Home » Deloitte – Pretoria – Gala Event Photography – Rovos Rail

Deloitte – Pretoria – Gala Event Photography – Rovos Rail

Event Photographer Pretoria | Deloitte Gala Event Rovos Rail

Monsoon Photography had the pleasure of photographing the Deloitte, Pretoria, Gala Event at Rovos Rail on the 11th of October 2018. We love doing gala event photography in Pretoria. Especially in interesting locations such as Rovos Rail. Contact us for rates on hiring an event photographer Pretoria areas and Gauteng. See bottom of page for information.

Did you know | Rovos Rail History

A Wilbur Smith heroine with her own private railway coach, a man called Phil Acutt with a passion for trains and the presence of the Witbank Steam Railway in the coal-mining town where Rohan Vos ran his successful auto spares business, all played a part.

Several coaches were purchased and taken to the Society’s yards in Witbank to be rebuilt. One of them, Private Saloon 15063, is still in service and another, an engineer’s caboose, stood at Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront for many years. She served as the marketing and reservations office. The complications of working with the South African Transport Services administration soon convinced Rohan to be self-sufficient where possible. As a result, he purchased a 1938 Class 19D locomotive from Lowenthal’s Scrap Metal in Johannesburg. It was rebuilt by Rovos Rail and named BIANCA, after one off Rohan Vos’ daughters.

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Event-photographer-pretoria-Deloitte_Rovos_RailRovos Rail Launch

Consisting of a locomotive and seven carriages, the train was launched on 29 April 1989. They set off with four paying passengers, friends and press, heading to the Eastern Transvaal. With a four-night Lowveld experience and in 1991 the Pretoria to Cape Town run, the business began to find direction. But, as any train operator will confirm, running a schedule is risky and nerve-wracking. To project consistency and reliability to agents and passengers, it’s imperative to run according to the advertised schedule. Of course, this wears rather thin when passenger loads are less than the number required to break even financially. Vos found  that one can lose considerably more money establishing a schedule.

A visit to the London World Travel Market, led to meeting tour operator Philip Morrell, owner of Jules Verne in London. They hatched a plan to run the train from Cape Town to Victoria Falls. The package was advertised in the Sunday Telegraph during late December. To Vos’s relief, he reported that sales were going extremely well and nearly four train loads had been booked.

Vos  purchased 38 redundant carriages from the South African Railways.

Armed with Les Pivnic’s book on dining cars, Rohan started the search for suitable coaches. An early target was the Jewish Guild Country Club in Johannesburg where three vandalised and dilapidated dining cars stood as part of an aborted restaurant venture. All three – KEI, NILE and MODDER – were hauled to Witbank and returned to the rails. In the years since then, family life has been inseparable from the business with Rovos Rail growing up alongside the Vos children. Family holidays always had another agenda, as they scoured the far ends of the country for coaches and locomotives to add to their collection.

Rovos Rail Engines

All the engines for Rovos Rail bare the names of the Vos children – Brenda, Bianca, Tiffany and Shaun – and nothing could be more appropriate as the family’s history and memories are so tightly interwoven with the Rovos Rail story of acquisition and expansion. On the 10th anniversary of Rovos Rail, the magnificently restored and rebuilt locomotive – 25NC 3484, which had been converted from coal-firing to oil – was christened MARJORIE by Rohan’s mother, Mrs Marjorie Vos.

Read more about Rovos Rail.

Gala Event Photography Pricing

We specialise in commercial photography. Event photography pricing from R4 500 (four hour shoot, including standard editing and equipment) depending on location. Ts & Cs apply. Contact us for a quote on event photography in Pretoria, Johannesburg and other Gauteng areas. Enquire: click here.