Friends of the Rail's pretty little Berkshire was designed and built after WWII to operate lightly laid branch lines. One hundred were built.

All of the Friends-of-the-Rails passenger stock and both of their preserved branch line locomotives seen on the heavily-subscribed excursion on the first day of the Southern Hemisphere Spring.

First photo runby of the morning with the preserved water-cooled milk van, a DZ and a swing-door surburban coach making up an authentic SAR Steam-Era mixed branch line train.

Viewed from the hills above the line this is a typical South African Railways branch line train.

The crew of Friends of the Rails Berkshire prepares the locomotive for a busy morning of rail photography. Picture taken 15 minutes before sunrise.

A classic steam-era branch line train departs from Cullinan during the annual Friends of the Rail photographic weekend. Note the concrete sleepers that are soon to replace the teak sleepers.

About a half an hour after dawn No 3664 performs a runby for the participants of Friends of the Rails 2013 Photographic weekend. The class 24 was the last class of branch line steam locomotive de... (more)

Friends of the Rails little Berkshire catches the last rays of the setting sun.

Friends of the Rails branch line locomotives double-head the Diamond Express excursion train into Cullinan. This working formed part of the annual photographic weekend.

An accurate re-enactment of branch-line operations in the days of steam traction. The vehicle behind the locomotive is a vintage milk van, cooled by water from the roof tanks trickling through th... (more)

Friends of the Rails Class 24 pilots sister engine Class 19D No 2650 towards Rayton on the old Pretoria-Delagoa Bay mainline. At the end of our photographic weekend the mixed train and the excurs... (more)

The standard light branch line engine of the SAR on a short mixed train during the recent photographic weekend.

Friends of the Rail's Berkshire makes a spectacular departure from her home depot with a short goods train. The rail on the left leads to the top of the coal stage, the last in working order on t... (more)

The sun has just risen on this pristine southern hemisphere winters morning. The combination of the warm colours of the winter veld and the steam plume caused by super-heated steam being forced i... (more)

The crew prepare Friends of the Rail's Berkshire for her duties. Both these engines are in regular use on day excursions to the nearby town of Cullinan.