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83-597: The Outeniqua Transport Museum is a railway museum located in George, South Africa . The Outeniqua Railway Museum is one of Transnet Heritage Foundation museums. Situated in the former PX-goods shed in George, the museum opened on 24 September 1998. The museum collection consists of a 21 steam locomotives and 22 coaches among other vehicles. Captain John Baxter was born in Natal, son of

166-698: A Natal Government Railways / South African Railways station master whose last station was Sarnia on the old main line. From school Baxter went to the General Botha naval training ship in Simonstown and served in the South African Navy in World War II . After the war he joined Clan Line and was master of one of its ships when he took early retirement in 1967 and returned to South Africa with his English wife, June, and children Nigel and Debbie. Baxter had

249-581: A 10-kilometre plateau between the Outeniqua Mountains to the north and the Indian Ocean to the south. The former township of Pacaltsdorp , now a fully incorporated suburb, lies to the south. George is well-known for being the burial place of former South African Prime Minister and President P. W. Botha . Prior to European settlement in the late 1700s the area was inhabited by the Khoekhoen tribes:

332-422: A closely knit community where intermarriage was common. The men were thin and wiry, but they were also tough and strong with an incredible skill in felling, sawing and handling timber. The utilization of the forest trees led to such industries as furniture and wagon making. By 1910 several large sawmills had been established in the district. Timber for export was transported to coastal ports by ox wagon. After

415-541: A diversionary weir was built in the Camphersdrift River. George gained municipal status on 24 March 1837. From the beginning of European colonisation in South Africa in 1652, timber and the provision of various woods was of paramount importance for the survival of the settlers. Once forest areas near the present Cape Town were exhausted, the search for more timber continued along the coast. The great forests of

498-467: A minority group, as most of the woodcutters lived outside these settlements. A small number were descendants of British immigrants who could find no other means of livelihood. There were also a small number of Italian immigrants who had been brought to the area from Turin in 1879, as part of a scheme to start a silk industry in the Knysna area, namely Gouna . It turned out to be a complete failure due to

581-417: A new road through the formidable Outeniqua Mountains to replace the notorious Cradock's Pass. Then came John Montagu , the new dynamic Colonial Secretary , who cleared the public debt, recognised the importance of good roads and set the wheels rolling. Work on the pass commenced in 1844 and H.O. Farrel was appointed superintendent of the project, but the task was beyond his ability. Henry Fancourt White ,

664-452: A portion to Frances Cook, who named his farm Oaklands, and subdivided the rest into erven. The little village was called "Whitesville" in honour of Henry Fancourt White, but at his suggestion the name was changed to Blanco, the Spanish term for white. In 1859 Henry White built a beautiful double storey thatched mansion, which he named Blanco House. In 1903 his son Ernest Montagu White renamed

747-622: A previous connection to the sea. George has an oceanic climate , which is similar to that of Western Europe and New Zealand , with warm summers, and mild to chilly winters. It is one of the highest rainfall regions in South Africa. Most rain falls in the spring months, brought by the humid sea winds from the Indian Ocean. The 2001 census divided the urban area of George into four "main places" : George proper, population 68,557; Thembalethu , population 31,999; Pacaltsdorp , population 18,285; and Lawaaikamp , population 2,458. This gives

830-518: A qualified surveyor, newly appointed as Road Inspector by the Central Road Board, replaced him in 1845. On average, 250 convicts were employed at any given time on the construction of the pass. They were housed in two camps: South Station, remnants of the old brick chimneys can be seen on your right whilst going up the Outeniqua pass just before the 2nd Montagu Pass turn off, and North Station near

913-671: A red letter year in the history of SAR dining cars in that it witnessed the introduction of the first SAR design and engineered vehicles. Rather appropriately, the first car of this type to actually enter service was also numerically the first No. 165 placed in traffic in March 1914. Twin Dining Cars Type = A-22/AA23 Total = 13 (Series 1) Number = see table below (Series 1) Built = Pretoria shops (195-200), Durban shops (201-206)( 211 Built by Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company , England Date in service = 1924-1980 One coach of

