Demolition of Millsite coal stage

[John Ashworth]

This was originally posted with a photo but apparently we did not have permission to post the photo so it has been removed. Our apologies to all concerned.

However it is no secret that cutting of the coal stage at Millsite has begun.

[Derek Walker]

Thats sad.... I hope that they dont damage the Garratt. I wish she could at least have been moved to the fenced in area.

[Nathan Berelowitz]

Why could we not get permission to publish the photo? Is it one of those secret scrapping things that happen and one gets notified after the event?
Last remaining operational coal stage will thus be at Capital Park. Worth preserving/saving is the CSAR one at Witbank shed. Waterval Boven has a coal stage but disused and filled with stones for some local cement works, so we are told.

[Dylan Knott]

But will anyone actually bother saving a coal stage? Even if Millsite's one was retained, how would it have been preserved?

Capital Park's one should be preserved.

[John Ashworth]

For me one of the saddest aspects of FOTR's enforced departure from Capital Park is that we will no longer be able to use that coal stage. There's something special about coaling the loco from an authentic coal stage. And driving or firing the loco while pushing loaded coal wagons up the slope is pretty special too!

Anyway, hopefully the CPK coal stage will remain in use as long as Rovos Rail is there.

[Derek Walker]

[quote="John Ashworth"]..... And driving or firing the loco while pushing loaded coal wagons up the slope is pretty special too!
[quote]


Surely its a dangerous job driving a steam loco up that slope, wouldnt the water weight in the boiler and tender shift according to the angle of the slope? what restrictions would there have been on a loco going up there? Or did they use a very long line of wagons that went upwards while the steam loco remained reasonably level. I guess you would need really good brakes.

[John Ashworth]

The old drivers tell us that normally the loco pushed the wagons up stack first (ie stack facing east at CPK). That means the water in the boiler moves backwards and covers the firebox crown safely.

However nowadays the Rovos and FOTR locos usually stand with their stacks facing west, for operational reasons, so we have to push the wagons up tender first. This means the fireman must ensure that the boiler is very full before ascending, as the water will run towards the front of the boiler with the potential to leave the firebox crown uncovered, with disastrous results.

We usually push up two AY wagons (say 100 tonnes on the way up, around 40 on the way down) so they provide braking. You have to take a good run at the slope and maintain momentum otherwise the wheels slip.

Like many operations on a steam loco it is potentially dangerous if professional and safety standards are not maintained. FOTR prides itself on a high standard of both!

[M. Hardy-Randall]

Rio Grande of Germany produced a video of the South African Railways 'Winterdampf am Kap 1 & 2'. Brilliant videos but awful sound track as 'music' drowns out most of the loco sounds. I am not sure if it was released with English language track. In the video there is a scene where the loco [class ? ] is seen pushing the wagons up the slope of the coal stage. To my mind the crew should have been paid danger money!

I watch the videos quite a lot as there is a long session alongside a heavy freight at full speed, really impressive.

Malcolm

[John Ashworth]

To my mind the crew should have been paid danger money!

On the CPK coal stage, when you get to the top and your two wagons are nicely over the coal hopper, the loco is still standing on the ramp. On the driver's side (assuming the loco has gone up tender first) there is a catwalk with a railing. On the fireman's side there is... nothing! You lean out of the window to watch the overflow pipe as you put the injector on and you find yourself looking straight down at the ground many metres below. The loco overhangs the side of the ramp and there is nothing between you and the ground.

You stand like that for ten minutes or more while the blokes at the back turn the handles to open the doors on the AY wagons and the coal rumbles out into the hopper below.