Two-foot-gauge railways in South Africa

In the early 1900s, 2 ft (610 mm) narrow-gauge railway lines started playing a significant role in South Africa.

These lines featured the largest and most powerful locomotives ever in existence on two-foot-gauge railways worldwide.

The larger railway lines operated their own workshops performing minor to major maintenance and/or repairs.

It is common for South Africans to consider anything less than 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in, Cape gauge) as a narrow-gauge railway.

Overview[1] Port Elizabeth–Avontuur / Patensie The Avontuur Railway was built from 1890 to 1905, and is 285 kilometres (177 mi) long.

A limited diesel locomotive hauled service has also operated between Paddock and Plains stations more recently.

During 1900, these two 0-4-0T locomotives were used by the 47th Field Company Royal Engineers during the construction of the Bezuidenhout Light Railway, a light narrow gauge railway line from Simmer and Jack's siding near Germiston in the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek to a siege camp 3.5 kilometres (2.2 miles) away along the Bezuidenhout Valley.

[3] Operated from January 1901 to 1944, 8 miles (13 km) from Kearsney to Stanger, built and put into service at a total cost of £18,500.

Before the gauge conversion many locomotives were interchanged with the South African two foot railway systems depending on various operational considerations.

The slight difference in width is because the Germans who built the Otavi Line used the metric system while the South Africans used imperial units.

Operated between Knysna and Diepwalle in the Southern Cape by The South Western Railway Co. Ltd.[12] Between 1907 and 1983, a narrow gauge railway connected Weenen with Estcourt, 47 kilometres (29 mi) to the west, and provided an outlet for its agricultural produce and was thus called the "Cabbage Express".

At Sandstone Estates near Ficksburg in the Eastern Free State, a 15 km line runs from Grootdraai in the south, northwards to the main farm, loco depot and marshalling and storage sidings at Hoekfontein and onwards via Mooihoek to a run around loop at Vailima siding.

There is also a short line, known as Seb's Railway, branching to the west at Hoekfontein and running through a Game Camp to a balloon loop around a farm dam and suitable only for small locomotives.

The Paton's Country Narrow Gauge Railway runs from Allwoodburn station Ixopo to Umzinkulu (Madonela).

Ran a private Branch from Chelsea junction at the Avontuur Railway to its cement factory at New Brighton in Port Elizabeth.

[32] In 1973, it was wrecked after a runaway accident,[33][34] and after years of idleness it was shipped to the Brecon Mountain Railway in Wales.