Garden Route Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe | Great Brak River Garden Route

Garden Route Outeniqua Choo-tjoe

Previous page1st November 2009

Experience a day down memory lane, visit the Outeniqua Transport Museum before you travel on South Africa’s only remaining scheduled steam train, the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe.

Opened as far back as 1928 and declared a preserved line in July 1993, this train winds its way through the most picturesque scenery. Along fern covered hills, through forests, crossing rivers on low-level bridges, through cuttings and tunnels - the landscape unfolds slowly and unhurriedly. Pictures, which cannot be seen from the car or the road, come into view and delight old and young.

The pace is leisurely, the opportunity for photographs endless. An excursion that will stay in your memory for a long time to come and well worth booking.

The Choo Tjoe offers its passengers a unique, picturesque and scenic 52-kilometre journey experiencing the Garden Route with spectacular views of the Indian Ocean. The George / Mossel Bay line was officially opened by Sir Pieter Fraure on 25 September 1907 and was operated by the Cape Government Railways (CGR) by the New Cape Central railway (NCCR) until the railway line was completed as far as Oudtshoorn in 1913.

The railway initially traverses mainly agricultural land used for grazing. Two major rivers are crossed. These are the Gwaiing and Malgate rivers. After crossing the Gwaiing River the railway climbs towards the siding of Skimmelkrans.After Skimmelkrans the railway winds its way for 4 kms into the Malgate Valley. The railway crosses the Malgate River high above the river where large roundish holes can be seen in the rock of the riverbed. These holes are the result of floodwater rolling stones over and over in the depressions causing gradual, but noticeable erosion.

From Outeniqua the line begins its descendant to the sea. As the train twists around a large horseshoe bend, the hillsides fall dramatically towards the sea. The first seaside resort to come into view is Glentana. The view of the Indian Ocean with its foaming waves crashing on to the seemingly endless beach, is breathtaking. The train plunges into a deep cutting and then snakes through the only tunnel on the line. Emerging again into the sunlight, passengers have an awesome vista, which stretches away to the St Blaze lighthouse to the south of Mossel Bay.

At Great Brak River the original corrugated-iron station building, erected by the Cape Government Railways, still stands. Crossing the Great Brak River just after the station, one can see the remains of the supports for the original railway bridge. During construction of the line in 1906, a temporary wooden bridge was built over the river. There was great drama on one occasion when the bridge collapsed and a locomotive fell into the river.

After Hartenbos station the Voorbay marshalling yard and railway workshops are passed. In these workshops the steam locomotives, that haul the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe, are maintained.

Arriving at Santos Beach and the Diaz Museum Complex in Mossel Bay passengers have the opportunity to visit the famous Post Office tree, Aquarium, Granary, Maritime, Cultural and Shell Museums. (Entrance fee not included). Restaurants, souvenirs shops and other facilities are within walking distance.

Diesel Locomotives :

The Outeniqua Choo Tjoe may be forced to operate with diesel locomotives from time to time. This is because the line runs through an ecologically sensitive area in which there is a considerable risk of veld fires.

For this reason Transnet Heritage Preservation has entered into an agreement with Local Authorities that steam traction will be replaced with vintage diesel locomotives on days when the Fire Danger Index exceeds 52. (FDI depends on factors like wind and rainfall recorded over the preceding days. Forecasts of rain are not taken into account- and thus it might happen that the train will run with diesel in pouring rain- especially after a long dry spell. Also note that steam locomotives can haul a maximum of 5 coaches on this line and on rare occasions- when demand requires additional coaches- diesel locomotives may have to be used.