Locomotive outside Roodepoort train station moved to new stand
Train relocation another milestone in the great refurbishment of the Roodepoort train precinct
Effective progress is always mindful to respect history.
The steam locomotive that has sat outside Roodepoort train station for over four decades has a new home. The engine and accompanying carriage were moved as part of the station precinct refurbishment which began in May 2021. The view will be much the same as the newly completed stand is just several metres to the right, but allows for what will be a more streamlined thoroughfare around the station precinct.
KPA Civils, the contractor entrusted with the refurbishment project, enlisted Cleveland Crane Hire who arrived in Station Street around 05:30 on June 27 to set up. Community Liaison Officer, Madidmalo Rakabe was on site from 06:00 directing traffic as the massive vehicles navigated the tight streets made tighter by the construction work. With three more trucks waiting down Albertina Sisulu Road, they took turns shuttling in the counterweights that would be stacked onto the crane.
The locomotive engine, weighing over 40 tons alone, needed to be decoupled from the carriage to complete the transition. The steel awning sheltering the train had been removed three months ago and now a blow torch and grinder were needed to cut through the links that had held the two pieces together for over 40 years. Once primed, the locomotive waited to be hoisted the short distance to the new tracks.
At a touch over 20 metres tall, the Liebherr 1500-8.1 can hold a total of 165 tons worth of counterweight slabs stacked on top of the midsection of the crane. Once primed, rigging was placed around the train and piece by piece it was transferred successfully to its new home. The brittle metal was treated with utmost caution, with the project finishing just before 19:00, almost 14 hours after the first wheels rolled in.
The train will now undergo a refurbishment of its own, hoping to restore the shine and aesthetic appeal it had originally been placed to provide. Sadly, the main station building rots as it is reclaimed by the elements, with an expected rebuild part of phase three of the overall transport master plan. Once complete, the precinct refurbishment will have greater space for traders, greater access for public transport, and bring with it the hope that train commuters will one day occupy the space again.
