16A No.151 facing different ways so that photos of the afternoon train could be taken in both directions.

SHORT-LIVED REVIVAL OF THE 'BANANA EXPRESS'

EPILOGUE

Following the termination by Spoornet of the PCNGR's operation of the 'Banana Express', it did not take long for 'informal scrap merchants' to start helping themselves to the rich pickings before steps were taken in 2012 to move the three remaining locomotives Nos.139, 151 and 156 and the ACR's passenger coaches for 'safe-keeping' at the Claassen family's property near Paddock. The historically significant NG/G16 No.156, the last Garratt built for the SAR, subsequently went to Ixopo. After being exposed to the elements for 15 years, the locomotives decayed beyond the point of viable repair, resulting in Nos.114, 125, 126, 142 and 149 being cut up for scrap by August 2017. The two remaining Garratts at 'Classen's Siding', Nos.139 and 151, are stored under a shelter and are potentially restorable. ¹²

While the Sandstone Heritage Estate rescued many locomotives and rolling stock, some trucks remained marooned along the line and were soon totally overgrown by the vegetation. Fortunately, many NG/G13 and 16 locomotives are in working order in South Africa and worldwide for future generations to enjoy seeing them in action hauling heritage passenger trains. ¹³

The authors of the articles and reports published in SA RAIL and the Natal Newsletter are gratefully acknowledged: Allen Jorgensen; Alistair Christison; Ashley Peter; (late) Bruce Brinkman; Charles Parry; Charlie Lewis; (late) David Payling; Dick Manton; John Middleton; (late) Nerina Skuy; Peter Bagshawe and Terry Hutson.

THANK YOU, ALFRED COUNTY RAILWAY

 1987 – 2004

Charles Parry

To this enthusiast, the amazing and ambitious resurrection of the closed Port Shepstone – Harding narrow gauge railway in 1987 was a dream come true. But the initiative of the pioneers Allen Jorgensen and Charlie Lewis was anything but dreamland, with new ways of operating this service for passengers and freight researched, studied and applied on the Natal South Coast. Then, like a military operation, the railway was brought back to life. First, a team of loyal workers sustained it as a successful steam railway,  then as both steam and diesel. Finally, heavy freight trains from Harding and other points on the route to Port Shepstone, and tourists from near and far (some very far) enjoying their rides to Izotsha and Paddock: the predicted income materialised. But it all ended after 17 years.

Was that a failure? DEFINITELY NOT!

See what they had to overcome, even live with, to get going and keep going:

* The repair bill to restore the damage to the track and formation amounted to R300 000 before the first revenue-earning freight train could run through to Harding. Repairing flood damage was a constant drain on financial resources.

* At the start of the train services, the track, wagon stock, and locomotives were severely rundown or even derelict.

* To rise to the challenge of competition from road hauliers with unfair advantages denied to rail. A significant innovation was introducing the Gas Producer Combustion System (GPCS) to improve efficiency and reduce the running costs of the Garratt locomotives. As a result, two Class NG/G16 Garratts, No.141 in 1989 (nicknamed 'Red Dragon') and No.155 in 1990, were modified.

* To remain competitive, innovative methods of increasing wagon loading were introduced. A novel way was devised to eliminate trans-shipment at Port Shepstone by piggybacking the narrow-gauge trucks on Cape gauge stock to deliver the timber directly to the mills at Umkomaas.

* Vandalism and timber theft from the trains were endemic. Obstacles were placed on the rails and point locks stolen, resulting in trains diverting from the main line onto sidings, causing derailments and damage to the locomotives.

* A perennial problem was water supplies and secure coal storage. The solution: locomotives’ bunkers were modified to increase water and coal capacity.

To deal with these challenges, ACR leadership laboured relentlessly. In turn, the workforce responded with every possible effort from the top down (especially at the top).     

Survive ACR did not, but succeed, it really did.

* Think of the 350,000 tourists who rode the train and what that did for the South Coast holiday industry and the millions of pictures taken.

* Think of more than a million tons of freight carried that reduced considerably the wear and tear on the roads

* Think of the 300 families supported by wages of the ACR workforce.

* Think of thousands of railway enthusiasts with their treasured memories.

An all too brief golden age! Not to be forgotten.

SO, WHAT DID IT DO TO THE ACR?

