Affenrucken Single Quarters

[Clive Symes]

Have not heard any one mention Affenruchen single quarters, there are many stories out there of what those guys got up to. Being so far out of town they were like the last outpost.

Before I left the mine, I took the opportunity to driver out there one last time to see the state of the Old Mess and Single quarters. For those that lived out there it would put teers in their eyes.
Especially shocking was  to see a full sized Thurstens billiard table exposed to the elements.

Anyone have a comment

[Alfred Boehme]

Hi Clive had the opertunity to go out there and take some picks, what always amazed me was the tiled swimming pool and the sping that used to flow. I don't know if this was a myth or did the spring actualy flow?

Alfred

[Malcolm Bertoni]

Hi
I worked at Affenrucken from 1968 to 1974.  It was a great place to be at the time.  The single quarters was almost always full (about 25 guys) and the Ovambo single quarters was also packed as well.
We all worked at No 1 plant and I remember that for one stretch I didnt go into town for 18 months until I went on leave!!!!
The swimming pool was heated (!) and we had everything we could have asked for.  Well almost everything - no females and no alcohol.
We had a ball out there and got up to all kinds of mischief.  The DDs hated us as we were always giving them the run around.  We often drove to Chameis Bay and inland exploring. One long weekend we drove to the Boegoeberg radio post and listen to the DDs talking on the radio station that was there.  One Easter weekend we drove as far as the Aurus mountains, which would have been at least 100+ kms inland. It took us two days and we camped out overnight.  If we wanted, we could have taken a Landrover load of diamonds, but we never even considered it.  We just wanted to have fun.  Security didnt have a clue.  They were always threatening to have us fired, but we just laughed at them. We were young (I was 20 then) and didnt have a care in the world.  Them was the days.

The amount of wildlife was astounding. There was strandwolfs, gemsbok, cheetah and troops of baboons.  One night a strandwolf was crossing the bridge from the mess side and someone came from the single quarters side and they met in the middle.  They both still havent stopped running.

My last few years I played rugby and drove into town at about 6.00 pm for practice and drove back again at about 9.00 pm.  Crazy.

I left to study at UCT in 1975.  I returned to Oranjemund to visit friends almost every year until 1983, when I left SA to come to Australia.  I wanted to get back to Affenrucken but never got the opportunity.  If you go to Google Earth you can still see the old buildings, even the holes in the roof, the old swimming pool and the footbridge across the old riverbed.
I still think back to the great times I had in Oranjemund and Affenrucken.  I have lots of photos - if you have any new ones, we can do a trade.
I have tons of stories about Affenrucken if anyone is interested.

It would be great to hear from anyone who worked at Affenrucken or knew anyone that worked there.

Regards

Malcolm

[georgswa (Georg Ruf) (RIP)]

Hi Melcom

I worked at 1 Plant electric in that time and came frequently to Affenrücken Mess to repair things.

The Ductch Cook-Chef was a nice guy and treated you people with excellent food.

Yes that is a special place to know out in the wild......

I remeber one night on a call out, heavy mist, i got lost with the landrover. The posts on the road helped me the find my way again. The posts were red, that ment i am in the Explosives Store Area which i knew from previeos visits, that led me to the main road again......in the mornig 3 :00 clock to see after the HT supply that was cut off.

The cook was " Ben " as far as i remeber, thats long ago and i am surprised how names come back in that forum, fantastic memories of a long gone time. One of his specialties was a sort of " Crockettes "
Lekker.....

Georg now in Germany whre i came from  ;D 

[Michael Alexander]

One of my dad's neighbours, now retired , here in Oranjemund, is a German Chef called Roland Knufner, He was the chef up at Affenrucken, he also has tales to tell, kinda like the wild west back in those days. My father was based at uubvley Compressor shop, but whenever there was a breakdown up at that end of the mine , the artisans would all scramble to make it up there, as it was a day trip and you could get anything to eat in the mess, even crayfish....

I also looked at the Google earth pics a while back, and it is heartbreaking to see those buildings going to waste out there... How many of you have been down the 2 Plant tunnel?

???

[georgswa (Georg Ruf) (RIP)]

2 Plant Tunnel

Thats my baby.

I was down many times........HT Motors driving the Pumps

I even remember the Drive Number  6001 to 6004

During commissionig a guy was trapped at the far end of the tunnel when an inspection glas burst in the pipe flooding the tunnel with him trapped. He made it out swimming to the Door at the end.

After that a TV was installed

[Michael Alexander]

When I was an Appie at 3 plant, Colin Benton took me up to the tunnel one day, just pointed at the staircase and said if I wanted to see it, I would be going by myself. To this day, that for me was one of the most amazing spots on the mine, I went down, cobbled floor, pumps and pipies, you could hear the sea crashing above you, water dripping through the roof.... I was told that the reason the tunnel was built with a slight slope and if you were more than halfway in and a leak sprung you were meant to run deeper into the tunnel, to that little shack out in the ocean, where an air bubble would form and you could breathe in the darkness till the divers came for you.....Bugger that , I thought, I know which way i would run if it came down!   ;D

Georg, who built it? How long did it take? Why build it? Do you think it would make a cool tourist attraction? ANyone got pics?

