It took seven years to complete, but a semi-retired North Coast doctor’s lovingly crafted steam train recently completed its first successful run.

Dr Tinus Deysel, a resident of Prince’s Grant Golf Estate north of Ballito in KZN, built the mini shunting locomotive from a photo, after being inspired to tackle the job while browsing at Durban’s Adams bookshop back in the 80s.

The semi-retired general practitioner moved to the North Coast in 1982 after completing his national service in Oshakati in Namibia and finishing his studies at the University of Pretoria in 1979.

An avid reader, Deysel would leave his wife to do the shopping while he spent time paging through books at Durban bookstore Adams.

“We always parked in Pine Parkade as the central business district of Durban was the place to shop, eat and drink. Adams had several floors packed with books,” Deysel recounts with fondness.

One day, one book in particular caught his attention – How to build a model steam locomotive.

His interest was piqued.

“Needless to say, I was frowned upon for wanting to attempt this project, being a medical doctor and not an engineer,” he says, but that did not deter him in the slightest.

It took Deysel three years to build a smaller 1/12-scale steam locomotive, which he completed in 1992.

It was at that time that he joined the Durban Society of Model Engineers, but he abandoned aspirations of starting work on another locomotive, instead turning to knifemaking and bookbinding, among other hobbies.

Years would go by before he again began thinking of tackling another locomotive.

“The spark was rekindled seven years ago while searching the internet and discovering a photo of an American and Canadian shunting locomotive, which I decided would be the locomotive to build,” he says.

After his daughter helped him source a book from America, he got to work.

Deysel made the parts himself, even the patterns for the wheel and cylinder castings, for which he used Jacaranda wood.

“These were then cast for me by a foundry in Isithebe,” he says, noting the only parts bought were cap screws, nuts and a few bolts, as well as the pressure gauge.

“The actual locomotive was built using lengths of flat steel bar, round steel bar, round cast iron bar, bronze and brass. I did the welding of the boiler myself as well.”

Deysel says he had set a personal goal for himself, attempting to make as much as he could by hand, sometimes even modifying tools he had in the workshop rather than buying specific tools.

“There was much hacksawing and filing done in my workshop,” he laughs.

Mary D, named after wife Marié-Daleen, had its first successful run at the Pietermaritzburg Model Engineering Society on October 1.

“I saw this as a fun and challenging project. The challenge consisted mostly of problem solving, as I did not have any detailed plans for the locomotive. The fun part was solving these problems.

“The locomotive will now be used to run at our club as a special kind of big boy toy. As with many things in life, the journey was more important than the destination.”