151. So violent was its exit from the N2 that it demolished a big chunk of the reinforced concrete parapet wall. The collision sheared off the cab, catapulting it together with its terrified occupants into a tumbling arc high in the sky (according to driver Sandy Murray who witnessed it) whereupon it landed upright (!) foursquare on the track, facing Sandy who was working a twin-diesel down pulpwood towards Otterburn at that very moment. Throwing out all anchors he managed to bring his 550-ton caravan to a halt with front coupler but six feet from the cab. As related by Sandy, when he and his assistant climbed shakily down from the diesel's cab "I don't know who was the whiter, us or the driver of the beer lorry, his assistant or the roadside 'lady' riding with them. They sat frozen to their seats for quite some time."  By amazing good fortune none of them was injured.

AFTER THE CLOSURE OF THE ACR

FOOTNOTES

¹ In 1987, there were 67 active branch lines. They handled 43 million tons of traffic, representing about 25 per cent of the total tonnage carried. They operated at a 'loss' of R173 million, calculated on an operating cost of R514 million and R341 million derived income.

Source: Mostert, V, Dr, 'The role of the railway in a future multi-modal transport network', Department of Transport and Supply Management, University of Johannesburg. Summary published in SA Rail' Putting Rail into perspective' as Parts 1, 2 & 3, in SA Rail, Vols.46/4, 47/1 & 47/2.

² The Operating Proposal and Business Plan for 122 km of narrow-gauge railway for The Port Shepstone and Alfred County Railway Company Limited, trading as Alfred County Railway (ACR), was prepared by Prorail Consultants, South Africa, issued on 1 October 1987.

³ A consortium of Swiss/Austrian enthusiasts purchased in 1987 NG/G16 No.140 from SATS. After arriving in July 1988 in Port Shepstone from Umzinto, No.140 was immediately pressed into revenue-earning service by the ACR. However, after its boiler certificate expired in March 1994, the locomotive was stored away from the salty sea air at Claassen's siding at Paddock. After being sold by its Swiss owners to the Ffestiniog Railway Trust, the Garratt was moved in 1997 to North Wales.

⁴ For further reading regarding the so-called 'Super Garratt', see the articles by A E 'Dusty' Durrant in Part 26: 2ft-GAUGE MOTIVE POWER ON NATAL NARROW-GAUGE RAILWAYS under the sub-headings 'An early 'NG/G17' proposal and 'Steam possibilities on Two-Foot Gauge'.

Phil Girdlestone also mentions various schemes around a so-called ‘Super Garratt’ under the sub-heading 7.3 The Land of Dreams in his book ‘Here be Dragons’ - A Journey with Steam to the End of the World', Camden Miniature Steam Services, 2017, pp. 104-105, followed by a detailed diagram of an NG/G17 for the 2ft/610 mm gauge.

⁵ For the technically-minded readers, a detailed account of rebuilding NG/G16 Nos. 141 and 155 are included in Phil Girdlestone's book, 'Here be Dragons - A Journey with Steam to the End of the World', Camden Miniature Steam Services, 2017, Chapter 7 ‘The Red Dragon’ pp.82-106 and ‘Genesis of the Red Dragon’, SA Rail, September/October 1991, Vol.31, No.5, pp.170-172.

⁶ Quoted from P Girdlestone ‘Genesis of the Red Dragon’, SA Rail, September/October 1991, Vol.31, No.5, pp.170-172.

⁷ According to the information supplied by Phil Girdlestone, the only rolling stock owned by the ACR were three Bagnall 0-6-0 shunting diesels, a Plasser inspection trolley and three coaches. The freight trucks and remaining passenger coaches were SATS and the Transnet Museum property, respectively. Of the Garratts, Nos.88, 116 and 140 were purchased by individuals or groups. Lacking sufficient funds, the ACR was unable to exercise its original option, so a major shareholder in the company stepped in and purchased in March 1990 Nos.127, 129, 138, 139, 141, 142, 143, 149, 151, 155 and 156 for an average price of around R6 500 each.

According to ‘Industrial locomotives of South Africa, 1991’ (authors John Middleton & Huw Williams), the ACR owned or leased 19 steam locomotives:

[NG15 No.19], NGG16 Nos. 88, 116, [127], 129, {137}, 138, 139, 140, 141†, [142], [143], 146, [149], {150}, [151], {152}, 155†, 156.

Ex Rustenburg Platinum Mines Nos.9 & 10 [11] shunting locos.