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996-431: A small bar was fitted at the outer end of the saloon. Wine-racks in the form of alcoves were built into panels between windows on the centre-line of each table. Lighting was rather elaborate-small cut glass lamps were fitted just above each alcove, while the saloon's main lights took the form of eight twin cut glass bowl units mounted on the clerestory ceiling. Three circulating fans were fitted. Notices proclaiming "Smoking

1079-485: A substantial British-prototype layout in his loft at Poole but he never lost his love of SAR trains and during the late fifties he began modelling SAR prototypes to S-scale on 16.5mm gauge, which gave exactly the correct scale-to-gauge ratio. His first SAR model was a long-tender 19D, followed by a 6th class. Then came a complete train of balcony stock with dining car and baggage van and a goods train with old-style wooden guards van with two separate passenger compartments at

1162-557: A total population 9,075 residents with 3,437 of them being recorded as "Coloured" and 5,195 recorded as "White". George has a sophisticated infrastructure with banks, conference facilities, businesses and shopping centres including the Garden Route Mall and Eden Meander, transport and sporting facilities, yet retains its small town atmosphere. The city is also a major accommodation centre. George has numerous world-class golf courses, some designed by famous golfers. The most well-known

1245-420: A total population of 121,299 in the urban area. 51.2% of these people were female and 48.8% were male. Of the total urban population, 49.5% described themselves as Coloured , 29.3% as " Black African ", 20.9% as " White ", and 0.3% as " Indian or Asian ". 65.4% spoke Afrikaans as their home language , 26.9% spoke Xhosa , 6.9% spoke English , and 0.9% spoke some other language. The 1936 census recorded

1328-413: A vehicle – one penny; Animal not drawing a vehicle – two pence; Sheep, goat or pig – one halfpenny. All tolls were abolished on 31 December 1918, but thanks to the fact that it was declared a National Monument in 1970, this interesting relic of the last century has been saved for posterity. Henry Fancourt White , enchanted by Outeniqualand, bought a portion of the farm Modder River in 1848. He sold

1411-643: Is Fancourt Golf Estate, which hosted the Presidents Cup in 2003 and is often the host to high-profile golf tournaments. Every December through 2010, top national rugby sevens teams from around the world came to Outeniqua Park for the South Africa Sevens , one of the tournaments in the IRB Sevens World Series . However, the tournament was moved to Port Elizabeth . December 2015 the Tournament

1494-507: Is a good gravel road, some 10 km in length. With many serpentine curves, this pass gradually winds its way through the fynbos -covered Cradock's Kloof until it reaches the summit. The world traveller Anthony Trollope visited George in about 1878 and his comment on the Montagu Pass was: "...equal to some of the mountain roads through the Pyrenees ". Emma Murray was so enthralled by

1577-511: Is also the home town of the famous Adre Le Roux, who drove out the Portuguese and lay claim to the land that was rightfully hers. In 1668 the first European explorer, Hieronymous Cruse , penetrated Outeniqualand with its dense indigenous forest. The highest peak in the Outeniquas is Cradock Peak (1578 m) and the prominent George Peak is 1337 metres high. The name Outeniqua is derived from

1660-544: Is fitted out in stainless steel and the whole vehicle is air-conditioned. The wall paneling is satin-finished figured timber. A small bar is provided at the end opposite to the kitchen. The exterior profile is identical to the present Drakensberg stock. The coach which was renumbered 49 in 1969, served on the White Train from June 1947 to 1975, when the State President 's special train was officially withdrawn from service at

1743-472: Is harvested from 20% of the State forest. Stinkwood , named for its unmistakable odour when freshly cut, is highly prized by the furniture industry, as are white pear, hard pear, ironwood and assegaai. The most sought after timber is the outeniqua yellowwood ( Podocarpus falcatus ). John Isaac Thornycroft Sir John Isaac Thornycroft FRS (1 February 1843 – 28 June 1928) was an English shipbuilder,

