Reefsteamers train to magaliesburg

Today we took the Reefsteamers steam train from Maraisburg station to Magaliesburg. The train departs a little after 9am, winding out of Joburg at a nice lazy pace. We had initially tried to book a 3 seater coupe, but they were sold out for this trip so we settled for regular single seats. This turned out not to be a great idea, the regular seating area is way too noisy for those of us without kids and the screaming tolerance they build ;) We were lucky enough to find a coupe who's occupants hadn't pitched and 'upgraded'. I'd definitely suggest anyone planning on taking the trip to hold out for one of these compartments, they make for a great experience. Make no mistake, these are vintage commuter trains in their original state, no Rovos level niceties, but they are a nice way to relive those old trips to holiday spots by rail.

After about two and a half hours of relaxed travel through the countryside (including some shunting stops on the single gauge track), the train dropped those travelers who had booked for lunch at the Magaliesburg Country Hotel, and then carried on to drop the rest off at the self catering picnic grounds. Sadly the lunch at the hotel wasn't much to write home about, but the dessert at Wimpy around the corner was great. Whether going with kids or without, I'd suggest skipping on the hotel dinner and rather going for a Wimpy burger or the picnic option.

The trip back was somewhat shorter at about ninety minutes, due to fewer shunting stops, but was no less relaxing-especially with bellies full of food.

Overall, this was a fun experience at a reasonable price. It would also definitely be a great way to entertain kids and introduce them to an older, slower paced way of doing things.

Posted via email from Matt's thoughts