Port Elizabeth Humewood Road
(04.11.06)
On a source I cannot trace back now,
I had read that the Apple Express were going to run on Nov. 4, 2006. This was
the reason we came the long way from KwaZulu-Nata through the former Transkei
(no problems, btw) to Port Elizabeth. Yes, we drove a couple of 100 miles for
it, and it was the main reason we came to PE. Feel free to quote this to your
local authorities should they ever doubt the economic significance of the Apple
Express. Anyway, after Humewood Road station had remained quiet all morning, it
turned out that the information was wrong.
So, we checked out the shed area, which felt much more derelict than it did on
my first visit in Nov 1995. Most of the locos we found were in a rather
desperate state. For some of them, the identity is unknown to me. For
discussion, I will refer to a posting of Bryan Brinkmann from Sep 10, 2004, and
to pictures I took on my first visit in November 1995. These will be marked
with a green frame, while the 2006 pictures will have a grey frame.
The best-looking loco we found was this one:
The green livery says that it is NG15 124, which in November 1995 was seen in a
much better shape with "Granny Smith" written on the smoke
deflectors:
Under the single line shed we found a Garrat and an NG15. The Garrat is NGG 13
79, which looked like this in November 1995:
and in November 2006:
The "05ZA121" scribbling on the buffer beams proves that it's really
the same loco.
Behind the Garrat, we found an NG15 in a rather derelict state:
Bryan Brinkman in September 2004 discussed the NG15 that was there then
as follows:
> The NG15 under the cover of the
single shed
> is most probably 145 as she was one of the last NG15's withdrawn and
> cosmetically she is in better condition than the line of sorry-looking
> locos. Tender is attached, but cab is lying on the ground near the
> water tower adjacent to the main running shed.
Can the loco on the picture above really be the loco that Bryan was refering
to? First, there is no tender now. Then, in November 1995, NG15 145 (or at
least: a loco carrying plates of NG15 145) used to look like this:
Trevor Staats, on the other hand, reported 145 as being stripped off all her
fittings and laggings because she required heavy boiler work and was supposed
to be sent away. So, can it really be her sitting in the single line shed now?
BTW, the people at http://www.sa-transport.co.za/trains/narrow-gauge/ng_info_pictures/steam_2.html seem to agree that it's
#145...
Then there is the row of three NG15 and one NGG16 in rather desperate state. One
is paintmarked to be NG15 132:
The other two have been discussed by
Bryan as follows:
> One of the derelicts is minus its cab (144) and the last is 148
>(or perhaps 145 if 148 is under the single shed).
I do not quite agree here: The very
first loco in the row has number 144 scratched into its cab. This
is the number and the loco:
So, either we believe that the cab
number is a fake, or #144 is NOT the cabless loco but this one.
The cabless loco in the row looks like this:
Assuming that it's not #144,
it may be NG15 148. Anyone care do agree or disagree?
Bryan continued:
> There is also the remains of NGG16 No.154 - with boiler, but no cab and
> the fore and aft tanks are perched on a nearby flatcar.
As there was only one NGG16 on site,
it must be this one, also standing in The Row:
Compared to November 1995
its state has not really changed much. According to
Bruce (not Bryan) Brinkman, she was stripped by THF as part of an overall that
never took
place as THF withdrew from Humewood Road in the mid 1980's.
Finally, I found a diesel loco that did not carry any sign of origin and
identity. It turned out to be the ex Eastern Province Cement Co. 6wDM (Hunslet
Taylor 6357/1964), which was purchased with the two Funkeys by the Ffestiniog
Railway after Spoornet had taken over operation of the branch from Chelsea to
the factory around 1986. As it was not needed by the FR it remained in PE
and probably was eventually donated to the Apple Express Society.
The day surprisingly turned into a good one when I found a cellphone number of
someone related to the Apple Express society. To be honest, I don't remember
who it was but he was kind enough to be patient with the somewhat dearranged
guy on the line and cared to (1) confirm that the Apple Express was not running
that day and (2) give directions to the diesel depot - if you happen to read
this and remember the call, thank you so much for your patience. What I saw
when I entered the diesel depot took my breath away:
On my last visit to PE, I had seen only one of the diesels in a shed in the
port area, and frankly I had no idea how many of these locos exist, so finding
such a crowd of them (and such an impressive shed area) really caught me by
surprise. There were also two steam engines: NGG 11 54 was having a quiet
meeting with her Transportation Family grandson:
In a quiet corner behind the diesel shed I found this rusty NG15. Given that
she fits perfectly to Bryan Brinkman's words
> NG15 117 is hidden from view
behind the Diesel Repair shed, rather rusted and very forlorn.
I thought it's #117. However, after comparing with the pictures at http://www.sa-transport.co.za/trains/narrow-gauge/ng_info_pictures/steam.html, I was not so sure any more and
after looking at http://www.sa-transport.co.za/trains/narrow-gauge/ng_info_pictures/ng15-119_2_ck.JPG I was convinced that it is nr
119 in a sadly deterioated state. However, NG15 119 was reported to haul the
Apple Express in December 2008 – can this be this sad loco??
NG15 119, btw, looked like this in November 1995:
So, who is missing? For the diesel depot Bryan Brinkman reported NGG16 131 in
running condition. As I was not allowed into the shed buildings, I guess this
is where I missed her. Is she still in charge of running the Apple
Express?
And while we're at the subject anyway - look at this! Kinda cute, isn't she?
Saw her in Nov. 1995 and didn't know her number for a long time. Then from
comments to this website I learnt that it was 4-6-2T NG4 16 (Kerr Stuart
1344/1913), which belonged to the Transnet Heritage Foundation then and was
later sent to the ACR at Port Shepstone, where it was partly dismantled as part
of a reconstruction effort that never succeeded. Sandstone have bought and in
early 2007 restored it to working order.
Ralph Timmermann, 19.08.2007. Pictures from
25.11.1995 (green frames) and 04.11.2006 (grey frames).
Quotes are from Bryan Brinkman on sar-L@yahoogroups.com, 10.09.2004.
Updated following comments from Peter Bagshawe on 27.08.2007.
Updated again after looking at the pictures on www.sa-transport.co.za on
07.09.07.
Literature:
JM02: John N. Middleton: Railways of Southern Africa - Locomotive Guide, 2002
Edition.
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