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You will see a PDF Download Window pop up when you click the link above.
Please be patient as waiting for the full download is a little slower than the web page versions would be - but you will be able to download the documents as I originally made them in a decent printable format. When the Adobe PDF file has downloaded and is displayed on your screen, simply click on the blue 'diskette' button to save the file directly onto your computer's hard drive. You can then view and print the document whenever you like, without using a modem, and you can also conveniently send it to other people by email if you wish. .
For assistance with downloading of the Adobe PDF file or to have the document sent directly to you, email Lee D. Gates at mailto:
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,za.
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FOREWORD from LEE GATES (REEFSTEAMERS)
This is a photo essay created from the recent successful Maluti Magic event. It was hosted by our good friend and partner, Wilfred E. Mole of the Sandstone Heritage Trust, and it was a treat to work with many unique, attractive locomotives in the beautiful countryside. As always, it was refreshing to be amongst other people with the same interests, and encouraging for the South African Steam Enthusiasts to realize that other people out there are interested in our cause.
Quite a few high profile and very experienced preservationists were invited from England and Europe to join the event. The main thrust was to showcase the possibilities for South African Steam – using the unique rail net work of the Sandstone estates to show what can be done. A secondary aim was to showcase the Reefsteamers – being a unique, close knit ‘Steam Team.’ Through these people and via the medium of Steam in action, we hope to raise lobbying and financial support. These high profile individuals have worked successfully with their home governments and are also experienced in promotion the tourism side of the business, a focus which Steam in Action has decided to adopt.
Reefsteamers were appointed to run the railway side of the event in terms of maintenance, scheduling and the operation of the locomotives. In spite of some mechanical issues, we did ourselves proud. Although the details are still in the early stages, Reefsteamers is to be contracted to take over the maintenance and the operation of the Sandstone Heritage Locomotive fleet. Not only do our guys have the technical skills, to the point of fabricating parts from scratch, and the operating skills to run even an unfamiliar locomotive safely and efficiently – we have the flexibility to be able to send a full team at fairly short notice to service and operate several trains on a weekend at Sandstone should this be required. This is the start of a hoped for era of ‘steam teams’ whereas Reefsteamers can provide a turn-key-solution to professional steam train operation. As has become customary for my Steam Adventures with the Reefsteamers, my main role was that of the Steam Team photography – but to lend a hand with servicing and maintenance when able to do so, if not rostered. Thus, I made sure to get some footplate time in. Steam locomotives are dirty things to work on and the soot and oils quickly foul up, not only camera lenses, but camera controls too. And cameras get knocked and dropped when trying to work and take photos at the same time. We’ve found it better to have one appointed photographer who can then share their photos via electronic media. A full selection of photos from myself and others is being collected and is to be cut to DVD.
There are 80 pictures included in this document. They were originally taken at high resolution and have been rendered down to 400pixels wide and at 76dpi for screen display. This was necessary to cut the document size down from 3.7MB to a more manageable 1.8MB. The quality of the resulting images isn’t too bad but obviously the originals are cleaner and sharper.
My photography job came with an extra mandate from Wilfred Mole himself. Could I please focus on the workshops and the depots? Most of the photographers would tend to be out on the rail system, either riding on the trains or lying in wait at preselected vantage points for that elusive perfect shot. Although all the photographers visited the workshops at least once over the weekend, most of them were not there in the mornings, during meal times and through the night – so I managed to get some unique pictures. Unfortunately the evenings were rained out so I couldn’t get any external night time shots as I had hoped.
Nonetheless I trust to have obtained an interesting variety of photos and annotations for your enjoyment.
Because this is a private commercial farm and not open to the public, scenes like these depicted here and more on the Sandstone Web site, are unique. Remember that privilege, as well as the hard work and logistic arrangements that went into the rescue and the preservation of these engines, some as far afield as Mozambique and Angola.
Lee Gates
PS : For a menu of excellent photos from the different official photographers, copy this URL into your web browser :
http://www.sandstone-estates.com/interim/Maluti_Magic/index.html |
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