When we discovered that a tourism
initiative proposed to introduce wine tasting on a steam train while travelling
through the Robertson valley, we were keen to support this new initiative. At
the first opportunity we booked a trip as a treat for a friend visiting from
overseas.
Our trip was one of the first and the initiative,
still in its baby shoes, did not go without some expected and unexpected
hiccups. It was like being on a pioneering train trip, with tracks needing to
be cleared to allow the steam locomotive to change direction from Langvlei and
return to Robertson.
Having travelled on steam trains before,
one was aware of all the details that could have been better, but like steam
travellers of the past, the experience was nonetheless exciting, eclipsing all
hiccups. The train tracks, long disused, were a bit overgrown. The sound of encroaching
thorn tree branches scraping against the newly painted coaches made one feel
sorry for them. One could not help but wonder how often the coaches might have
to be repainted unless some track clearing was done.
The branches so close to the tracks meant
that one needed to be cautious when sticking your head out of the window.
Luckily, there were long stretches of track where one could look out at the
beautiful landscapes of vineyards, orchards and fynbos appearing through the
smoke billowing from the chimney of Amanda, the locomotive.
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| On the Bonnievale coach |
The trip provided for a special experience
with three coaches assigned to wine tasting. These coaches were each dedicated
to a winery, namely, Bonnievale Winery, Robertson Winery and La Verne Wine Boutique.
Another coach offered an onboard deli where one could buy delicious food and
taste some craft beer.
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| A proud reminder when the train coaches were built in South Africa |
The four hours on the train passed too soon.
We thoroughly enjoyed our steaming afternoon, discovering the familiar valley
from a brand-new perspective, tasting wine, catching up with friends, and
chatting with fellow travellers.
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| Close-up of Amanda and opening the tracks at Langvlei siding |
The train experience operates under the
historical name of the New Cape Central Railway. The original New Cape Central
Railway (NCCR) operated from 1893 until
1925 when it was taken over by the South African Railways.
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| Robertson station circa 1887, Source: A Chronicle of the Cape Central Railway |
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| Front of Robertson station circa 1887, Source: A Chronicle of the Cape Central Railway |
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| The near identical station at Ashton, Source: A Chronicle of the Cape Central Railway |
The new NCCR railway has the potential to
give an economic boost to the valley, this time in tourism related industries. In August 1883 the British company, the Cape
Central Railway Limited was formed to build and operate the railway from
Worcester via Robertson to Roodewal (Ashton today). This was after the Cape
Parliament passed a resolution in June 1882, to build a branch line from
Worcester to Roodewal to develop trade in Robertson, Montagu, Swellendam,
Riversdale and part of Caledon.
Work on the line started in 1884 and was
completed in 1887. It was opened to Robertson in April and to Roodewal in
September that year. The locomotive engine workshops were in Roodewal (Ashton),
which was the terminal point of the line at this stage.
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| The Cogmanskloof pass and Toll House between Ashton and Montagu circa 1936, Source: DRISA archive |
The company only ran one train to and from
Ashton twice a day. The main competition for the railway was the ox-wagon. Most
of the freight of the Little Karoo was carried direct by ox-wagon to Worcester
or beyond. The farmers in the region saw the railway as an attractive solution
to open more markets for their produce. For the ox-wagon transport drivers it
meant a loss of livelihood and the closing of an era.
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| Robertson station staff, 1911, Source: DRISA archive |
On Monday, 26 January 1891 the following
timetable was issued,
Leave Worcester 6am
Leave Robertson 7.45am
Arrive Ashton 8.30am
Leave Ashton 11.30am
Leave Robertson 12.15pm
Arrive Worcester 2pm
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| Road transport from Montagu station to Ashton station with an SAR truck, circa 1952, Source: DRISA archive |
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| Passenger transport with SAR Mercedes bus no MT16379 in the Cogmanskloof pass, 1970, Source: DRISA archive |
The proposal to extend the railway to
Montagu posed a problem. The only route, to what was formerly known as Agter
Cogmanskloof, was the newly built Cogman’s Kloof Pass engineered by Thomas
Bain. If this route was used for the railway, it would mean that the new road pass
would be lost to road-users. In 1883 the divisional council decided that they would
support the proposition if the Cape Central Railway repaired the old road and
improved its condition. Unfortunately, the railway could not accept this provision.
Due to poor income figures, the Cape Central Railway was in financial
difficulties and went insolvent in 1892. A new company, The New Cape Central
Railway was formed, and took over the line in 1893. The new company abandoned
the idea of a railway line into the Little Karoo and instead focused on
building a line to Swellendam to the south-east of Roodewal (Ashton).
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| A portion of the Railway map dated 1901 showing the completed rail to Swellendam |
The line to Swellendam was opened on 12
April 1899. This line was extended to Riversdale in 1903 and to Mossel Bay in
1907. A Mr Fred Dawson was appointed as
general manager in January 1902. One of the first actions he took was to build
a proper locomotive engine repair shop at Robertson, in place of the
rudimentary structure at Ashton. The headquarters of the railway was now
established at Robertson. The easy access to markets brought new prosperity to
the district and the town of Robertson responded by doubling in size. The New
Cape Central railway flourished and was taken over by the South African
Railways in 1925.
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| Steam train along Harry Hill Road outside Bonnievale, Source Flickr |
There were no dining cars on the early
railways but refreshment rooms at the stations. Bonnievale had no station but
only a siding called Vale. That might have been the inspiration for the name of
the town Bonnie Vale. In his prospectus for the Irrigation Colonisation
Settlement on the farm “Bonnie Vale”, entitled, “New South Africa Under One
Flag”, published in 1901, Christopher Forrest Rigg arranged with the Cape
Central Railway Company to allow prospective new settlers to come and inspect
the settlement with a first-class return ticket at the price of a third-class
single fare. Settlers would have been entitled to the same privilege for the
first six months of their residence in the settlement.
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| Bonnievale Station shortly before it was demolished in 2012, Source wikipedia |
We could experience what it must have been
like for settlers arriving at Vale siding when in the 1990s a friend planned
to visit and took a train from Cape Town to Bonnievale. Keith had arranged to
collect him at 11:30pm on the Friday night of his arrival. Although Bonnievale had a
station and platform, the platform was not much longer than a single coach. The
train having multiple coaches, Keith had to search for him in the vineyards
with a torch when he arrived.
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| A portion of a regional map dated 1900, showing the incomplete railway line before it crossed the Steenboks Kloof river to where the future Vale siding would be. In the middle of the map one can see the Towerwater buildings indicated by the word Houses on the old road where the Steenboks Kloof river joins the Breede River. |
In the 25th anniversary album of
the local Dutch Reformed Church, Bonnievale tot vandag, 1922-1947, it is
mentioned that Bonnievale station mostly handled manure. It is further recorded
that in 1937 it handled 11 000 tonnes of manure. Clearly, there was extensive cattle
farming in the area, reminiscent of a time when this area comprised mostly Loan
Farms used by stock farmers from Stellenbosch for grazing their cattle.
Nearly a 100 years later, after the
original New Cape Central Railway ceased to exist, we could enjoy a train ride
through the valley like those early pioneers, but this time on the new New Cape
Central Railway.
Sources:
Early railways at the Cape, Jose
Burman,1984
A Chronicle of the Cape Central Railway, D.M. Rhind, 1995
Bonnievale tot Vandag, 1922–1947, 1947
New South Africa under one flag. C Forrest Rigg, 1901
