'Historic Return of a mighty Queen'
On a cold winter's morning just outside of Belmont in the Karoo, a historic event took place in late June 2023!
After a hiatus of more than 30 years, steam made its triumphant return to the Douglas branch line. This momentous occasion also marked the first-ever journey of a mighty class 25NC locomotive to Douglas since the line was upgraded from light to heavy track.
In this photo, No. 3437, accompanied by its distinctive 'worshond' tender, can be seen steaming out of Belmont under the watchful care of driver Mark Ruddy, pulling a freight consist.
