t an early date an organisation
for the control of the transport of troops and stores by rail had been
instituted, and had gradually been perfected by experience.
Lieutenant-Colonel Girouard, R.E., the Director of Railways, had
arrived with a staff of fifteen officers at Cape Town towards the end
of October, 1899, and had, under the orders of the General Officer
Commanding the lines of communication, initiated a system based on the
principle that it was the controlling staff's duty to keep in close
touch with the permanent traffic officials of the railway and to act
as intermediaries between them and the military commanders. Much to
his satisfaction, the Director of Railways had found on his arrival
that "all the British lines were in good working order and
administered by a highly loyal, capable, and enthusiastic staff
prepared for any emergency, including risks of war."[306] In
conjunction with this permanent staff, of whom Mr. C. B. Elliott was
the General Manager and Mr. T. R. Price the Traffic Manager,
uniformity of military administration throughout the whole railway
system of Cape Colony was speedily established.[307] The technical
working of the railways was left entirely in the hands of the civil
officials, supported and protected by the military controlling staff
from interference by officers or men. Repairs to the line were
undertaken by the railway troops of the R.E.,[308] with such of the
British employes of the Orange Free State railway as had not, at the
outbreak of the war, been absorbed into the permanent staff of the
Cape Government railways. The number of skilled artisans thus
available was insufficient for the reconstruction of the Norval's Pont
and Bethulie railway bridges and other extensive works which it was
foreseen would be necessary in order to make good the damage done by
the enemy in his retreat. The Director of Railways accordingly
obtained leave to avail himself of the offer of Messrs. L. I. Seymour
and C. A. Goodwin, leading mining engineers of Johannesburg, to form a
corps of the miners and artisans, thrown out of employment by the war.
With the title of the Railway Pioneer regiment, it was placed under
the command of Lieutenant-Colonel J. E. Capper, R.E., Messrs. Seymour
and Goodwin being appointed wing commanders, having the rank of major.
The material needed for the construction of temporary bridges at
Norval's Pont and Bethulie and for the rapid reconstruction of the
permanent bridge