Page 97 - Bulletin 8 2004
P. 97
94
The Cape Times: 17 March, 1928.
ELECTROCUTION OF S.A.R. FIREMAN
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Wire Sagged Below Regulation Height
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Reuter South African Press Agency
SIMON’S TOWN.
Friday.- The Magistrate held an inquest today on Barends Johannes Jacobus Steyn, late
fireman of the S.A.R., who lost his life on February 19, as a result of coming into
contact with an electric wire whilst on the tender of his engine, which was going on to
the turntable at Kalk Bay.
A verdict of accidental death was returned, the Magistrate adding that according to the
evidence it appeared that, through some unknown cause, the wire had sagged well
below the regulation height, and that this was the proximate cause of the accident.
An electrician, giving evidence, said that the regulation height of the wire was 20 feet,
but when he measured it three days after the accident had occurred it was only 14 feet 2
inches. During the ten years that the wire had been up the road had been raised a foot.
The wire was now 17 feet high, and would be raised to 20 feet at the conclusion of the
inquest. That would give it a clearance of nine feet above the tender of an engine.
The electrifications of 1927/28 had been at 1500v DC. This became unique as the rest
of South Africa was under 3000v DC. By 1954 the Bellville and Cape Flats lines were
under 3000v leaving the Simon’s Town line as the only 1500v system in the country.
Meanwhile new, steel-bodied 3000v motor coaches, classified 4M1 and 4M2, were
replacing the 1M1 units. At first they had to work under 1500v power which
necessitated doubling up in order to have enough power until the system changed to
3000v. (Fig. 2.48). By 1955 the whole system had been converted to 3000v DC.
In 1961 there was much excitement when brand new sliding-door stock suburban trains
were introduced. Classified 5M2A, the first two sets began service in February of that
year. The colour scheme was most striking in its gulf red and grey after the dull imperial
brown of all earlier stock. (Fig. 2.49).
