The Great Train Race

The Great Train Race

Event Details

The race was not a “speed” race in the modern sense, but a precision timing event where the train, aircraft, and classic cars had to “converge” at specific points for the benefit of photographers and spectators. event held on June 23, 2018, was officially titled the “Trains, Planes and Automobiles” race (often referred to locally as the Magalies Steam Race). Organized by the non-profit preservation group Reefsteamers, it was a choreographed historical re-enactment designed to celebrate vintage South African transport.

The Steam Engines

The stars of the show were two specific steam locomotives from the Reefsteamers fleet. While several engines are rotated for these trips, the specific locomotives involved in the 2018 race events were:

Class 15F No. 3046, named “Janine”: This is arguably the most famous engine in the fleet. It is a massive 4-8-2 “City” class locomotive built in the 1940s. It famously hauled the Royal Train during King George VI’s visit to South Africa in 1947.

Class 12AR No. 1535, named “Susan”: A slightly smaller but incredibly powerful 4-8-2 locomotive. “Susan” is a favorite for the steep gradients between Krugersdorp and Magaliesburg because of her reliable “grunt” on the climbs.

Event Details

The race was not a “speed” race in the modern sense, but a precision timing event where the train, aircraft, and classic cars had to “converge” at specific points for the benefit of photographers and spectators.

The Start,

“The train departed from Johannesburg (Park Station) or Germiston, picking up passengers at Krugersdorp Station (the official start of the “”race”” section).”

The Aircraft,

“Vintage planes, including Boeing Stearman biplanes and Tiger Moths, flew low-level “”strafing”” runs alongside the train’s steam plume.”

The Cars

,”A convoy of over 40 classic cars (including MGs, Triumphs, and vintage Bentleys) raced along the R563 and R24 roads that parallel the tracks.”

The Challenge,

“The most difficult section is the climb out of Magaliesburg back toward Krugersdorp, where the steep “”bank”” requires the steam engine to work at full throttle, producing the iconic deep “”chuff”” and massive smoke clouds.”

The “Vreni” Confusion

You may occasionally see the name “Vreni” (Class 15CA No. 2802) associated with this event in some archives. While “Vreni” was the primary engine for the 2017 version of this race, she was under maintenance during parts of 2018, leading “Janine” to take the lead for the June 23rd run.

The accompanying music was custom-generated via Suno specifically for this video about the trip from Johannesburg to Magaliesburg in 2018. Thanks to all who contributed to this video remembering this huge event. The technology of camcoders in 2018 was not so great and difficult to improve the quality of the video .The lyrics (in Afrikaans) tell the unique story of this this beautiful event.
No pre-existing songs, samples, or copyrighted recordings are used; everything you hear is completely unique to this channel.

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