Mozambique. 1972/08/22, 01. On the Caminhos De Ferro Moçambique (CFM) itself, just outside the docks area of Lourenço Marques was a junction where the lines for Komatipoort, Swaziland and Malvernia divided, also the line to another area of docks at Matola. Here, Baldwin 1919/23 4-6-2 No. 304 gets to grips with its mixed freight as it heads for Machava, Tuesday 22nd August 1972. At this time there was civil war going on in order to gain independence from the Portuguese, which finally happened some years later, when Lourenço Marques became Maputo and the country was renamed Mozambique.

Mozambique. 1972/08/22, 02. CFM Montreal built 4-8-2 No. 705 working light engine down the grade from Machava Junction towards Lourenço Marques, along the double track main line. Note this is unfenced and used as a public footpath, a group of kids selling oranges in the foreground! Tuesday 22nd August 1972.

Mozambique. 1972/08/22, 03. CFM Baldwin (1919-23) 4-6-2 No. 302 sits in the platform at Lourenço Marques terminus station with a train of passenger coaches, Tuesday 22nd August 1972.

Mozambique. 1972/08/22, 04. View over the massive docks area at Lourenço Marques looking back towards the passenger terminus as CFM 2-8-2T No. 96 (Baldwin 1946) propels a train of wagons whilst shunting. In the background is CFM 2-8-2 No. 403 (Baldwin 1924) also propelling a train into the array of sidings. Tuesday 22nd August 1972. Note the number of people using the railway as a pedestrian thoroughfare!

Mozambique. 1972/08/22, 05. Henschel built 4-6-2 CFM No. 331 has its fire cleaned by one of the shed staff at Lourenço Marques loco depot, Tuesday 22nd August 1972.

Mozambique. 1972/08/22, 06. In the yards at Machava Junction, south of Lourenço Marques, CFM 2-10-2 No. 268 is the pilot engine of a double-header, train engine 4-8-2 No. 478 out of sight behind it, get ready to depart with their train for Swaziland. 4-8-2 No. 705 is simmering in the background at the head of another train. Tuesday 22nd August 1972.

Mozambique. 1972/08/22, 07. CFM 2-10-2 No. 268 and 4-8-2 No. 478 double-head their freight train out of the yard at Machava Junction with supplies for the iron ore mines at Kadake in Swaziland on the evening of Tuesday 22nd August 1972.

Mozambique. 1972/08/22, 08. CFM 4-8-2 No. 705 (Montreal 1948) gets excited before departing with its train for Komatipoort on the border with South Africa, trying to put diesel loco No. D38 in the shade in the yards at Machava Junction on the evening of Tuesday 22nd August 1972.

Mozambique. 1972/08/22, 09. CFM 4-8-2 No. 705 (Montreal 1948) gets excited before departing with its train for Komatipoort on the border with South Africa, trying to put diesel loco No. D38 in the shade in the yards at Machava Junction on the evening of Tuesday 22nd August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/19, 1. As the sun sets over Germiston shed in Johannesburg, an unidentified GMA 4-8-2 + 2-8-4 Beyer Garratt comes on shed from its day's duties, detail of the motion on the rear engine. Saturday 19th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/19, 2. The sun sets in spectacular fashion over the engine shed and yards at Germiston in Johannesburg on the evening of Saturday 19th August 1972. On the left of the picture is the silhouette of a Class GMA Beyer Garratt, in the centre is an S1 0-8-0 and on the right a Class 12A 4-8-2.

South Africa. 1972/08/20, 01. SAR GO Class 4-8-2 + 2-8-4 Beyer Garratt No. 2573 was built by Henschel of Kassel in Germany in 1954, Works No. 28706. It has recently been outshopped after overhaul and is standing in the yard at Capital Park engine shed in Pretoria. It is not in steam, all the smoke is from another engine on an adjacent track! The foreground braziers look fairly unsavoury! Sunday 20th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/20, 02. Numberplate and worksplate as carried by ex-works GO class 4-8-2 + 2-8-4 Beyer Garratt No. 2573, built by Henschel in Kassel, Germany, works No. 28706 of 1954. At Capital Park shed, Pretoria, Sunday 20th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/20, 03. SAR GO Class 4-8-2 + 2-8-4 Beyer Garratt No. 2573 was built by Henschel of Kassel in Germany in 1954, Works No. 28706. It has recently been outshopped after overhaul and is standing in the yard at Capital Park engine shed in Pretoria. It is not in steam, the smoke is from another engine on an adjacent track! Sunday 20th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/20, 04. SAR 19D Class 4-8-2 No. 3344 is brewing up nicely before going off shed at Capital Park in Pretoria. Judging by the pile of coal in the tender it faced a long hard day! Sunday 20th August 1972. This was one of the last batch of this class, built by North British in 1948.

