Retired Roodepoort Train Driver, 90, Still Building Model Trains After 44 Years on the Railways
- Neusol 'Soon' Klee began his railway career as a cleaner in 1953 and worked his way up to becoming a qualified train driver
- The 90-year-old Roodepoort resident has handcrafted more than 10 large model locomotives, including a Gautrain replica he built himself
- Klee's remarkable story is set to reach a national audience when he appears on kykNET's Kwêla
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Briefly News as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Source: Facebook
Neusol "Soon" Klee is 90 years old and still at his workbench. The retired train driver from Roodekrans, Roodepoort, never stopped loving railways. Long after his working days ended, he continued building and collecting model locomotives with the same dedication he brought to the job.
His connection to trains started in childhood. Growing up in Heidelberg, Klee and his brother spent hours near the railway line just two blocks from their home, watching trains pass. That early fascination turned into a career that would last nearly half a century.
From cleaner to train driver
Klee started at the bottom. In 1953, he took up a position as a railway cleaner in Volksrust. Over the decades, he worked his way up through the ranks until he qualified as a train driver. He retired in 1997 after 44 years of service.
PAY ATTENTION: You can now search for all your favourite news and topics on Briefly News.
But retirement did not mean stepping away from his passion.
A collection decades in the making
Klee began crafting model trains on a farm as far back as 1958, and started collecting them in 1965. His collection today includes between 10 and 11 large self-built models, among them a Gautrain replica and an E9 locomotive, alongside 10 to 15 imported German Märklin sets. He has also built model boats and gathered various pieces of railway memorabilia over the years.
The models span electric, diesel, and coal-operable steam locomotives, each one reflecting a lifetime spent understanding how trains work from the inside out.
Experts note that staying mentally and physically engaged in older adulthood supports brain health, independence, and overall wellbeing. For Klee, his craft appears to do exactly that.
His story was shared by The Warm Heart of Africa on Facebook on 4 September 2026, drawing widespread admiration from South Africans inspired by his dedication.
Klee is also set to appear on kykNET's Kwêla as part of the programme's collaboration with the Roodekrans Neighbourhood Watch's Love Your Neighbourhood series, which spotlights residents making their communities proud.
See the Facebook post here.
More on SA pensioners
- Briefly News recently reported on an elderly South African woman whose smooth amapiano moves left Mzansi completely stunned.
- A retired woman turned her pension payout into a thriving township rental business, earning her R45,000 a month tax-free.
- Nationwide pickets taking place outside SASSA offices have pensioners demanding their monthly grant be increased.
PAY ATTENTION: Stay informed and follow us on Google News!
Source: Briefly News
