Heritage train keeps steam travel alive in South Africa

There's a steam engine revival in South Africa. Although steam belongs to a bygone era when trains powered the Industrial Revolution, there's now a significant steam rail tourism sector thriving in the country. The Ceres Steam Train to Elgin is one of five steam heritage train rides available in South Africa. A novel experience for some, it's nostalgic for others. Trundling along at a sedate 45 kilometers per hour, there is lots of time to chat, celebrate an event, or watch the world go by. A highlight is climbing Sir Lowry’s Pass, after which the train is in the Overberg district. At the peak of steam in 1959, there were 3,300 steam locomotives in use in South Africa. Peter Rogers has run steam train tours in South Africa since the 1980s. He says there are two main reasons steam trains were used significantly longer in South Africa than in other countries. “Most traction was steam and that was due to the fact that we had abundant coal in the country, as well as the sanctions period when we couldn’t get diesel fuel, and for that reason, steam kept on until about 1980s when railways eventually decided to get rid of steam. The last steam operated on the Kimberley-De Aar line in about 1992,” he explains. When steam stopped being used in 1992, there were 700 steam locomotives on the tracks. Today, there are about 20 steam locomotives in use, and one of them powers the Ceres Train to Elgin. Keeping steam train travel alive in the 21st century has several challenges, not least having to manufacture spare parts from scratch. Yet there is an enduring love for steam travel, says Ceres Train Director, Rick Botha. “There are more steam locomotives running in the country now than there were ten years ago. So it’s definitely grown and there’s been a revival in steam. And you can see people are interested in it. Wherever steam is running, steam is running full. People love it. People wave, people hoot. There’s just a joy around steam that you don’t find anywhere else.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.