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The small town of Weenen was established in 1838 by the Voortrekkers after the Zulu chief Dingaan massacred Piet Retief and his men before turning on various Voortrekker camps killing 41 men, 56 woman and 185 children. The town was named 'Weenen', meaning 'weeping' or 'place of mourning' in remembrance of these tragic events.
A narrow gauge railway (the 'Cabbage express') built in 1907 and closed in 1983 serviced Weenen with daily trips to and from the nearby town of Escourt. Two German built locomotives serviced the Weenen-Estcourt line, relieving each other every three weeks. Interestingly, Pythons had the right of way (being protected species) and the train would stop to allow pythons to cross safely.
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