A group of 57 pupils from Ekuphumleni Full Service school had the ride of their lives when they embarked on a fun trip on the custom built TrainCo train operating from the old Port Alfred railway station last Friday. Thanks to local businessmen Don Broedelet and Don Friar, who built the train themselves at personal cost, efforts to promote tourism and extra-mural activities for children are being kept on track.
The excited pupils arrived at the neat, quaint station platform before queuing for the 55-minute ride up the line towards Bathurst and back before the next group hopped on for their turn.
The train driver waited patiently in his driver’s seat as the pupils lined up in their uniforms on the platform before sounding his hooter as the children waved to onlookers as the train slowly wound its way up the hill in to the distance.
Broedelet said the train would be increasing the length of the trips to 90-minute journeys after adjustments were brought to it. He said the train had already taken about 2,600 passengers on fun trips since December and the weekend was already fully booked.
The operators have had to cut away clumps of bushes at their own cost to clear a path for the train. Broedelet said the train was equipped with a double set of brakes and extra safety measures.
Teacher Bonginkosi Boma said the fun trip was more than just a leisure outing but also a learning experience for the pupils who were enthralled about the excursion since it was first announced.
- This article was first published in Talk of the Town, September 5, 2024. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays.