Bold = operational († rebuilt as NG/G16A)

[stored out of use at Port Shepstone]

{stored out of use at Umzinto}

⁸ On 23 June 1990, NG/G16 Nos.111 and 130 were observed passing through Durban on their way from Port Shepstone to Springs. No.130 was without its coal bunker; however, an accompanying DZ truck carried two NGG coal bunkers, one of which presumably belonged to No.130. No.111 was loaded onto the usual two NZ flat-car combination, using the locomotive's pivots to allow for movement around curves, whereas No.130 was placed on rails welded to the floor of a specially converted S4-type abnormal load flatcar.

(Reported in the 1990 July/August issue of SA Rail, p.127)

No.111 was listed as going to Gold Reef City, Johannesburg. No.130 was exported to the Exmoor Steam Railway, Devon, UK.

(Information on Leith Paxton's narrow-gauge locomotive allocation list)

⁹  Alistair Christison, Sappi Group Transport Manager at the time, explains the reasons for switching to road transport:

1. When the timber was loaded inland, it went into small trucks that either could not be weighed or were weighed as a wagon load. En route to the coast, trains went so slowly that locals could board the trucks of a train on the move and throw off as much timber as they could for their use. When the trucks reached the coast, the contents were trans-shipped into bigger wagons and timber all mixed up. These bigger wagons were weighed on arrival at the mill. The mill would only pay on intake weight — so any shortfall was for the account of the forestry supplier. This conundrum left much dissatisfaction with suppliers who could not trace the shortfall because of trans-shipment and theft. This problem did not arise with road transport, which went straight from roadside plantation to mill as one unit

2. The rail rate had to be considerably lower than road transport to create a through rail cost lower than road; eventually, rail could not afford to carry traffic at a lower rate than road transport, and the subsequent contract went to the road hauliers.

3. Rail tried all sorts of methods to reduce costs — such as piggybacking narrow gauge on broad gauge wagons — but eventually to no avail.

4. Road payloads gradually increased on trucks due to more efficient design and changes in road regulation: in my time, road unit payloads increased from 22 tons to 38 tons, and since my time, has risen even further to somewhere around 50 tons!

5. We tried pretty hard to make rail a long-term workable solution, but in the end, economics prevailed.

¹⁰ Charlie Lewis: “The response to our posting on 1 December announcing the resumption of services has been astounding. Julian Pereira, Charles Phillips, Peter Bagshawe, our wives and many others who have put in the miles to rescue the situation would like to thank everyone for their good wishes. After months of blackness, this has been a huge morale booster. 

The first train in four months duly ran to Izotsha on Saturday 4 December - ACR's 17th anniversary. However, although the locomotives had been prepared, the coaches cleaned and ready and two days' worth of track repairs completed, on Friday afternoon late, we were informed by a Port Shepstone Councillor that the paperwork could not be completed in time, so we had to downgrade the trip to a test run.

This was done at more than 30 km/h (the laid down speed limit is 20 km/h), and apart from some slipping on the weeds (poison applied on Thursday and Friday will only take effect after a few days) - the train ran smoothly. So no, Marc, I did not feel unsafe!

We hope the first revenue trips will run this week, and Julian will post an announcement as soon as possible.

Since ACR no longer is a legal entity, the train will be run, running under the banner of the Paton's Country Narrow Gauge Railway until further notice.

No doubt many will be pleased to know that this is my last posting of the year, so Merry Christmas to all, and I hope to see youse on the Banana Express! With thanks again, Charlie Lewis”.

Yahoo Groups SAR-L, Message #11 550, 12/06/2004.

Peter Bagshawe reports:

Most Banana Express coaches remain in-store at Port Shepstone, mainly undercover, but have unfortunately been vandalised.

They are as follows:

Open coaches 7, 8 & 12, converted from G livestock trucks. A fourth available coach, 11, was purchased by Sandstone.

Coach 27 is stored in the open and was being restored by ACR. However, work stopped in 2003 when the multi-skilled carpenter was needed as a driver when steam was reintroduced!

Coach 72 was ex-PE and was rebuilt for ACR in 2003.

Coach 95, also ex-PE.

Coach 109, also ex-PE (formerly numbered 888).

Coach 136, the ex-Tsumeb ‘Sleeper Coach’. It was rebuilt for ACR in 2003.

Coach 141, converted to a Bar Car from coach 14 by ACR in 1995 (initially a V van?).

