BREYTEN – A historic photograph of two Class 24 steam locomotives departing Breyten has revived memories of the town’s railway past and the steam-worked Lothair branch.

The photograph, taken by William Ford on May 3, 1983, shows two Class 24 locomotives leaving Breyten with the 06:00 freight for Lothair.

Steam power on the Lothair branch

According to the TrainsandTravel photographic railway archive, the branch covered about 74km.

It initially followed the Breyten-Ermelo route to Buhrmanskop before continuing east towards Lothair through an area known for extensive tree plantations.

Timber and other agricultural products formed part of the freight traffic.

Breyten-based Class 24 2-8-4 steam locomotives worked trains on the branch and were usually double-headed because heavily loaded westbound trains from Lothair had to negotiate gradients along the route.

The steepest section was between Burgerspan and Meppel.

Trains stopped at Burgerspan to take on water and allow crews to clean the locomotives’ fireboxes.

Steam survives into the 1980s

Evidence shows steam remained active on the route well into the 1980s.

Paul Greenfield photographed three Class 24 locomotives at the Breyten shed on May 28, 1984.

Martyn Hearson visited the line in April 1986 and also documented Class 24 locomotives at work.

His surviving footage includes a double-headed train pulling away from a loop, and he described the branch as a late stronghold of steam operation.

Railway workers remember Breyten

The photograph, shared on the Mpumalanga Heritage/Mpumalanga Erfenis Facebook page, prompted several people to recall their connections with Breyten’s railway.

Bertus Schwan said he was the last locomotive foreman at Breyten and recalled unsuccessfully trying to keep the depot open. He also arranged its final run.

John Petzer, who remained at Breyten until the depot closed, recalled being involved with a colleague named Kriel in a major derailment just outside Burgerspan while travelling towards Buhrmanskop.

Petzer said the line was subsequently repaired, the Buhrmanskop line was rerouted towards Ermelo and Ermelo-based diesel locomotives eventually took over before Breyten closed.

Hannes Gerber said he qualified at Breyten as an apprentice steam driver in August 1979 and as a train driver on January 16, 1981. He later performed relief duties at Breyten until early 1984.

Memories spanning generations

Memories of the railway stretch back even further. Colin Whittle recalled arriving at Breyten station at 06:00 three times a year between 1946 and 1959 while travelling between school or university and his home in Stegi, Swaziland.

Alan Grung remembered travelling the route many times during the early 1960s.

Japie Smith has an extensive connection with the railways, having spent 35 years in railway service, including 22 years based at Ermelo.

His experience gave him an intimate knowledge of the Ermelo railway area.

Drawing on his knowledge of the area, Smith added that during the earlier days of Class 8 locomotives, trains sometimes operated with three locomotives.

Read more about the personal railway memories of Bertus Schwan, John Petzer, Hannes Gerber and Japie Smith, including Breyten’s final steam years and Smith’s extensive historical photograph collection, in the Highvelder’s printed edition.