Doctor Willy, I presume? A Zambia Trip Report

[thailazer]

Great photos. Makes me want to re-read all the Wilbur Smith books as it has been years.

[DrWilly]

Great photos. Makes me want to re-read all the Wilbur Smith books as it has been years.

I enjoyed those books years ago also. Wilbur Smith passed on a couple of years ago, and was born in Zambia, or in those days North Rhodesia.

Anyway, back to our trip. There is a steam train , built in 1951 that one can ride that travels from Livingstone to the Victoria Falls Bridge and back a couple of times a week. The fare was a little pricey but worth it as they include free flow booze, and a 5 meal which was very good. They will pick you up from your hotel.

When we arrived it was a little drizzly and when we arrived I noticed this engine, but it was not the one driving the train this evening. I presume one our of resident train spotters will know what type this engine is.

The lounge and dining cars were built in 1923 in England, but had been refurbished since then. Lovely seating and carpeting made the journey feel very swish.

Single railway gauge, we passed one of those passing loops that allow a train to move off the main track and allow another to pass by.

The falls looked spectacular from here. The water flow is estimated to be as high as 500 million litres of water per minute in March/April the height of the wet season. I think this was a bit less given it was December and they tell me that rainy season hasn't really started properly in the region yet. Climate Emergency folk will tell me it's proof, but as a trained geologist I'm pretty sure that this is just normal variation in the earth's patterns. But let's not dwell on politics or climate in this thread.

The train cars in all their glory.

No, it's not a selfie. These buggers are everywhere in Africa looking to steal food. Earlier at one resort a smaller one of these buggers stole my bacon cheeseburger which I wasn't much happy about. Next tine I will ensure I am sitting at the table before staff bring my food out.

It's a type 1 blah blah blah engine built in 1953 in England and shipped to Rhodesia. It's certainly a marvel of engineering. Apparently it takes 4 hours to get to a full head of steam. At the bridge the train stopped and allowed all passengers to disembark and take phots of the sunset, but trinkets from a few sellers, and clamour into the engine and blow the whistle.

[DrWilly]

I think the software only allows 6-10 photos per post. At the Bridge we enjoyed the sunset views.

Just to the left of this picture was a platform for the bungee jump. All on a land border bridge between two countries. I mentioned earlier that there are a variety of adventure activities that one can do at Livingstone. But I'm not going to do that. A leisurely 5 course meal and a dozen beers on a train is adventure enough for this simian.

The young kids spent a good 30 seconds jumping into and out of Zambia and Zimbabwe at this point.

And suddenly the dreary day turned picturesque in the golden hour. Which in African seems to be a golden 10 minutes or so.

We had a choice of an outdoor car or indoor cars but you could move around as you pleased.

And then dinner was served. I forgot to take any pics but it was pretty good. the wifey took one of them instagrammy picture arrangements.

[DrWilly]

My moan for the trip is that the staff were at pains to explain we had to dress up for the trip. Even Master Willy who is only 10 was required to wear long pants, a collared shirt and closed shoes. We hadn't packed long pants for our trip to Zambia, so had to go into town earlier that day and buy him some pants. Which we duley did for fear of being denied boarding at the start of the trip.

Yet they let this Chinese fella on wearing wife beater, shorts and sandals. Literally breaking every 'rule' we had ensured we complied with.

[Shutree]

When we arrived it was a little drizzly and when we arrived I noticed this engine, but it was not the one driving the train this evening. I presume one our of resident train spotters will know what type this engine is.

If it has always had the same running number 156 then it was built for Rhodesia Railways about 1922 by the North British locomotive Company in Glasgow. NBL was then the largest locomotive factory in Europe and shipped steam locomotives all over the old empire in addition to having many domestic customers.
The engine hauling your train looks like one of the huge Garratts from the '40s or '50s. They were built by Beyer, Peacock in Manchester.

[DrWilly]

Green owed.

Do you mean this running number thingy?

[Shutree]

Do you mean this running number thingy?

Yes, 523 was one of eighteen Garratts made by Beyer, Peacock in 1953. They were very unusual, articulated 2-6-2+2-6-2, basically two locomotives paired up. Very powerful. The design went back to the 1920s.

[DrWilly]

They were very unusual, articulated 2-6-2+2-6-2,

Sorry, you'll need to explain what those numbers mean.

[malmomike77]

wheel arrangement

[DrWilly]

wheel arrangement

I knew that much.

[Shutree]

Sorry, you'll need to explain what those numbers mean.

It is known as the Whyte notation, after the American engineer who created it for steam locomotives about 1900.
For example, you might see 2-6-4, describing two leading wheels, (one axle) usually on a free floating frame, 6 driving wheels, then four trailing wheels, usually fixed to the main frame.
A small shunter might be an 0-6-0.
The Garratts were unusual and someone added the "+" between the two parts.

