This is a story written down by Granny.  It's about a trip that she and her older brother, Michael James, took with their Dad, George.  The 'Mum' referred to in the story is Jean van Blerk O'Flynn Madden, Granny's father.  George was an inspector on the railroad.  Broken Hill and Kafue are in Zambia and, according to Google Maps, it's about a 65 mile trip.  Zambia was known as Northern Rhodesia until 1964.

Michael and Joan were excited.  It was school holidays and Dad had promised them he would take them on a train trip from Broken Hill, where they lived. down to Kafue, a small town on the Kafue River where he had some inspections to make.

It was fun getting ready.  They were each allowed to each  take a small suitcase of clothes and a couple of books.    The children packed and unpacked their cases a dozen times, remembering to pack their hats.

At last the day came when they were to leave.  Mum packed extra food in Dad's scoff box for them to eat on the way; tins of corned beef, homemade bread, (Mum was a good baker) tins of baked beans, eggs, and bacon.

Joan and Michael could hardly contain themselves as Mum drove them to the station.  They had been allotted a small compartment on the train next to Dad's caboose.  It had a wash basin and two bunks, one about the other, and a rack to put their suitcases on.  With much excitement they kissed Mum goodbye and watched as the guard blew his whistle and held his green flag out.  

The engine whistled and with a big hiss of steam and a jerk to the carriages, pulled off and out of the station with Michael and Joan leaning out of the window waving to their mom and the rest of the family.  They were off and the adventure was on!

Slowly the train pulled out then began to gather speed, chug chug, the whistle blew,whoo whoooooo.  Soon it was rocketing along, clickety clack on the lines.  The children eagerly looked out of the window hoping to see wild animals as they moved along.  The bush was dusty and dry in this area with not too much grass or mahobohobo trees.  These trees had big leaves almost like fig leaves, and after the rains had fallen, they produced round, brown fruit on them, about the size of a small egg.  The children loved to eat the mahobohobos, popping the rough brown skin to suck the sweet juice off the three large pips the fruit contained.  They also loved spitting the pips at each other, much to their mother's disgust!

Night time came and the hot Northern Rhodesian sun went down over the veld.  The sky looked on fire with red and orange clouds.  The lights came on in the cabin and Majonga, Dad's servant, brought them dinner he had heated up on the coals in the engine driver's cab.  It tasted so much better eaten off tin plates on the table that pulled out, down over the wash basin!  Majonga then proceeded to make up their beds on the bunks.  Dad came in to make sure they were all right and read for bed.  Soon Michael and Joan were tucked in and were able to read by the little reading light above each bunk.  The clickety clack sound of the wheels on the rails and the rocking motion of the train lulled them and they were soon fast asleep.

It did not seem long before the children heard a key in the door and a small light went on.  It was Dad bringing them a warm drink and opening the shutters saying he had seen some buck and would they like to watch with him?  Michael and Joan sat up at the window with their blankets wrapped round them.  Dad put his arms round them to cuddle them as they watched the sun come up.  Silently, Dad pointed over in the distance where the Roan antelope could be seen standing, watching the train go by.  Suddenly, the antelope kicked up his heels and galloped off.  Then they saw a flock of about fifty guinea fowl feeding in the grass.  The birds whirred up as the train went past.  How exciting the children found this!