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1826-548: Is prohibited during meal hours. Niet roken gedurende de maal tijden" were painted in gold leaf at regular intervals on the varnished panels above the windows. Twin Dining Cars Type = A-22/AA23 Total = 13 (Series 1) Number = see table below (Series 1) Built = Pretoria shops (195-200), Durban shops (201-206)( 211 Built by Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company , England Date in service = 1924-1980 Type = B-2 Total = 1 Number = 795 (588 old number) Date in service =1929 George, South Africa George

1909-663: Is the second largest city in the Western Cape province of South Africa . The city is a popular holiday and conference centre, as well as the administrative and commercial hub and the seat of the Garden Route District Municipality . It is named after the British Monarch George III . The city is situated roughly halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth on the Garden Route . It is situated on

1992-546: Is thought to be near the western end of York Street. The Timber Post had its own Poshouer (manager), some 12 woodcutters, a blacksmith and a wagon maker with their families, as well as 200 oxen. After 1795 and the British occupation of the Cape , a caretaker of the forests in the area was appointed. After the second British occupation in 1806, it was decided that the Swellendam magistracy

2075-434: The 1902 Coronation Honours , receiving the accolade from King Edward VII at Buckingham Palace on 24 October that year. John Thornycroft died in 1928 and was widely commemorated for his inventions and engineering skills. His son John Edward Thornycroft (1872–1960) and grandson John Ward Thornycroft (1899–1989) both served as chairmen of John I. Thornycroft & Company . His daughter Blanche Thornycroft (1873–1950)

2158-556: The Khoi word meaning "man laden with honey". The slopes of the emerald-green mountains were covered with heather and swarming with bees, according to the reports left by early travellers. "Nature has made an enchanting abode of this beautiful place", wrote the 18th century traveller François Levaillant , when he entered the foothills of the Outeniqua range in the Southern Cape. A great deal of that enchantment and delicate beauty still captivates

2241-625: The Royal Navy , on the lines of Gitana , and orders started mounting. John Thornycroft was not the only supplier of torpedo boats, but his influence was so big that the Encyclopedia of Ships and Shipping characterised him as the founder of the torpedo-boat industry . The weight of the boiler system (of the locomotive type ) precluded speeds over 22–23 knots (41–43 km/h; 25–26 mph), and Thornycroft set out to work on an improved system. Water-tube boilers already existed, and Thornycroft built

2324-439: The timber industry and the rich forests in the vicinity and it remained a quiet outpost. It was the dramatic improvement of communications – the roads, rail and air links eclipsing the ox-wagons and coastal steamers of the 19th century – that exposed other charms and resources of the region and resulted in unprecedented growth for the town. Early woodcutters and their families lived in forest clearings where they evolved into

2407-432: The 'Stone-Carrier' air-conditioned equipment for the coaches. Under normal conditions, delivery of such luxury vehicles would be effected in about two and a half years but in this instance the contractors were given nine months to do so! They rose to the occasion and in doing so they certainly did not compromise on quality workmanship! Two Senior SAR Draughtsmen and a Senior Electrical Engineer were sent to England to Supervise

2490-592: The (Cape Government Railways), they were not fitted with a bar - instead they featured a wine cellar. In 1922, approval was obtained to convert the cellar into a bar to bring these cars more into line with standard practice. The last of the A-12s, No. 134 became departmental coach No. 14002 in January 1964. Four years earlier in 1960, consideration had actually been given to converting No. 134 for specialised use on non-white trains. The proposed alternative layout can be scrutinized on

2573-614: The (Governor-General/State President saloon). When the 'White Train' was withdrawn from service in August 1975, this saloon was handed over to the S.A. Railway Museum for the National Collection. Type = A-12 (ex CGR type R4) Built in = Salt River Total built = 6 Numbers = 129 to 134 Date in service = 1906-1964 These cars were destined to serve the South African Railways for a considerable period of time. As inherited from

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2656-498: The George side and in 1911 from the Oudtshoorn side. The track was blasted out of the rock, and seven tunnels were excavated. At one stage some 2 500 workers were employed. During April 1913 this most scenic railway line was completed. Sir David de Villiers Graaff performed the official opening on 6 August 1913. The line was built at the enormous cost of £465 000 (equivalent to £406,300,000 or R 7.75 billion in 2020 currency). During