South Africa. 1972/08/20, 05. Clouds of acrid brown smoke pour from the chimney of SAR Class 15CA 4-8-2 No. 2836 as it raises steam for its next duties at Capital Park engine shed in Pretoria. This engine was one of the last batch built by North British between 1928 and 1930. Sunday 20th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/20, 06. SAR No. 3330 was another one of the last batch of Class 19D built by North British in 1948, but this one is fitted with a huge Vanderbilt type tender for extra water capacity. It is sitting, out of steam, at Capital Park shed in Pretoria. Sunday 20th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/20, 07. An unidentified SAR GM Class 4-8-2 + 2-8-4 Beyer Garratt sits out of use at Capital Park engine shed in Pretoria. These engines were built by Beyer, Peacock in Manchester in 1938. Sunday 20th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/20, 08. Two unidentified members of Class 15CA, 4-8-2's built by Alco, Baldwin, Breda & North British between 1926 and 1930, are prepared by members of their crews at Capital Park shed, Pretoria. I'm not sure whether the colour of the water pouring into the lead engine's tender is due to water treatment or contamination - if so, no wonder frequent use was made of the blow-down valves! Sunday 20th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/20, 09. SAR Class S2 0-8-0 No. 3708 is nicely bulled-up as it simmers in the shed yard at Capital Park, Pretoria. 100 members of this class were built by Krupp in Germany in 1952-53. Sunday 20th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/20, 10. A couple of the shed staff at Capital Park go about their business under the roof while outside in the yard Class 15F 4-8-2 No. 3064 simmers between duties. This engine was one of a batch built by North British in 1948. Sunday 20th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/20, 11. Kaserne depot, just outside Johannesburg, was another depot where the crews took great pride in the appearance of their engines, much polishing, extra paintwork and embellishments being used. Here, two gleaming Class 12AR 4-8-2's, No. 2124 in the foreground and 2118 in the background are about to go off shed for their next duties. Both engines built by North British in 1921. Sunday 20th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/20, 12. Now this is what I call a clean engine! SAR Class 12AR 4-8-2 at Kaserne shed, Johannesburg, showing the polished brass numberplate, picked out with red and blue background. Below the black-leaded running plate, the injector pipework is partly polished brass and copper, partly painted red. Even the engine frames, springs and water hoses from the tender are black-leaded! The engine was named "Kobus Loubser" and is in steam waiting to go off-shed, presumably with a very proud driver in charge! Sunday 20th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/20, 13. An unidentified Class 12R 4-8-2 sits simmering on shed at Kaserne depot in the outskirts of Johannesburg, perhaps unusually for this depot looking rather work-stained! Sunday 20th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/20, 14. Now this is what I call a clean engine! SAR Class 12AR 4-8-2 No. 2110 at Kaserne shed, Johannesburg. The boiler and tender are in shiny black paint, while the smokebox and lower tender sides are black-leaded. The polished brass fittings and copper pipes together with smokebox door embellishments add to the overall sparkle. Below the black-leaded running plate, the injector pipework is partly polished brass and copper, partly painted red. Even the engine frames, springs and water hoses from the tender are black-leaded! The engine was named "Kobus Loubser" and is working off-shed, presumably with a very proud driver in charge! Sunday 20th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/20, 15. SAR Class 24 2-8-4 No. 3644 was one of 100 engines built by North British in 1949-50 and is here seen between duties on the branch to Nigel at Springs engine shed to the east of Johannesburg. Sunday 20th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/23. SAR Class 19A 4-8-2 No. 676 catches the last rays of the evening sun as it shunts its train at the terminal station of Golela, end of the Natal North Coast main line from Durban and only just across the border with Swaziland. Wednesday 23rd August 1972. 35 members of this class were built by SLM in Switzerland in 1929.

South Africa. 1972/08/24, 1. SAR 19A Class 4-8-2 No. 696 is in charge of the morning mixed train from Empangeni to Golela, bowling along near Richard’s Bay with its stock of “classic” red & grey liveried mainly clerestory roofed coaches, plus a few wagons. Thursday 24th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/24, 2. GMAM 4-8-2 + 2-8-4 Garratt dominates the scene inside Empangeni engine shed as various members of the maintenance staff go about their tasks. Thursday 24th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/24, 3. SAR Class GEA 4-8-2 + 2-8-4 Beyer-Garratt No. 4024 undergoes servicing at Gingindlovu loco depot, one of the shed staff pausing as he rakes out the ashpan. 50 engines of this class were built by Beyer, Peacock from 1945 to 1947. Gingindlovu depot was a small sub-shed of Stanger on the Natal North Coast main line from Durban through Empangeni to the border with Swaziland at Golela. Thursday 24th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/25, 1. Soon after sunrise at Dalton on the Greytown line, possibly the world’s largest shunter, in the form of double-headed GMAM’s plus their torpedo tenders, potters about making up a train before setting off towards Greytown. The far GMAM is No. 4143. Friday 25th August 1972. The GMA & GMAM Garratts had very small water tanks at the front in order to keep down the axle-loading, so always worked with an auxiliary "torpedo" water carrier. When working double-headed the torpedos were marshalled between the engines in order to spread the axle load as much as possible.

