Outeniqua Transport Museum

Captain John Baxter was born in Natal, son of a Natal Government Railways/South African Railways station master whose last station was Sarnia on the old main line. From school Baxter went to the General Botha naval training ship in Simonstown and served in the South African Navy in World War II. After the war he joined Clan Line and was master of one of its ships when he took early retirement in 1967 and returned to South Africa with his English wife, June, and children Nigel and Debbie.

Baxter had a substantial British-prototype layout in his loft at Poole but he never lost his love of SAR trains and during the late fifties he began modelling SAR prototypes to S-scale on 16.5mm gauge, which gave exactly the correct scale-to-gauge ratio. His first SAR model was a long-tender 19D, followed by a 6th class. Then came a complete train of balcony stock with dining car and baggage van and a goods train with old-style wooden guards van with two separate passenger compartments at the rear. While John's modelling technique was as close to perfection as anyone could want, his signwriting left much to be desired. So when the guards van needed lettering he commissioned a competent member of the Poole Model Railway club to do the job. All Hugh (I've forgotten his surname) had to go on was a side-on photo of the Afrikaans side, so, not being proficient in Afrikaans, "Blankes" and "Nie blankes" became "Smoking" and "Non smoking" rather than the correct "Whites" and "Non-whites".

Having returned to South Africa, Baxter was soon signed up by SAR & H who appointed him master of a dredger in Durban Harbour. This left him ample time to continue modelling and over the years a wonderful selection of locomotives and rolling stock was built up which ran on a layout in his garage in Westville. There was a 16E, 8th class, 23 class, class 1, class 14R, class 6J, class H2, class A, class GO, class 12AR, class 6D. Many more coaches and freight wagons were added. All were perfect replicas and were built to run.

During 1947, the South African Railways Administration placed an order with the Canadian Car & Foundry (CCF) for 113 model IC-37/41 intercity coaches, costing £7000 each. Intercity coaches were specially designed for long distance journeys, providing maximum travel comfort combined with outstanding mechanical reliability. The JG Brill Company. had been building buses, trolleybuses and railroad cars in the USA for eighty years. In 1944 it had merged with the American Car & Foundry Company (ACF) to become ACF-Brill, and the new company licensed CCF in Montreal to build its bus designs for export to the mainly-righthand-drive British Commonwealth countries.

Thornycroft was a United Kingdom -based vehicle manufacturer which built coaches, buses and trucks from 1896 until 1977.

Thornycroft started out with steam vans and lorries. Naval engineer John Isaac Thornycroft built his first steam lorry in 1896. Thornycroft's first petrol vehicle was built in 1902 and the company completed the switch to internal combustion engines in 1907.

This vehicle is one of the few remaining four wheel Thornycrofts still in existence.

Type = Private
Name = Tafelberg
Total built = 1
Built by = Imported
Number = 5
Date in service = 1903
Tare = 75,500lbs
DRG No = 1682(Date 1941)

Place for 6 people and 1 Attendant

Used by the System Manager Cape Town

South Africa-renamed in 1973 to Tafelberg. Also carried the name Sandveld and South Africa

Type = Private
Name = Constantia
Total built = 1
Built by =Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Company, England
Number = 14 (CGR NO - 521)
Date in service = 1896
Tare = 63,200lbs

This coach was also used by the Minister of Railways. An allocation list of July 1928 shows this allocated for use by Minister and General. In the 1970s and 1980s it was used on the Free State Region by the Operating Department

Type = Private
Name = Middleburg
Total built = 1
Built by = JJ Beijnes, Haarlem, Holland
Number = 18
Date in service = 1897

The original saloon of the late C.A.A Middelberg, Director (1890-1899) of the Nederlandsche Zuid Afrikaansche Spoorweg Maatskappij

Type = Private
Name =
Total built = 1
Built by = Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Company, England
Number = 49 (Old no126)
Date in service = 1947

It was specifically ordered for use on the Governor-General's White Train and was built by the Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Company, England. It was placed in service as Car No.126 in June 1947.