???

[Claire Mc Cullagh]

tourist atraction my - no way would i go there :o

[Michael Alexander]

I reckon it was safer than living in NI during the troubles though.....   ;)

[Donald Duck]

I went down "The Tunnel" to measure up the intake pipes (about 500mm in diameter if I remember) that by-passed the bulkhead door.
Put my thumb on one of them to mark the spot to measure from. It had a "slight" give in it.
Took what I needed for my drawings and buggered off - very quickly...
On the way out, the power went out.....

[georgswa (Georg Ruf) (RIP)]

Mike wrote

[/quote]

Georg, who built it? How long did it take? Why build it? Do you think it would make a cool tourist attraction? ANyone got pics?

???
[/quote]

I dont know the company that dit it, but it was well known in SA.

Tourist attraction will be all Plants Affenrücken the Dumps for Agates and possibly the tunnel, i would not advise to go there if the sump pumps are out of order.

The Bulk door should be closed all times, the video camera inside gave us extra security just in case. I was in there very often. I take it that 2 Plant is out of commission and beleive 3 Plant will run again after the fire damage ist repaired.

I would be interested to know details of the fire.

When i visited O-mund in 1983 3 Plant was off

I noticed the cathotic protection for the jetty was switched off. Back in Germany i worried and phoned Oranjemund to fix that. Or it would break like the first Jetty.

On Google Earth i looked at the area. Seems all sanded up. i have spent many hours on those pumps that failed. So a Platform was built under the bridge to hold new Harland Pumps doing a better job.

4 times 300 HP. Jerry Housen and Len Pretorious were the main actors behind that. I also dit my part with a wunderfull electrician crew.

It worked and was a great succes that time. The engineering team at 3 Plant was very special and dedicated to make 3 Plant a succes.....

Great times what concernes the job   

[Michael Alexander]

Thanks Georg, I was an appie in 89 with Colin Benton at 3 plant, I often used to take a walk down to the pump house by the jetty, always amazed me the lengths to what DeBeers would go to get diamonds. My favourite time on th emine though was at 50G, after the plant closed, we worked on the bucket wheel and submersibles along the entire length of the mine, up to Beverly Hills.....

I just heard at lunchtime from Barend Matthee (Balletjies) how Mooimeisies got it's name and a tale from my father about the Affenrucken Apache's....... story for later.. though,,,,,

;D

[Malcolm Bertoni]

Hi guys

I knew about Mooimesiesfontein from Faas Jakobs who was the mechanical foreman at No 1 plant.  He had worked at Oranjemund for a very long time - possible 20-25 years.  He went and retired to Windhoek about 1970-71.  Dont know if he's still around.

I was told that the tunnel at No 3 plant was built because of silting problems with the pump intakes at the other plants.  Is this true?

I worked at 66M HMS plant for a year and there was a dam with a floating platform (on 44 gallon drums) for the pumps. Not very high tech but it worked.  Until one of the drums corroded through, filled with water and capsized the whole damn thing.  Took 2 days to get back into commission again...

The chef was a Dutch guy called Ben van Etten who was a SUPERB cook and spoilt us rotten.  He left in 1975 or 76 and opened a resturant in Parow, then went to Canada in 1980 and opened his own resturant there.  I'm still in touch with him.  And you are right - he used to make very tasty Dutch Croquettes.  We used to get our own crayfish by wading out about chest deep and feeling under the rocks.  Would get 10-12 in an hour.

I have pictures of myself standing on Bogenfels rock.  We all drove up there one weekend.  I presented security with a copy of the picture when I left with others taken at the Aurus mountains - they were not impressed....

Regards

Malcolm

[georgswa (Georg Ruf) (RIP)]

The dutch Cook Ben

He had a dog whou waited on the mine road to get a lift to Affenrücken, he would jump on the back, and when arrived on 1 plant, he jumped off to wait for a car to Affenrücken.

It worked......

He must have had a girl friend in town  ;D

Georg

[Alfred Boehme]

Hi there I worked at 2 plant as a electrician Nov 86 to Jan 88 as the new electrician to the workshop I got the tunnel as my section all the new electricians started at the tunnel. Now days the bulk head door is rusted open. My Foreman was Alan Delaney and the sparkies where Wally Golder, Bret Lees, Tommy Lawrie and Myself was a great place to work at. Uncle Jim Reid was the met Foreman. I am still at Namdeb currently HT services. About the fire at 3 plant I was called out to switch the power off this was just before midnight repairs are underway the whole MCC building was distroyed except the ground floor I think they want to be back online by end Nov?

As soon as I find out how to post pics I will send a few of Affenrucken

Alfred