In those early days - the 1700s - Simon's Town was truly remote. There was no easy route from Cape Town other then by sea and even then you had to sail around the dangerous Cape of Good Hope peninsula to enter False Bay and reach Simon's Town. It was possible to go over the mountains from Cape Town by horse and wagon but it was a rugged journey. By the 1800s, the authorities decided a railway should be built. This took place slowly due to the engineering challenge of siting a line along a coast buffeted by high winds and lively seas all year round, and a track that hugged the seashore only metres from the surf. Not to mention the quicksand near Fish Hoek that might swallow up any poorly laid line!
The railway inched south towards the coast of False Bay and reached Muizenberg in 1883, pushed on to St James, Kalk Bay and Fish Hoek and finally reached Simon's Town on the 1st of December 1890, to be greeted by the entire town in celebration. And since that time, the railway has played a vital - and sometimes intriguing - role in the life of the town. During World War 2, for example, Simon's Town was declared a closed port due to its strategic importance in refueling and repairing warships for the Allies. Only passengers with legitimate permits were allowed to travel onwards from Fish Hoek.
The line was electrified in 1928 and connects Simon's Town to Cape Town and the rest of the peninsula. Challenges remain: sand driven by fierce southeasters piles up on the line and stops service, the action of the sea undermines railway sleepers, aging infrastructure breaks down. But on a good day when the service is running well and you reach the coast of False Bay at Muizenberg, you have ahead of you one of the most beautiful rail journeys in the world along a coast rich with history and spectacle.
Happy travels!
I do love a good train ride, and that one is particularly charming; as are the roadways on either side of the peninsula. Thanks for the historical picture so colourfully drawn.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure!
ReplyDelete