No big changes to my previous reports of 2005 and 2006.
The mines will work until 2013 and keeping the high prices for metal on the world market in mind it is likely that a decision will be made to run the mines until 2020. The government will run the mines even if they make a loss. Selebi Phikwe has almost no other work to offer, so the unemployment rate will hit the sky when they close the mines before they found other solutions to keep the people in work.
LO 806 and 807 have been in use, although there was only a demand of one loco during our stay. The quality of coal (from South Africa) was poor as it was the year before, so they had to stop the trains on the line to rise steam pressure on the uphill (tender first, empties) trains.
But they do something about it:
They do not so much about trains ... Find out if Selebi is pending - this is the duty for the day shift:
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