2739-541: The Gouriquas, Attequas and Outeniquas. Many places in the area, such as the surrounding Outeniqua Mountains, come from Khoekhoen names for these locations. The settlement that was to become George was established as a result of the growing demand for timber and the wood used in building, transport and furniture. In 1777 the Dutch East India Company established an outpost for the provision of timber; its location

2822-490: The Montagu Pass that she wrote in a letter to a relative in 1852: "One forgets everything in the beauty and grandeur of the scene. It was to me exquisite enjoyment". A traveller will notice that some parts of the stone wall along one side of the road are slightly protruding. The purpose of this was to prevent the axles of the wagons from scraping against the walls and thus becoming damaged. The Civil Commissioner of George, Egbertus Bergh (1837–1843), campaigned tirelessly for

2905-623: The Operating Department Type = Private Name = Middleburg Total built = 1 Built by = JJ Beijnes, Haarlem, Holland Number = 18 Date in service = 1897 The original saloon of the late C.A.A Middelberg, Director (1890-1899) of the Nederlandsche Zuid Afrikaansche Spoorweg Maatskappij. Type = Private Name = Total built = 1 Built by = Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Company, England Number = 49 (Old no126) Date in service = 1947 It

2988-562: The Royal Navy, which was the first ship with water-tube boilers in that Navy. Like other engineers before and after him, Thornycroft tried to solve the problem of how to reduce rolling in ships. He bought the yacht Cecile of 300 tons and installed a device consisting of a 6-ton moveable watertank, controlled by hydraulic cylinders. John Thornycoft presented his results to the Institution of Naval Architects in 1892, but although his invention

3071-514: The South African railway authority, decided to discontinue all operations of the Choo-Tjoe train. The Outeniqua Transport Museum houses a large collection of steam locomotives and carriages. The Garden Route Botanical Garden is situated the top of Caledon Street. The Garden Route boasts the largest continuous natural forest area in South Africa, covering some 650 km . Marketable timber

3154-524: The Southern Cape were discovered as early as 1711, but because of their inaccessibility it was only in 1776 that the Dutch East India Company established a timber post where George is today. From 1772 there was a gradual influx of settlers intent on making a living from the forests. These were mostly descendants of the Dutch settlers . In early days the lives and livelihood of the people revolved around

3237-707: The USA for eighty years. In 1944 it had merged with the American Car & Foundry Company (ACF) to become ACF-Brill, and the new company licensed CCF in Montreal to build its bus designs for export to the mainly-righthand-drive British Commonwealth countries. Thornycroft was a United Kingdom -based vehicle manufacturer which built coaches, buses and trucks from 1896 until 1977. Thornycroft started out with steam vans and lorries. Naval engineer John Isaac Thornycroft built his first steam lorry in 1896. Thornycroft's first petrol vehicle

3320-628: The Van Riebeeck Tercentenary Exhibition which was held in Cape Town from the beginning of March of the following year, and which transport as used in the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and later Union of South Africa over a period of 300 years was embraced. These models included replicas of the famous Blue Train and Orange Express , a Natal mail train, and a typical coal train. On the old 4 ft 8.5in gauge there were representative models of

3403-487: The appended diagrams. However, due to the vehicle's age it was decided not to proceed with the alterations. Thus the family of A-12's also dropped into pages of history. Type = A-18 series 2 Total built = 27 Built in = Pretoria Shops Numbers = 165 to 194 (207) Date in service = 1914-1982 172 (frame & bougie) was used to build 207. The second generation A-18 (series 2), with four exceptions, all entered into service in 1914. Three were placed in service in 1918 and

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3486-457: The boat out of the water, facilitating high speeds. In 1910, John I. Thornycroft & Company designed and built a 25 ft (7.6 m) boat called Miranda IV . She was a single-step hydroplane powered by a 120 hp (89 kW) Thornycroft petrol engine and could reach 35 knots (65 km/h). In 1915, John Thornycroft suggested that the Royal Navy might use a fast motor boat – armed with torpedoes – for coastal service, and in January 1916

