Tourist Route – Station 4
Google Maps Co-ordinates -34.18155019031734, 22.14802889607435
Tour Guide Tips and Information: Station 4
Read the Raliway Story on the pedestal or below.
Station 4 is located at the entrance to the old harbour where goods were imported and exported via wagon, railway and ships for years. This area has three prominent historic building. As always with imports and exports Customs House (1874). Look out for the “wagon stone” which was strategically placed to ensure the wagon axles does not damage the building. Mossel Bay Boating Company Building (1901) with it’s beautiful clock tower was used as offices and the tower to time how long it takes to load and offload loads. See if you can spot the fanlights above the windows which depicts scenes of the day. The Goods Shed (1900) as the name indicate was used to store produce for import and export. Today it houses the Goods Shed Flea Market with local produce, food and drink and souvenirs.
THE RAILWAY
The regional railway line was extended from Worcester to Mossel Bay at the start of the 20th century and reached Mossel Bay in 1906. The line was extended to George in 1907. The first station buildings and a house for the port superintendent followed soon after. In 1914 the railway line was further extended over the Montagu pass to provide improved access to the northern interior. The rail service was linked to the harbour as landed goods had to be transported to the hinterland.
Farmers delivered their produce to the station by horse trailers from where it was transported overnight to the Cape Town Fresh Produce Market by goods train – the coolness of night prolonging the life of the fresh produce. The horses were stabled overnight at a facility close to the presently-named Blue Shed coffee shop. Over time, extensions to the railway system were made to service the adjacent fish industry, the oil industry and winery depots in The Point area.
Passenger trains left for, and arrived from, Cape Town daily with a twice-a-week service to and from Johannesburg. Back in the day, holiday trains were a highly popular mode of transport and successfully ferried excited holiday makers to Hartenbos and Mossel Bay. Trains were usually packed to capacity at the beginning and end of academic terms, carrying students to and from educational centres. Interestingly, students had separate coaches: one for males and one for females!
Thanks to the railway network and port, the impact of trade can be seen in several of the large existing historic buildings. As the relevance of the railway network in Mossel Bay began to diminish, the buildings have gradually been repurposed.