GEORGE STATION (SOUTH AFRICA)
Choo-choos bring smiles to faces
| A train from George Station runs over a bridge on South Africa's southern coast. |
| On weekends children perform a welcome dance for passengers. |
| A bird's-eye view of downtown George and the Outeniqua mountain range |
| Ostriches graze in the suburbs of Oudtshoorn. |
Photos by Yomiuri Shimbun Photographer Eishi Miyasaka
By Shoji Ichihara
Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer
The "choo-choo" trains that run along the southern coast of South Africa bring smiles to the faces of their passengers whether young or old.
Running along the Indian Ocean, the 70-kilometer railway between George and Knysna passes through beautiful natural scenery such as lakes, cliffs, lagoons and sandy beaches. Steam locomotives operate on this section, known as the Garden Route. "Choo-choo," a baby word describing sounds of a whistle, has come to refer to the steam train itself.
Passion for the steam trains led Sipho Mokwena, a senior administrative officer at the Outeniqua Railway Museum, to write a folk song:
I Talk about Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe Train,
In a highly scenic line,
In a coastal line.
His orotund, rich voice is almost as powerful as the sound of locomotive engines.
"In such rich nature, modern trains don't fit. Locomotives puffing white and black smoke in the air are the best," Mokwena said.
The curator said he never became bored looking at the trains coming in and out of the museum where he works. The museum is part of George Station, giving him plenty of time to watch the trains.
The railway opened in 1928 to transport timber and farm produce, but made its debut as a sightseeing railway in 1993. Since then, George Station has been used as a bus stop for long-distance bus passengers. Trains conveniently depart from and arrive in the museum.
When I rode the railway, the rattling train shuddered to a stop shortly after climbing a hill due to mechanical trouble.
"This kind of thing happens a lot. Take it easy," said Mannetjies Visser while sipping coffee. The train's driver, Visser has worked on the railway for 32 years.
Although the train was stranded far from town, children began gathering, and passengers waved to them.
Despite the mishap, the choo-choo train brims with energy and attracts people, giving them a chance to make friends.
JAPANESE
The Daily Yomiuri, The Yomiuri Shimbun
