Open Writing

Cosmos is the ancient Greek word for ornament, although I think I’ve read somewhere that it can also be interpreted as‘starry skies, or scattering of stars’. Whatever the literal interpretation of the word, the meaning was definitely applicable in both senses, as we rounded a corner to catch sight of the fields of cosmos growing on the beautiful arable farm Sandstone Estates. We were visiting the Steam and Cosmos Festival held during 9th – 13th April 2008 - autumn in the southern hemisphere.

These regular festivals attract steam and traction enthusiasts of many different ages and types from all over the world. Locals come from farming backgrounds, but some are children and grandchildren from families where a father or grandfather worked on the old SAR & H. South African Railways and Harbours, passenger and freight trains. In the old days, these dedicated enthusiasts operated or maintained the extensive railway network throughout South Africa and up as far as the then Rhodesia and Zambia. Dedicated railway enthusiasts to a man, they visit the estate during these festivals to see once again the large collection of narrow gauge steam locomotives as well as a small number of former SAR&H locos and carriages saved from the breakers and housed on the farm.

Sandstone Estates is situated in a beautiful part of the eastern Free State, lying between the two small towns of Fouriesburg and Ficksburg, approximately 250 kilometres from Johannesburg. To the north and west, the Roggeberg and Witteberg mountains form a rim around this fertile agricultural area, while in the middle distance to the east, lie the beautiful Maluti Mountains, a sub-range of the Drakensberg. Golden grasslands interspersed by trickling trout streams bordered by stands of golden yellow poplars stud the landscape and the multicoloured bands of the sandstone mountains make a dramatic backdrop.

During the Steam and Cosmos Festival this year, a multicoloured collection of farm implements, both old and new, some belching steam, and a few of the most ancient stuttering feebly into life, vied for attention with a large collection of beautifully maintained and restored MG sports cars, which had driven down in convoy from Gauteng especially for the festival.

But the real draw-card this April were the trains, those marvellous old workhorses of the age of steam in South Africa. Many of them date from the 1940s when the railway transport network was the primary mover of people and freight all over the country. How many folk, now middle aged or even older, still cherish fond memories of family holidays down at the coast, or the even longer and more tedious journeys from the small towns of Northern and South Rhodesia to Durban or Cape Town on the SAR&H trains? Here families would either holiday by the sea, or catch one of the weekly Union-Castle mail steamers back to Britain on their long leave “back home”, to proudly boast of their lives in colonial Africa taming the wilderness, where much of the work was accomplished with the aid of steam powered engines of one kind or another.

Khaki army tents dotted the area around the lovingly reconstructed corrugated iron Hoekfontein Station while the spicy smell of braiing boerewors made stomachs rumble. Passing visitors sniffed appreciatively and within moments a queue had formed for the tasty foot-long rolls.

Then, a whistle sounded a warning toot and the kiddies scrambled to be first on board the small open style-coach converted from an old freight wagon. Panting slightly, stout grannies and granddads hauled themselves up to sit next to children full of eager questions. The wheels churned, steam belched from between the wheels and the train gave a slight shudder. “We’re off!” said the Mums and grannies as small hands waved at the watching crowd, and then we pulled away from the shed where an old water tanker stands waiting for attention. A black plume of smoke puffed into the autumn air, and the small train gathered speed up the incline past the cosmos fields.

Having set the scene, here is a short quote from the manifesto of Steam in Action, dated October 2007 produced in collaboration with the Sandstone Heritage Trust, Reef Steamers, and Pretoria-based Friends of the Rail. This helps to give the reader some background on happenings in the steam railway world over the past twenty or thirty years.

“The demise of steam on South African railways networks was a natural development which took place in virtually every country in the world. In South Africa’s case this process was characterised by a sensible commitment to heritage by the authorities, and the Transnet Heritage Foundation was established to operate trains and to act as custodians for the hugely valuable inventory of steam locomotives that survived the transition from steam to other forms of traction on the South African network. For some years this process was well managed with South Africa gaining an excellent reputation as a steam destination of note. Trains like the Union Limited, the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe and others, were all managed successfully by Transnet Heritage Foundation, and served to make train travel around South Africa a popular option with locals and tourists....

“Travelling on a vintage steam train is the very essence of adventure and romance. Watching the world glide by as you enjoy a meal in a teak-panelled dining saloon, being lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of an ancient wooden coach, relaxing completely to the gentle rhythms of the Steam Age...this is the stuff that dreams are made of.''

Another area of interest were the combat vehicles not seen moving in South Africa for over 30 years. These were on loan from the Bloemfontein Museum of Armour and attracted much attention from ex-army types fascinated by the armoured cars, heavy-duty lorries and assault vehicles on display. Of particular interest was the restored Sherman Mark IV tank, which attracted scores of admiring glances. The drivers and mechanics of these vehicles were eagerly questioned about the miracles of restoration achieved and much admired were the ingenious solutions to impossible-to-solve problems. Included in the collection were a rebuilt and restored Sherman tank and a small collection of vintage aeroplanes.

Clustered together in a field during their final check-over, in one of the biggest of the monsters I spied a tank commander skilfully hoisting himself up through the top hatch. Leather helmeted, rounded ear-phones firmly in place, he was obviously delighted to be given an opportunity to relive once again the glory days of his army service and deeply appreciative of the skilled work and efforts that had gone into restoring these historic machines.

Some years ago, the farm management liaised with lovers of steam traction vehicles and old-time tractors and issued a challenge to South African farmers for a ploughing competition. The idea was to get 500 tractors all ploughing the same field at once. Having achieved this, a few years later, the ‘1000 Tractor Challenge’ was issued, and although the desired figure was not reached, farmers countrywide responded by railing and road-freighting their ‘old faithfulls’ up to Fouriesburg where the competition took place, and when 800 tractors finally moved across the lands, the achievement was duly recorded in the Guinness Book of Records.

Subsequently, Australia took up the challenge and they are now holding their position, so who knows, maybe somebody will take the next step and see if the number of tractors ploughing at the same time can be taken even higher.

At the date of writing, the anticipated re-introduction of countrywide steam railway tours has not yet been achieved, but with the energy and enterprise of the enthusiasts who are doing so much to preserve and promote this comfortable form of travel, there is every hope that before too long this wonderful method of travelling will be available once more. In the not too distant future, it may be possible to once again “Take the Train, Take the Train” and enjoy the scenic wonders of our beautiful South African countryside, whilst helping to preserve and endorse the country's unique heritage of steam traction vehicles.