Cape Town - Until my recent visit to George on the Garden Route, I’d never heard of a power van.
During a weekend trip my ever-resourceful sister-in-law booked us for a family jaunt on this little train that starts at the Transport and Rail Museum and journeys all the way up the Outeniqua Mountains to the top of the Montagu Pass.
The power van, a transport throwback to another era, is described as a motorised train trolley or rail bus. It has been in existence since 1999 and runs six days a week, come rain or shine. In fact, I’ve heard it’s particularly spectacular doing the trip in wet weather or just after it has rained. The decision to take a ride in drizzly conditions is given to passengers prior to departure on the day, as George, like the Mother City, can move through four seasons in 24 hours.
The power van is an attribute to George, providing a different tourism option from the usual Garden Route attractions.
The meeting point for passengers is at the station inside the Rail and Transport Museum in Mission Street. From the start, you feel like you’re stepping into a bygone era when you purchase your tickets from the friendly staff inside an old railway car. There are only two power vans, which seat up to 27 people, so it’s a smaller crowd which tends to make it more pleasant – big crowds just aren’t my thing.
Going up the mountain you face one way and coming back down, the seats are flipped over so you get a different perspective of the surroundings and a chance to be in or near the front.
Our guide, Annabelle Greenwood, was very knowledgeable, imparting nuggets of information during the three-hour trip. Driven by the ever capable Johan Boshoff, the van trundles through forests, with views of four passes and waterfalls, and through six tunnels. The dark tunnels are especially exciting for kids and even for adults. If I’m to be totally honest, that thrill never really leaves you.
The vegetation on either side of the track is lush, with many varieties of proteas, ferns, trees and fynbos.
On the way back down, there is a half-hour stop at a picnic site (so don’t forget to pack a snack). It used to be a watering point for steam trains – the old thatch building still stands on the hill. The panoramic views of the valley and town below are incredible.
At times the train travels parallel to the historic 10km Montagu Pass, built in 1844. It was declared a National Monument in 1972 and remains open to traffic.
Outeniqua roughly translates to “laden with honey” in Khoi. Early travellers’ stories describe the slopes of the emerald-green mountains covered with heather and swarming with bees. The highest peak in the Outeniquas is Cradock Peak (1 578m) and the prominent George Peak is 1 337m high.
The building of the railway line over the Outeniqua Mountains, between George and Oudtshoorn, began in 1908. The track was blasted out of the rock, and seven tunnels were excavated. The line was completed in 1913 and the official opening ceremony was conducted by Sir David de Villiers Graaff. The line continues from Oudtshoorn to Port Elizabeth.
When the power van returned to base we explored the Transport and Railway Museum. There are steam locomotives, 13 of them including carriages from yesteryear, such as a coach from the royal train of 1947 and Paul Kruger’s private saloon cars. There an old favourite, the majestic Outeniqua Choo Tjoe, which used to offer passengers a picturesque 52km journey on the Garden Route with spectacular views of the Indian Ocean. Sadly, the line was rendered unstable in 2006 after damaging floods.
A collection of classic and vintage cars, buses, fire engines and trucks kept my husband and sons busy for ages.
A photographic exhibition displays photos of the South African steam era. There’s also train travel poetry, and displays of crockery and cutlery previously used on main line trains and station restaurants.
Don’t miss the model railway room that is open on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. People can also view the model train set-up through large display windows and slipping R5 into the slot machine sets the tiny trains along the track.
The power van operates from Monday to Saturday. There are up to three trips a day at certain times of the year and it’s best to call for more info and to book a few days ahead.
l The trip costs R120 for adults and R100 for children (age 3 to 15).
The Transport and Rail Museum is open on different days and times (excluding Sundays), depending on the season, so see the website for more details.
The entrance fee is R20 for adults or R10 for children under 12 and those under 6 enter free of charge.
If you are booked to go on the power van, the museum visit is included in the price.
If You Go...
George Tourism: 044 801 8239
Outeniqua Rail and Transport Museum: www.outeniquachootjoe.co.za/museum.htm
Weekend Argus