RELAYING TRACK TO MADONELA - UMZIMKULU

Work has just begun on the section between Ncalu siding and Madonela. Tenza and his team began levelling the track bed and laying sleepers - all by hand on 14 March 2005. The photos show where the ballast has been removed by the land owners and the drains destroyed. The original track bed has been used as a road.

Laying sleepers out of Ncalu siding towards Madonela.	Levelling track bed. The line has been uplifted and sold by ACR to Welsh Higland Railways.	Crossing into the neighbouring farm - leveling the bed where clearly the ballast has been removed
Selby Dlamini from Spoornet inspecting laying line to Madonela - km 19	Track laying proceeding to km 20	Track bed on way to Madonela
Reservoir in the middle of the track bed at   km 21	Bridge at Madonela	Bridge over dam at Madonela km 27
Spraying the Extension of line to Madonella	Inserting sleepers and ballast approx km 22	Laying line just beyond km 22
NGG11 no 55 on the Ncalu Extension after some 25 years	View of the valley below near the end of the extension	Thanks to Total Ixopo the project can continue. The project was put on hold when Spoornet suddenly closed the Banana Express - 35 people were dismissed or lost contracts. Workers departing from Ncalu station.
A very much relieved Tenza and the track gang resumed duty on Monday 7 August. Here some of the labourers are loosening bolts for sleepers	Moving 18m lengths of line from 2 km up the line	Moving line into position
The T bolt loosening operation has been moved down to Ncalu	Extracting line using the diesel Hunslett	Lossening bolts and view of reservoir
Removing Reservoir on the way to Umzimkulu	The end of the obstruction	Unhappy landowner having his say
Railway line now in place where reservoir once stood