Coach 142, converted from V 2828 in 1997.

Coach 143 converted from V 2826 in 1997. Rebuilt for ACR in 2004.

Coaches NG4 and 48 (ex-PE) are with Paton's Country Narrow-Gauge Railway at Ixopo.

¹¹ Hamba Weheli* Express, KwaZulu-Natal.

Extracted from Peter Bagshawe's report in SA RAIL, Vol.52, No.2, 2014, p.6 – also reported as Message #47 966 by Paul Ash on Yahoo Groups SAR-L.

"There is a new kid on the narrow-gauge block down the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal – 'Hamba Weheli Express' – the brainchild of Derrick Claassen of Paddock and Julian Pereira, owner of Paton's Country Narrow-Gauge Railway at Ixopo, who supplied the rolling stock.

Local steam and heritage rail enthusiast Peter Bagshawe reported that on 4 May 2014, he sampled the 'Hamba Weheli Express' – which operates on the erstwhile Alfred County Railway 'Banana Express' 610 mm gauge".

Migrant workers travelling from Lesotho to the mines used to sing and dance on the way to work. For example, they would sing "hamba wielie" as the steam trains struggled up the steep hills.

Peter observed: "Derrick Claassen stores several NG/G16 Garratts and passenger coaches on his property, and you will get a good view of the eight Garratts en route to Paddock.

The motive power consists of two 37hp Hunslet 4wDH locomotives (7946 & 7948/1973) and a 'homemade' bogie coach. This stock was obtained from Spoornet's Inchanga Nursery.

A successful test run was made on Monday, 28 April 2014, and on South Africa's Labour Day public holiday, 1 May, 32 passengers were carried.  The train runs from Paddock down to Plains and back to Paddock. (About an hour's journey time in all). The fare is R100 for adults and R50 for children (no age was mentioned)".

Trains are advertised to run at 10:00, 11:30 and 14:30; Peter declared it "a most enjoyable ride". However, the lack of points at Plains and Paddock required the coach to be turned around manually to allow the loco to change ends.

Peter, who is used to riding behind NG/G16s on the 'Banana Express,' said it was initially rather strange to ride on such a small train. "But having said that, size-wise, it seemed to fit and made me wonder how on earth did the NG/G16 fit on such a small gauge!"

* Paul Ash (Deputy-editor, Sunday Times, Travel & Food at Avusa Media) points out that there is some confusion regarding the correct spelling of Hamba Weheli; it appears to be a corruption of a Zulu or Xhosa phrase and needs to be appropriately researched and checked by a language expert.

¹² In 1994, there were 15 locos stored at Paddock: Nos.88, 110, 114, 116, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 138, 139, 140, 143, 149 and 151.  This stock changed as locos were sold, and by 2002 there were only nine Nos.88, 114, 116, 125, 126, 127, 139, 149 and 151. No.142 was taken to Port Shepstone to swop its engine units with No.155 and subsequently returned to Paddock. Nos.127/139 and 151 were later taken back to Port Shepstone around 2003, No.151 was put back into use, and No.127 was sold. When Port Shepstone shed was cleared in 2012, Nos.139, 151 and 156 were sent to Paddock for storage. At that time (2012), eight locos remained: Nos.114, 125, 126, 139, 142, 149, 151 and 156, of which 156 subsequently went to Ixopo while Nos.114, 125, 126, 142 and 149 were scrapped in 2017, leaving Claassen with Nos.139 and 151 on-site, both potentially restorable.

Thank you, John Middleton, for supplying the above information (correct as of 19 September 2020).

¹³ Modified NG/G16A No.141 and partially modified No.155 are preserved at the Sandstone Heritage Trust in the Eastern Free State. NG/G16A No.141, which the ACR modified in 1989, is privately-owned and has been in storage at the Sandstone Heritage Estate since the demise of the ACR in 2004. NG/G16A No.155 was purchased by the Sandstone Estate, and work is currently in progress to bring No.155 back to working order and fully represent the modified NG/G16A Class. The restoration project entails swapping the modified engine units from No.141 (donated by the owners*). In return, the Sandstone Heritage Estate will undertake the complete cosmetic restoration of No.141 for its owners using the engine units from No.142 and place the locomotive on display. As mentioned in the paragraph above, NG/G16 No.142, which carried No. 155's engine units, was stored at Paddock. Unfortunately, repeated attempts by Sandstone Estates to purchase the locomotive from its owner were refused, and the locomotive was scrapped in 2017.

