African Narrow Gauge Steam

Steam powered narrow gauge railways helped to open up the African continent and today there are still some pockets of African narrow gauge steam doing exactly what they were designed to do.

Sit back and enjoy the sights and sounds of a form of transport that is fast disappearing.

Steam in Zimbabwe in 2015
There be Garratts double-heading in here and some hard slogging on steep grades

Copper mine in Botswana
2 ex-South African Railways still see service at this mine.

Steam in the mountains of Eritrea
In only 120km this 950mm gauge railway climbs from sea level to an altitude of 2349 metres (that’s a few hundred metres over 2km)

Old steam locomotives were still in regular use when this video was shot in 2018(?) and some of them put in an appearance.