3569-509: The company opened a new factory for lorries in Basingstoke , and Thornycroft's quickly grew to become the town's largest employer. Later, the company also began building combustion-engine vehicles, and production continued at Basingstoke until 1969. In his quest for still faster vessels, John Thornycroft made several tests with different hull -shapes, eventually settling on a stepped hull for fast motor boats. This hull shape would almost lift

3652-414: The company received an order for twelve 40-foot (12 m) boats, which formed the beginning of a long line of Coastal Motor Boats delivered to the Royal Navy and later to other navies also. The Hovercraft Museum holds a number of hull models that John Thornycroft used for his experiments, using air-flow as a mean of lifting boats out of the water. The oldest dates back to 1877. He was knighted in

3735-494: The construction of the Montagu Pass, in about 1847, a stone toll house , with a thatched roof, was erected on the George side of the mountain. According to a proclamation in the Government Gazette of 24 February 1848, a toll gate was set up, and a tariff of tolls publicised. Upon payment of the prescribed fee the toll keeper would raise the bar across the road to enable the vehicle or animal to pass. The first toll-keeper

3818-604: The construction of the coaches Five of the eight coaches ordered, were specialised luxury saloons while the remaining three, were built to standard (C-31-A/B Blue Train) design. The luxury saloons included the accommodation for the Royal Family and other dignitaries. Use after Royal Tour Saloon R7 for the Princesses and ladies-in-waiting, was also made available for the (White Train) as coach no.39) renumbered No.51 in May 1969 and used as

3901-713: The correct "Whites" and "Non-whites". Having returned to South Africa, Baxter was soon signed up by SAR & H who appointed him master of a dredger in Durban Harbour. This left him ample time to continue modelling and over the years a wonderful selection of locomotives and rolling stock was built up which ran on a layout in his garage in Westville. There was a 16E, 8th class, 23 class, class 1, class 14R, class 6J, class H2, class A, class GO, class 12AR, class 6D. Many more coaches and freight wagons were added. All were perfect replicas and were built to run. The models were required for

3984-487: The family business. Edith Alice; Mary Beatrix; Ada Francis; and Eldred Elizabeth do not seem to have been involved. On his return from Scotland Thornycroft built the fast steam yacht Miranda in 1871, and thereby proved that small vessels could obtain speeds that were not thought possible at the time. The exploits of Miranda gave rise to further orders of similar vessels, including Gitana , built in 1876 and capable of 20.8 knots (38.5 km/h; 23.9 mph), which

4067-455: The first Cape Railway train, and of the original Natal Railways locomotive named "Natal" with wagon and carriage. There were also eleven complete trains representing the early days of the Cape and Natal Railways. Each train, passenger and goods train had its appropriate locomotive. The Transvaal and Orange Free State were represented by an original locomotive and twin coach, and six complete trains and representative and appropriate locomotives. Of

4150-455: The forests and given a government pension. What the visitor sees in the George museum today has grown from the private collections of one man, Charles Sayers . He was the owner and long-time editor of the George & Knysna Herald , a newspaper established by his parents in 1881. Sayers collected and preserved all aspects of his hometown's history, with a specialist interest in old mechanical musical instruments and typewriters which today form

4233-573: The founder of the Thornycroft shipbuilding company and member of the Thornycroft family . He was born in 1843 to Mary Francis and Thomas Thornycroft . He attended the Regent Street Polytechnic and then the Royal School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at South Kensington and at the same time, he began building the steam launch Nautilus in his father's study. Nautilus

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4316-451: The house Fancourt – in honour of his father. Today Fancourt is a National Monument and a well-known hotel. The main route from Mossel Bay to the Langkloof passed through Blanco, where a settlement of merchants was soon established. The village was also the main postal centre. This caused dissatisfaction among the businessmen of George, and so a direct link from George to the toll-house

