Trix Pienaar on the steps of her Pringle Bay home.
Trix Pienaar’s holiday home on a slightly elevated 987 m2 plot in Pringle Bay is for sale through Seeff Pringle Bay at R3.2m.
‘Trix se Trein’ is across the road from the beach, with north west-facing sea views. This home includes and is built around half a first-class train coach and a whole second-class coach for personnel, originally bought at an auction with four others, to be used in a TV series directed by Dirk de Villiers. The whole series took place in the coaches, and when it finished, Trix bought one of them. The interior of the coach is all Burmese teak, with original fixtures and fittings.
MD of Seeff Pringle Bay, John du Toit, says Trix began her train house in 1976 and it took over a year to complete. It was one of the first houses in Pringle Bay.
The coach was transported by road from Franschhoek, and came along the Gordon’s Bay coastal road before it was tarred. This part of the journey alone took a whole day, and Trix has a movie of this which will be put on to DVD for the buyer of this property.
“The coach house was designed by architect Chris de Hart, who was involved in the restoration of Long Street in Cape Town to its original state. The only craftsmen qualified enough to work with the solid Burmese teak interior were Malay master carpenters from Cape Town. They did all the woodwork without electricity as there was none in Pringle Bay in those days. The original teak and leather were used to make built-in cupboards and fittings and transform the coach into a home. Even the kitchen fridge is covered with leather.
“Trix and her friends spent several years going to auctions to buy original SA Railways fittings and fixtures and various loose items. For example, the house has an original teak waiting bench from some station, two teak chairs from a station waiting room, and lamps from trains are used as lighting. Over the years most of the who’s who in acting as well as artists have visited Trix there. The house, like its owner, has lots of history.”
Inside ‘Trix se Trein’.
This home consists of a single garage, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and dining area with on original railways dining table, and an enclosed veranda with an indoor braai. There is a walk-in closet (one of the single compartments), and the home runs on electricity, apart from the gas-heated geyser.
Du Toit says besides making an unusual holiday home for someone, especially if they have kids, it will be an excellent investment for some entrepreneur to make substantial holiday/weekend rental income, as the property is sure to prove popular with tourists.
Call MD John du Toit on 084 460 6070; 028 273 8808, or email pringlebay@seeff.com.
