Trip from Bulawayo towards Plumtree, Zimbabwe.
On 1st August 1992 the ‘Union Limited Zambezi’ tour train headed from Bulawayo along the mainline westwards towards Plumtree and the border with Botswana. The trip included several run-pasts with a variety of steam locomotives, including the Bulawayo Railway Museum’s 12th class 4-8-2 no. 190.
1-of-8) National Railways of Zimbabwe 'Garratt' steam locomotive 20th class 4-8-2+2-8-4 no. 730 'Insuga' (built by Beyer Peacock in 1954) heads west from Bulawayo towards Plumtree with a run-past of the 'Union Limited Zambezi' train, Zimbabwe, 1st August 1992.
2-of-8) National Railways of Zimbabwe 'Garratt' steam locomotive 20th class 4-8-2+2-8-4 no. 730 'Insuga' (built by Beyer Peacock in 1954) performs a run-past heading west from Bulawayo towards Plumtree with the 'Union Limited Zambezi' train, Zimbabwe, 1st August 1992. It is about to pass class 15A 'Garratt' 4-6-4+4-6-4 no. 414 'Ubhejane' ('Black Rhino, built by Société Franco-Belge in 1952) which is waiting in a passing loop on a freight train from Botswana, which may have originated in South Africa.
3-of-8) At Syringa, Zimbabwe, just west of Marula, National Railways of Zimbabwe 'Garratt' steam locomotive 16A class 2-8-2+2-8-2 no. 612 (built by Beyer Peacock in 1938) was waiting and was attached to the rear of the 'Union Limited Zambezi' train for the return journey to Bulawayo, 1st August 1992.
4-of-8) While the ‘Union Limited Zambezi’ train was waiting at Syringa, Zimbabwe, Bulawayo Museum locomotive 12th class 4-8-2 no. 190 (built by North British Locomotive Co. in 1926) arrived on the front of a freight train from Bulawayo, 1st August 1992. This was to be the pilot locomotive for the tour train for the journey back to Bulawayo.
5-of-8) The freight train which had arrived with 12th class 4-8-2 no. 190 on the front departs towards Botswana hauled by NRZ class 15A 4-6-4+4-6-4 'Garratt' locomotive no. 396 'Igogo' ('Klipspringer', built by Beyer Peacock in 1949/50) and passes the ‘Union Limited Zambezi’ train in the loop at Syringa, Zimbabwe, 1st August 1992.
6-of-8) Rhodesian Railways 12th class 4-8-2 steam locomotive no. 190 (built by North British Locomotive Co. in 1926) and 16A class 2-8-2+2-8-2 'Garratt' no. 612 (built by Beyer Peacock in 1938) perform a run-past with the 'Union Limited Zimbabwe' train in late afternoon between Plumtree and Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, 1st August 1992.
7-of-8) Rhodesian Railways 12th class 4-8-2 steam locomotive no. 190 (built by North British Locomotive Co. in 1926) and 16A class 2-8-2+2-8-2 'Garratt' no. 612 (built by Beyer Peacock in 1938) perform a run-past in the late afternoon with the 'Union Limited Zimbabwe' train between Plumtree and Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, 1st August 1992.
8-of-8) Just before sunset, Rhodesian Railways 12th class 4-8-2 steam locomotive no. 190 (built by North British Locomotive Co. in 1926) takes water at a stop between Plumtree and Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, 1st August 1992.
The photographs in these railway photograph galleries are available for use under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. Attribution should include a link to www.nigeltout.com.