The original plan called for a bridge and tunnel high above the Karringmelkspruit gorge. The ground was prepared on both sides of the gorge and a 70m concrete-lined tunnel was completed in August 1911, in anticipation of the construction of the bridge. Legend has it that the bridge was lost at sea when the ship carrying it from Europe was torpedoed during World War One. Despite being mentioned in various sources including The Great Steam Trek by C. P. Lewis and A. A. Jorgensen, this seems unlikely. The use of six reverses to replace the bridge was approved in November 1911, only three months after the tunnel was completed.
It is more plausible that the bridge, which would have been the highest in South Africa at the time, was abandoned for economic reasons. Instead a series of six reverses were built to allow the railway to descend into the valley and cross the river using a lower, shorter bridge. Although only five reverses were actually necessary to reach the bridge, the 1st reverse was added at Melk (a few kilometres closer to Lady Grey). The even number ensured that the train could continue with the locomotive facing forward for the rest of the journey. Later when the line was extended to Barkly East it was decided that as there were already six reverses, adding another two to aid the crossing of the Kraai river would not affect operations.
© Copyright Trevor Staats - used with permission.
In its heyday there were three trains per day between Aliwal North and Barkly East. The use of reverses limited the length of the train and also required the fireman or guard to get out and change the points at each reverse. There were two other places where they were used in South Africa, but in both cases were removed when the track was realigned.
On 10 October 1992 a special train organised as part of the Lady Grey Spring Festival derailed between Melk and Lady Grey, when a drunken passenger pushed the driver aside and opened the regulator fully. The train entered a section with a 30 km/h restriction at 76km/h and derailed on a sharp bend. Six people were killed in the accident, including three children. The line was closed after the accident, but was used once more in 2001 for a rail enthusiasts' special. Since then no trains have been run and the line is overgrown and covered with sand and rocks in places.
You can follow the dirt road and track bed on foot from the parking location (about 700m). The farmer (Ian Cloete, tel 051 603 7036 or 084 584 7836) is aware of the cache.
FTF: iPajero & iNokia