Page 55 - Bulletin 8 2004

52

by contractors. The first section, that from Kalk Bay to Fish Hoek, was carried out by
Messrs. W. Wilkinson & Son, of Cape Town, whose long experience in railway
construction in South Africa and other countries stood them in good stead. The next
piece was undertaken by Government, and the following ones by Messrs. Storrier and
Wheeler, whilst Government followed on and finished. Many hundreds of men have
been engaged in carrying out the engineers’ plans, and it is said that a great deal of
unnecessary expense has been incurred by importing skilled artisans to do work which
“could” have been done as well by Colonial people. The Simon’s Town station is a
solid, substantial-looking structure, well adapted for the purpose for which it is
designed. It contains a suite of rooms for the use of the stationmaster, waiting-rooms, an
airy booking-office, porters’ room, &c., and was also built by Messrs. Wilkinson. The
platforms are about 400 feet long. The gauge of the line, like that of the other Colonial
lines, is 3 feet 6 inches. Naturally, the construction of the railway has been heartily
welcomed by the people of Simon’s Town, and it is expected that they will provide it
with plenty of traffic. Chiefly, however, the line is of importance from a defensive point
of view, as it connects Cape Town with the important coaling station of Simon’s Bay. If
there is weak point it undoubtedly appears to be the nearness of the metals to the sea,
and it is not unlikely that the cost of keeping the groundwork of the line in order will act
as a heavy toll on the receipts. It is to be hoped, it need hardly be added, that such fears
will prove groundless, and that the line will form a valuable addition to the railway
system of the Colony.

Various elements and stretches of the line shortly after construction are shown in Figs.
2.16 – 2.19.

On Monday 1 December 1890 Cecil Rhodes opened the line formally, after alighting

from the first train with the other dignitaries. (Figs. 2.20 & 2.21). Invited guests then

proceeded to the British Hotel for luncheon and speeches. A full account of the day’s
proceedings appeared in the press the following day.

The Cape Times: Tuesday, 2 December, 1890.

Opening up the Cape Peninsula
______________

THE SIMON’S TOWN RAILWAY

Yesterday, amidst popular rejoicings of a heartiness and extent unheard of in the
previous history of Simon’s Town, the Cape Colony’s newest railway – or one of them,
for the Vryburg line was opened yesterday also – was opened for traffic. The line, of
which technical details were set forth in these columns last week, has been long fought
for and eagerly expected, and the inhabitants of the Naval station made up their minds