Locomotives enthusiast saddened by state of local railways

The chairperson of the Eastern Model Railway Interest Group (EMRIG), Mark Peddle, said it is painful to see the state of South Africa’s railway services.

“What has happened to our railways is hurtful. Both from a passenger and cargo point of view, it’s far more efficient to move passengers by train than by road.
“You can also carry bigger volumes of cargo over greater distances by rail. It’s quicker and more efficient,” he said.
It is Peddle’s view that vandalism and failure to maintain the railway systems has led to the collapse of the whole network.
“If you look back in history, railways expanded the frontiers of every country,” he said.
He was speaking at the EMRIG swap meet at Northmead Mall on February 25 where model train enthusiasts and traders young and old came out in their numbers to enjoy the models, ranging from steam, diesel, American, British and European.
According to Peddle, most of the traders and followers of this hobby come from the railway industry and are, therefore, continuing their passion for locomotives.

“This hobby is fuelled by relaxation. It’s a fraternity where we learn and interact with one another.
“We are continuing our passion for trains in a hobby format,” he said.

Over 61 traders attended the event as analogue and digital trains in various sizes and different makes were on display.
Despite the thirst for foreign models from most collectors, Peddle said there’s still a big following for South African models.
“The big collection item in South Africa is South African Railways. There’s a heartfelt art for the Transnet trains, Blue Train and Trans Karoo. We have big collectors.
“A fully digitised overseas model can cost between R5 000 and R10 000 based on the detail that they come with because they are exact replicas of the real trains.

“For the South African model, you can pay between R1 300 and R1 500 for the diesel ones without sound.
“However, you can pay more for those that come with advanced technology.”

The club holds the swap meet every quarter. Their offices are at Northmead Mall.
For more information about EMRIG and to learn more about model trains, go to www.emrig.co.za.

Also Read: Transnet suffers due to vandalism, theft at railway stations