Tracking the railway history of Queensburgh

STILL on the quest to uncover unique historic stories about Queensburgh, local resident, Paul Raw shares what he knows about the rail system and railway stations of Queensburgh.

The Natal Government Railways opened the railway line from Durban to Pinetown following along the old Voortrekker Road that ran from Congella Village to Pietermaritzburg on 4 September 1878.

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Heading West inland from Rossburgh, known as the ‘South Coast Junction’ to Pinetown, the railway line passes through Seaview, Bellair, Hillary, Poet’s Corner, Malvern, Escombe, (Bowker’s Halt), Northdene, Moseley, Glen and Sarnia stations to Pinetown Station.

The Kitson locomotive was the first to operate the main line.

During this time, the rugged terrain was mostly agricultural with farmhouses scattered on hilltops or ridges. Before being displaced by the Group Areas proclamation, Indian residents did market gardening.

Others owned shops, such as Timson’s and Kajee’s at Malvern and Salejees Hardware, still in business at Escombe.

Six months later in March 1879, the line from Pinetown to Botha’s Hill was opened and its extension to Pietermaritzburg on 1 December 1880.

The new rail facility allowed Durbanites to escape the humidity of the coastal city to the spreading hilly suburbs that were developing along the railway line. Residents living in the suburbs and working in the city could conveniently travel by train directly into the centre of Durban.

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Market gardners and small scale farmers living along the line could also move their produce to the Durban market with ease and at low cost.

The Old Durban Station finally came to a sad end when the new Durban Station in Greyville opened in 1981 closing a chapter in the history of Durban.

In 1924 four residential townships: Malvern, Escombe, Northdene and Moseley, combined to form the town of Malvern which formed part of eThekweni, the Greater Durban metropolitan area.

In 1952 Malvern received municipality status and changed its name to Queensburgh to celebrate Queen Elizaberth ll’s coronation.

Modernisation & Electrification.

As the railroad lines rolled through the changing scenes, seasons and territories of KwaZulu-Natal, so time cuts its in-roads into technical advancements. With the elements of a bigger population the rail system had to move, literally with the times. Considerable modernisation took place, notably in regard to its traction. Steam power on the Queensburgh route was replaced with electric and diesel traction in the late 50’s.

Malvern Railway Station (9.5km – 170 m above sea-level) was built in wood & iron in 1897; the new brick and tile building of 1937 is the same architectual style as Northdene Railway Station and is situated parallel to Main road. Malvern took its name from a town in England. In early days a wood and corrugated iron goods shed stood along-side the main station building from where consumers made collections by mule or ox-wagon.

The station serves the Malvern CBD and provides local workers with easy access to their places of work as well as school children attending the nearby schools. The main station building remains in its original style, however more modern facilities around the building have been erected. The station complex is surrounded by an attractive white ornamental palisade fence.

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