TH TH NEWSLETTER NO: X 30 MARCH — 9 APRIL 2017 LESS THAN 230 DAYS TO GO STARS OF SANDSTONE 2017 UPDATE Visitors to Stars 2017 continue to book and we are finding their input to be very interesting. We have started to differentiate between people with different interests and we are also beginning to establish lists of people who want to do more than just walk around and take photographs, i.e. people who would like to be hands on. Obviously due to the nature of the old technologies we work with, this is not something we should encourage the inexperienced to become involved with, but of course there are a wide variety of tasks and people can assist in different ways. As a result of the above we will be communicating with everyone who has registered to make sure we have a good understanding of what their expectations are. As the picture shows, the Estate is wearing its Winter Livery, but Spring is not far off. Bookings for Stars of Sandstone 2017 a r e o p e n o n o u r w e b s i t e www.sandstone-estates.com . With Sandstone Heritage Trust's motto is “Preserving the best of our past for the future”, and at Stars of Sandstone greater interest than ever, you are 2017, visitors will be able to immerse themselves in a world that steps away from the pressures of modern life. advised to book now as there will be Both adults and children will be able to experience sights and sounds that their parents and grandparents found pressure on accommodation in the commonplace, while surrounded by the majestic scenery of the Eastern Free State. All of these elements are surrounding areas. brought together to present a heritage festival unparalleled in Africa, and possibly even the world: Stars of Sandstone 2017 — from 30 March to 9 April 2017. Preparation Continues MORE ACCOMMODATION Another issue which we have addressed aggressively is the one of accommodation. We have some very unique, very old and very special Main Line sleeping coaches. These comprise First Class passenger coaches, engineer's saloons with their own on site ablution facilities etc. In order for this to work, we have completely revamped the big storage area which is within the complex where the coaches are actually stored. We have built a brand-new ablution block which will cater to the needs of the people using these coaches. We have been through every compartment to make sure that it is in good order. That does not mean to say we have restored them, because they are already in good condition; we have just made sure that they are neat and tidy. We have replaced the hard, old leather mattresses, some of which are 100 years old, and replaced them with comfortable mattresses which have been tailor-made for each compartment. We are not for a moment saying this is luxurious accommodation but it will be comfortable, and Above: the Chief Engineer’s Saloon during its upgrade it will be obviously totally watertight because the Right: a single occupancy compartment coaches are located inside a building. Because this accommodation is not going to be ongoing, Below: The new Sleeping Coaches Ablution Block we are going to ask those people who decide to situated at the end of the carriage shed book this accommodation to bring in their own sheets, pillows and blankets. For us to buy these and to use them for a few days is uneconomical. However, if you are from overseas and you would like to take advantage of these facilities, we will supply you with these because it is impractical to fly halfway around the world with bedding. We have 4-sleeper compartments, and single and double coupés. Please contact Larissa Clarke (E: [email protected] ) for a quote for the best option for yourself and members of your family. EVEN MORE HOSPITALITY We have been busy expanding our catering capability in order HOEKFONTEIN STATION to improve our overall hospitality capacity. Extensive renovations are now underway to enlarge the kitchen and facilities at The Waenhuis Café in good time for the 2017 event. For those who have not been to Sandstone, The Waenhuis Café is central to most of the activities. The Café is still very cosy, but obviously our complex is in its THE WAENHUIS CAFÉ winter colours. The Sandstone Railway BETHLEHEM FICKSBURG Most Sandstone locomotives came from the sugar cane industry and other industrial sectors, and they MAIN ENTRANCE are regarded as small, ie similar to locomotives used SANDSTONE on most English Narrow Gauge railways. However, the big locomotives get to work frequently, but the little locos hardly work at all. Mooihoek We now have a 2.4km Children’s Railway departing Loop from nearby our main