WESTERN Cape Finance, Economic Development and Tourism MEC Alan Winde heads for Wales in November to see how volunteers restored the Rheilffordd Ffestiniog Railway and gain insight on how to save the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe.

Transnet, meanwhile, said at the weekend that the re-launch of Africa’s last steam train, which should have taken place on October 1, would be delayed until mid-month.

The rail parastatal took the Choo-Tjoe offline in July for routine maintenance but experienced delays in sourcing parts for the train, which first took to the rails in 1937.

Winde’s spokesman said the MEC would attend the re-launch of the George to Mossel Bay line.

The Choo-Tjoe has been running from the Transnet Heritage Museum in George to the Diaz Museum in Mossel Bay since track on the Knysna to George line was damaged at Kaaiman’s Pass in floods in 2006 and 2007.

Initial estimates for repairing the line and refurbishing the coaches put the cost at well over R100-million. A steering committee was formed to find ways to save the Choo-Tjoe, which Transnet wants to close because it does not form part of its core freight business.

Earlier this year, Winde urged the public to make suggestions on how to save the Choo-Tjoe and will call a meeting for expressions of interest.

The spokesman said news of volunteers’ efforts to restore the Rheilffordd Ffestiniog Railway had been “particularly inspiring”.

Winde would meet Sir William McAlpine, best known for his work with the Flying Scotsman, an express passenger train service that has been running between London and Edinburgh since 1862, and hoped to gain insight into the restoration and operation of steam locomotives.