STATION BUILDINGS VANDALISED

During the past year or so the Humewood Road workshop area has been vandalised to the extent that the workshop crew have had to move down to the Diesel Depot and set up shop there. Up until now the station buildings have escaped the attention of vandals but unfortunately over the past few weeks this has changed with vandals targeting the station toilets and office. All the buildings have been forced open regardless of the steel grids covering all the windows and doors. The men’s toilet has had its wash basin and toilet bowls smashed. The office has had all its light switches and main power switch-board stolen, ceiling boards removed furniture destroyed and trashed. There is no longer a water supply to the complex as some of the (plastic) water pipes were ripped apart resulting in a lot of water wastage before the damage was discovered.
As a result of all this carnage various options are being considered as a departure point in the future..

The “Apple Tavern” is already being used as a temporary ticket office on train departure days.
It has also been reported that while the train is out and the ‘car guard’ who looks after the passengers vehicles, is able to watch groups of vandals openly removing items from the area.
The Guard is not able to intervene for fear of his life. In the past two weeks Spoornet Security and the Development Agency have made a number of arrests.
Recently vandals or crime syndicates removed a number of large items and used an inspection trolley to move the items further down the track. Fortunately an observant train driver taking a load of timber to the harbour noticed the trolley on the track and was able to stop in time.
This is a sad time for the Apple Express which, has since its inception in 1965, seen many happy departures from the Humewood Road station with its quaint period style ticket office and buildings.

Coach No.100 in the workshop

The original owner of Bog Farm was Adam Guthrie, a former Mayor of Port Elizabeth, who acquired the land towards the end of the last century. The farm house, which was demolished as recently as 1972, was occupied by the farm manager, Mr John Martin, with his wife and ten children in 1896. The farm was run as a dairy and poultry farm. Martin Road in Springfield is named after John Martin.
The brochure extolling the advantages of the proposed Springfield Estate shows a picture of the “lake” surrounded by luxuriant vegetation. The plan however shows that the lake was a mere 150ft by 50ft with a smaller pool nearby. It was intended to keep that area as a ‘water reserve’ to supply the estate, by means of windmill pumps, with water to be distributed to the erf-holders by gravitation.
(Extract from “Looking Back”, newsletter of the P.E. Historical Society – June 1978)