This coach was neither intended nor ordered for the 1947 Royal train. It is often incorrectly linked to the 1947 Royal Train in the historical sense, but this is probably due to the fact that the car was intended for the White Train but only after the Royal Tour had been completed. This car being intended for specialised use on the White Train is undoubtedly one of the most luxurious diners in service on the South African Railways (SAR), but it was not used for general passenger service

The car's saloon contains one large longitudinal table which can accommodate sixteen persons. The kitchen is fitted out in stainless steel and the whole vehicle is air-conditioned. The wall paneling is satin-finished figured timber. A small bar is provided at the end opposite to the kitchen. The exterior profile is identical to the present Drakensberg stock.

The coach which was renumbered 49 in 1969, served on the White Train from June 1947 to 1975, when the State President's special train was officially withdrawn from service at the personal request of president Nico Diederichs.

This coach is notable as it was the central conference coach of the train which was placed in the centre of the Victoria Falls Bridge in August 1975 in one of the early abortive attempts to bring about peace in Rhodesia.[2]

Coach R7 (Princesses and Ladies-in-waiting)

The Royal Tour 1947

For this momentous occasion, eight new air-conditioned coaches were ordered from (Metro-Cammell Carriage & Wagon Company) In England. J. Stone & Co. Ltd. Provided the 'Stone-Carrier' air-conditioned equipment for the coaches. Under normal conditions, delivery of such luxury vehicles would be effected in about two and a half years but in this instance the contractors were given nine months to do so! They rose to the occasion and in doing so they certainly did not compromise on quality workmanship! Two Senior SAR Draughtsmen and a Senior Electrical Engineer were sent to England to Supervise the construction of the coaches

Five of the eight coaches ordered, were specialised luxury saloons while the remaining three, were built to standard (C-31-A/B Blue Train) design. The luxury saloons included the accommodation for the Royal Family and other dignitaries.

Use after Royal Tour

Saloon R7 for the Princesses and ladies-in-waiting, was also made available for the (White Train) as coach no.39) renumbered No.51 in May 1969 and used as the (Governor-General/State President saloon). When the 'White Train' was withdrawn from service in August 1975, this saloon was handed over to the S.A. Railway Museum for the National Collection.

Type = A-12 (ex CGR type R4)

Built in = Salt River

Total built = 6

Numbers = 129 to 134

Date in service = 1906-1964

These cars were destined to serve the South African Railways for a considerable period of time. As inherited from the (Cape Government Railways), they were not fitted with a bar - instead they featured a wine cellar. In 1922, approval was obtained to convert the cellar into a bar to bring these cars more into line with standard practice.

The last of the A-12s, No. 134 became departmental coach No. 14002 in January 1964. Four years earlier in 1960, consideration had actually been given to converting No. 134 for specialised use on non-white trains. The proposed alternative layout can be scrutinized on the appended diagrams. However, due to the vehicle's age it was decided not to proceed with the alterations. Thus the family of A-12's also dropped into pages of history.[2]

Type = A-18 series 2
Total built = 27
Built in = Pretoria Shops
Numbers = 165 to 194 (207)
Date in service = 1914-1982

172 (frame & bougie) was used to build 207.

The second generation A-18 (series 2), with four exceptions, all entered into service in 1914. Three were placed in service in 1918 and the last vehicle in 1921. With D.A. Hendrie as Chief Mechanical Engineer it was understandable that all these cars should bear a strong resemblance to their NGR predecessors - SAR type A-16. Notwithstanding their obvious NGR ancestry, these vehicle's could lay claim to being the first dining cars built purely under the auspices of the SAR. Unlike the Series1 A-18s, they were in no way (apart from influence in design) connected with any pre-Union system. Thus 1914 became a red letter year in the history of SAR dining cars in that it witnessed the introduction of the first SAR design and engineered vehicles. Rather appropriately, the first car of this type to actually enter service was also numerically the first No. 165 placed in traffic in March 1914.[2]

Twin Dining Cars

Type = A-22/AA23
Total = 13 (Series 1)
Number = see table below (Series 1)
Built = Pretoria shops (195-200), Durban shops (201-206)(
211 Built by Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company, England
Date in service = 1924-1980

