Umgeni Steam Railway shares restoration plans
Umgeni Steam Railway is determined to get back to full operations following the damage caused by the April 2022 floods.
THE Umgeni Steam Railway (USR) in Inchanga is thrilled by the number of visitors they had during the festive season as they ran fully booked trains on selected dates during the season.
In the process of recovering from the April 2022 floods, which caused a great deal of damage resulting in changing routes, the organisation said it is ready to rebuild and return to some old routes and bring back some other trains.
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Speaking to the Highway Mail, USR spokesperson Marc Bouchier said they were not expecting to be that busy during the festive season.
“To be honest, being mindful of the challenges facing the tourism industry currently, we were expecting low numbers, but we were thrilled that we ended up running full trains over the December season,” said Bouchier.
Moving forward, the organisation said they have two primary focuses in rebuilding. Their first primary focus is to get the Inchanga to Kloof railway track fixed as there are still areas that were hugely damaged in the April 2022 floods that still need to be restored so that the full train route can be operational again from Kloof to Inchanga. The organisation said progress on this is steady but funding-dependent.
The second area of focus is to get ‘Maureen’ up and running and back into steam again. Maureen is a 1912 mountain-class steam loco built by the North British, particularly to navigate steep gradients, which is perfect for USR in 1000 Hills. She was originally donated by one of the mines to USR.
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“Maureen has been out of commission for around a decade, needing major and expensive restoration work done to her – including redoing her boiler. USR has been embarking on a long-term project to get her back on the tracks. So far, they have probably spent in the region of R1 million to get her back into working order. It is anticipated that in around three months, she will be fully operational again.
“When she is back on track, Maureen will be the oldest running loco in the country. Currently, the primary working steam loco at USR is Wesley which is used every running day. Maureen will alternate with Welsey going forward.”
The USR is actively looking for volunteers as they operate as a non-profit organisation, relying solely on the time and talents of volunteers in order to operate. “USR is a custodian of South African railway heritage and history, a role we take very seriously. There are lots of options of things to do as a USR volunteer: to be a Coach Marshall; helping on running days; we want to beautify the gardens at Inchanga Station, so we need gardeners to help with that; we have a museum which takes upkeep and curating, and we have an extensive archive which needs archivists and librarians. And of course, engineers and craftspeople to work on restoring and servicing the trains.”
In order to volunteer, you need to be 16 years and older; you need to be able to get to Inchanga Station where we are based, and you must have staying power to commit to being part of the USR team for an extended time to allow for continuity.
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The organisation invites the public to enjoy a train ride on Sunday, February 25 and thereafter on Sunday, March 21 – running at 09:00, 11:30 and 14:00. There will be trains over Easter, so check out the website for details of that.
Trains depart from and return to the Inchanga Station – there is guarded onsite parking. While there, visit the Old Station Master’s House which is a railway museum – there is a model train shed and an extensive market with many train-themed merchandise to peruse. There is a tea garden under the trees with light snacks and refreshments to suit most tastes and pockets.
Watch the press for the launch date of Maureen. The USR is updating their website to make it even easier to book and pay for train rides. For more info, visit: https://umgenisteamrailway.com/
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