JEREMY CLARKSON was nearly lost for words as he passed over the Darlington-built Victoria Falls Bridge in southern Africa in the last episode of his Grand Tour series (Memories 698).

READ FIRST: JEREMY CLARKSON MARVELS AT THE VICTORIA FALLS BRIDGE MADE IN DARLINGTON

The Victoria Falls Bridge, as seen on The Grand TourPeter Holmes of Barnard Castle says: “The falls are spectacular and the bridge is a marvel of engineering made at a time when we had the vision, the skills, the capacity, and the industrial capability to make and export railways around the world.”

Jeremy Clarkson, almost lost for words as he crosses the Victoria Falls BridgeIt was built in 1904-05 by Cleveland Bridge, who sent 20 erectors from Darlington out to put it all together, assisted by the most extraordinary zipwire which they had tested in Smithfield Road and then hung across the 198 metre wide (650ft) gorge, with the falls thundering away on their shoulder.

“Did you know that from 2012 to 2022 the Locomotion museum at Shildon displayed a model of the bridge next to a steam locomotive that had been presented to David Shepherd, the famous wildlife and railway artist, by President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, for his work in wildlife preservation?” asks Peter.

No 390, the Cape Government Railways loco on display at the National Railway Museum in York. Picture: James RoseThe locomotive, No 390, was built in 1896 by the Atlas Works in Glasgow for the Cape Government, and operated the line from Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) through Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) into South Africa to terminate at the port of Cape Town.

“For many years, the Victoria Falls Bridge was the only way to export Zambian copper to the coast and so it was vital to Zambia's economy,” says Peter.

No 390 is now on display in the Great Hall at the National Railway Museum in York, and although it looks like a conventional engine, all is not as it seems if you study the wheels.

They are set 3ft 6ins apart – narrow gauge – whereas most British locos use standard gauge of 4ft 8½ inches. The Cape Government Railways adopted this gauge in 1873 when they were planning on building a railway the length of Africa, from the Cape of Good Hope to Cairo in Egypt. Building a railway that was only two-thirds as wide as standard gauge would, it was hoped, make it a third cheaper.

No 390 worked the line until 1971 when it was bought by the Zambezi Sawmills who converted it from coal burning to wood burning.

In 1964, Northern Rhodesia became independent from Britain and was renamed Zambia. President Kenneth Kaunda invited the artist David Shepherd to come and capture the scenes, and the pair struck up a deep friendship.

David Shepherd at work in the York shed in the 1950s. It is now the National Railway MuseumShepherd had started his career as a railway artist, painting in the Great Hall at York when it was still operational, and later collecting engines. He also became a passionate and outspoken conservationist, especially of African wildlife.

A 1955 poster by David Shepherd promoting BR's overnight freight service. It shows a cloudy, smoky night at King's CrossAs he was leaving Zambia, Kaunda gave him No 390, which he admired, as a gift and, in 1975, he managed to get it back to Britain.

David Shepherd with a photograph of No 390 in its working days. It went on show in Shildon in 2012. David passed away in 2017He gave it to the NRM in 2004, and it was on display at Shildon, where it was accompanied by a model of the bridge made by the Shildon Model Railway Club. The model is now back with the club and is awaiting repairs.

  • If you search YouTube for “Curator with a Camera” and “Cape”, you will find a video made by one of the NRM’s curators with a camera giving a tour of No 390.

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