South Africa: Pietermaritzburg – Ladysmith Route

[JohnTrainHead]

Well, I think that it would be smarter to start a separate thread about this route now that the word is out....

I know this link has already been posted by Juan, but here it is again.
http://www.engine-driver.com/article/show/3587/welcome-to-south-africa-pietermaritzburg-ladysmith-route-preview

I really like the steam locomotive that Johan is making as an expansion pack for the route. I might buy the route just so I have a place to run this beast.

[ozinoz]

Pietermaritzburg was garratt territory - I wonder if that will be tackled??

Nice to see them finally step outside what has been their core market. If steam, might even buy this one myself...

[ErikGorbiHamilton]

I cant tell if its Narrow Gauge or Standard Gauge.


Might get it when it comes out :p

[arizonachris]

From a post on the Steam Railworks forum:

"The article mentions a 6E1 Electric which will be included with the route and a Class 24 and a GMAM Garrett Steam loco which will be available separately.

The line appears to be about 105 miles long.......and........the SAR network is 3'6" gauge."

[NorthernWarrior]

and........the SAR network is 3'6" gauge

aka Cape gauge.

This is actually one that I'm looking forward to and will probably be the first route in a while I purchase on release, rather than wait for a sale or pass it by.

Should also yield a good number of unique useable assets for personal projects.

[Ericmopar]

This looks interesting, although the top reasons I'd want it, are all going to be add-on DLC.

I was curious a few days ago and started reading about S. African railways. Man... do they have a gauge problem. It's all over the place with several different gauges.

[ErikGorbiHamilton]

This looks interesting, although the top reasons I'd want it, are all going to be add-on DLC.

I was curious a few days ago and started reading about S. African railways. Man... do they have a gauge problem. It's all over the place with several different gauges.

That's a good thing if another World War breaks out.


That's why when the Germans tried to run trains on ex Soviet track, they couldn't.

[g_nash]

This looks interesting, although the top reasons I'd want it, are all going to be add-on DLC.

I was curious a few days ago and started reading about S. African railways. Man... do they have a gauge problem. It's all over the place with several different gauges.

You might like to see this page ,,, another game and not updated for some time but does show some nice models > https://www.facebook.com/rsatrainz <

[buzz456]

This looks interesting, although the top reasons I'd want it, are all going to be add-on DLC.

I was curious a few days ago and started reading about S. African railways. Man... do they have a gauge problem. It's all over the place with several different gauges.

That's a good thing if another World War breaks out.


That's why when the Germans tried to run trains on ex Soviet track, they couldn't.

With today's technology you don't think manufacturers couldn't change gauges in about ten minutes?

[g_nash]

This looks interesting, although the top reasons I'd want it, are all going to be add-on DLC.

I was curious a few days ago and started reading about S. African railways. Man... do they have a gauge problem. It's all over the place with several different gauges.

That's a good thing if another World War breaks out.


That's why when the Germans tried to run trains on ex Soviet track, they couldn't.

With today's technology you don't think manufacturers couldn't change gauges in about ten minutes?

they can do it now at 60kph

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiH4kt14yGw

[Bermúdez]

With today's technology you don't think manufacturers couldn't change gauges in about ten minutes?

they can do it now at 60kph

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiH4kt14yGw

[philmoberg]

... Man... do they have a gauge problem. It's all over the place with several different gauges.

I'm not sure how much of a gauge problem South Africa actually has, at least with respect to the common carrier system, at this point. The two standard gauge lines were converted to Cape Gauge late in the 19th Century. The two-footers were either closed down and lifted, or were converted to Cape Gauge, with the possible exception of a preservation operation or two. That leaves only the new standard gauge rapid transit system being built for one of the cities - I've forgottten which - but this technically isn't part of the [inter]national network.

More broadly speaking, the continenet of Africa does have a range of track gauges, and at least most of this is a legacy of the various colonial administrations' use of whatever their home countries thought appropriate. The British actually had two "Colonial Gauges," 42" and 66", although I seem to remember standard gauge being used for at least part of the Egyptian system. The French and Germans tended to prefer meter gauge. IIRC Mozambique has an extensive meter gauge line that crosses the extensive Cape Gauge system in eastern Africa, the position of which would be greatly strengthened if they could work out a means of interchange. Perhaps the rubber-gauge Talgo sets will point the way there, or perhaps they will begin to resolve the minor difference in gauge in much the same way that I understand Spain is beginning to increase the standard gauge network into the principal broad gauge corridors.

What is keenly interesting is the growing realisation among African countries of the need to connect their railway networks. There was, for example, an effort by the PRC, about a decade ago, to persuade Nigeria to convert their 42" gauge system to standard gauge. Nigerian authorities, on the other hand, recognize the extensive and largely successful Cape Gauge system serving most of the eastern side of the continent (apart from the occasional wars and rumors of wars), and wondered whether they might not be money ahead to increase their loading gauge to dimensions uniformly consistent with the Cape Gauge system, and make an end-on connection with it perhaps somewhere in Uganda. Unfortunately this effort has been put on the back burner due to their own internal troubles that began about the same time, and are only now beginning to be covered in the Western press.

[Ericmopar]

From a technology standpoint, that gauge changing system is pretty cool. From a maintenance and (what can go wrong, will go wrong) standpoint, it's an accident waiting to happen, and a horrible increase in the number of moving parts that have to be maintained.
Very carefully maintained.

[awaken1977]

Interesting route, at least something different from Europe and North America

I guess that main locomotive on this line is 6E1 electric , right?

[wackyhuman]

> I guess that main locomotive on this line is 6E1 electric , right?

Yes it is the most common engine on this line.