4399-500: The lack of mulberry trees. Finding themselves without work some of these Italians drifted into the forests and joined the woodcutting community. Sons were considered to be an economic asset as, at the age of around 14 or 15, after very little schooling, they could assist their fathers in the forest. The majority of these sons eventually became woodcutters themselves. The Forest Act of 1913 required all woodcutters to be registered. In 1939 all remaining woodcutters were removed from

4482-494: The large and flourishing shoe industry J.K. Smith and Company, which was the forerunner of Modern Shoes Ltd. Other early toll-keepers were James Scott (1852) and Charles Searle (1858). The toll-house caught fire on 23 July 1855 and the entire roof was destroyed, later being replaced with corrugated iron. In the Government Gazette dated 16 July 1867, the toll-tariffs were: Each wheel of a vehicle – two pence; Animal drawing

4565-576: The last vehicle in 1921. With D.A. Hendrie as Chief Mechanical Engineer it was understandable that all these cars should bear a strong resemblance to their NGR predecessors - SAR type A-16. Notwithstanding their obvious NGR ancestry, these vehicle's could lay claim to being the first dining cars built purely under the auspices of the SAR. Unlike the Series1 A-18s, they were in no way (apart from influence in design) connected with any pre-Union system. Thus 1914 became

4648-655: The modern South African Railways models there was a comprehensive range of locomotives and rolling stock. During 1947, the South African Railways Administration placed an order with the Canadian Car & Foundry (CCF) for 113 model IC-37/41 intercity coaches, costing £7000 each. Intercity coaches were specially designed for long distance journeys, providing maximum travel comfort combined with outstanding mechanical reliability. The JG Brill Company . had been building buses, trolleybuses and railroad cars in

4731-408: The modern traveller. For instance, there is the rare George lily (Cyrtanthus elatus ), found near water in the deep ravines of the mountain, and a variety of ericas and proteas thrive on the fern-clothed slopes. Carpets of pink watsonias are a common sight during summer. The historic Montagu Pass between George and Oudtshoorn was declared a National Monument in 1972. It is open to traffic and

4814-422: The move it attained provincial museum status as a fully-fledged cultural history museum for the region, with indigenous timber and its allied industries as its main theme. The growing popularity led to another move, this time to the building, which had been the original drostdy (magistrate's residence and office) in the young town. The original "Mini Museum" has been re-created within the present George Museum. George

4897-526: The name Sandveld Type = Private Name = Constantia Total built = 1 Built by = Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Company , England Number = 14 (CGR NO - 521) Date in service = 1896 Tare = 63,200lbs This coach was also used by the Minister of Railways. An allocation list of July 1928 shows this allocated for use by Minister and General. In the 1970s and 1980s it was used on the Free State Region by

4980-547: The new ones delivered 28.4 knots (52.6 km/h; 32.7 mph) with the same power. John Thornycroft entered a new field of business in 1896, when he built a steam-powered lorry for his local Chiswick Urban District , and formed the Thornycroft Steam Carriage and Wagon Company . More followed, and in 1901 he made a breakthrough by winning the War Office 's competition for heavy lorries for military use. In 1898

5063-563: The nucleus of the museum's important collections. In 1966 he opened his "Mini Museum" to the public, housed in a single room adjoining a café in Courtenay Street. The people loved it and much encouraged by local authorities he moved to the original George Town House – the administrative building next to the market square which dated back to 1847. By now the Sayers Museum had attracted the attention of officialdom and barely six months after

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5146-559: The ostrich feather slump and a severe drought in the Karoo during the early part of the 20th century, many "bywoners" found themselves without work. Rather than stay in an arid region they crossed the Outeniqua mountains to find a livelihood in the forests. Forest settlements, such as Karatara and Bergplaas (1922) were started and many of the "dangerous" working-class people from the Transvaal were moved to these settlements. They were, however,

