TRANSNET freight rail Watching Class 35 Diesels Locomotives doing their ...

TRANSNET freight rail Watching Class 35 Diesels Locomotives doing their work.

2011-08-07: Klipheuwel sightings

16:47 This is a poor train picture! It merely serves to record the numbers of the locomotives: 35-045, 35-413 and 35-061. At Fisantekraal we per chance spotted the long train of empty? wagons coming at speed from Kraaifontein. It possibly was doing in excess of 90 km/h as us going at even 130k's did not manage us to get in a good position to welcome it at Klipheuwel Station. It just went forth to rush through the station.


In the Klipheuwel Station a consist of 35-494, 35-060 and 35-037 was waiting without a train to go home in Bellville. The driver's assistant had to work the switches in the station and reset them back so that more trains can roll through like the one we saw a few moments ago ... here the driver is waiting for the assistant to complete the job.

Taking Grain empties to the Overberg

10 July 2009 9:20AM: 35-045, 35-???, 35-054 and 35-??? going out with Grain Empties, presumably to the Overberg area.















17 July 2009 9:34AM: 35-019, 35-465 and 35-018 going out with Grain Empties, presumably to the Overberg area.

2009-05-10: Chasing Trains - Berg River to Hopefield

1st Sighting

14:48 near Berg River silos and coming from Saldanha.


A large consist of 5 diesels: no's 35-068, 35-442, 35-410, 35-045 and 34-115.




Going towards Bellville. In yellow is the 132 ton Cottwald Breakdown Crane which is, when on standby, based in Bellville. The wagon trailing the Crane contains an assortment of items required to operate the crane on site.





2nd Sighting

14:58 - This train has just departed from Berg River Station after crossing the previous train there.


This is a heavy load train, and the locomotives are hard pressed ...


The diesels are from the front: 35-061, 35-004, 35-449 and 35-029


Going towards Saldanha.


Fully laden with carbon-rich anthracite, required for the smelters at Saldanha.The CCR "arrow" wagons have a capacity of 67 cubic metres, and each one can carry 58,000 kg coal. The Steel smelter at Saldanha requires 675,000 tons of anthracite per annum - this boils down to some 11637 wagons of coal of this type - or an average of 32 wagons per day all year round! [Source for tonnage here.]

3rd Sighting

15:05 The train about to cross the road between Berg River Station and Hopefield town.




The Cottwald Breakdown Crane crossing the road.

4th Sighting

15:20 The train enters Hopefield Station








The Cottwald Breakdown Crane will be at home base to-night.

2010-11-10: North of Kalbaskraal - 2 diesels in search of a train

Sunday afternoon 14:43 - diesels 35-417 and 35-045 on their way towards Malmesbury and maybe beyond.


That's Table Mountain in the background.


This picture courtesy my wife Elna.




Still looking for something to haul ...