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  3. Southern Hemisphere

South Africa

Half a day of very different railfanning on one of the main traffic arteries in the Cape Town area.
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The Metro, in full swing.
17 / 19

The Metro, in full swing.

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  • The day at Stikland begins with an inbound passenger train crossing over to the "wrong" main for the final leg of the trip into Cape Town.
  • A freight train leaving the yard eastbound has this exotic array of "extreme funnel flow" tank cars in its consist.
  • While the freight still threads onto the main, this pair of electrics speed past with a short container train.
  • My host taking aim at a brand new Metro trainset.
  • Two switchers have gotten the signal to proceed onto the main with this caboose hop.
  • Doubleheaded class E18s make short work of this passenger train as it accelerates eastbound.
  • Another class 36 switcher brings this work train into the yard. The cars are reworked old cattle cars which are being used for work on the catenary.
  • An eastbound freight heads out of the yard.
  • A cut of gondolas with their doors sealed with PU foam. Quite innovative...
  • An older Metro EMU inbound into Cape Town.
  • Pedestrians have taken to crossing the tracks as a shortcut. This guy is trying to lift a shopping cart with his belongings across the track as a tripleheaded set of electrics emerge from the freight underpass. The derail in the foreground is lined against the movement so the train will have to stop here.
  • Which he does to let this colorful passenger train slip by on the main. The signal is almost hidden behind the pole on the right.
  • Kids, totally enthusiastic about being photographed.
  • A closeup of the freight. In the distance, the two engines on the point of the passenger train can be seen.
  • The two switchers from earlier come flying through the interlocking with their catch in tow.
  • Things can get busy at Stikland. The switchers enter the freight yard on the left, caboose in tow. An outbound Metro comes hustling around the curve in the center, and the freight still waits for its turn after the Metro has cleared. Through it all, an unending stream of trespassers heads every which way.
  • The Metro, in full swing.
  • And finally, after everybdoy has cleared the interlocking, the freight gets a move on. Note a movement is lined for the diverging freight lead on the main to the left and another inbound Metro disappears in the distance.
  • Sneaking by behind the freight, a light set of three E11 electrics heads for the freight yard. Here, the signal has already dropped behind it as it approaches the switch.
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