5229-681: The personal request of president Nico Diederichs . This coach is notable as it was the central conference coach of the train which was placed in the centre of the Victoria Falls Bridge in August 1975 in one of the early abortive attempts to bring about peace in Rhodesia . Coach R7 (Princesses and Ladies-in-waiting) The Royal Tour 1947 For this momentous occasion, eight new air-conditioned coaches were ordered from (Metro-Cammell Carriage & Wagon Company) In England. J. Stone & Co. Ltd. Provided

5312-486: The present level was reached some 6 000 years ago. The sea level then slowly receded to reach the present level about 4 000 years ago. The partial draining of these valleys exposed part of the coastal area, thereby forming all the present Wilderness Lakes except for Langvlei and Rondevlei . Martin (1962) postulates the Langvlei could have been formed by wave erosion preceding the last rise in sea level while Rondevlei, during

5395-579: The rear. While John's modelling technique was as close to perfection as anyone could want, his signwriting left much to be desired. So when the guards van needed lettering he commissioned a competent member of the Poole Model Railway club to do the job. All Hugh (I've forgotten his surname) had to go on was a side-on photo of the Afrikaans side, so, not being proficient in Afrikaans, "Blankes" and "Nie blankes" became "Smoking" and "Non smoking" rather than

5478-521: The river-steamer Peace in 1882 with that type of boilers, of the Herreshoff design. In 1885 his improved system was ready, and it became one of the most important of the 50–60 patents he obtained between 1873 and 1924. Built with the new boilers, the Spanish Ariete reached 26.2 knots (48.5 km/h; 30.2 mph) on trials in 1887, and in 1894 the yard delivered the torpedo gunboat HMS Speedy to

5561-533: The same time, probably originated as a wind-deflating basin. Ruigtevlei, to the east of Swartvlei , was a lake that disappeared, leaving a large area that is only inundated after floods (Martin, 1960a). During this last change (drop) in sea level, the mouth of Swartvlei Estuary moved 2 km eastward to the present position at Sedgefield , Groenvlei lost its connection to the sea through the Swartvlei Estuary, and sand dunes now effectively covered any traces of

5644-476: The sea-level dropped to about 130 m lower than at present as a result of the accumulation of ice in the Northern Hemisphere. Rivers then extended into the newly exposed coastal areas, cutting deep valleys into them. At the end of the last glacial period the sea-level rose again, drowning these newly formed valleys until, after a last slight rise and fall of sea-level, a level of about one to three metres above

5727-536: The summit of the pass. The headquarters for the construction was sited where Blanco is situated today. The total expenses for the construction of the Montagu Pass amounted to £35,799 of which £1,753 was spent on gunpowder. Five and a half miles of the pass had to be blasted out of solid rock. The building of the railway line over the Outeniqua Mountains, between George and Oudtshoorn began in December 1908 from

5810-419: The twin unit contained the dining saloon and bar, while the second vehicle provided the pantry, kitchen and staff quarters. The dining saloon was characterised by seven pairs of carved roof-supporting pillars and archers - a feature which would, in time, represent a Victorian atmosphere much sought-after by rail enthusiasts who thrive on living in the past. Conventional chairs provided seating for 46 passengers and

5893-479: Was John Kirk Smith, born in Nottingham , England in 1818. During 1849 he collected the amount of £400.13.8p in toll fees. His son William Kirk Smith was appointed toll-keeper in 1880. William and his son made "veldt schoens" (simple leather shoes) at the toll-house for sale to travellers and transport riders. Soon they had a thriving business and J.K. Smith, grandson of the first toll-keeper, expanded this concern to Market Street in George. From this humble beginning grew

5976-608: Was South Africa's last scheduled mixed steam train service and operated on the Outeniqualand Preserved Railway between George and Knysna on the Garden Route. Opened in 1928 and declared a preserved line in July 1993, this train winds its way through picturesque scenery. However, after a landslide disrupted operations in 2007 service was maintained on the section between George, Hartenbos and Mossel Bay. In 2010 Transnet,

6059-602: Was a fast boat with a reliable engine (also built by Thornycroft), and in 1862 it proved to be the first steam launch with enough speed to follow the contenders in the University race . The ensuing publicity prompted his father to purchase a strip of land along the Thames, adjacent to Chesterman's yard at Chiswick in 1864, and that became the start of John Thornycroft's shipbuilding career. In 1866 Thornycroft took over Chesterman's yard completely, and John I. Thornycroft & Company

