Zambia World Wide

1950s Travel on Lobito Bay RR

Two soccer teams, with three times as many supporters ( alcoholic camp followers), board a steam train near Mokambo  on a Friday evening, bound for Jadotville(Likasi) on a Soccer Tourney trip.

The second class sleeper coaches (courtesy SAR) – six beds per compartment, were well  loaded  with precious beer & snacks.  Eventually the very patient  station master would manage to get all aboard & send us on our merry way.

I remember, that on these trips sleep was almost impossible because of the rowdy drunken non – soccer playing yobbos carousing up & down the coach passage ways cajoling all to join them  in never ending games of cards  & other shenanigans throughout the long night.  It was not unusual for unscheduled stops having to be made to reload some inebriated body that had fallen off the slow moving transport.

The steam loco was a woodburning  beauty  & frequent stops had to be made along the clickity clack track to take on fuel.

Cords of wood were stacked alongside the track at regular distances for this purpose – local village wood cutters were employed alongside the track to sustain these stacks at a healthy level & help load the hungry hissing beast’s bunker.

Sometime early next morning, after a journey of some 96 miles, we would pull into Elisabethville (Lubumbashi) Station to partake of a sumptuous breakfast in the station restaurant complete with regmaakers or excellent coffee. The quality of the crusty bread & imported cheeses was superb & of course the Belgian Congo Simba Beer!  My memory of these brunches still invokes pangs of longing to this day!!!

A steam whistle, then all aboard again for the last 80 mile leg of the trip to Jadotville!!

On arrival we were met by Monsieur Glautier, Personnel Manager of the Union Miniere Copper Mine & a large enthusiastic crowd of Belgian expat Soccer nuts, ( Pidgin English speaking of course!) & transported by luxury bus to our digs (usually salubrious private homes for bonafide soccer  team members , but a sparse but very comfortable school dormitory for the supporter hard tack dross!)

After a hot bath/shower off to the palatial Company Rec club for  lunch, More crusty bread & rolls, exotic  sausages, hams  & variety of cheeses not found in NR!

Quick session of tenpin bowling & short shopping trip in J’ville town center.