Sandstone Heritage Trust - Rail News

RN 194 - Weekly Steamshed Report - 34th - 30th June 2006 - By Gert Jubileus

June 2006

B Wagon 2968
This B wagon was shunted to the put this week, the braking gears and vacuum cylinder was removed, de-scaled and painted with Red Oxide paint. The vacuum cylinder was overhauled which includes, roll ring, nylon bush, neck ring and cylinder cover joint ring.
The wagon then was shunted outside and was sandblasted and spray-painted with Copper-berry paint and afterwards bearings were fitted and the boxes were packed with axle wool soaked in oil. This wagon awaits further restoration and will be finish by the end of next week.

DZ Wagon number 1405
This Dz wagon was shunted to the put inside the Workshop. The braking gears were fitted back and the brakes were adjusted. The handbrakes were stuck and were loosened. Henkie went on with building the wooden floor of this Dz wagon and is almost finished.

The Details on the axle

Petrus and Jacob fitted the vacuum cylinder back and a new release valve was fitted. Both Dz wagons will receive a second coat of paint in next week and will be stencilled.

G Wagon Number 3210
This Cattle wagon was shunted from the back of the Wagon Shed this week and was shunted to the put to receive a full under frame restoration. This wagon will be restored to its full glory in the original silver coating. (Above left).

The brake gears were stripped of and de-scaled. The vacuum cylinder was overhauled. Petrus cleaned the inside of the wagon and stripped all the rotten planks that will be replace with new ones.
Below are some photos of the restoration in progress.

The Ratanga Wagon The restoration of this wagon will be complete early in next week. The inside of the wagon received a coat of Brown paint inside. Four new wagon doors were made and were fitted to this wagon. The seats for the Ratanga wagon will be finish by next Monday and will be fitted inside the wagon.



THE SANDSTONE STEAM RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE REPORT:
The Douglas Locomotive
Derick went on with the building of the new cab and coalbunker for this Locomotive. He also built an appropriate cowcatcher for the Locomotive. The steelwork that was needed on this Locomotive is almost complete, however we still needs to do the following to complete this restoration: 1.) Fit handrails 2.) Fit headlights 3.) Build footplate (Wood) 4.) Fit Cowcatcher 5.) Fit seats 6.) Fit Handbrake 7.) Fit cladding inside the cab 8.) Fit gauges 9.) Fit dome and Dome cover 10.) Spray with spray filler 11.) Paint locomotive Below are photos taken this week of the restoration of the Douglas Locomotive:



The building of the footplate commences	Derrick doing some rail maintenance
RAIL MAINTENANCE: Oupa is still busy with track maintenance on the section between Hoekfontein and Grootdraai and this action proves to be just what was needed. He found a lot of stripped nuts on the fishplates and on T-bolts and is replaced with new bolts and nuts. He will be finish with this section in mid next week and will then proceed to the section between Hoekfontein and Mooihoek. KM POSTS: The km posts were fitted to one-metre poles this week. They were stencilled and will be planted halve a km apart. The Station building in Hoekfontein will be the beginning point to measure the distances to both directions. These poles will be planted in the following week. The Station name boards were fitted to tar poles this week and will be planted in the next week.

SIGNS AND DECALS: A new Safety sign board was stencilled this week and was fitted to the “ Overhead”.

From the Past...

A Class 25Nc in the early 1980’s on the Bethlehem to Bloemfontein line with Bethlehem’s prestige locomotive 3401.
PLANNING FOR NEXT WEEK:
1.) To finish both Dz wagons 2.) To go on with the restoration of the G wagon 3.) To be almost finish with the restoration of the Douglas locomotive 4.) To wash out Kalahari 5.) To wash out Fowler B5 6.) To rectify play on 153 pivot. 7.) To plant km posts 8.) To make 10 more km posts 9.) To fit floor of coal extractor. 10.) To cut plates for road sign decals 11.) To fit more signboards 12.) To plant Station Name boards 13.) To finish track maintenance on section Hoekfontein to Grootdraai 14.) To start with track maintenance on the Hoekfontein Mooihoek section. 15.) To collect Semaphore signal at Pandora and to start to restore it.

The Ratanga Wagon The restoration of this wagon will be complete early in next week. The inside of the wagon received a coat of Brown paint inside. Four new wagon doors were made and were fitted to this wagon. The seats for the Ratanga wagon will be finish by next Monday and will be fitted inside the wagon.



THE SANDSTONE STEAM RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE REPORT:
The Douglas Locomotive
Derick went on with the building of the new cab and coalbunker for this Locomotive. He also built an appropriate cowcatcher for the Locomotive. The steelwork that was needed on this Locomotive is almost complete, however we still needs to do the following to complete this restoration: 1.) Fit handrails 2.) Fit headlights 3.) Build footplate (Wood) 4.) Fit Cowcatcher 5.) Fit seats 6.) Fit Handbrake 7.) Fit cladding inside the cab 8.) Fit gauges 9.) Fit dome and Dome cover 10.) Spray with spray filler 11.) Paint locomotive Below are photos taken this week of the restoration of the Douglas Locomotive:



The building of the footplate commences	Derrick doing some rail maintenance

Rounding off the sides of the Douglas' cab plates with flat bar.
RAIL MAINTENANCE: Oupa is still busy with track maintenance on the section between Hoekfontein and Grootdraai and this action proves to be just what was needed. He found a lot of stripped nuts on the fishplates and on T-bolts and is replaced with new bolts and nuts. He will be finish with this section in mid next week and will then proceed to the section between Hoekfontein and Mooihoek. KM POSTS: The km posts were fitted to one-metre poles this week. They were stencilled and will be planted halve a km apart. The Station building in Hoekfontein will be the beginning point to measure the distances to both directions. These poles will be planted in the following week. The Station name boards were fitted to tar poles this week and will be planted in the next week.

SIGNS AND DECALS: A new Safety sign board was stencilled this week and was fitted to the “ Overhead”.

From the Past...

A Class 25Nc in the early 1980’s on the Bethlehem to Bloemfontein line with Bethlehem’s prestige locomotive 3401.
PLANNING FOR NEXT WEEK:
1.) To finish both Dz wagons 2.) To go on with the restoration of the G wagon 3.) To be almost finish with the restoration of the Douglas locomotive 4.) To wash out Kalahari 5.) To wash out Fowler B5 6.) To rectify play on 153 pivot. 7.) To plant km posts 8.) To make 10 more km posts 9.) To fit floor of coal extractor. 10.) To cut plates for road sign decals 11.) To fit more signboards 12.) To plant Station Name boards 13.) To finish track maintenance on section Hoekfontein to Grootdraai 14.) To start with track maintenance on the Hoekfontein Mooihoek section. 15.) To collect Semaphore signal at Pandora and to start to restore it.