SOURCE: Boon Boonzaaier's book - Tracks Across the Veld - Used with kind release to Wikipedia.

Cape Town – Wellington

The Cape of Good Hope Western Railway Company was formed in London in October 1845 with the express purpose of building the first railway line in South Africa, but the residents of the Cape proved not to be ready for this new invention. The Cape Government preferred to spend its available finances on road construction, including a number of spectacular road passes, necessary to open up the interior and break the isolation caused by the mountain ranges that bordered the Cape.

Eight years later, the Cape Town Railway and Dock Company was established on 21 August 1853, and was incorporated in London with a registered capital of £600 000 in 1855.

In May 1857 an experienced railway engineer, John Scott Tucker, provided the Cape Parliament with detailed proposals for a railway line to run from Cape Town to Wellington, via Paarl. Branches from this line were proposed to run to Stellenbosch, Malmesbury and Wynberg. However, in the event Parliament agreed to a line to Wellington, but not to the branch lines.

A brilliant and most capable 37-year-old engineer, William George Brounger, surveyed a possible route between Cape Town and Wellington, and in October 1858 the tender of the Cape Town Railway and Dock Company, based on the Brounger survey, was accepted.

Brounger had distinguished himself by his involvement in construction projects undertaken by the British civil engineering business of Fox & Henderson, both in England and Europe in the 1840s. One of the overseas contracts he had supervised was the construction of the Zeeland Railway in Denmark. In 1847, Brounger had been put in charge of the contract for building the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London. Following the registration in London of Cape Town Railway and Dock Company in 1853, its managing director, Latham Browne, engaged the firm of Fox & Henderson as consultants. Not surprisingly, Charles Fox (later Sir) was appointed consulting engineer by the Cape Town Railway and Dock Company and, on the strength of his recommendation, Brounger took up the position of “surveyor, engineer and supervisor of construction” in 1857. In December 1858 the company appointed Edward Pickering to construct the line.

The turning of the first sod was performed by Sir George Grey, Governor of the Cape, on 31 March 1859 near Fort de Knokke at Papendorf (now Woodstock). He used a silver spade to shovel turf into a wheelbarrow while a salute of 21 guns was being fired by the Cape Royal Rifles. It was indeed a joyous occasion, accompanied by a fireworks display and the burning of tar barrels until late that evening.

Pickering began the construction of the line to Wellington four days later. Everything needed was imported from England, including the labour force. Three hundred “navvies” arrived at the Cape to construct the railway line, specialists in building canals, railways and roads. However, these builders had a reputation for unsociable behaviour, which they often lived up to, becoming a public menace and a very unruly mob.

The first locomotive arrived in 1859 and was assembled by a Scotsman, William Dabbs, who accompanied the locomotive as its own “driver cum engineer cum fitter”. He and his assistant, a coloured servant named Mitchell, whose reward was to blow the whistle, remained in charge of this engine for the rest of their lives. The engine later became known as Blackie and survives even today in preservation on the concourse of Cape Town station. Fortunately, WiIliam Dabbs lived to see Blackie receive her honourable retirement on the old Cape Town station.

Strangely enough the first locomotive came to be numbered “No. 9”, and not “No. 1” as would have been expected. The reason for this was that Edward Pickering was completely inexperienced and, much to the chagrin of the Company, he took several months to get ready to begin construction. By September and October 1861, Pickering and the Company were at loggerheads. The navvies took sides, resulting in a fight between the supporters of the two parties. This led to considerable damage to property and agreement was only reached when Judge Bell issued an interdict. However, soon after this, William Brounger removed Pickering from the job, who promptly exacted revenge by toppling the loco over a culvert. The loco was extensively damaged, necessitating months in the workshops while it was repaired. During this period the rest of the batch arrived from Scotland, and they were promptly numbered 1 to 8, while Dabb’s loco became “No. 9” when she returned to service.

Now under the guidance of Brounger, construction was able to begin in earnest. On 13 February 1862 the first section was opened, to Eerste River. It was a momentous occasion with farmers from all the surrounding districts flocking to Eerste River to welcome the first train.

From Eerste River station, the line followed the Eerste river as far as Stellenbosch. On 1 May 1862 the first train steamed into the second oldest town in the Cape. When Dabb’s locomotive was in tip-top condition it could reach speeds of 40 miles per hour (65 km/h) — for those used only to mule carts and ox wagons, these speeds would have been very scary indeed!

From Stellenbosch the line continued via Muldersvlei to Klapmuts, at that time known as Bennettsville. The new section was opened on 8 December 1862. However, the first train almost met with disaster when a spark from the locomotive set fire to Rev Meiring’s cart, which was being carried on an open truck. Fortunately, passengers were able to push the burning vehicle overboard, and the train safely reached its destination.

The line was opened as far as Paarl on 18 March 1863. But, from here there was some delay as a major bridge was needed to cross the Great Berg River, just outside Paarl, before the railway line could be completed to Wellington.

Grey’s successor, Governor Sir Philip Wodehouse, was on the special train that was provided for the opening ceremony on 4 November 1863, together with some 400 guests. An elegant luncheon was held at Wellington, with all the appropriate speeches and great ceremony. The first railway line in the Cape had reached its destination, and plans were already underway to extend it towards Worcester in the Breede River Valley.

