Leo does the Locomotion

This past weekend if was time for our monthly get away, and this time round Excalibur was the organizer. He heard about a commotion happening down in the Ficksburg area, and promptly decided we gotta go check it out! We left Sat morning and returned Sunday

I was navigating and we managed to make good progress. Proceeding started at 09:30 but there was no way we were going to make that, not with all our regular stops to refuel or quench our thirsts.

We arrived at Sandstone Estate around 1.30 PM and what an adventure awaited us. Sandstone Estate is owned by Wilfred Mole who is an enthusiastic steam locomotive collector and all things steam driven. The SA Armour Museum in Bloemfontein has strong links with the Estate and this year the museum was going to display several of their pieces (24 to be exact) at the event. This is where our connection came in, being ex armour officers. Visit their website: https://www.sandstone-estates.com/

We set up camp with the soldiers, and soon we were ooh and aaa'ing at all the wonderful old pieces of machinery. Really something worth seeing. Well that's really all I want to say, so I'll let the pics do the talking.

Meeting at Engen



Smoke break near Heilbron



Having some slang gif in Petrus Steyn



Time was catching us so we stopped in Senekal to buy meat

Another slang gif session somewhere near Ficksburg



Enterring the Eastern Freestate - really awesome scenery



Tents rising.... 



Time for more slang gif  ;D ;D



A very old harverster driven by several conveyor belts



.. and the steam engine driving the conveyor belts



One of the many Steam engines on the farm going through it's pases




Sergeant Major Sieg Marais with his pride and joy - a V8 Ford truck called Frikkie



An old Eland Armoured Car - also called a Noddy Car. Hell I spend hours in them, visited many interresting countries and people and ....... you know the daying 



A Steam driven truck - runs like clockwork 



A Russion built Stalin Orrel. Hell these things bliksemmed us big time during the Angolan war 



A wide view of the armour expo



The wrong side of a running T34 Russian built tank



A very old Model T Ford - serial number unknown



The steam truck taking on water



Here's where the fire is stoked - guess it was quite a fire hazzard on a wheat farm  :



Narron tracks running all over the place



The MG club car display



Bio Diesel Pump



Pub area...  ;D



This machine runs the generator that supplies electricvity to the  farm. Sweet sounding machine... 



As close to a train driver as can come  ;D  ..... Castle in hand. I guess he's off duty  :



Another train driver going to his job - silver trunk in hand. Put me right back in the late 70's



Another of the beautifully kept steam engines



We had a quick thunder shower, so we had to stick it out in the pub  ;D



Near the station, waiting our turn to catch a ride



All 11 of us climbed into one compartment, about teh size of a double bed. We really sqeesed in, and did some seriosu dopping 







We didn't go far where we stoipped do drink some diesel and dust with the soldiers.





One could catch a flight in these planes for a mere R800





Wilfred Mole adressing the people



More pics of the steam engines







Sunday morning early we were woken by the whistle of steam engines.







......while Excalibur was walking off his morning glory  ;D ;D



A group photo with all th esoldiers



Leaving the Estate Sunday morning



My favourite pic of the weekend



Another as it steams up the hill



Andre with an amazing backdrop



We returned to Gauteng via Clarens where we bumped into Hentie with his brand new 800 GS. He recons a 1200 can't outrun him 
.....the 800 mgetting some hints and tips from Honey 



The place where water from the Katse dam enters the Caledon river, Honey showing the diameter of the pipe feeding the water 









Group photo



Last stop for the customary B&C under the bridge outside Frankfort



That's all folkes. Thanks Excalibur for ornanizing. Was lotsa fun