Saturday
Dear Elsie
Today was the day we caught a steam train! We left early this morning from Cape Town and this was the train we were on…
The journey is divided into three. The first hour takes us to Bellville station. We got there in 45 minutes and spent 15 minutes for the train pilot to guide the train across to a different line to head south. Another 45 minutes and we stopped at Somerset West station – another 15 minute stop before heading up towards Sir Lowry’s Pass. First we went through Sir Lowry’s village…a higgledy piggledy conglomeration of houses with lots of waving children.
Approaching Sir Lowry’s pass….
Mike and Julian watching the world go by…
It was amazing to see Sir Lowry’s Pass from the train…
After leaving Cape Town at 8.05am, we arrived in Elgin at 11.15am.
Elgin has an amazing market that stands out as being busy, but also very well run.
Lots of food stalls and local produce and also an artist doing caricatures.
Live music…
And lots of people…
The building is amazing. As we had 3 hours, we decided to take a walk through the area. While the road was unexpectedly busy, it was very pretty.
On our way back to the market for lunch, we stopped at the train engine and took a few photos…real steam train…this is the fire in the engine.
They did say they supplemented it with diesel to get it up the hill. I got a chance in the driver’s seat…
Mike and I in front of the train at Elgin Station.
We had lunch and by the time that was done, it was just about time to return to the train. Having a hot spot and my lap top, I have been able to do this blog on the train, so while we are creeping over Sir Lowry’s Pass towards Cape Town, I am now almost done. We should get back to the city at about 6pm. The train is creaking and cranking a little, with a few unsuspecting lurches which we didn’t have on the way here. We are hoping we don’t have engine trouble! The train driver told Julian the train is 76 years old, having been built in 1947, so I guess some clunking may be expected. The difference between our outward journey and the homeward one is they changed the order of the engines, so at the front is not the black and red steam engine in my first photo but an old red diesel carriage that it was originally attached to. I don’t think they can do it any differently because there was no place to turn around in Elgin. The host in our carriage tells us the slow unruly swaying and stumbling is because the tracks are wet from the rain and they are struggling to get traction on them. We are going very slowly right now – 9km hour! Old school train travel. Anyway, eventually, we will get home.
A great day out.
When we do get home, we look forward to the rugby tonight. SA vss Ireland. It should be a cracker of a match.
I’ve been reading Isaiah this month, so thought I would take selected verses from this mammoth book.
Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
It’s not about now – we are only passing through.
Keep the smile going.
God bless you.
In His Grip,
Gran xx 🙂