International Railroad Discussion > South African industrial steam -- gold, platinum, coal

For my final installment, here are three separate haulers of gold, platinum and coal, respectively.  First is Free State Gold, another of the Welkom area gold mines.  In 1988, by then consolidated Free Gold was the biggest gold mining company in the world,  producing 128 tons of gold that year from 31 million tons of rock mined.

1.  FSG 4-8-2T #2 at Welkom.  7/2/84

2.  FSG 4-8-2 #8.  This is an SAR 19D class,  called "Dollys".   Welkom  7/3/84

3.  Freegold North 11 class 2-8-2 #8.  Former President Brand Gold Mine #7.  9/8/92

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Next is Rustenburg Platinum Mines,  located west of Johannesburg.  Towards the end of steam, most of their locos were various 15 class 4-8-2s leased from South African Rys.  Here are photos of some of their own locos, all former SAR.  All taken at Rustenburg shed

1.  Baldwin-built former SAR 15CB class 2069,  now RPM No. 3    Aug 1, 1990

2.  Another Baldwin,  No. 4 was SAR 2071.  6/24/92

3. Retired No. 1759,  former SAR 14R class 1759.

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The variety of color schemes on industrial locos is amazing. I just went through a volume of photos from a friend in the U.K. from 1968. The last year of "real" steam there. Everything was black.

Finally, back to the Vryheid coal area in Natal (see Enyati Ry. posted previously).  Vryheid Coronation Colliery had a large operation there, connecting with the Enyati railway.

1.  VCC 4-8-4T No. 3 at Coronation.  6/5/84  Built in 1946 it was bought new from N. British Loco.

2.  VCC 4-8-2T ,  x-AMCOL Enyati and earlier New Largo Colliery.  7/31/90  That's an Enyati Ry.  GMAM class Garratt behind it.

3.  VCC No. 6,  former SAR class GEA Garratt #4023 (4-8-2+2-8-4) on a railfan excursion.  4/4/88



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/16 13:58 by masterphots.

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Just amazes me that this equipment made it into the 90's.
t4p.

SWEET!!!

steamy