One coach of the twin unit contained the dining saloon and bar, while the second vehicle provided the pantry, kitchen and staff quarters. The dining saloon was characterised by seven pairs of carved roof-supporting pillars and archers - a feature which would, in time, represent a Victorian atmosphere much sought-after by rail enthusiasts who thrive on living in the past. Conventional chairs provided seating for 46 passengers and a small bar was fitted at the outer end of the saloon. Wine-racks in the form of alcoves were built into panels between windows on the centre-line of each table. Lighting was rather elaborate-small cut glass lamps were fitted just above each alcove, while the saloon's main lights took the form of eight twin cut glass bowl units mounted on the clerestory ceiling. Three circulating fans were fitted. Notices proclaiming "Smoking is prohibited during meal hours. Niet roken gedurende de maal tijden" were painted in gold leaf at regular intervals on the varnished panels above the windows.[2]

Twin Dining Cars

Type = A-22/AA23
Total = 13 (Series 1)
Number = see table below (Series 1)
Built = Pretoria shops (195-200), Durban shops (201-206)(
211 Built by Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company, England
Date in service = 1924-1980

Type = B-2
Total = 1
Number = 795 (588 old number)
Date in service =1929

In 1946, after the cessation of hostilities, the express service on the Cape route was resumed under the new official title Blue Train. It soon became apparent that as and when the air-condition lounge cars required repairs, a temporary replacement would have to be available. Car 588 was obvious choice for this role, but it required certain modifications and refitting to make it suitable for service on the Blue Train. After a measure of delay, it was extensively refitted in Pretoria Shops and released for service in June 1948.

The interior was altered as follows: the two original glass-paneled dividing arches were removed altogether while a cocktail bar was installed to one side in the middle of the saloon. The green interior colour scheme was replaced so as not to clash with the blue colours of the rest of the train. The original cornice lights were retained. The exterior was repainted in the Oxford blue and light grey colour scheme of the Blue Train. This livery replaced the Imperial Brown and was not far removed from the colours in which this car was painted some years earlier when she worked on the Union Limited.

In later years, loose contemporary style chairs and tables were placed in the lounge and the walls were covered with cocoa-coloured laminated plastic sheeting similar in colour and patterns to the material used in Drakensberg coaching stock. The original exterior body panels and dado boards were all replaced by plain cladding sheets. One legacy from her earlier days of glory remains - this the lounge is still illuminated by the original Cornish lights running the length of each side of the saloon. The glass in the light fitting is dark in colour and not the original amber stripes.

From 1948 to 1963, it served as the Blue Train spare and during this time- in October 1957- it was renumbered no. 795. From 1961 to 1963, this car actually worked on the Trans-Karroo Express while remaining a spare Blue Train duty. In 1963, the Blue Train was provided with two new lounge cars, thus releasing the old ones including spare No. 795. Since release from Trans-Karroo and Blue Train (spare) in 1963, it has been repainted in the standard red and grey livery and used on various special tour trains. Its use on special trains is naturally somewhat limited by demand, and it was not running much mileage in the latter years of its life. It was still available for service in March 1984.[2]

Type = M-19
Total = 4
Number = 5092 to 5095
Built in = Pretoria Shops
Date in service =1909

Four coaches of this type were placed in service during 1909 and 1910, the first being 5092 on 27 July 1909, having been built in Pretoria works of the then (Central South African Railways), the very progressive civil administration under which the railways of the two republics, Transvaal and Orange Free State were placed after the Boer War, on 1 July 1902. Originally numbered M-3 after Union this vehicle has seating capacity for 20 first and 28 second class passengers.

Coach 5092 was converted for use as third class in Pretoria in August 1963, becoming type S-10 and saw service at Pretoria and Kimberley.

Type = M-36
Total = 26
Built in = Pretoria Shops
Number = 5255 to 5280
Date in service = 1933
To Seat = 45

These coaches were a cross between the main line saloons and the suburban coaches. Although classified as suburban stock they were divided into compartments but had neither upper bunks, wash basins nor fold down tables. Usually found in the consist of 'all station' main line the provided non- sleeping accommodation between main line stations. Although this series was purpose-built, this service was generally provided by down graded main line saloons.

Type = P-6
Total = 2
Number = 6005 to 6006
Built in = Imported
Date in service = 1903

Type = C-9 (First class)
Total = 15
Number = 467-469, 471-475, 477-483
Built by =Metro-Cammel]
Date in service = 1903