OX-WAGONS RESTORED

In the 1800s there were more than 100 000 ox-wagons in South Africa, according to Erik HOLM. Erik restores ox-wagons, something he's done for more than 20 years. He's currently working on 16 wagons that are destined for game reserves as transport for visitors. Erik is a well-known entomologist who loves history. His interest in ox-wagons started in the 1980s. He restored his first ox-wagons for use on the guest farm Saartjiesnek in the Magaliesberg. his led to people donating old ox-wagon parts and requests for more restorations. He's restored more than 300 wagons so far. His daughter, Louise helps with the paint work. Erik is alwayss looking for ox-wagons, in part or in whole.

1895 LOCOMOTIVE RESTORED

The Sandstone Heritage Trust's Sandstone Estate near Ficksburg is well-known for the preservation of steam locomotions and trains. Earlier this month, another locomotion, a Falcon dating from 1895, arrived in Ficksburg, from Bloemfontein. Lukas NEL of Bloemfontein worked for the railways for 42 years. Now he restores old locomotives and trains. Restoration work on the Falcon took five months, working mostly from old photographs. It was restored to its 1914 state. It was originally bought in 1895 by Cecil John RHODES because President Paul KRUGER would not let trains through the Transvaal to Rhodesia. So RHODES built a narrow gauge railway line from Beira to Rhodesia, and bought the Falcon. In about 1914, the South African Railways bought the locomotive to use in South West Africa. In the 1920s a narrow gauge railway line was built between Upington and Kakamas, and the Falcon saw service there. For the last 30 years or so, the Falcon was at the James Hall Museum in Johannesburg. The Sandstone Heritage Trust obtained permission to restore it and bought it. The only other Falcons in working condition in the world are also at Sandstone Estate.