Railfan ZA

Railfan ZA For Railfans, By Railfans. South African Railfan Merchandise and Miscellaneous. A Division of Stimela Events.

03/09/2026

THORWBACK THURSDAY

Taken back in 2022, we caught this train while on the way to run an event with what is now the Cape Rail Company

WAGON WEDNESDAYThe CALJ-6 wagon is a modified open freight wagon originally entering service between 1968 and 1973, conv...
02/09/2026

WAGON WEDNESDAY

The CALJ-6 wagon is a modified open freight wagon originally entering service between 1968 and 1973, converted from Class BA-1 stock after 1991. Used within Transnet Freight Rail's network for bulk commodities like petroleum coke and general goods, it represents a structural update to the earlier Class CA-1 design, featuring channel iron side braces and dual V-shaped brake system brackets.

28/08/2026

One of our fans Enhle Charity Cobbs shared this awesome footage of NCCR - WST's train in Pretoria Plattorm 4

28/08/2026

One of our fans Enhle Charity Cobbs shared this awesome footage of NCCR-WST's train in Pretoria Station with father and son crew Driver Les Weideman and Fireman Donovan Weideman.

WAGON WEDNESDAYThe FGLJ-2 is a high-capacity covered hopper wagon operated in South Africa primarily for transporting bu...
19/08/2026

WAGON WEDNESDAY

The FGLJ-2 is a high-capacity covered hopper wagon operated in South Africa primarily for transporting bulk agricultural products - most notably maize, wheat, and other grains. It forms a critical part of Transnet Freight Rail's agricultural fleet. Introduced in various production batches in the early 1970s, these wagons were designed to handle high-tonnage block trains running between grain silos in interior farming hubs and major coastal export ports or domestic processing mills.

Key Technical & Design Characteristics
Commodity: Bulk grain and agricultural produce.

Body Type: Covered 4-bay hopper wagon equipped with a ribbed or contoured roof structure to protect moisture-sensitive loads from the elements.

Loading & Discharge:
Loading: Overhead loading via four rectangular roof hatches running along the top length of the wagon.
Discharge: Bottom discharge utilizing gravity chutes underneath, designed to dump grain efficiently into under-track pit hoppers at grain silos or port export terminals.

Material/Construction: Constructed with steel bodies and carried on standard Cape Gauge dual-bogie assemblies designed for heavy axle loads.

17/08/2026

Taken after a day we experienced Degraded Mode Operations, I asked the Route Supervisor riding with me in the cab to take some footage. It looks like one cannot see anything outside, the headlights are not the broghtest, but you do see more in real life than the camera shows.

This video features historical/archival footage captured during my time as a professional train driver. This content is shared purely for educational and historical preservation purposes for the rail enthusiast community. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or representative of any current operator or corporate entity.

12/08/2026

Ferrocarriles Nacionales No. 57 and 58

The location of the Colombian capital Bogotá in the middle of the Andes meant that the 132 km Girardot-Tolima-Huila line started at Girardot at an altitude of 330 meters (1,083 ft), followed the Rio Bogotá and reached the capital's suburbs at 2,620 meters (8,596 ft). This led to gradients of 4.5 percent with curve radii of up to 72 meters (236 ft). Since the Kitson-Meyer locomotives already in use there with six driving axles were soon no longer sufficient, the now nationalized railway tendered the development of even more powerful locomotives in 1934.

The need to accommodate extremely powerful locomotives on the three foot gauge again led to articulated locomotives, this time with eight driving axles. In addition to the Baldwin-supplied No. 72 simple Mallet, Kitson-Meyer developed the No. 57 of their design. As the size of the locomotive was beyond the factory's capacity, it was manufactured by Robert Stephenson & Co. in Darlington.

Number 57 therefore had the wheel arrangement 2-8-0+0-8-2T and, in accordance with the Kitson-Meyer design, had the firebox between the bogies. The water supplies consisted of a total of 11,340 liters on the two sides of the boiler and 6,804 liters on the rear bogie. This ensured an even weight distribution that hardly changed even as the amount of water dwindled. Since there was an oil refinery in their working area, it was fired with oil. 5,000 liters of it were also stored on the rear bogie.

Since the locomotive apparently performed well in the first tests, a second one was promptly ordered. The number of the Baldwin machine originally intended as number 58 was rewritten to 72 and the second locomotive was given the number 58. Both were in service until 1959.

Works photo from of Robert Stephenson & Co.
Schematic drawing from Die Lokomotive, April 1944.

Complete article:
https://www.loco-info.com/view.aspx?id=15540

Broad Gauge! (Iberian)
12/08/2026

Broad Gauge! (Iberian)

WAGON WEDNESDAYClass XB-9 (later designated XBJ-9) wagons entered service between 1973 and 1974, designed specifically t...
12/08/2026

WAGON WEDNESDAY

Class XB-9 (later designated XBJ-9) wagons entered service between 1973 and 1974, designed specifically to convey dry powdered cement and similar bulk products across South Africa.

These wagons were introduced to support South Africa's major cement producers, which collectively output over 10 million tons per year. Beyond domestic supply, these producers serve broader Southern African markets where production capacity is continuously upgraded to meet regional demand for high-quality cement.

Nicknamed "pepper pots" in South African railway history, these iconic bulk powder-hauling vehicles feature four vertical cylindrical tanks that resemble giant pepper shakers mounted to a central frame.

Address

Balfour

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Railfan ZA posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Establishment

Send a message to Railfan ZA:

Shortcuts

Share

Category