The Great Steam Trek by Lewis, C. P
The Great Steam Trek (First Edition, Third Impression)
An Illustrated History and Tribute to the Vanishing Era of South African Steam Locomotives
An Illustrated History and Tribute to the Vanishing Era of South African Steam Locomotives
Bibliographic Specifications
• Title: The Great Steam Trek
• Author: C. P. Lewis & A. A. Jorgensen
• Publisher: C. Struik (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town / Johannesburg
• Publication Date: 1989
• ISBN-10: 0869771019
• ISBN-13: 9780869771013
• Edition Details: First Edition, Third Impression (Struik Release).
• Binding: Original publisher's premium grey textured cloth-bound hardboards featuring crisp gilt-stamped spine typography, housed in the original illustrated glossy dust jacket.
• Physical Format: Large Oblong Quarto / Folio (4to), 248 pages. Extensively enhanced with 319 brilliant full-colour photographs documenting over 85 distinct locomotive classes. Printed on premium heavy-gauge semi-gloss paper stock.
• Language: English
• Title: The Great Steam Trek
• Author: C. P. Lewis & A. A. Jorgensen
• Publisher: C. Struik (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town / Johannesburg
• Publication Date: 1989
• ISBN-10: 0869771019
• ISBN-13: 9780869771013
• Edition Details: First Edition, Third Impression (Struik Release).
• Binding: Original publisher's premium grey textured cloth-bound hardboards featuring crisp gilt-stamped spine typography, housed in the original illustrated glossy dust jacket.
• Physical Format: Large Oblong Quarto / Folio (4to), 248 pages. Extensively enhanced with 319 brilliant full-colour photographs documenting over 85 distinct locomotive classes. Printed on premium heavy-gauge semi-gloss paper stock.
• Language: English
Official Condition Report
• The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
o Exterior / Boards: The grey textured cloth-bound boards are exceptionally flat, square, and robust. The corners remain sharp and unbumped. The spine is structurally firm, uncreased, and undamaged, preserving its original tight binding and brilliant gold lettering.
o Interior: Pristine, bright, and immaculate. The 248 internal pages are clean, flat, and completely free of age-toning, foxing, or finger-soil. The binding structure is perfectly tight and sound. Free from standard user wear, ownership inscriptions, gift plates, bookstore stamps, or pencil annotations.
• The Dust Jacket: Very Good Plus (VG+)
o Condition Details: The original illustrated jacket is remarkably well-preserved, displaying exceptionally vibrant colours, sharp lines, and pristine gloss. It exhibits only minimal, microscopic shelf-wear at the outermost edges, far superior to typical used collectible copies of this title. The entire jacket has been carefully enclosed in a professional, removable clear cellophane archival cover to guarantee lifelong protection from future environmental wear or surface friction.
• The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
o Exterior / Boards: The grey textured cloth-bound boards are exceptionally flat, square, and robust. The corners remain sharp and unbumped. The spine is structurally firm, uncreased, and undamaged, preserving its original tight binding and brilliant gold lettering.
o Interior: Pristine, bright, and immaculate. The 248 internal pages are clean, flat, and completely free of age-toning, foxing, or finger-soil. The binding structure is perfectly tight and sound. Free from standard user wear, ownership inscriptions, gift plates, bookstore stamps, or pencil annotations.
• The Dust Jacket: Very Good Plus (VG+)
o Condition Details: The original illustrated jacket is remarkably well-preserved, displaying exceptionally vibrant colours, sharp lines, and pristine gloss. It exhibits only minimal, microscopic shelf-wear at the outermost edges, far superior to typical used collectible copies of this title. The entire jacket has been carefully enclosed in a professional, removable clear cellophane archival cover to guarantee lifelong protection from future environmental wear or surface friction.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Originally published by Struik in 1978 and released in this beautifully preserved 1989 impression, The Great Steam Trek remains a definitive, monumental tribute to the twilight era of steam locomotion across South Africa. For decades, the rail systems of South Africa served as one of the globe's ultimate final strongholds for operational steam traction, attracting thousands of international transport historians and train enthusiasts. [1, 2]
Originally published by Struik in 1978 and released in this beautifully preserved 1989 impression, The Great Steam Trek remains a definitive, monumental tribute to the twilight era of steam locomotion across South Africa. For decades, the rail systems of South Africa served as one of the globe's ultimate final strongholds for operational steam traction, attracting thousands of international transport historians and train enthusiasts. [1, 2]
This book profiles the extraordinary diversity of locomotives sourced from the industrial assembly lines of Great Britain, Germany, Canada, Italy, the United States, and beyond. Authors C. P. Lewis and A. A. Jorgensen combine a meticulous technical catalogue with deeply personal narrative histories. Within these pages, readers discover everything from massive narrow-gauge Garratts, Mallets, and condensing 4-8-4 systems to the tiny four-coupled tank engines navigating the sugar cane fields of Natal. Blending 319 technically accomplished colour photographs of 85 locomotive classes with evocative, firsthand railway anecdotes, this out-of-print volume evokes a sharp nostalgia for the classic "cinders-in-your-eye" days. It is an essential collectible for any dedicated Africana or transport history library.
Author Profile: C. P. Lewis & A. A. Jorgensen
C. P. Lewis and A. A. Jorgensen are highly respected South African railway historians, photojournalists, and foremost authorities on Southern African transport infrastructure. Their collaborative work during the late 20th century captured the final operational moments of heavy steam rail travel before modern diesel and electric grids took complete precedence. Celebrated by collectors and historical societies worldwide, their publications are distinguished by an uncommon combination of rigorous engineering accuracy and artistic landscape photography, preserving the legacy of South Africa's industrial development for global generations.
C. P. Lewis and A. A. Jorgensen are highly respected South African railway historians, photojournalists, and foremost authorities on Southern African transport infrastructure. Their collaborative work during the late 20th century captured the final operational moments of heavy steam rail travel before modern diesel and electric grids took complete precedence. Celebrated by collectors and historical societies worldwide, their publications are distinguished by an uncommon combination of rigorous engineering accuracy and artistic landscape photography, preserving the legacy of South Africa's industrial development for global generations.
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