South Africa. 1972/08/25, 2. SAR GMAM Class 4-8-2 + 2-8-4 Beyer-Garratt No. 4143 is one half of a double-header with another member of the same class shunting at Dalton on the Greytown line, soon after sunrise on Friday 25th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/25, 3. Even in South Africa the sun doesn't shine all the time! Another train in charge of double-headed GMAM’s (4086? & 4083) appears, working up the bank from Greytown towards Sevenoaks. Friday 25th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/25, 4. A freight train double-headed by unidentified GMA/GMAM Garratts passes the water tower and facilities near Albert Falls (?) as it heads up from Pietermaritzburg towards Greytown, in a short burst of sunshine. Friday 25th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/25, 5. Double-headed GMAM Garratts, the leading engine No. 4135, set off with a train from Schroeders towards Pietermaritzburg. There was a small loco servicing depot at Schroeders, part of which can be seen round the curve to the right of the leading engine. Traffic on the Greytown line was very confusing - especially the timber traffic as loaded trains seemed to work in both directions! Friday 25th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/25, 6. A different combination of Garratts form another double-headed freight train. The leading engine is an unidentified Class GF 4-6-2 + 2-6-4, this class being built by Hanomag, Henschel and Maffei in 1927/28. The train engine is GMAM No. 4136. The train is approaching Schroeders from Pietermaritzburg on Friday 25th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/26, 1. City View, above Pietermaritzburg, is a series of reverse curves gaining height above the city, where there were also passing facilities and loops. Here, an unidentified GF Class Garratt, nice and clean, is working the morning “Wayside” (a "pick-up goods" in England!) train up the grade (some of which was apparently around 1 in 25, uncompensated), although not making a lot of effort with the lightweight load. Saturday 26th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/26, 2. City View, above Pietermaritzburg, is a series of reverse curves gaining height above the city, where there were also passing facilities and loops on the line to Greytown. Here, double-headed unidentified GMAM Garratts had stopped for water and to raise boiler pressure and have now set off again with both engines blazing away furiously, columns of smoke rising high into the sky as they tackle the grade and the curves, at one stage the rear of the train can be seen on the opposite side of the curve from the locos! What a sight, and what a noise! Saturday 26th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/26, 3. South African Railways GMAM Class 4-8-2 + 2-8-4 Beyer Garratt No. 4099 works the 14:00 Saturdays Only passenger train from Pietermaritzburg to Donnybrook, seen here on the stretch of the climb through Edendale and Taylors up to Elandskop. As well as stopping at wayside stations, the train stopped virtually anywhere by request! Saturday 26th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/26, 4. SAR GMAM Class 4-8-2 + 2-8-4 Beyer Garratt No. 4114 sits by the level-crossing just outside Taylors station with a passenger train from Donnybrook to Pietermaritzburg on Saturday 26th August 1972. It was waiting for GMAM 4099 to enter the station from the opposite end before entering the passing loop. Three local students pass by, oblivious to the activity!

South Africa. 1972/08/27, 1. South African Railways narrow gauge (2'0") 2-6-2 + 2-6-2 Beyer Garratt of Class NGG16 No. 114 was one of the batch built by Beyer, Peacock in 1937. The driver is supervising the loading of coal into the bunker, spraying it down with water to keep the dust under control at Esperanza depot, Umzinto. This was at the coastal end of the line which climbed into the hills at Donnybrook. Sunday 27th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/27, 2. SAR Class NGG16 2-6-2 + 2-6-2 Beyer Garratt No. 114 is hard at work with a train of empty wagons climbing into the hills on the line to Donnybrook from Umzinto, just catching the last of the evening sunshine. Sunday 27th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/29, 01. Early morning at Butterworth loco depot, Transkei, South Africa. Various locos are being prepared and the condensing steam in the very cold morning air does its best to conceal them. On the left is a Class 14CRB 4-8-2 whilst in the centre is a Class GO 4-8-2 + 2-8-4 Garratt, both unidentified. Beyond the GO another unseen 14CRB adds to the smoky atmosphere. Tuesday 29th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/29, 02. South African Railways Class 14CRB 4-8-2 No.1775 pulls out all the stops at Butterworth station with the 07:15 train to East London. The fireman is piling on coal, the safety valves have lifted, cylinder cocks and blowdown valves are open! Tuesday 29th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/30. An unidentified 16CR 4-6-2 crosses the salt flats at Swartkops with an evening commuter train from Port Elizabeth to Uitenhage, just as the setting sun reaches the horizon. Wednesday 30th August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/08/31. As the sun rises over Swartkops, an unidentified SAR Class 16CR 4-6-2 crosses the salt lakes at the head of a commuter train from Uitenhage into Port Elizabeth, Thursday 31st August 1972.

