Matroosbergstasie Railway Tunnel - 1876 (Revised)

(1st listing - 12 Sep 2024 - 633 views)
We love trains and when the opportunity recently presented itself to re-live a part of history where steam trains were the preferred mode of transport, we knew we had to be part of the experience to tick it off our bucket list. A group of mostly Jimny’s went on a 4x4 weekend break exploring the old abandoned railway tunnels and passes in the Hex River area. We met up on Friday late afternoon at Matroosbergstasie, our lodging for the weekend, where everyone enjoyed a relaxing evening around the braai before the excursion that lay ahead of us on Saturday. Early Saturday morning, the group was briefed at the campsite from where we travelled back in time so to speak. A clear reminder of reality was the long stretches of excavations – even in these fairly remote parts - where cable thieves unearthed valuable copper cables. This led to a few challenging traverses on the route where some guidance was required. The first highlight on the route was the Kaffrarian Rifles Monument which stood as a stark reminder in memory of 10 soldiers who died in a railway accident on 11 September 1914, when the train carrying troops from East London to Cape Town derailed due to the locomotive not being able to brake adequately on a bend on a descend. Just before the Tunnel Camp we were intrigued by a graveyard site of which very little is known. Next stop was the absolute highlight where the two train tunnels ran next to each other. The oldest was built in 1876 and used until 1929. The newer tunnel was decommissioned in 1989. The day ended at the Osplaas Dam with its beautiful scenery, before we returned to Matroosbergstasie and our eventual departure on Sunday morning. This was truly an amazing experience!