When You Have To Go On A Luxury Train Travel Getaway

By Lorrie Castanedo

When you want to experience a luxury train travel trip you need to head over to South Africa. There you will find what the Vos family has done for people who want to experience this. Through their company Rovos rail you can now take a trip on a classic locomotive that has been refurbished, and made new. Not just one but many choices await you on this trip too.

Working on this project it began in 1987 when Rohan would make the first purchase and have it refurbished. Each of the new additions that are added through the years contains a family name.

That first engine is also the oldest of the fleet, Tiffany was a wonderful engine that was built during 1893. Built for the Cape Government and used for a line that would go from Johannesburg to Cape Town for years. The inside is done elegantly and will have you riding in comfort. While the outside has been made to look like the original, except for the addition of a boiler that is more efficient.

More additions would be added with the purchase of three 19D locomotives. All of which have aptly been named for family members. The three names are Shaun, Bianca, and Brenda. It's quite a story because two of them were actually purchased from scrap metal yards before being refurbished.

Still another five engines were added through the years too, these would be the giants of steam engines. The 25NC model is a giant of a model and one that Rovos has five total of to take trips on. They would have a new engine that would be placed into them they would help with the distance that they could run. The old engine would run one kilometer, with the upgrade it will now make it 400 kilometers.

Each of them do have a family name too, the first is Marjorie. The most difficult of all the locomotives so far to rebuild. Originally built in Scotland during 1953, a lot of parts were damaged or missing. She has since been rebuilt into a oil-burning classic. Her first year of service would be in 1999.

After that the Anthea would be added into the fleet. Another locomotive that was build in 1953, this time a company in Germany was the builder. It took little time to place this engine back into working order. Her first voyage was done in May 2007, when she would be taken on a steam safari that would go to Victoria Falls.

The third of these 25NC engines would be aptly named King Zog. He is the dog of Rohan, thus still a family member! It would have the first voyage after being redone in 2008.

Yet another two 25NC locomotives are in the process of getting redone currently. One was thought to be damaged quite a bit and possibly not be able to be refurbished. However, after better looking it was found that it would be something that could be fixed. Names have yet to be decided on these two locomotives. - 30326

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