Aliwal North – Barkly East railway line

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Aliwal North – Lady Gray – Barkly East
Route length: 157 km
Gauge : 1067 mm ( cape track )
Maximum slope : 33  ‰
Country: South Africa
Legend
   
 via Zastron to the main line Bloemfontein – Bethlehem
   
 0 Aliwal North (1355 m)
   
 via Dreunberg to the main route Burgersdorp – East London
   
 Maletswai
   
 Maynier
   
 Pollie
   
 Braamspruit
   
 Kraai Castle
   
 Cambwell
   
 40 Beerley
   
 Mtini
   
 Amandel
   
 64 Lady Gray (1631 m)
   
 Bamboeskloof
   
 80 Melk / First Reverse (1st hairpin) (1728 m)
   
 82 Second reverse (2nd hairpin)
   
 83 Third reverse (3rd hairpin)
   
 Karnmelkspruit (river)
   
 Water tank
   
 84 Fourth Reverse (4th hairpin) (1635 m)
   
 86 Fifth Reverse (5th hairpin)
   
 87 Sixth Reverse (6th hairpin)
   
 96 Motkop
   
 103 Drizzly (1990 m)
   
 107 Ulrie
   
 Vickers
   
 Orpendale
   
 delta
   
 128 New England (1830 m)
   
 Lynndale
   
 Seventh Reverse (7th hairpin)
   
 Eighth Reverse (8th hairpin)
   
 146 Animal crane (1662 m)
   
 Kraai River (river)
   
 157 Barkly East (1814 m) line end point with locomotive depot

The Aliwal North – Barkly East railway was a branch line in South Africa that branched off at the former Aliwal North separation station from the line ( Burgersdorp -) Dreunberg - Aliwal North - Zastron - Sannaspos (- Bloemfontein ). This route was known nationwide due to its eight switchbacks . In 2001 it was shut down.

planning

Like many other South African branch lines, the railway line was supposed to be built with extremely low construction costs, so attempts were made to get along as far as possible without engineering structures such as larger dams, cuts or bridges. Instead, the tracks were adapted to the landscape, i.e. they were laid around every hill and mountain edge. The resulting disadvantage of a very winding route did not play a role at the time of construction. Nevertheless, the overcoming of the gorge of the Karnmelkspruit, a small river, and the descent into the river valley of the Kraai River had to be mastered. These hurdles were solved by switchbacks.

Realization of the route

The switchbacks 1 to 6

The unproblematic Aliwal North – Lady Gray section was opened as early as 1902 . The basis for the further construction of the line from there was the Cape Railway Act, No. 34 from 1906. It was planned to build a large viaduct behind Melk over the Karnmelkspruit gorge and then lead the route through a tunnel. Originally only intended for the transport of building materials, six switchbacks were created to overcome the gorge. The tunnel over the valley was completed in 1911, on the opposite side of the gorge an incision and the future route were carved out. The official route to Melk was opened on December 1, 1911. The parts of the bridge that were delivered by ship from Great Britain, however, never reached their destination because the ship sank in a storm. The six switchbacks thus became a permanent solution, as another bridge could no longer be delivered due to the looming First World War. The volume of traffic later did not justify carrying out expensive construction projects such as a bridge; this meant that the tunnel was never used. The small town of New England was reached in 1913, the end point Barkly East only in 1925.

Route description

View over the Karnmelkspruit Gorge to the cut and the 4th hairpin (1983)
Steam train from Barkly East on the Kraai River Bridge just before Tierkran (1979)
Train in the 8th hairpin (1983)

The line began at Aliwal North station, using the track towards Dreunberg for the first 2.4 km. At the western edge of the village, the railway left the main direction and turned briefly to the south, then further east. Until Lady Gray it was very winding and steadily rising moderately through fertile farmland. Only 16 km later the first switchback section began in Melk station. The first change of direction for all trains took place here, the locomotive pushed the train just ahead of it, then the downward gradient began right before the second hairpin. Further downhill to the 3rd hairpin, the locomotive was again in front, after which there was another change of direction. Once again it went down a little to the lower river bridge over the Karnmelkspruit, and immediately after the bridge the route rose again. The Water Tank operating point was a mandatory stop for all steam trains. The locomotive's water supplies had to be replenished. From here, high up in the mountain range, the northern tunnel portal could be seen - the tunnel that was never used by a train. After replenishing the water supplies, it went up to the 4th hairpin. After another change of direction, the steepest section of the route up to the 5th hairpin was climbed with an incline of 1:30. From here the locomotive pushed its train up to the sixth hairpin, behind which, only about 100 m away, was the south portal of the unused tunnel. From here the route continued to be very winding in a south-easterly direction. The highest point was reached at Drizzly with 1991 m. For a long time, the New England train station was the end of the line, which is why there was also a track triangle and a corresponding infrastructure to supply steam locomotives. Only 14 km further the descent into the valley of the Kraai River followed with two further switchbacks. After the Tierkrans station and the river crossing, it went uphill again to the end of the line at Barkly East, where there was also a track triangle and a small locomotive depot with a two-tier locomotive shed, water tower, coaling system and a few workshop and tool sheds.

Locomotives

Almost 40 years have been on the track Garratts the GB series used. They were later replaced by class 19D steam locomotives . Diesel locomotives were used in the last few years of operation .

traffic

The trains mainly carried agricultural products and building materials. Passenger traffic took place mainly in freight trains in an accompanying car with passenger compartments. From the Lady Gray station, only shortened trains could run due to the following switchbacks. The maximum train length was limited to 180 meters corresponding to the length of the 8th hairpin. Due to its special features, this railway line was a frequent destination for special trains; longer trains ran to Lady Gray with two locomotives. There the train was then divided and transported by one locomotive at a block distance . In 2001 the line was closed. Aliwal North is no longer served by trains either.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The 1911 Report of the General Manager of Railways , pp. 82-83
  2. ↑ STEAM SAFARI - Highlights , SAR information sheet from 1979, p. 3

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