Author Topic: So. African Hoppers 2806 and 2807 - Official Work Thread  (Read 16865 times)

Ed Lecuyer

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So. African Hoppers 2806 and 2807 - Official Work Thread
« on: March 20, 2024, 04:34:02 PM »



Today, March 20, 2024, the WW&F Railway is officially launching the Bring Trains to Maine up from Africa fundraising campaign to purchase and transport two ballast hoppers from Sandstone Estates in So. Africa.

Please help us by spreading the word about this unique opportunity to be part of a world-wide narrow gauge movement.

We promise to make regular updates on https://wwfry.org/africa/, Facebook, Instagram, and this Discussion Forum, as the project progresses.

Learn more at: https://wwfry.org/africa/
« Last Edit: March 21, 2024, 11:58:33 AM by Ed Lecuyer »
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John Houghton

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Re: So. African Hoppers 2806 and 2807 - Official Work Thread
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2024, 06:10:46 PM »
How much money does the museum estimate it will take to get these two hoppers to Alna?
« Last Edit: March 20, 2024, 06:31:57 PM by Ed Lecuyer »
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Re: So. African Hoppers 2806 and 2807 - Official Work Thread
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2024, 06:33:53 PM »
The cars and transportation are currently estimated at $66.000 - which is the goal of the social media fundraising campaign. The total cost is a bit higher, as we are sharing shipping with Edaville - who is also getting one ballast hopper and some other equipment.
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Mark Spremulli

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Re: So. African Hoppers 2806 and 2807 - Official Work Thread
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2024, 07:23:41 PM »
The cars and transportation are currently estimated at $66.000 - which is the goal of the social media fundraising campaign. The total cost is a bit higher, as we are sharing shipping with Edaville - who is also getting one ballast hopper and some other equipment.
any hints on what equipment Edaville is getting?
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Ed Lecuyer

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Re: So. African Hoppers 2806 and 2807 - Official Work Thread
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2024, 07:58:44 PM »
Quote
any hints on what equipment Edaville is getting?

It's not our place to disclose exact details (Edaville did agree that we could promote them as a partner in getting the hopper cars.) That said, the equipment (besides one hopper) Edaville is acquiring is not incredibly exciting or particularly interesting; but will be useful on the Cranberry Belt Line.

(So no Garratts going to So. Carver either.)
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Philip Marshall

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Re: So. African Hoppers 2806 and 2807 - Official Work Thread
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2024, 11:01:21 AM »
I'm excited about this development, and also gratified to hear that the EBT couplers we got from Mount Union may finally find a use.

As an aside, I've noticed that caboose 554 is on SAR trucks. I'm curious, was there a previous purchase of South African equipment by Edaville?

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Re: So. African Hoppers 2806 and 2807 - Official Work Thread
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2024, 04:54:55 PM »
I noticed a photo on RailPictures.net today, which appears to depict a couple of these hoppers running at Sandstone Estates back in 2009.   The photographer is Daniel Simon from France.  I have not met him, but have corresponded with him a few times.   

I assume these hoppers are perhaps 600 mm gauge?   

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/854109/

/Kevin Madore

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Re: So. African Hoppers 2806 and 2807 - Official Work Thread
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2024, 05:18:30 PM »
Sandstone has substantial 2-foot (610 mm) track.  All their equipment came out of the various now-closed 2-foot gauge railways around South Africa.

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Re: So. African Hoppers 2806 and 2807 - Official Work Thread
« Reply #8 on: March 27, 2024, 07:56:41 AM »


Some great press hit this morning.

First, across all things social media, our friend Sara "Ironhorse" Kammeraad posted this fun skit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OShclk232v0

And Railfan & Railroad picked up the story too:
https://railfan.com/wwf-to-purchase-narrow-gauge-south-african-ballast-hoppers/

Can we raise $5000 before the end of the month?
Oh... We're halfway there!

https://wwfry.org/africa/
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Ted Miles

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Re: So. African Hoppers 2806 and 2807 - Official Work Thread
« Reply #9 on: March 27, 2024, 06:37:52 PM »
Like most members; I had never heard of Sandstone Estates Ltd. So I looked for it on Google, where else? It is an extensive farm museum with an operational Twenty-four-inch Railroad and a static display of Fourty-two-inch (Cape Gauge) locomotives and other items like a steam cane and a caboose. The web site shows a map of the active track; but not scale so I can not tell just how much track it has. The video on their site shows several locomotives in service; but no roster as such.

There are a large number of buildings which house equipment displays like tractors from steam to gas power. And stationary machinery including a gas engine powered washing machine!

As usual with farm museums there are lots of animals: oxen, cattle and chickens and others. 

The have a Facebook companion site to go with their own home page.  Like the old saying goes; Try it you will like it!

Ted Miles, Long time WW&F member 
« Last Edit: March 28, 2024, 11:32:09 AM by Ted Miles »

Bill Baskerville

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Re: So. African Hoppers 2806 and 2807 - Official Work Thread
« Reply #10 on: March 27, 2024, 08:46:51 PM »
They also have antique airplanes some of which are still flying.
Their collection also includes World War I and World War II military equipment.
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James Patten

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Re: So. African Hoppers 2806 and 2807 - Official Work Thread
« Reply #11 on: March 28, 2024, 05:38:04 AM »
Sandstone used to have their own "Mountain Extension" - a loop around one of the hills at the northwestern end of their line.  Erosion and theft during the pandemic caused them to lift it.  Their Garratt locomotives would pull trains on special occasions around that loop.

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Re: So. African Hoppers 2806 and 2807 - Official Work Thread
« Reply #12 on: March 28, 2024, 09:24:06 AM »
Cape Gauge is 3'6" – 42"

Like most members; I had never heard of Sandstone Estates Ltd. So I looked for it on Google, where else? It is an extensive farm museum with an operational Twenty-four-inch Railroad and a static display of Thirty-inch (Cape Gauge) locomotives and other items like a steam cane and a caboose. The web site shows a map of the active track; but not scale so I can not tell just how much track it has. The video on their site shows several locomotives in service; but no roster as such.

There are a large number of buildings which house equipment displays like tractors from steam to gas power. And stationary machinery including a gas engine powered washing machine!

As usual with farm museums there are lots of animals: oxen, cattle and chickens and others. 

The have a Facebook companion site to go with their own home page.  Like the old saying goes; Try it you will like it!


Ted Miles, Long time WW&F member
« Last Edit: March 28, 2024, 09:27:46 AM by John L Dobson »
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James Patten

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Re: So. African Hoppers 2806 and 2807 - Official Work Thread
« Reply #13 on: April 18, 2024, 05:39:57 AM »
News from South Africa: two of the three containers are on their way to the Port of Durban!

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Re: So. African Hoppers 2806 and 2807 - Official Work Thread
« Reply #14 on: April 18, 2024, 07:13:24 AM »
If containers are moving, does that mean all the money was raised already?  Or have we negotiated a financing option?
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