6142-502: Was able to dampen rolling, it was not proceeded with. In 1894, Thornycroft and his employee Sydney W. Barnaby were some of the first to record the effects of cavitation during the tests of the destroyer Daring . The tests revealed that the narrow blade screws of the day ceased to be effective at high speeds, and as a result the screws were replaced by a new wider blade model. The old screws would do 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph) at 3,700 indicated horsepower (2,800 kW), while

6225-456: Was an astonishing speed at the time. Besides the yacht sales, Thornycroft found an even more lucrative business building torpedo boats . It started with Rap for Norway in 1873, a light vessel built of thin steel plates. The early torpedo boats were designed for spar torpedoes , but when a new generation of self-propelled torpedoes arrived from Whitehead in 1876, the torpedo boat really found its form. Thornycroft designed HMS Lightning for

6308-563: Was built in 1902 and the company completed the switch to internal combustion engines in 1907. This vehicle is one of the few remaining four wheel Thornycrofts still in existence. Type = Private Name = Tafelberg Total built = 1 Built by = Imported Number = 5 Date in service = 1903 Tare = 75,500lbs DRG No = 1682(Date 1941) Place for 6 people and 1 Attendant Used by the System Manager Cape Town South Africa-renamed in 1973 to Tafelberg. Also carried

6391-465: Was built in about 1882. This road was called Bain's Trace and was probably built by Thomas Bain , who surveyed the new route. The lakes originated about 20 000 years ago during the Late Pleistocene at the end of the last era of ice ages which was largely centred in the Northern Hemisphere. Consequently, these lakes can be regarded as geologically relatively young. During that last glacial period,

6474-651: Was formally established, but at the beginning, John Thornycroft did not work there full-time. Instead he worked for a while at Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company in Jarrow-on-Tyne before studying for a diploma in engineering at the University of Glasgow . At Glasgow he studied under Lord Kelvin and Professor Macquorn Rankine . In 1870, Thornycroft married Blanche Ada Coules (1846–1936) and they had two sons and five daughters. Three of their children, John Edward Thornycroft , Blanche Thornycroft and Isaac Thomas (known as Tom) Thornycroft would go on to be involved in

6557-452: Was intended for the White Train but only after the Royal Tour had been completed. This car being intended for specialised use on the White Train is undoubtedly one of the most luxurious diners in service on the South African Railways (SAR), but it was not used for general passenger service The car's saloon contains one large longitudinal table which can accommodate sixteen persons. The kitchen

6640-523: Was moved to the Green Point stadium in Cape Town. George has many historical landmarks: The First Class School for girls was started by Miss Christina Petronella van Niekerk, a "New Age" young lady with visions for the future which were very different from those ideas held by the conservative population of George. George is often used a base to explore Tsitsikamma National Park . The Outeniqua Choo Tjoe

6723-531: Was named after King George's second son Prince Frederick, Duke of York . One of Van Kervel's first acts as Landrost (Mayor), was to dig a furrow to supply the first thirty six plots in George with water. An 1819 map shows the original furrows and storage dam where they remain to this day in the Garden Route Botanical Garden . The first Furrow originated from the Rooirivier (Red river) and later

6806-570: Was specifically ordered for use on the Governor-General's White Train and was built by the Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Company, England. It was placed in service as Car No.126 in June 1947. This coach was neither intended nor ordered for the 1947 Royal train . It is often incorrectly linked to the 1947 Royal Train in the historical sense, but this is probably due to the fact that the car

6889-548: Was too large and needed to be sub-divided. George was chosen because of the availability of good water. In 1811 George was declared a separate district and Adrian van Kervel was appointed the first Landrost ( magistrate ) and the town was proclaimed by the Earl of Caledon , governor of the Cape Colony on St George's Day , 23 April 1811, and named after the reigning British monarch, King George III . The town's main street, York Street,

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