[DrWilly]

A quadripoint is a place where four different States or countries meet. For some while the shifting sands of the mighty Zambezi river meant that a genuine national quadripoint existed between Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia.

In the 70's there was some shots fired over a ferry using this crossing because South Africa did not recognise it as a qaudripoint, but Zambia and Botswana did.

Over the last decade the four nations agreed that Botswana had a land border of 150 metres (second shortest in the world after Morocco & Spain).

A bridge was agreed upon and built opening in 2021.


The why's are all very interesting, but why does Namibia has such a long extension into Botswana and Zambia. Apparently this was agreed upon at the end of WWII and the Germans wanted a river connection to the Indian Ocean via the Zambezi river through Zambia and didn't realise that Victoria Falls, literally 40 metres away prohibited travel upstream. It's known as the Caprivi strip. But surely this is just a funny tail, I cannot believe the Germans would be that dumb...?

Anyway, we planned to cross the river into Botswana for a game drive and river cruise. Chobe national park is supposed to be very impressive and some friends of mine were there earlier and even managed to spot a wild leopard. Most of my family is Aussie and so dont even need a visa. Though for some reason we had to show birth certificates to go with the kids passports (electronic versions were fine) and the missus could get a visa on arrival for $50. We paid for a day trip, you get picked up at 6:30am the hotel, who even kindly agreed to pack us a breakfast as their kitchen only opened at 6:30 and lunch, game drive, river cruise and everything was covered.


And then this happened.

Food poisoning; 12 hours of being attached to a drip.

So no Botswana or Chobe national park.

[Edmond]

Now that's the way to travel.

I'd be all over that trip like a vulture on a Chitty steak.


Did a train loop around China years and years ago. Mekhong boat from Chiang Rai for 2-3 days ending up at Kunming, then around the country in a loop over 2 months or so. Though nothing like those engines.

[Molle]

I presume one our of resident train spotters will know what type this engine is.

Thomas the tank engine!

[david44]

Food poisoning; 12 hours of being attached to a drip.

Get wells soon always a bummer to be sick away from base and lose holiday op

Wish you a speedy recovery, welcome here pop up to the safety of our tripoint Golden Traingle next time, we got drugs for everything but no giraffes but some of the Karen ladies stick their neck out aways, I think mainly a tourist racket .

TD will survive without my dribble but unimageinable without a Willy

[DrWilly]

Get wells soon always a bummer to be sick away from base and lose holiday op

Wish you a speedy recovery

Cheers, all good now aside from a few holes on the back of my hands. Insurance covered the bill but I’m still waiting on the refund on the Botswana trip we canceled. Like all things in Africa that will occur in good time.

[Joe 90]

Thomas the tank engine!

Close but no cigar.

Looks like a Puffing Billy or maybe a Huffing Willy after being on that ruddy drip for half a day.

Great trip report with some interesting information!

[thailazer]

Coworker years ago came back from a trip like yours and he had swelling on top of his hand. A few days later it started moving and we told him to get to the ER! Turns out he brought back a Bot Fly as a stow-away. Luckily the doc had worked in Africa and knew how to handle it.

[Joe 90]

Coworker years ago came back from a trip like yours and he had swelling on top of his hand. A few days later it started moving and we told him to get to the ER! Turns out he brought back a Bot Fly as a stow-away. Luckily the doc had worked in Africa and knew how to handle it.

Yeah , there's some fvcked up shit on that continent.


When I was there, I didn't see many old people.

I guess to hit 40 years of age in Central Africa is considered a good innings.

[DrWilly]

Coworker years ago came back from a trip like yours and he had swelling on top of his hand. A few days later it started moving and we told him to get to the ER! Turns out he brought back a Bot Fly as a stow-away. Luckily the doc had worked in Africa and knew how to handle it.

I’ve seen some of the videos.

Gee, thanks.

[Joe 90]

Yet they let this Chinese fella on wearing wife beater, shorts and sandals. Literally breaking every 'rule' we had ensured we complied with

The Chinese are the new White colonials of Africa nowadays.
They're welcome to our sloppy seconds
Like his bird leaning over

[helge]

When I was there, I didn't see many old people.

When was..when ?

HIV/AIDS in Africa - Wikipedia

[Joe 90]

That link is far too heavy reading for a Friday night.

But yeah there was a lot of emaciated young locals when I was there.

No Bono or Geldoff feeding and educating them with their cameras in tow .

[Edmond]

Life expectancy is amazingly low, in such places.

Even now it's around 60 in Zambia, and was around 50 back when Joe is pretending to have been based there. It's still around 55 in other Central African nations.

Guess the governments, or the hordes of warlording splinter groups at least, don't need to worry about a political backlash from freezing pensions in their annual budget announcements.

[DrWilly]

Slight tangent from the original country visit trip report, but interesting nonetheless. I just checked the leading causes of death in Zambia and it’s HIV/TB

Though apparently they are facing a cholera epidemic right now.

Figures from CDC (CDC in Zambia | Global Health | CDC)