A book review

The Two Foot Gauge Enigma- Beira Railway 1890-1900

By Antony Baxter

Published by Plateway Press ISBN 1 871980 34 8

Every now and then a true gem comes along, Antony Baxter’s book on this little railway, well in gauge, is well researched, mainly from source documents. The text is complemented with wonderful photographs of the railway from construction to it being re gauged. At the back section are a set of drawing of the various Classes of Falcon locomotives that ran on this line, it includes a drawing of the Drummond loco with Flower tender.

Antony starts with a background for the reason to building the railway from Beira Mozambique to Umtali in Rhodesia. Then the construction and operation through to the locomotives and rolling stock. All through the text are wonderful antidotes of events that surrounded this railway at the time. The epilogue finishes with the re-gauging of the Beira railway from 2’ gauge to 3’6” and then the drawing of the Lawley’s

This book is well worth the money I paid for it a few year back, it is no long on Plateway Press website book list so would presume it is out of print, www.plateway.co.uk, I bought my copy from Andrew Neale at www.railway-books.co.uk

If you have an interest in Southern African two foot gauge this book is a must have and read.

Ps It was from this railway that the SAR-NG6’s where originated, being purchases from Lawley whose ownership they were  in 1916. The 13 locomotives where in a store in Bamboo Creek, after being deliver to the SAR nine where overhauled and deemed fit for service.

The photo on the front cover is of  a Beira Railway large Falcon 4-4-0 No 16 at Umtali in 1898 

still more NG6

Maff has taken what I feel some of the best detail photos of these two Lawleys,still more to come .

more SAR-NG6

Here are some more great detail photos taken by Maff Wellman

more to follow tomorrow

NG6 -DETAILS TO DELIGHT THE MODELLER

Over the  next few days I will post a series of photos taken by Maff Wellman of the inside of the NG6 cabs and other close up shots.He took these of  the two Lawleys on Sandstone

more to come over the next few days

SAR-NG6 Lawleys

The Lawleys that came into the SAR came about because of the Ist World War and the campaign in German South West Africa, as the German force were pushed back motive power was need on the Otavi Railway as the Germans has dismantled or hidden the locos. South African two foot lines were pressed to give up some of their locos to assist the SA Forces, thus putting their own railways under stain. Thirteen of the Falcon Engine and Car Works, Loughborough England, which had run on the Beira Railway and been in storage in Villa Machado   Mozambique and owned by Messrs McLawley (thus the nickname given by the SAR) were bought to help ease the situation of motive power shortage. Nine locos where made serviceable from the thirteen and became the NG6 Class and numbered 96-98 and 101-106, their wheel arrangement was 4-4-0, and the coupled wheels were 2’8” in diameter. The tractive effort at 75% boiler pressure was 3987lbs. These locos ran mainly on the Hopefield and Avontuur Branches but 105 saw service on the Fort Beaufort-Seymour line for many years. All of this class were sold on to private companies’ once finishing service on the SAR which in its self said at lot about these fine little locos.

These little locos even found there way on to a postage stamp.

This model has been built of No.97 by Bruce Green who builds these to order in O Scale ,7mm to the foot,1/43.5

Over thenext while I plan to do a few blogs on the NG6-Lawley,or know today as 'the Gentleman’s sporting Engine', a most befitting term I feel, one which I first heard on the Welsh Highland Railway while on a NG15-134 weekend, Andie Shaw who is the project team leader for the restoration of the NG15-134 came out with it. Andie has driven both the NG6 and the NG15 on the Sandstone Trust Estate Railway so I feel as there are not many drivers who have done so ( in the UK even fewer) it gives him the right to use the term, Gentleman’s Sporting Engine, I do wonder what he refers the NG15 as, hopefully we will fine out soon as 134 gets closer to returning to steam. To start with I will post some wonderful photo's of the two NG6’s on Sandstone taken by my good friend Maff Wellman.

Along with the Lawley's at Sandstone as I mentioned the the NG15 I have added a photo of their NG15 as well.

NGG11 in De Aar

In 1981/82 I was sent North to 'Potch' ,3SAI, to do my National Service in the SADF,as a railwayman I used to get reduced travel on the train so I used to train it back to Cape Town for my long weekend passes.The train stopped in De Aar to change loco's,I would jump out and look around. In the yard stored for safe keeping was a NGG11 at the time had no idea what I was looking at but I did take a photo see attached.

This loco has survived and is in safe hand on Sandstone Trust.