A few winter flowers, a bright red stop sign and a blue locomotive help to brighten up an otherwise drab winter landscape in the Sandveld region of the Free State, where the branch line to Wesselsbron and Bultfontein crosses miles and miles of mealie (corn) fields, as far as the eye can see. A single class 34-400, northbound from Wesselsbron with 21 loads of mealies, approaches a farm road crossing near Losdorings (loose thorns) siding.