Miscellaneous Cane Tramway Images

ESPERANZA No 3. In all images: Note the wooden poles on locomotives - these were used to get engines quickly back on the tracks after a derailment. (image: Hannes Paling flickr collection)

(c) Frank Stamford (via facebook) Esperanza system no 5,  Umzinto, Natal, South Africa, September 1968. Avonside locomotive, 2ft gauge sugar tramway

Frank Stamford on facebook posted to the Narrow Gauge Enthusiasts Group

Frank Stamford Looks like an 0-4-0T with a home made tender added on. I can see no sign of a trailing truck on this loco or others on the same tramway.

(May 9, 2014 at 8:38am): Afraid I do not know if this was the Esperanza system. I knew nothing about it until I arrived there to look at the SAR 2ft line. The notes of my visit of 11 Sept 1968 tell me the sugar line paralleled the SAR line for part of the way between Umzinto and Nkwifa. The sugar tramway had a loco shed not far from Umzinto with a number of green four-coupled tank locomotives. On the following day I walked along the tramway for four miles and found a zig-zag. Would have walked further but had to walk back. I do have more slides, all of which need work in PhotoShop to restore colour balance and contrast. I still have no documentation on the system apart from what I wrote at the time, and no map.

(May 9, 2014 at 9:41am): Yes it was the Esperanza system! I am in the process of typing the notes I made at that time, and they say "Thursday 12th Sept 1968. Walked down the sugar tramway which runs past my hotel to the Esperanza sugar mill, a distance of about 1-1/4 miles, arrived at the mill at about 8.45, to find only one loco at work, the rest were out. However I waited until about 9.45 when one came in on a train of 28 cane wagons..."

Piet's NOTE: Obviously this was No 5 on the Esperanza system - an Avondside 0-4-0T built in 1936. Esperanza loco's were numbered:

NUMBER	MAKE	ENGINE No	YEAR	WHEEL ARRANGEMENT	CYLINDER SIZES	VALVE GEAR	GAUGE	BOUGHT
No 1	Avonside	1983	1926	0-4-0T	8 1/2" X 12"	Stephenson	2' - 0"	New
No 2	Avonside	1985	1926	0-4-0T	8 1/2" X 12"	Stephenson	2' - 0"	New
No 3	Avonside	1984	1926	0-4-0T	8 1/2" X 12"	Stephenson	2' - 0"	New
No 4	Avonside	1422	1422	0-4-0T	8 1/2" X 12"	Stephenson	2' - 0"	New
No 5			1936	0-4-0T	8 1/2" X 12"	Stephenson	2' - 0"	New
No 6	Avonside	1721	1915	0-4-0T	8 1/2" X 12"	Stephenson	2' - 0"	Transferred Ex Sezela No 3 ( first )
No 7	Avonside	1936	1924	0-4-0T	8 1/2" X 12"	Stephenson	2' - 0"	Transferred Ex Sezela No 14

SOURCE: Sandstone: Gary Barnes's spreadsheet of Cane Locomotives

SEZELA 6 with custom made tender - Engine might be 0-4-0T Avonside 1928/1923

This engine has a similar custom made tender as shown in previous images. The image is from Hannes Paling's collection. The photographer presumably the late Eric Angus, estimated date about 1966 to 1968.

This engine has a similar custom made tender as shown in previous images. The image is from Hannes Paling's collection. The photographer presumably the late Eric Angus, estimated date about 1966 to 1968.

This image from the family album of Warren Taylor. This is No 7. Warren notes: "As a young boy living at Illovo in 1958 where my family were involved in the sugar mill,  I was fortunate enough to go for a ride on this loco (7 or 8) from Illovo up to Eston (~50km) and back again. I shall never forget that experience."

Illovo had 2 of these 4 cylinder British Heislers - both built in 1939. Apparently these 2 engines did service until the early 60's when they gave way to diesels.

HUNSLET ENGINE
works no

2003  1939		0-4-4-0T Heisler	6 1/2" X 8"(4)	2' - 0"	Illovo Sugar No 7
2004  1939		0-4-4-0T Heisler	6 1/2" X 8"(4)	2' - 0"	Illovo Sugar No 8

Above the builder's image of the 4-cylinder Heisler. Note that this one has an outside frame - thus somewhat different from the previous image of no 7. 

Avonside 4-cyl Heisler

Hunslett Loco No 10 'Ntinyana' with bogies from Powerscourt 1968 - this image also from Warren Taylor's family album.

