From Bulawayo to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Victoria Falls was the ultimate destination of the ‘Union Limited Zambezi’ tour, and the steam-hauled journey there from Bulawayo took two days, slowed by numerous run-pasts for photography. Steam was still active on the Bulawayo to Victoria Falls line on freight trains to and from Zambia and on coal trains from Thomson Junction, originating at the nearby Hwange coal mines.
2nd. August 1992, Bulawayo to Thomson Junction
1-of-9) National Railways of Zimbabwe 15A class 4-6-4+4-6-4 'Garratt' steam locomotive no. 414 'Ubhejane' (‘Black Rhino’, built by Société Franco-Belge in 1952) performs a run-past as it heads the 'Union Limited Zambezi' tour train north of Bulawayo towards Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, 2nd August 1992.
2-of-9) National Railways of Zimbabwe 'Garratt' steam locomotive 20A class 4-8-2+2-8-4 no. 748 'Lukozi' (built by Beyer Peacock in 1957/58) has a stop for servicing at Sawmills, Zimbabwe, 2nd August 1992. The rather neglected-looking locomotive is in charge of a southbound freight train including a number of wagons of coal.
3-of-9) At Dete a locomotive swap was made with a freight train. National Railways of Zimbabwe class 15A 4-6-4+4-6-4 'Garratt' locomotive no. 414 'Ubhejane' (‘Black Rhino’, built by Société Franco-Belge in 1952) was removed from the ‘Union Limited Zambezi’ and attached to the freight train. The locomotive from the freight train, 16A class 2-8-2+2-8-2 no. 612 (built by Beyer Peacock in 1952/53), now heads the tour train, Dete, between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, 2nd August 1992.
3rd. August 1992, Thomson Junction to Victoria Falls
4-of-9) The smoke hangs in the air above the 'Garratt' locomotives as dawn illuminates the locomotive shed at Thomson Junction, Zimbabwe, viewed from the coaling tower. From left to right the locomotives are 16A class 2-8-2+2-8-2 no. 612 (built by Beyer Peacock in 1952/53), 15A class 4-6-4+4-6-4 no. 395 (built by Beyer Peacock in 1950/51), 20th class 4-8-2+2-8-4 no. 730 'Insuga' (built by Beyer Peacock in 1954), 3rd August 1992.
5-of-9) National Railways of Zimbabwe 15A class 4-6-4+4-6-4 'Garratt' locomotive no. 407 'Ukhozi' ('Eagle', built by Beyer Peacock in 1950) leans into the curve as it performs a run-past with the 'Union Limited Zambezi' tour train in the early morning at the Deka River bridge just after leaving Thomson Junction on the way to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, 3rd August 1992.
6-of-9) National Railways of Zimbabwe 15A class 4-6-4+4-6-4 'Garratt' locomotive no. 407 'Ukhozi' ('Eagle', built by Beyer Peacock in 1950) heads a run-past with the 'Union Limited Zambezi' tour train north of Thomson Junction on the way to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, 3rd August 1992.
7-of-9) National Railways of Zimbabwe 15A class 4-6-4+4-6-4 'Garratt' locomotive no. 407 'Ukhozi' ('Eagle', built by Beyer Peacock in 1950) heads a run-past with the 'Union Limited Zambezi' tour train north of Thomson Junction on the way to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, 3rd August 1992.
8-of-9) National Railways of Zimbabwe 15A class 4-6-4+4-6-4 'Garratt' locomotive no. 407 'Ukhozi' ('Eagle', built by Beyer Peacock in 1950) takes water at Matetsi while heading the 'Union Limited Zambezi' train between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, 3rd August 1992. The gentleman in the foreground with the two-way radio is Dave Putnam, the shedmaster at Bulawayo. Two-way radios were very useful for coordinating the photographic run-pasts.
9-of-9) National Railways of Zimbabwe 15A class 4-6-4+4-6-4 'Garratt' locomotive no. 407 'Ukhozi' ('Eagle', built by Beyer Peacock in 1950) performs the final a run-past with the 'Union Limited Zambezi' tour train north of Thomson Junction on the way to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, 3rd August 1992.
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