Progress report 27 January 2026

Classic Rail, the successful tenderer for the return of the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe, has issued the following progress report as of 26 January, 2026:

The George / Knysna Railway Line was built between 1925 and 1928. It is now 100 years old and a privilege to restore.

Afritrack, under the leadership of Johan Laubscher, Dawie Moller and Lean Steyn, is Classic Rail’s track contractor. This company has one team (see photo) on site clearing the vegetation from the rail reserve – initially five meters on either side of the centerline of the rail. 

This team began working at the Sedgefield station in December, and has now reached the 12 km mark. The cleared material has been stored along the outside of the cleared area, for later chipping and composting. This is an important process as the dead vegetation could pose a fire risk. 

Members of the team on site report that on average one in four wooden sleepers will need replacing, but that the majority of them are still sound, despite being 100 years old.

The project has broken into two phases: Phase 1: The Waterfront Express – the Sedgefield / Knysna line; and Phase 2: The Museum Limited – from Sedgefield to the George Railway Museum. 

Classic Rail has exclusive rail access to the Museum Railway Platform.

BACKGROUND WORK

The remainder of the Classic Rail Team is working in the background, to select and restore locomotives and heritage carriages. Preparation for the development and restoration of all the historic properties along the line is also underway.

RAIL REGULATOR 

Classic Rail’s Daleen Endley and Carol Anne Matseba have helped secure the Rail Safety Permit from the Rail Regulator to clear and later operate the line.

FAIRLIE PROJECTS

Shaun Ackerman, of Fairlie Projects, is preparing a refurbishment plan for all the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe Locomotives. (Shaun has a long history with the previous Gauteng-based Reef Steamers.)

Initially, two 19 D locomotives currently stabled in the LA Workshop at the George Railway Museum will be road hauled to Fairlie’s Germiston Workshop for restoration. One will be restored as a coal-fired steam engine, and the other will be converted to an oil-fired steam engine – this will accommodate Fire Risk Days as determined by the Local Fire Chief on a daily basis.

On completion, these locos will be road-hauled back to Knysna.

One Class 32 diesel locomotive will be refurbished at the LA Workshop and then road-hauled to the Knysna / Sedgefield Line and will operate as an overall back up locomotive as and when required.

The remaining steam locomotives (as allocated to the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe Concession) are currently stabled at Voorbaai, and will be rail-hauled to the George Railway Museum Yard in due course. They will then be repaired as and when required, together with the other Class 32 Diesel Loco.

All the relevant Outeniqua Choo Tjoe spares currently at Voorbaai will also be transferred to George LA Workshop.

This work will commence shortly when all paperwork with Transnet Heritage is completed.

 LE ROUX CARRIAGE PROJECTS

Les Le Roux is a cabinet carpenter and builder who recently undertook the refurbishment of the luxury carriages for the Kruger Shalati Train Hotel on the Bridge at Skukuza in the Kruger National Park. He will be responsible for the refurbishment of all the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe’s 3rd class side-door carriages which are currently stabled at the George Railway Museum.

These carriages will be repositioned from the Museum Platform to the LA Workshop where they will be completely refurbished and redecorated. On completion, they will be road-hauled to Knysna via Humansdorp because of the current roadworks at Wilderness.

 SEDGEFIELD STATION 

Sedgefield Station will become the main steam train hub for the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe operating on the George / Knysna Line. To this end, a new turntable and running workshop will be built north of the current station. Concept drawings for this development are being prepared by Shaun Ackerman, and will be finalised by heritage architect Henry Paine, who will also contribute to the redevelopment of all the heritage properties along the George / Knysna line. 

The Owen and Donavon McCullum building team will be responsible for the construction and refurbishment of these heritage assets. Owen and Donovan built the Phantom Forest Eco Reserve that was destroyed in the 2017 Knysna Fire

OTHER WORK IN PROGRESS  

The status of all bridge repairs, and the appointment of the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe operations and marketing team are considered works in progress at this stage, and Classic Rail will report back on these aspects of the project in due course. 

SPECIAL THANKS

The company extends a special thanks to Cathy Averienos and Pam Booth who are guiding the environmental process, as well as to Knysna’s Dudley Isaacs, who has made himself helpful in many different ways. 

Further updates will be posted to Facebook @classicrailgardenroute and to the company’s website,www.outeniquachootjoe.com