There were also 5x  2-cylinder Heislers deployed on various tramways - source Gary Barnes's spreadsheet of Cane Locomotives

AVONSIDE
works no

2055	1931	0-4-4-0 Heisler	6 1/2" X 8"(2)	2' - 0"	Illovo Estate	' NTINYANA'
2057	1931	0-4-4-0 Heisler	6 1/2" X 8"(2)	2' - 0"	Crookes Bros	RENISHAW No 4
2058	1931	0-4-4-0 Heisler	6 1/2" X 8"(4)	2' - 0"	Reynolds Bros	SEZELA No 7
2059	1931	0-4-4-0 Heisler	6 1/2" X 8"(4)	2' - 01/2"	Natal Estates , Mt Edgecome	' BLACKBURN'

HUNSLET

2005

1939

0-4-4-0T Heisler

6 1/2" X 8"(2)

2' - 0"

Reynolds Bros

SEZELA No 8

 RENISHAW No 4 - a 2-cylinder Heisler. The image is from Hannes Paling's collection. The photographer presumably the late Eric Angus, estimated date about 1966 to 1968.

 RENISHAW No 4 - a 2-cylinder Heisler - reverse side. The image is from Hannes Paling's collection. The photographer presumably by the late Eric Angus, estimated date about 1966 to 1968.

Cylinder detail

 Builders image of the 2-cylinder British Heisler - outside frame version.

Avonside 2-cyl Heisler

Illovo River crossing at Nkwali 1920 - family album Warren Taylor

Loco and cane train crossing Illovo low-level bridge in 1924 - family album Warren Taylor

Illovo loco hauling firewood to the mill. This locomotive appears to be a Kerr Stuart - two of these (no's 4056 and 4063) were acquired in 1923 - apparently these were 0-4-2T's

Illovo tramline in the early days. The same loco as in the previous image. Note labourers transhipping bags to the S.A.Railways truck in the background.

No details known - same train as the one below - amazing image of tramway in operation! The image is from Hannes Paling's collection. The photographer presumably the late Eric Angus, estimated date about 1966 to 1968.

No details known - same train as the one above - amazing image of tramway in operation! The image is from Hannes Paling's collection. The photographer presumably the late Eric Angus, estimated date about 1966 to 1968.

Being shunted by the diesel in the background

An unidentified Sezela engine in action. The image is from Hannes Paling's collection. The photographer presumably the late Eric Angus, estimated date about 1966 to 1968.

RENISHAW No 2 The image is from Hannes Paling's collection. The photographer presumably the late Eric Angus, estimated date about 1966 to 1968.

RENISHAW No 2 The image is from Hannes Paling's collection. The photographer presumably the late Eric Angus, estimated date about 1966 to 1968.

 

RENISHAW No 2

RENISHAW 3. According to Hannes Paling the picture was taken by the late Eric Angus, estimated date about 1966 to 1968. From the structures in the back ground it would seem at the mill.

RENISHAW No 5  An articulated 0-4-0+0-4-0T Bagnall Meyer design. It was the 2nd of it's class, but the 1st unit actually delivered. Built as works no 2545/1936 it went to Crookes Brothers. Currently this locomotive survives in the Surrey, UK as part of the Rampton collection.

SEZELA No 13 'MBOZAMA' - 6 of these 0-4-0+0-4-0T Bagnall Meyer articulated locomotives were built between 1936 and 1951 for the Natal sugar tramways. The Darnall system closed in 1967 and 2 of these locomotives were then acquired for service at Sezela until their system also closed early in 1970. The image is from Hannes Paling's collection. The photographer presumably the late Eric Angus, estimated date about 1966 to 1968. "MBOZAMA" today is held for "restoration" at Cripple Creek and Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad in Colorado, USA. A 2013 image of her  may be seen here.

 Darnall No 12 "NONOTI" January 1963 © C P Lewis. 6 of these 0-4-0+0-4-0T Bagnall Meyer articulated locomotives were built between 1936 and 1951 for the Natal sugar tramways. The Darnall system closed in 1967.  (Image found somewhere on internet - I have lost the reference)

Renishaw Sugar Plantation:  Bagnall Meyer 0-4-0+0-4-0T with train leaving for the plantation. 1967

More information about Allen A. Jorgensen's images here.

Renishaw Sugar Plantation:  Bagnall Meyer 0-4-0+0-4-0T passing by - 1967

Article Source :South African Sugar Journal

NOTE: At this point the article "BAGNALL ARTICULATED LOCOMOTIVES"
in the Dec 1976 issue of the INDUSTRIAL RAILWAY RECORD is an excellent read.


SEZELA No 1 The image is from Hannes Paling's collection. The photographer presumably the late Eric Angus, estimated date about 1966 to 1968.

SEZELA No 2 The image is from Hannes Paling's collection. The photographer presumably the late Eric Angus, estimated date about 1966 to 1968.

These images from a R. Hudson Ltd catalogue was sourced from Sandstone's webpages

SOURCES USED: 

1. Due Credit must go to Hannes Paling for sharing his wonderful collection of rare Sugar Cane tramway images in an album on flickr: Sugar Cane Loco's. Hannes, thank you for sharing these!!!
2. Gary Barnes's spreadsheet of Cane Locomotives
3. The Great Steam Trek (Lewis & Jorgensen) Struik 1978 [page 167] 
4. Allen A Jorgensen railway images. 
5. Article Source :South African Sugar Journal