Outeniqua Transport Museum

In today’s world, very little of worth is free of charge. However, this column features just such a spot! In George, the Outeniqua Transport Museum, or the Transnet Transport Museum as it is officially known (it is one of Transnet Heritage Foundation collections), houses an epic collection of train engines, vintage cars, ox-wagons, vintage fire engines and even a funeral hearse from the last century. Basically, anything that moved on wheels until around the 1950s. In effect, this unique display features the history of Transnet. This is the only display I have ever seen to rival the collection of trains at Sandstone Estates in Ficksburg.

The collection is housed in George, in the former PX-goods shed built in 1932 – which adds an authentic atmosphere to the exhibits. The name “PX-goods” hails from “Post Exchange of the U.S. Military” back in the day. The museum was opened on 24 September 1998 by the South African Railways and Harbours (SAR&H) as a tribute to the country’s transportation heritage. The collection also has interactive displays and models that illustrate the evolution of transport in the region, from the first ox-wagons to modern day machines. All the vehicles are maintained in top notch condition – this truly is a gem of a museum.

One of the most striking displays in the museum is the collection of steam locomotives, some of which date back to the early 20th century. These Iron Ladies that once ruled the railway lines of South Africa are both seriously impressive and beautiful in equal measure.

The small prestigious Emil Kessler was the first locomotive to operate in the old Transvaal Republic – and was declared a South African National Monument on 6 April 1936.  She was taken out of service in 1903 after having travelled about 181 000 km. The engine weighs 12,7 tonnes and was manufactured by Emil Kessler of Esslingen in Germany. It journeyed from the coast by ox-wagons and was unloaded piece by piece in the open veld at Elandsfontein (Germiston) where it was assembled in 1889 by A.W.Fohren and two mechanics.

An excellent selection of privately owned vintage cars is also on display. Other exhibitions of interest are the elegant crockery and cutlery used on main line trains and in station restaurants, locomotives number plates, makers plates, fire engines, road transport vehicles, furniture and many other rail-related items. 

The museum houses the last surviving Victoria Class locomotive in the world, which was used to pull trains along the Garden Route in the early 1900s. It also has a replica of a Cape Cart – the primary mode of transport for settlers and farmers in the Cape Colony during the 1800s. The “Wagon of Hope” (donated to the museum by the French government in 1997 as a symbol of reconciliation between South Africa and France) was used by the Red Cross during the Second Boer War to transport wounded soldiers. The museum also has a unique collection of vintage fire engines, including a 1938 Ford, which was used to fight fires in George until the 1950s.

The museum includes a photo gallery depicting stunning photos of South African steam trains, a collection of steam locomotive number plates and makers plates, and a model train room. You can also take in some inspiring train-related poetry.

This is also the venue from whence the Power Van (a restored steam train, which takes passengers on a scenic journey through the picturesque Outeniqua Mountains) departs, but we were out of time and the weather was shocking (rain, wind etc). As they say, always leave something for another visit!

For those of you old enough to remember “the good old days” of the South African Railways, this will be a trip down memory lane. For the rest, this is simply an intriguing walk through a historic era…

Jacqui Ikin & The Cross Country Team

INFO BOX:

Address: 2 Mission Rd, George Central, George, 6529
Business Hours

• Mon to Friday: 08h00 to 16h30.
• Saturdays & Public Holidays: 08h00 to 14h00.
• Sundays : Closed

Emails:  Samkelisiwe.kunene@transnet.net or Heritage2@transnet.net
Phone: +27 (0) 44 801 8289

The museum can even be booked for weddings, corporate functions, product launches and other events. 

OUTENIQUA POWER VAN 
Email: george@powervan.co.za
Website: www.powervan.co.za
Phone: +27 (0)44 801 8239   
Cell: +27 (0)82 490 5627