The Vaal River Bridge and Vereeniging 1892 - 1992

Centenary Brochure, Transnet Museum, 1992, hardcover, 18 pages, 21.3 cms x 30 cms, condition: new.

 The first railway bridge across the Vaal River was built in 1892 and up till then ox wagons had to cross the Vaal River at the drifts. The best known of these drifts was Viljoensdrift. The first bridge across the Vaal River to link the Orange Free State with Transvaal was a wooden bridge that was opened by presidents Kruger (Transvaal) and Brandt (Orange Free State) on 20 May 1892. This also created a road from the Cape to Johannesburg. In November 1892 this bridge was replaced by a steel bridge . These two bridges were situated just north east of the current F W de Klerk bridge. Toll had to be paid to use the bridges which resulted in the transport of coal becoming expensive. After 1892 many transport drivers still transported coal from the Orange Free State to Transvaal (Gauteng) through the drifts