It’s officially just about autumn… and nearly Easter. Yes, we’re all waiting to indulge in Easter bunny chocolates. However, another way to enjoy this holiday is to hop onto a beautiful old vintage passenger train, which is doing multiple trips over the next few weeks, departing from Kloof and meandering among the Valley of 1000 Hills.
And yes, of course, you can include the little ones. There will be an Easter bunny on the trains on Sunday, 17 April, handing out Easter treats.
High-back green leather seats, wooden trimmings, sand-blasted logo on the old pull-up windows, polished metal fittings and faded maps all add to the ambience of stepping back in time for a joyous ride from Kloof to Inchanga and back in an old-school vintage train.
The leisurely trip departs from Kloof railway station, traversing on the Old Main Line, meandering along amid the most picturesque scenery of the Valley of 1000 Hills, through one of the oldest operating tunnels in South Africa to the half-point destination, Inchanga.
Inchanga boasts a variety of activities – located in the Old Station Master’s House, the Inchanga Railway Museum is a delight of railway artefacts, including crockery used by the British Royal Family during their trip to South Africa exactly 75 years ago this month.
Another attraction is the model train which can be seen – along with Thomas & Friends – in the Modeller’s Shed on the station platform.
A selection of gifts, décor, home-made clothing, crafts, books, edibles and trinkets can be found at the Inchanga Market which also offers a selection of food for sale in the tea garden.
The organisers have partnered with local establishments within Kloof to offer passengers a discount when they present their Umgeni Steam Railway (USR) boarding pass (which is received with the collection of train tickets on the day of the trip). Visit the USR website to see the various partnership deals.
Booking is essential and strict Covid protocols apply. Book and pay within 48 hours to secure seats! You can’t say you don’t have plans for the Easter Weekend –get going!