POLOKWANE – Residents were amazed by an unusual sighting in the city’s streets earlier today.
Three Traxtion Sheltam trains were spotted along Witklip Street and the R521, and Polokwane Review decided to go and have a look.
According to Transnet, Sheltam Rail operates and maintains rail lines for or on behalf of various clients.
“Situated in the Randfontein and Virginia areas, Sheltam operates virtually the entire rail system for the gold mining industry in these areas. The gold mines have some of the longest privately owned railway lines in Southern Africa. Sheltam hauls gold ore from where it is mined to the extrusion and finishing plants where the gold is extracted from the ore,” their statement reads.
One of the truck drivers, who opted to remain anonymous, says the trains were bought in Gauteng. He said the trains are, however, too high to be used on the rails that side, and that they will now be transported to Musina, to be used in the mines.
“These type of trains are not used to carry passengers, as you can see there are not even windows on them. They are being transported to the mines where they will most probably be used to supplement trucks that are used to carry goods from one point to another,” he explained.
The truck driver said it took them four days to transport these three trains from Gauteng to Polokwane, and that it will likely take them another day before they reach Musina.
“We are unable to travel on the N1 as the trucks with the trains on them, are too high to pass under the bridges on the road. We therefore need to rely on other roads to transport the trains,” he concluded.
Three more trains are expected to arrive in the city by Tuesday.
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