EAST AFRICAN RAILWAYS

[Anonymous]

Another striking location with great historic trains is East Africa -- Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania. With the help of the British Historical Model RR Society, I am designing a Kenya layout from Nairobi to Mombasa on the Indian Ocean coast. For a sense of the period, get the DVD of Sidney Pollack's "Out of Africa" with Redford & Streep.
-- Robt
<[e-mail]>

[M636C]

I could recommend "Steam in Africa" by Durrant, Lewis and Jorgensen, pages 68 to 85 as an excellent source of colour photos that show both the dramatic geography and excellent detail shots of the locomotives, in the maroon and black with yellow lining, with cast number plates.

"The British Steam Railway Locomotive 1925 -1965" by O.S Nock has good builder's photos and basic information on East African steam motive power (and many other similar British export locomotives.

The diesels of the transition period were English Electric units with a vaguely Alco like nose and cab on a hood unit, also in maroon and black.

Peter

[Big_Boy_4005]

The movie "The Ghost And The Darkness" is another good one. It's actually about building the railroad. Val Kilmer plays Col. John Patterson, and has to deal with two lions that are eating the workers, while trying to build a bridge. The real lions are actually on display at the Field Museum in Chicago.

[Anonymous]

Thanks gang for book & movie tips. Also good source is Nairobi RR Museum which has fully restored Garratt with great water tank in front. Also for list of Garratts try: users.powernet.co.uk/hamilton/
Cheers!
-- Robt