Trains

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Tuesday, 11th April 2017

The train doesn’t stop here anymore………..

Well actually it never did. Uniondale never had a rail connection, unlike Oudtshoorn which is on the mainline. That is why Uniondale never grew to be a BIG town. But we like it that way! The nearest station was called Uniondale Road, later changed to Barandas and there was a road transport service to connect the two places. This was discontinued in the 1980’s.

In the next valley – the Langkloof, the little narrow-gauge Apple Express passed via Haarlem and terminated at Avontuur. Steam engines used to chuff through the villages, collecting the apples and pears in fruit wagons to deliver to Port Elizabeth for export. Sadly, the service was discontinued by the National railway operator in the early 1990s since it was claimed to be outmoded.

Steam Train through Haarlem

Barandas Station

Historic photo of a steam train in Haarlem.

Steam Train in Toorwater Poort

Steam Train at Toorwater Station

Steam Train in Toorwater Poort

Toorwater Station