station, meaning that our logistics aren't overly complicated. To fire our big Hoekfontein engines needs an event of some significance. The little ones are so much easier, and we can begin to Passing Loop open to the public on weekends for 'kiddies trains' which children will ultimately enjoy just as much. The loading gauge is lower than it would need to be to carry our heavy haulage locomotives like the SANDSTONE ESTATES NGG16, NGG13, and NG15, but that is fine STATION NARROW GAUGE because that is exactly why we built the railway. We wished to protect the little locomotives against the RAILWAY SYSTEM big ones. • SOUTH AFRICA • When one comes to Sandstone one does not see every part of the farm or farms. It just happens that Children’s Railway 2.4km right behind our complex and invisible to visitors is Added mid-2016 a beautiful lake, a forest and the normal stunning views that you associate with the Eastern Free State. It was in this area that Gert Jubileus, our overall Balloon Railway Superintendent, decided to plan this new Children’s Railway. The project had a nice selection of engineering challenges. Cross two streams, widen a dam wall to carry the railway across it safely, and build a water tower of some sort. It is more than good luck that a pumping engine to move water from this lake to our complex was in need of a secure pump house, and it will now also become a watering point for the locomotives. The Sandstone working vintage graders, diggers and scrapers were deployed very swiftly to complete the earth works and literally in a matter of days the track bed was ready. Many years ago, the family who lives on the farm built a concrete tennis court in this area to take advantage of the good view across the lake. It makes a perfect a stopping point on this line, perhaps a little shelter and an area where people can get off, stroll around, have a picnic and then catch the next train passing. Additional track work has taken place over the last few months. In addition to the new Mooihoek Loop mentioned in the last We have also managed to acquire an antique steel footbridge from Bethulie Newsletter, a storage line on the Vailima side of the station has been station in the Free State. It is too narrow for even a 2ft gauge line but the plan converted into a passing loop to give us the ability to handle is to use the side structures with a new deck. The steel sleepers that are the multiple trains at the same time. standard issue on our line are almost unobtainable, but we were able to source concrete sleepers instead. Currently we refer to it as the Gert Jubileus’ Children’s Railway, but it may pictures show the well be changed to ‘Seb's new Hoekfontein Railway’ in honour of the Passing Loop formation Grandson of one of the Directors. Our thanks to Narrow Gauge World. This is an extract from their article. (See Media links p13) Stars of the Children’s Railway There are more than a dozen of Sandstone's THE LITTLE WOMEN WORKERS ‘Little Bess’ may be tiny but even smaller is smaller locomotives suitable for the new line OF SANDSTONE 'Bathala', widely regarded as the jewel of and most of them have a current boiler the Sandstone collection. This Decauville certificate. 0-4-0T (302 of 1899), affectionately known as the 'Little French Lady', came Many are remarkable survivors as typified by from the Dombe Grande Sugar Estate in Orenstein & Koppel 0-4-0T 11112 of 1925. It Angola where it too was a casualty of the was delivered to the Fazenda Tentativa sugar civil war. It had been placed in a museum estate, near Caxito in Angola, which uniquely on the estate about 1930 and was saved operated on 500mm gauge instead of the from prying eyes when the roof collapsed normal 600mm. The loco was last reported in on top of it. service in 1969 in an area that became the scene of much guerilla warfare and is still riddled Smaller still in a different way, is a with landmines. This at least meant no 11112 locomotive with a special fascination due and its sisters were protected from vandalism to its obscure origins. 'Miss Brakpan' is a 2- and it was duly acquired in 2003. Having been 6-2 of miniature rail scale but gauged to 2ft left in the bush for many years, it was at first and its history has sparked much deemed beyond repair but restoration began in investigation. The loco was acquired by 2010. Painted in a bright yellow which O&K 12140 “Anna” picture by Lukas Nel Sandstone in 2004 from the defunct 2ft highlights the black boiler and frames, the gauge system at Ratanga Junction in Cape engine has appropriately been named Town, along with a number of other items.