Work continues on the cab and its fittings with the installation of the cab surround and the window frames. The next task is to fit the regulator assembly.

The locomotive continues to take shape as the brass boiler bands have now been fitted and work is well underway on completing the cab.

Work has progressed with this restoration with completion of the fitment of the running boards together with fitting the boiler bracing bars to the front of the smokebox and  frames. The next project is now the completion of the cab and its fittings.

The boiler section of number 49 has now arrived in Johannesburg at Reefsteamers where it was offloaded by the Reefsteamers crane. This was originally a steam crane but is operated now by compressed air directly to its cylinders. Number 49 was offloaded from the Sandstone lowbed together with the new boiler tubes and placed on a DZ truck for movement into their main workshop. Here it will be lifted by the workshop gantry crane from the DZ and placed on blocks for the retubing to begin shortly.

Our pictures from Reefsteamers show 12AR 1535 hauling the crane into position and the lifting process from the lowbed to the DZ.

The latest steam report from the Steam Team at Sandstone - Click here to view

The second of our Garratt locomotives to require retubing, NGG13 number 49, had had its boiler section split from the engine units and loaded on the Sandstone lowbed for transport to Reefsteamers in Germiston who have been contracted to do the retubing. Although we retubed NGG16 number 113 at Bloemfontein, the pressure is now on there to complete the NG10 number 61 hence we have contracted out the retube of 49.

The locomotive will arrive at Germiston on Tuesday 15^th May with the repairs due to begin in June.

We have many photographs of NG10 number 61 in service in Port Elizabeth thanks to Leith Paxton who extensively photographed the narrow gauge system in the Eastern Cape in the late 50’s and 60’s. We also have, courtesy of Leith, a copy of the original Baldwin works photograph of number 61 as constructed. This clearly shows the fitment of a front window in the cab but after many years in service with the SAR this had been removed and plated over as the picture of number 61 at Humewood Road in 1961 shows. The theory is that this glass was very susceptible to breakage in service and was thus removed. Our decision is to fit the window as originally built to number 61, probably with tempered glass to avoid breakage from day to day knocks.

The NG10, being USA built, has a few quirks compared with the primarily European built locos used on the narrow gauge. One of these is the fitment of the running boards to the loco. On most engines these are mounted to the frames but on the NG10 they are attached directly to the boiler via large brackets. As the boiler is effectively new identifying the correct mounting points has been quite a task as our set of original drawings for the NG10 does not clearly cover this. However with the help of the many photographs we have of no 61 in service the problem has been overcome as our pictures show.

Click here to view our Railway Safety Regulator Permit

The boiler cladding has now been completed and fabrication of the cab floor and running plates is underway. The new cab frame has also been placed in position. Production of number 61’s number plates has also been set in motion together with the Baldwin works plates and the unique smokebox number plate originally fitted to this class in true American fashion. Our thanks go to Leith Paxton who provided the drawings for the works plates and smokebox plates.

Good progress has been made on the cosmetic restoration of the ZASM “B” 0-6-04T number 230, “Jan Wintervogel”. The stripping of the locomotive has been completed together with the cleaning of the main components. Our pictures show the boiler and frames now completed and painted in red oxide together with the side tanks and the cab roof and cab coal bunker.

Work will now continue on a number of smaller parts from the locomotive that will be cleaned and stored for safekeeping.

Our last picture for interest shows number 230 at Waterval Boven station in 1998 while operating a tourist train down the line to Waterval Onder. Luckily 15F number 3094 was on hand to tackle the heavy gradients to bring the train back to Waterval Boven!

With the boiler now mounted and positioned correctly in the frames work has begun on fitting the lagging and cladding to the boiler together with the boiler rings. Our pictures show the final bolt hole being drilled for the boiler in the smoke box saddle, the boiler with the boiler rings and the first lagging in place plus one of the boiler rings.

The work schedule to complete the loco is as follows:

Locomotive.

Fit main steam pipes and blast pipe.

Set valve timing

Fit all boiler mounts and cab fittings.

Fabricate new cab

Tender:

Complete fabrication of new tender frame and fit new tank already completed.

The boiler section of number 113 has now been returned to Sandstone where new superheater elements will be fitted by Gert Jubileus and his team. The Bloemfontein team under Lukas Nel will now concentrate on completing the restoration of NG10 number 61. The retube of NGG!# number 49 will be held over till later in the year.

The recently retubed number 113 has undergone and passed its hydraulic test with the aid of a pump dating back to 1890. Originally steam driven, the pump saw service in Bloemfontein until the 1970’s when the depot literally ran out of steam and it was converted to air operation and, as our pictures show, is still giving sterling service.

It proves the old adage, “they don’t make ‘em like they used to”!

The boiler of 113 will soon be returned to Hoekfontein to be swapped with the similar boiler of NGG13 number 49 for its retubing.

The boiler of NGG16 number 113 is now also complete and the boiler will now be blanked off to receive its hydraulic test. Our picture shows the completed firebox tube plate.