In 1876 a link was built between Muldersvlei and Bellville, thus shortening the route. This link eventually became the main line, relegating the Stellenbosch section to a secondary branch.

As the population grew, several suburban lines were added. Some still carry thousands of commuters every day, while others, such as the Sea Point and Milnerton lines, succumbed to the convenience of the motor car.

Upgradings

The Cape Government bought the Cape Town Railway and Dock Company in 1872 and established the Cape Government Railways (CGR.) The first railway lines were built to the British standard gauge of four feet eight-and-a-half inches (1,435m), but it was decided to reduce the gauge to three feet six inches (1,067m) to save on construction costs and made it easier to build railway lines over the mountains surrounding the western Cape. Initially a third rail was added to the line between Cape Town until such time when standard gauge can be phased out.

In 1876 a shorter, direct line was built between Muldersvlei and Bellville. It was the first line the new guage, to be known as “Cape Gauge”, and relegated the line via Stellenbosch to a branch line. In time, as passenger needs rose, many suburban lines were built, carrying thousands of passengers every day. Some of these lines are still being extended while others, such as the See Point and Milnerton lines, succumbed to road transport competition and were closed.

The early engines were ordered from overseas, but after 1892 new engines were designed in South Africa by H.M. Beatty for local needs. However, they continued to be built overseas. These early locomotives became the famous SAR classes 6, 7 and 8, which were later to be used all over South Africa and South West Africa. They were later joined by classes 4, 5 and 10C, before even larger engines were allocated to the Western Cape main line. The classes 15A, 15CB and 15CA locomotives dominated the main line for two decades between 1915 and 1935, succumbing only to the more powerful and newer 15E, 15F and 23 classes. These powerful steam locomotives ruled the line between Cape Town and Touws River until it was electrified in 1954.

The Sea Point line was the first to be electrified and services started in October 1927. Although the service ceased in April 1929 it was the beginning of a extensive electric network in the Cape Peninsula. It remained only a suburban network until it was decided to electrify the Hex River Pass in 1950. This led to the voltage being changed from 1,500v to 3,000v. The first main-line passenger train ran on 8 April 1953 between Bellville and Worcester and electric haulage was used from Bellville until the voltage between Bellville and Cape Town was changed. Forty class 4E electric units, affectionately called “Green Mambas” by their drivers were employed on the Western Cape main-line. They were eventually replaced by 5E/5E1 and 6E/6E1 units. Fortunately 4E no 258 has been restored in the original green livery for use on special trains.

Class 10E units were never used in the Western Cape, but the ten 14E units, delivered between 1989 and 1994, were allocated to the Bellville depot for use on container traffic. As they are dual-voltage, they can be used all the way between Cape Town and Pretoria and are therefore also currently being used on the Blue Train.

Cape Town – Simon’s Town

Construction of the first branch line in the country was started before the main line to Wellington was complete. This line was built between Salt River and Wynberg by the Wynberg Railway Company, with private capital.

The line was opened on 19 December 1864, but the Wynberg Railway Co. never ran a single train. From the start, the owners of the main line (the Cape Town Railway and Dock Company) hired the new line and worked it with their own stock.

In 1872 the Cape Government purchased the Wynberg line, shortly after it had been decided to abandon the standard gauge (4 feet 8.5 inches) in favour of the narrower Cape gauge (3 feet 6 inches).

The line was extended to Muizenberg (15 December 1882) and Kalk Bay (5 May 1883), but not everyone appreciated the coming of the railway line. On the evening of 28 February 1883 a passing steam engine frightened some oxen next to the line into a stampede. The ox wagon they were pulling overturned, and the contents and driver dumped on the road. Passengers on the train witnessed a very angry driver, impotently shaking his whip at the passing train!

Simonstown had been established as a Royal Navy base at the beginning of the nineteenth century. The discovery of diamonds and gold gave new importance to the naval base, as Britain needed to keep other superpowers from becoming too interested in the mineral wealth of the sub-continent. With more ships and men stationed at Simonstown, the need grew for better communications and transport.

In 1889 the Cape Government gave permission to extend the line from Kalk Bay to Simonstown. Work on the 9 km line, hugging the coast just above the high water mark, began on 7 November 1889, and it was opened for traffic on 1 December 1890.

The line was doubled as far as Wynberg in 1886, to Retreat in 1905 and eventually to Kalk Bay, to cope with increased traffic. It was electrified in 1928, and today is double track as far as Fish Hoek.

During the Second World War the most famous traveller over this line was a Great Dane, named “Just Nuisance”, who was eventually placed on the Royal Navy payroll to be able to accompany sailors on the rails!

Paarl – Franschoek

In 1896 Cecil John Rhodes and Harry Pickstone bought 29 farms in the Drakenstein Valley in order to establish a fruit farming industry. These became known as Rhodes’ Fruit Farms, and the homestead of every one of the 29 farms, mainly Cape Dutch masterpieces, have been preserved and maintained. The South African fruit industry developed from this venture and products were exported worldwide, providing a livelihood for thousands of families.

The Cape Parliament approved a 28km branch line to run between Paarl and Franschhoek in order that the fruit and wine products could be transported to Cape Town for export. This line was opened on 7 June 1904, but it became a victim to progress when most of the branch lines were closed in 2001.