Travel

All aboard the vintage steam train to Cullinan

My little boy loves trains and when I discovered the steam train to Cullinan, I knew that this was going to be an adventure of a lifetime!

Friends of the Rail restores, preserves and operates steam heritage trains in what can be described as a living museum and they offer a unique way to travel back in time around Pretoria.

We were up early on Sunday to meet the train in Hermanstad in Pretoria. The journey to Cullinan is around 3 hours, so it is advisable to pack some snacks and some activities to keep the kids busy. The scenery is quite diverse, from cityscapes to farmland – so pack your camera!

We arrived in Cullinan at about 11am and set off to explore this old diamond mining town. The town of Cullinan is famous for the discovery of what became known as the Cullinan Diamond – the largest rough gem-quality diamond ever found.

We took a walk down the main road, which is like a living museum with beautifully preserved Edwardian period buildings complete with picket fences, cool porches, appealing little gardens and a number of restaurants and coffee shops. It is advisable to book a spot at one of their restaurants in advance, as they are very popular to day visitors.

Cullinan Mines are still in operation and you can view the big hole from a viewing deck close to the old train station.DSK20151129-1 DSK20151129-2 DSK20151129-3 DSK20151129-4 DSK20151129-5 DSK20151129-7 DSK20151129-8 DSK20151129-9 DSK20151129-10 DSK20151129-11 DSK20151129-12 DSK20151129-13 DSK20151129-14 DSK20151129-15 DSK20151129-16 DSK20151129-17 DSK20151129-18 DSK20151129-19 DSK20151129-20 DSK20151129-21 DSK20151129-22 DSK20151129-23 DSK20151129-24 DSK20151129-25 DSK20151129-26 DSK20151129-27 DSK20151129-28 DSK20151129-29 DSK20151129-30 DSK20151129-31 DSK20151129-32 DSK20151129-33 DSK20151129-36 DSK20151129-37 DSK20151129-39 DSK20151129-45 DSK20151129-46 DSK20151129-47 DSK20151129-48 DSK20151129-49 DSK20151129-50 DSK20151129-51 DSK20151129-52 DSK20151129-53 DSK20151129-54 DSK20151129-55 DSK20151129-56

Don’t miss their special Santa Christmas trips coming up on the 6th, 13th and 16th of December.

Friends of the Rail: www.friendsoftherail.com

 

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