Alfred County Railway

The Alfred County Railway was a narrow-gauge single-track railway line in South Africa with a mountain railway character. On a length of 122 km, it linked the coastal town of Port Shepstone to Harding in the mountains of KwaZulu-Natal. The track width was 610 mm. The operation ended in 2006.

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History

Prehistory

The land between the rivers Umzimkulu and Umtamvuna was originally considered no man's land, surrounded by the territories of the Zulu and Xhosa. Following annexation by the government of Natal in 1866 this area was designated the Alfred County, named after Prince Alfred, the younger son of Queen Victoria. The running along the coast kapspurige railway line from Durban reached North Shepstone on the north bank of the Umzimkulu 1901. The route endpoint Port Shepstone was opened after construction of a river bridge in 1907.

Planning and construction

In order to open up the interior, which was to achieve to date about bad paths only on foot or by wagon economically, the construction of a railway line was imperative in the mountains. Provided the basis for the construction of this railway line to Harding, the adoption of the law, Alfred County Railway Extension Act No. 6 ' of 1909.

Due to the rugged, mountainous landscape, a narrow gauge railway with a track width was 610 mm favors. The cost of construction of such a railway fell against the Cape gauge significantly lower because they could close wrap around deep valleys and steep mountains. The Natal Government Railways finally started the construction of track and infrastructure. The narrow gauge tracks were laid for 6.5 km along the coast. Then the steady climb took place in the mountains.

Operation

The Alfred County Railway was opened in 1911 with the first 39 km stretch part of Port Shepstone close to the farm, The Paddock ' at Murchison Flats. 1915 reached the railway Izingolweni and in 1917 was the total distance 122 km to Harding in operation.

Operator of the train was from the outset the State Railways SAR (South African Railways ), in which after the founding of the Union of South Africa in 1910 all South African railway companies, as well as the Natal Government Railways, were incorporated. The farmers could now rely on a reliable means of transport. Were transported lumber, acacia bark for tanneries and various agricultural products, especially bananas.

After the Second World War, the farmers built south of the Umzimkulu large sugar cane plantations. This cane was an additional significant freight train. This period also saw a strong increase in the volume transported timber fell. Customers were newly formed paper mills on the coast. Goods traffic was at its peak.

In the early 1980s there was a well developed road network, many goods were now transported by truck. Passenger found - with the exception of the Banana Express, a tourist offer - no longer held. In the rail infrastructure hardly invested. The narrow-gauge railway in the mountains after Harding became increasingly unreliable and inefficient. On 31 October 1986, the line was finally closed down after Harding - the end seemed to have come.

Passenger

In addition to passenger transport to Harding, tied as mixed train ', was thus realized in the form of a combined freight and passenger train, Izotsha was an important station, he was right on a main road leading to the south. Since continuous coastal roads were lacking, many tourists came by train to Port Shepstone, changed there on the narrow gauge railway to finally switch over in Izotsha in the bus, which then took them to Margate or Port Edward.

Locomotives

For use seven small tank locomotives of the series NG4 came in the early years with the wheel arrangement 2'C1 ', built by Kerr Stuart locomotive factory in the UK, delivered in 1911 and 1913. Trains were usually pulled by two locomotives. As early as May 1920 were much stronger locomotives of the series NGG11 type Garratt used. These locomotives proved themselves several decades on the track.

In the 1970s, the narrow-gauge railway from Port Elizabeth was dieselised after Avontuur. The previously stationed there Garratts the NGG13 and NGG16 series were then transferred to Port Shepstone and replaced here the older locomotives.

The new Alfred County Railway

In the year 1986, in Harding, the Alfred County Railway Committee established with the aim to get the train. A leading role was Alan A. Jorgensen, a professional photographer, artist and fighter for rail transport, and Charlie P. Lewis, Chief Engineer at SATS (South African Transport Services), both at the same time railway enthusiasts. Numerous negotiations with the government followed with the aim to launch the first privatized public railway line in South Africa to life. The proposals were taken up by local as well as by the government with benevolence. Finally, the Port Shepstone and Alfred County Railway Company Limited, was founded shortly ACR. The concession agreement was signed on 3 December 1987. Just one day later sailed for the first time the Banana Express route to the part Izotcha. At the opening ceremony for the total distance to Harding in July 1988, the Minister of Transport himself was present.

In the first six months of the Banana Express carried 20,000 passengers. The freight was rolling again. Main cargo were construction and timber from Harding and products such as fertilizers and cement, which went inland. New replacement of wagons with rigid side walls was by wagons on which the timber could be loaded transversely to the direction of travel, resulting in a much faster cargo handling enabled. Even 20 - foot standard container could now be transported. One major innovation was the modernization of the 60 -year-old NGG16 - Garratts to reduce operating costs. Two steam locomotives were converted from ACR engineer Phil Girdlestone on the system GPCS of Argentine engineer Porta, which led to a significant fuel and water savings. Diesel locomotives for shunting in Port Shepstone were purchased.

In the early 1990s flourished the freight and tourist traffic on the web. The steam locomotives of NGG16 and NGG16A series braced the entire traffic. 1992, a contract was concluded with Spoornet (successor of SATS ), the basis of which from then on the wooden trains have passed through borrowed diesel locomotives of Class 91. As of 1994, the narrow gauge cars were loaded with piggyback their wooden cargo on Kapspurwagen and so conveyed to the paper mills in Umkomaas, which led to a further cost reduction result.

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By dumping prices of road competition, the ACR finally could no longer compete. 2001, the main transport contract was not renewed. The timber transport moved from rail to road. The problem of course was that they had to come up completely even for the preservation of their range. The truck traffic was the very well-developed national road N2 available, he was concerned about the control only 15% of the road maintenance.

That left only the (very successful ) tourist traffic to Izochta and paddock with the Banana Express, who learned through the communities along the Hibiscus Coast strong backing. In 2004, Spoornet, still owners of track and diesel locomotives, the Alfred County Railway in the liquidation. After the end of the operation by the ACR of Patons Country Narrow Gauge Railway ( PCNGR ) was granted a temporary permit, the Banana Express to operate on. The PCNGR stood for three steam locomotives available. Despite the success of the Banana Express and proposals of the new railway company, to Harding to open the entire route again, finished Transnet operation on 20 April 2006 on the grounds that there was no lease with PCNGR. Further efforts to take the train back into operation failed.

On 18 June 2008, met a heavy storm surge, the Hibiscus Coast. Several track pieces and railroad bridges were damaged heavily.