SAR Recordings

SAR Recordings from the 1980s

With the exception of Track 10, the following recordings were made by David Wardale and Nick Bartlett in South Africa in the early 1980s.  They were kindly made available to this website by David Wardale.

The following descriptions of each track have been provided by David Wardale:

Steam Recordings: all South African Railways except track 15

  1. 26 Class 4-8-4 No. 3450 on a Kimberley – Bloemfontein freight near Olienhoutplaat, 9/9/82 (taped by Nick Bartlett). (2.5 MB).
  2. 3450 on Kimberley – Bloemfontein freight No. 2228, loaded to 1193 tons / 102 axles, on the Olienhoutplaat – Kloofeind section (≈ 9 km at constant 10 o/oo compensated grade) taped by Nick Bartlett from a special vehicle attached to the front of the load, 10/9/82. Accelerating in full gear (≈ 65% cut-off) from the Olienhoutplaat slack to 53 km/h at Kloofeind summit, maximum equivalent drawbar power ≈ 2,460 kW (3,300 h.p.). See The Red Devil page 238.  (11.8 MB).
  3. 3450 on the overnight Bloemfontein ­- Kimberley stopping passenger train (return working of Track 2) leaving an intermediate station.  Taped from the train by Nick Bartlett, 10/9/82. (1.6 MB).
  4. 3450 on the daytime Pretoria – Witbank (or vice-versa) stopping passenger train, leaving an intermediate station: 500+ tonne train run to electric timings, 11/6/83. See The Red Devil page 286 and Plate 59 (right and below). Note the altered whistle on this and other tracks (see The Red Devil page 249).  (2.2 MB).
  5. As for Track 4. (1.6 MB).
  6. 3450 on a Kimberley – Bloemfontein freight near Kloofeind, early 1983. (2.3 MB).
  7. A standard 25NC Class 4-8-4 working hard on a Kimberley – Bloemfontein freight, taped at night near Kloofeind in February 1983. Note the 17-second slip (on dry rails) near the start of the track. (5.4 MB).
  8. Modified 19D Class 4-8-2 No. 2644 + 3450 on Kimberley – Bloemfontein freight No. 2222, near Kloofeind, 22/5/82. See The Red Devil page 131, Plate 9 (right and below) and Frontispiece. (2.7 MB)
  9. As for Track 8. at Kloofeind, 23/5/82. (1.7 MB).
  10. 3450 on a Pretoria – Witbank freight, probably on 14/3/81 with 758 tonnes trailing load, starting from a signal stop near Elands River on ≈ 20o/oo upgrade (taper now unknown).  The rapid acceleration in the second half of the track is due to the grade easing. (2.3 MB).
  11. 3450 on the overnight Bloemfontein – Kimberley stopping passenger train, leaving Olienhoutplaat, February 1983. (1.5 MB).
  12. 15CA Class hand-fired 4-8-2 starting cold from Cullinan upgrade on the early morning 6­-coach weekdays-only commuter train to Pretoria, circa 1982. (Hooligans!) (1.7 MB).
  13. As for Track 6, but with the boiler foaming, a leaking cylinder drain or piston rod packing, and heavy slipping on dry rail. (3.1 MB).
  14. Off-beat 25NC Class No. 3439 fitted with Lempor blast nozzles, on a Kimberley – Bloemfontein freight near Kloofeind, May 1982. The whistling sound is a lifting safety valve, an off-beat locomotive often steaming better than one with regular beats. (5.0 MB).
  15. National Rlys of Zimbabwe. A Garratt (probably either a 15 Class 4-6-4 + 4-6-4 or 20 Class 4-8-2 + 2-8-4) leaving Sawmills on a short Wankie – Bulawayo freight in June 1982. The very throttled exhaust is typical for all Garratts due to the long exhaust pipes and small blast nozzle needed for one boiler feeding two engine units. (2.5 MB)
  16. As for Track 4. (2.4 MB).
  17. A standard 25NC on a very short Kimberley – Bloemfontein freight, at night near Kloofeind, February 1983. (3.2 MB).