* "Phil Mortimer came to the rescue of number 141, not aware it would be the key to the restoration of 155 today. 6 May 2008 was more than just a normal day; no one ever knew how important it was to rescue number 141 to enable us to rebuild no 155 with the modified engine units. At that time, 155's original modified engine units were still there, but the owner rather decided to sell it to the scrap metals merchants, preservationists?" (Sandstone Estates Newsletter 2021 Q30)

Updated information: *NG/G16A No.155 was steamed on 12 June 2021 for the first time since 2004 and debuted at Sandstone, hauling the 2022 Cherry Festival train (15 April to 18 April) with her older sister, NG/G16 No. 88 “Joanne”.

*The above information was obtained from Sandstone Estates webpage, accessed on 15 June 2021 & 16 March 2022.

 Tons/tonnes:

On 1 April 1971, the metric system was introduced to South African Railways & Harbours. Consequently, all references to “tons” in SA Rail and other publications quoted mean metric tonnes (1000 kg - 2205lbs or approximately 0∙984 long tons as previously used by the SAR) and have been edited in the text accordingly.

Acronyms:

SATS: On 1 October 1981, the restructured South African Railways & Harbours (SAR & H) was renamed South African Transport Services (SATS).

On 1 April 1990, South African Transport Services (SATS) was incorporated as a company, TRANSNET Limited, with the state as the sole shareholder.  Major divisions of Transnet: Railways become SPOORNET; Harbours become PORTNET; Road Transport becomes AUTONET, and Pipelines become PETRONET.   Rail commuter assets were transferred to the South African Rail Commuter Corporation Ltd (SARCC), and its train service was operated on contract by METRORAIL, a division of  SPOORNET. New livery introduced: orange, blue and white.

TFR: On 5 August 2007, a new Corporate Identity and Brand Positioning was launched for the Transnet Group. Divisions of Transnet: Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) (formerly Spoornet); Transnet Rail Engineering (TRE) (formerly Transwerk); National Ports Authority (NPA) (Formerly Portnet); Port Terminals (PT) (formerly Pipelines).

Sappi (South African Pulp and Paper Industries)

Saiccor (South African Industrial Cellulose Corporation), a subsidiary of Britain's Courtaulds Company, produces cellulose to manufacture artificial fibres.

REFERENCES:

Girdlestone, P, 'Here be Dragons - A Journey with Steam to the End of the World', 2017, pp.82-106.

Girdlestone, P, ‘Genesis of the Red Dragon’, SA Rail, September/October 1991, Vol.31, No.5, pp.170-172.

Girdlestone, P & McMahon, S, ‘Tiny Titans’, Railway World, November 1996, pp.66-71.

Jorgensen, A, ‘Alfred County Railway two years on’, South African Transport, July 1990, no page numbers.

Lewis, C P & Payling, D, ‘The Railway to Adventure’, The Ffestiniog Railway (Publisher), 2020.

Manton, D & Payling, D, 'Guilding the lily', Continental Modeller, August 2010, pp.492-499.

Manton, D & Payling, D, 'An enterprise unrewarded', Narrow-Gauge World, Issue 69, pp.23-25.

Payling, D, 'Alfred County Railway Farewell', undated manuscript.

Payling, D, 'Garratts & Kalaharis of the Welsh Highland Railways', Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways, 2012.

Port Shepstone & Alfred County Railway, 'The Route of the Banana Express' brochure, Jorgensen, A A & Jorgensen J (undated).

Reports in SA Rail and the RSSA Natal Newsletters, various issues from 1986 to 2009.

Richardson, D, 'Last Rites of the Alfred County Railway', Narrow-gauge World, Issue 126 November/December 2017, pp.16-17.

Wikipedia Category locomotives of South Africa: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Locomotives_of_South_Africa

Alfred County Railway's logo, as designed by Allen and Judy Jorgensen, was a masterpiece of industrial design and of which the company was always proud.  It is therefore fitting to use it to close off the story of this beautiful and tragically unappreciated railway by paying tribute to the many individuals who, at one time or another, were instrumental in keeping the wheels rolling.  Sadly, too many are no longer with us.

ACR DIRECTORS (from startup)

Braam Matthee (Chairman),  Roy Armour, Mike Bowles, John Carter, Allen Jorgensen (Marketing), Charlie Lewis (Managing), Dave Stainer, John Tack, Gerald Varty. 

