RailPictures.Net Photo: 34-003 & 34-914 Transnet Freight Rail Class 34 & 34-900 (GE U26C) at Springfontein, Free State province, South Africa by Eugene Armer
A week long maintenance closure of the Cape main line between De Aar and Kimberley resulted in the luxury Blue Train (as well as Rovos Rail and the Premier Classe) being rerouted via Noupoort and Bloemfontein on their journeys between Cape Town and Johannesburg. This provided a very rare opportunity to photograph the Blue Train behind diesels in the southern Free State, where the northbound 19-car train is seen in early morning light just south of Springfontein, near Besembos siding. Tucked in behind the pair of class 34 diesels are the two Chinese dual-voltage class 20E electric locomotives allocated to this train, 20 031 and 20 032, being dead-hauled between De Aar and Bloemfontein. The diesels are 34-003, one of the first three 34's imported in 1971 from GE in the USA, and 34-914 from the 900 series, which does not have the saddle filter on the roof behind the cab.
