Submitted on Monday, 10th January 2011 at 12:28:59 PM
The comments made by your correspondent are in the main correct, however there are some which are not.
Firstly, we as Reefsteamers are entirely dependant on Transnet for the operation of our trains. We are required by their regulations to have a member of their staff travel in our locomotive to ensure that we have a safe passage on the line. These arrangements are made well in advance of our date of departure. When we arrived at Krugersdorp, the person allocated by Transnet did not arrive. We immediately contacted them and they made arrangements for the relief person to take over. Unfortunately, he was an hour and a half away from the depot when he received the phone call.
On arrival at Magaliesburg Hotel, I personally advised passengers alighting that we would pick them up at 4pm.
On arrival at Swallows Inn, I again told the passengers as they alighted that we would pick them up at 3:30.
On the return trip when we stopped at Swallows one of the passengers remarked to me that we were late and that they had been standing in the sun for an hour. I took my watch out and looked at the time. It was 4pm. We were half and hour late.
On the return trip we had a clear run to Krugersdorp. From here we encountered signal problems. We had to stop at every red signal and phone for authority to proceed. This stop start operation of the train caused us to use more water than we would have used had we had a clear run. Again I personally, spoke to passengers and advised them of the problem.
When we approached Roodepoort station, the engine driver advised the Train Manager that the water situation was critical and a phone call was made to Transnet for assistance with diesel traction. We were told that the diesels were waiting for us at Langlaagte, only to find when we got there that this was not the case. Phone call after phone call was made and we were told the diesels are on the way.
We were as frustrated as the passengers and even more so because we could do nothing to make the diesels arrive sooner.
With regards the allegation that there were no cool drinks, this is not true. We only ran out of cool drinks at Langlaagte. We also offered the passengers free tea and coffee and cool drinks while at Langlaagte.
We regret what happened and we sincerely hope that we are not put in the same position again.
Kind regards,
Dennis G Edgar
Chairman: Reefsteamers Association
Submitted on Sunday, 19th December 2010 at 04:59:40 PM
I am afraid this is not a good review. We caught the train to Magaliesberg. We left the station at 9:15 and once we got to Krugersdorp ended up waiting 45 minutes there and close on an hour at a nearby junction, because "we were waiting for the pilot".
Once we got to the picnic site it was very pleasant, with a great venue. We were told to be back at the train track by 3:30 to get the train. The train finally arrived at 4:15 with no explanation given. There was no shade and we all had to stand in the sun for 45 minutes.
Then we started the trip back we crawled all the way back stopping at every signal because they were down. We eventually reached Langelagte at 7:30pm, only to be told the train had run out of water. What followed was 2 hours of promises of a diesel locomotive and the only communication was that they had no clue what was going on. We eventually called a taxi and arrived at the station at 9:30. Not very pleasant with hungry, tired children (the train run out of cold drinks on the way to the picnic spot).
While technical hitches do happen and we obviously had a very bad run of them, the organisation was pathetic and the communication even worse. I would think twice before going on this trip with children.