South Africa. 1972/09/01, 01. Sparkling in the early morning sunshine, Class 19D No. 3333 sits amongst the filth and detritus of the steam environment at Graaff-Reinet shed, Friday 1st September 1972.

South Africa. 1972/09/01, 02. 15AR Class 4-8-2 No. 1805 is hard at work at the head of the "Mossel Bay Express" as it nears Graaff-Reinet from the Port Elizabeth direction on the morning of Friday 1st September 1972. The loco came off the train at Graaff-Reinet to be replaced by double-headed Class 19Bs for the climb over the Lootsberg Pass.

South Africa. 1972/09/01, 03. SAR 19B Class 4-8-2's Nos. 1404 & 1405 and their 11 coach train are completely dwarfed by the dramatic scenery and sky, fortuitously lit by a shaft of sunlight, as they battle their way to the summit of the Lootsberg Pass with the "Mossel Bay Express", between Graaff-Reinet and Middelburg on Friday 1st September 1972. The mountains are part of the Sneeuberg massif, rising to 8215 feet above sea level.

South Africa. 1972/09/01, 04. SAR Class 19B 4-8-2s Nos. 1412 & 1410 double-head their southbound freight from Rosmead and Middelburg to Graaff-Reinet up the northern side of the Lootsberg Pass, Friday 1st September 1972.

South Africa. 1972/09/01, 05. 19Bs 1412 & 1410 drift into a wayside station loop on the climb to Lootsberg Pass summit, while another 19B waits with a downhill train. The fireman of 1412 prepares to exchange the single line token with the signalman. Further on at Jagpoort station, the pilot engine comes off the train and runs to the rear to bank the train for the final assault on the summit! In the background are the Sneeuberg mountains, which rise to 8215 feet above sea level. Friday 1st September 1972.

South Africa. 1972/09/01, 06. An unidentified South African Railways 19B Class 4-8-2 restarts its freight train away from a passing loop as it descends from Lootsberg Pass Summit towards Middelburg. It had passed a double-headed freight going the other way at this point. The weather looks somewhat threatening! Friday 1st September 1972.

South Africa. 1972/09/02, 1. An unidentified North British built SAR Class 25 Condenser 4-8-4 enters the wayside station at Britsville, south of De Aar, on the line across the Great Karoo desert from Beaufort West with a northbound freight train. The condensing locos were required because of the very dry terrain, but it looks as if the heavens are about to open! Saturday 2nd September 1972.

South Africa. 1972/09/02, 2. “Condensers” passing in the near dark! A northbound freight waits at a wayside loop south of De Aar as a southbound mixed train approaches past the signals. Away in the distance it is obviously raining - so much for the need of the condensing tenders! Saturday 2nd September 1972.

South Africa. 1972/09/02, 3. Unidentified North British built SAR Class 25 Condenser 4-8-4 races north under clear signals, passing a wayside loop between Britsville and De Aar on the main line across the Great Karoo from Beaufort West, with an express passenger train under threatening skies, Saturday 2nd September 1972.

South Africa. 1972/09/02, 4. SAR Class 25 Condenser 4-8-4 No. 3489 thunders northwards towards De Aar from Beaufort West at the head of a freight train across the Great Karoo. Tracking photo taken from a car on an adjacent dirt road in terrible lighting conditions! Saturday 2nd September 1972.

South Africa. 1972/09/03, 01. One of the shed pilots at De Aar depot was Class 15A 4-8-2 No. 1970 "Milly" and she was kept in immaculate condition. Here she trundles up the coaling stage at the depot to collect empty coal wagons before replacing them with full ones. An unidentified Class 25 Non-Condenser 4-8-4 has just had its tender filled below the stage. Sunday 3rd September 1972.

South Africa. 1972/09/03, 02. North British built SAR Class 25 Condenser 4-8-4 No. 3455 is at the head of a heavy southbound passenger train between Kimberley and De Aar near Houtkraal on the afternoon of Sunday 3rd September 1972.

South Africa. 1972/09/03, 03. SAR Class 25 Condenser 4-8-4 No. 3466 tries its best to blot out the landscape as it heads north near Houtkraal on the line from De Aar to Kimberley. Electric loco No E827 is immediately behind the tender, though largely obscured! Sunday 3rd September 1972.

South Africa. 1972/09/03, 04. SAR Class 25 Condenser 4-8-4 No. 3466 tries its best to blot out the landscape as it heads north from Houtkraal on the line from De Aar to Kimberley. Electric loco No. E827 is immediately behind the tender, though largely obscured! Sunday 3rd September 1972.