ACR DIRECTORS (over the years)

Adnaan Abrahams*, Errol Brien, Phil Girdlestone (Techical), Dirk Green, Karel Hancke*, Johan Uys*, Japie van der Bijl*, Hentie van der Westhuizen*, Philip van Heerden*, Hannes Venter*. Philip Venter*

*indicates SA Transport Services/Spoornet

ACR STAFF (by department, over the years)

MARKETING

Allen Jorgensen, Judy Jorgensen

FREIGHT (PORT SHEPSTONE)

Aubrey Wright*, Jakob Shezi, Tom Stanton, Alson Cele, Alfons Lushaba, Nicholas Lushaba, Richman Lushaba, Alson Lushaba, Michael Shazi, Eric Sithani, Thulebone Zuke

*ex Stationmaster of Eston on the Umlaas Rd-Mid Illovo narrow-gauge branch.

FREIGHT (HARDING)

Robin Graetz, Sidonia Thomas, Claude "Froggie" Laliere, Andries Welgemoed, Danie Nel, Ronnie Nel, Alpheus Shezi, James Hlope, Sam Mkala, Cane Radebe, Morris Dlamini, John Ndaba, Alton Memela, Belina Posse, Nonyaniso Mgilane.

OPERATING AND TRAINS RUNNING (PORT SHEPSTONE & HARDING)

Philip Oosthuizen, Piet Roetz, Ronnie Deacon, Del Juby, Chris Slabbert, Phil Pieterse, Reuben Englund, Rob Allingham, Ernest Bosse, Harry Clark, Dawid Burger, Dantjie Smal, Bob Graham, Sandy Murray, George van Niekerk, Org van Staden, Alfred Hlope, Chris Bernardo, Frans Olckers, Rudi Hough, Ouie Broodryk, Shiba Cele, Stanley Lottering, Lucky Finn, Antony Stanton, Leslie Ndlovu, Thomas Dlamini, Zakele Pita, Zolani Ngwazi, Andile "Youngboy" Mchunu, William Sigwabele, Jabulane Shibe, Petros Lushaba, Alpheus Shezi.

MECHANICAL 

Phil Girdlestone, Dirk van Tonder, Roelf van Wyngaardt, Barry Evans, Lionel Sherrin,  Shaun McMahon, Louis Grobler, Basil Roberts, Makheta Hlope, Roger Wylde, Stan Tarboten, Shiba Cele, Amos Cele, Sean Stanton, Donovan Bosse, Morris Mhlongo,  Maxwell Mhlongo, Wilson Hadebe, Petros Madlala, Petros Zulu, Andreas Cele, Alfred Hlope.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Charlie Lewis, Jackie Siebert, Mbone Hlope, N L Madibe, Michael Nzimande, Thuthukani Mdladla, Siyabona Mdlala, Mtshelwa Memela, Andreas Dlamini, Cardwel Madlala, Bongani Gumede, Petros Mchunu, Elias Hlongwa, Elias Sikobe, Siphiwe Cele, Sithembiso Mazubane, Ephraim Jali, George Dladla, Amos Zulu, Michael Sokhela, Samson Nzimande, Caiphas Madlala, Mziwakhe Chiliza, Jabulani Ntobela, Mfenqe Simphiwe, Simon Mavuso.

ADMINISTRATION

Ernie and Di Hayes,  Bernard and Elizabeth Seymour-Hall, Keith and Iris Campbell,  Peter Bagshawe, Kay Cundill, Frances Rees, Freddie Khaula, Mildred Njakazi.

BANANA EXPRESS 

John Nicholson, Ernie and Di Hayes, Di Landman, Andy and Ingrid Stanlake-Stuart, Fiona Olckers, Tom Stanton, Amos Nombika, Melly Lewis, Lena and Gordon Findlay, Bernard Jalubane, John Lushaba.  

VOLUNTEERS

Errol Brien, James Hopkins, the Carter family, John and Robert Dadford, the Lewis family, Peter Micenko,  Peter Newton, John Snell, the Parry family, the Rickwood family, Reg and Kay Howard, BT and Darryl King, Bill and Daphne Marshall, Roelff van Wyngaardt, Reinhard Serchinger (the owner of No.146 at the time), Brian Smith.

With that, we say farewell to the Alfred County Railway chapter.  Thank you for bearing with us.