International Railroad Discussion > Zimbabwe: Victoria Falls

We spent two mornings shooting the bridge at Victoria Falls.

This is the only shoot location I have ever been to that required crossing into a different country to change angles.

On the first morning we shot sunrise from the Victoria Falls Lodge, and on the second morning we crossed to the Zambia side to shoot both glancing angle and sunlit. With the very wide shot there was a rainbow, so elected to make it a nature scene that happened to have a train in the middle.

It was all pretty spectacular and one of the highlights of the trip.

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

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A little bit about the bridge, from a nearby sign:

To ensure accuracy in manufacture, the bridge was assembled in sections at the Cleaveland Bridge Company factory hard in Darlington, England before being shipped to Africa.

The main arch of the bridge was joined on 01 April 1905. The two center girders of the arch were in place by sunset on the 31st of March, but they overlapped to the extent of about 1 1/4 inches. When the work started at sunrise next morning. It was found that the bridge had contracted in the night to the extent of exactly 1 1/4 inches. The two center girders had dropped into place and fitted perfectly.

The official opening ceremony took place on the 12th September 1905. Sir Charles Metcalfe made a welcoming speech, and invited the astronomer Professor George Darwin, grandson of Charles Darwin to declare Victoria Falls Bridge officially open.

"I should like to have the spray of the water over the carriages" - Cecil John Rhodes

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

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Here is an overview of the falls in relation to the bridge from a helicopter flight I took.

The shot with the two Baobobs shows the approach to Vic Falls town from the bridge.

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

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Some shots at Vic Falls station - with the schedule board showing the one overnight passenger train from Bulawayo that runs daily.

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

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Some scenes from around Vic Falls station. The inspection car is operational and was moving around when I was there. The sightseeing tram is what took over from the hand-pushed tram now on display at the Vic Falls Lodge.

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

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Here's the original hand-pushed tram from the Victoria Falls Lodge.

The plaque reads:

"The Victoria Falls Hotel trolley service, which operated from the hotel to the bridge and the boat house, was introduced in 1920. Before this date, the hotel's guests were conveyed to the various points of interest by rickshaws. During their life, the trolleys were used by some 2 million guests, and were replaced by motor coaches in December 1957 after 37 years of romantic, yet reliable service."

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

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On Tuesday at 3PM we caught the Class 12 Bush Tracks locomotive at Vic Falls station. My wife had arrived that day and she can be seen in the cab in the first photo. The crew was very friendly and let us in the cab and let us blow the whistle. Having experience with such things, I gave it a nice long quilling blow! It had good play.

The Bush Tracks Train is a dinner train that runs from the station to the falls and back, a short journey. Once the cars are positioned on the far side of the bridge where the falls can be viewed, the engine cuts off and pulls off the bridge until pick-up time. Likely for loading reasons. They also have a similar train that runs from the Zambia side, also steam hauled.

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

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Nice work, Mike! Did you take any photos of the "Jungle Junction" mural in the lobby of the hotel?

Cheers,
Jack

These are incredible. this is the top of my bucket list. How often are there passenger trains pulled by Garratts?

Great presentation, Mike. Thanks!

-- Greg

More great photos from the trip. Many thanks. Again, it brings back lots of memories of when I worked at Hwange, and Vic Falls was a day out for us. On my visit a few years ago I ticked off one item on my bucket list, namely a bungi jump off the bridge. Were you tempted Mike.??? Chris U.K.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/02/17 05:43 by 55002.

I rode the dinner train in 2011. The loco was all black. And the route took us well beyond the Falls up the Sawmills branch. The entire trip was interesting, crossing the boarder, complete with payment for entry twice. Both times I had to walk across the boarder where the next driver and car was waiting to take me to the train or back to the hotel.

africansteam Wrote:
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> Nice work, Mike! Did you take any photos of the
> "Jungle Junction" mural in the lobby of the
> hotel?
>
> Cheers,
> Jack

No I must have missed that. Did not see it.

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

ron1230 Wrote:
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> These are incredible. this is the top of my
> bucket list. How often are there passenger
> trains pulled by Garratts?

I think NRZ does a steam passenger special once or twice a year.

Our trains were special charters for our group.

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> I rode the dinner train in 2011. The loco was all
> black. And the route took us well beyond the Falls
> up the Sawmills branch. The entire trip was
> interesting, crossing the boarder, complete with
> payment for entry twice. Both times I had to walk
> across the boarder where the next driver and car
> was waiting to take me to the train or back to the
> hotel.

They now have a Univisa (Kaza visa) for $50 which allows for unlimited crossings between Zimbawbe and Zambia, and daytime crossings between Zimbabwe and Botswana. If you plan to do more than two entries it is well worth it. Currently you can buy it when you fly into livingstone or vicfalls, or at the border crossing. Otherwise the single entry visa is $20 and double entry is $35.

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

Stunning set of pic's Mike.A bud of mine down here in Australia did a bungy jump off that bridge many years ago.
Regards,dK

Very nice..!! I REALLY like Pics 1 and 3!!

Fabulous photos Mike, I really love #1!

Nathan

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