Just A Car Guy: Sandstone Estates, in the country of South Africa, in the Free State province

Friday, February 10, 2017

Sandstone Estates, in the country of South Africa, in the Free State province

The Sandstone Heritage Trust, which is based on a 170-year old working farm, is a private preservation initiative with a passion for doing things the old-fashioned way. The Trust preserves collections of traction engines, historic agricultural machinery, earth-moving equipment, and classic cars.

( trucks and buses to cars to earthmoving equipment, vintage trucks, Caterpillar scrapers, graders and bulldozers... plus an airplane and airfield )

1910 BSA railcar

It also has the world’s largest collection of two-foot narrow-gauge locomotives. The Sandstone Estates’ steam trains make up a collection of locomotives that have been restored for the enjoyment of many steam lovers from all over the world. One of the aims of the restoration project is to establish South Africa as one of the world’s top steam train tourism destinations.

dig the round windows in the front of the cab

One of the highlights of the calendar for steam train fans is an annual 10-day steam festival hosted at Sandstone Estates in March, April or May.

Sandstone Estates in the Eastern Free-State received the 2016 Business of the Year Gold Winner Award for Tourism

The farm was built up by the Wille family from the 1830s, who were originally German missionaries. Wilfred Mole bought the complex with his wife Linda in 1995 after making his money from becoming the owner of the Nokia franchise for South Africa. The farm has been 100% organic since 2005, producing wheat, soya beans, maize, and sunflowers, it is today held as part of a portfolio of international agri-businesses.

http://www.sandstone-estates.com/images/pdf/Introducing_Sandstone_Estates_Nov_2016.pdf
http://karoospace.co.za/living-the-steam-sandstone-estates/