SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY CO. LTD.

In a past issue of NG Express the question was posed about The South Western Railway Co. Ltd. Of course as most readers already know, this used to be the little 2ft railway that used to run from Knysna station in the Western Cape into the Knysna forest to retrieve cut tree logs for the ship building industry in Knysna.
The following is a brief résumé of the railway extracted from the book “Timber and Tides” by Winifred Tapson.
“…Ox-wagon transport no longer could keep pace with the speed of life and in 1904 it was abandoned in favour of a 2ft gauge railway track leading out into the forest.
This little Pouf-Pouf bore the high-sounding title of the South Western Railway Company Ltd. and earned the nickname of the Coffee Pot. It had among its directors most of the leading local industrialists and its first manager was Carl Westveldt, who completed the 22 mile track in 1907. A year later he handed over the management to another Scandinavian, H. Noreen, who in turn handed over the reins to Alex Wilson. Alex (or Alec) Wilson was to see the little Timber Express through to its end on 30 April 1949 and was credited with being not only its general manager, but also its accountant, road and track engineer, locomotive engineer, emergency driver, traffic superintendent, ticket collector, guard, maintenance and custodian staff and the man to be relied upon in all emergencies. Tom Kennett was the unforgettable engine driver who drove the first engine in 1906 and through all the years following, until old age detached him from his love. Then Tom Botha took over until Nemesis fell (in the shape of swift motor vehicles) and Tom Botha it was who had the privilege, as well as the sadness, of driving the little Coffee Pot on its last journey of all.”