TWO B WAGONS:
The first two B wagons that will remain in their original rusty colours came to the put on Friday. They will undergo a complete under frame restoration. |
|
|
|
THE LOADING OF THE MILITARY TRAIN:
This week we started with the loading of available flat wagons with Military vehicles. Here are some photos of the loaded flat wagons. |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
We however were not sure if our camouflaging was sufficient, so we pulled the two camouflaged wagons to a vegetation background and put it to the test.
Here is the result:
The general restorations to the wagon under frames are the same with all the wagons. All the braking gears are removed, de-scaled and painted with red oxide. The vacuum cylinders are overhauled completely with new roll rings and release valves. We use the new plastic release valves and I personally find them to be more reliable than the older ones. The advance of the plastic one are the ports for the vacuum are bigger and therefore the time to create vacuum at the chamber side is very faster than with the old brass ones.
Here are some photos of the under frame restorations.
|
 |
 |
| Chamber tanks are de-scaled and painted with red oxide. |
 |
|
| Braking gears are straighten, de-scaled and painted with Red oxide as well. |
 |
 |
 |
| Then we fit the braking gears, vacuum cylinder, chamber tanks are fitted back and the brakes are adjusted. |
 |
 |
After these steps are completed, we remove the old vacuum pipes and new ones are fitted together with vacuum chamber pipes.
|
 |
 |
New Bearings are fitted and the axle boxes are packed with new wool soaked in oil.
After this is done, the wagon handbrakes are tested and they are vacuum brake tested. |
|
| TWO B WAGONS:
The first two B wagons that will remain in their original rusty colours came to the put on Friday. They will undergo a complete under frame restoration.
|
 |
 |
THE LOADING OF THE MILITARY TRAIN:
This week we started with the loading of available flat wagons with Military vehicles. Here are some photos of the loaded flat wagons. |
 |
 |
|
|
|
THE BSA RAILCAR
|
| This week huge progress was made with the restoration of our 1910 BSA railcar. The biggest work to be done is on the body of this car, and needs special attention to rebuild some of the parts as it use to be in 1910. |
|
Here are some photos of the bonnet and how Henk and Henry managed to bend the bonnet and bonnet sides of the BSA.It all started with a piece of steel plate and the creativity of the mind was placed to hand.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The gearbox arrived and Henry is at present busy to fit it into the BSA. Once this is fitted, it shall enable us to design the floor that we need to make to fit into the enclosed areas.
|
|
|
|
THE SANDSTONE STEAM RAILWAY
Casuals are busy with cleaning up the vegetation close to the Railway line. It takes time, but surely looks really neat and clean. We had a really bad thunderstorm last Sunday night, and a rail inspection was done to inspect the railway line of flooded areas. Here are photos of the neat railway line:
|
|
|
|
|
Here is the Wickham facing towards the Lesotho border, just as a thundershower burst open over the Maluti Mountains.
|
|
|
RAILWAY SIGNS
Speed posts were fitted to tar poles this week and will be planted at appropriate places on the Railway line.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| All the speed posts and gradient posts will be fitted on a special rail day that we plan to have. All the required signs and boards will be fitted as well as clearance marks where the new lines were build. |
|
|
From The Past
|
|
|
|
A 19 D shunting at Potgietersrus in Transvaal - Photo by Michael Carter.
The 19D ‘s were mainly used on the branch lines in South Africa and therefore also used to perform the shunting duties at such depots. They were very successful locomotives and definitely one of my favourites.
|
|
PLANNING FOR NEXT WEEK
1.) To finish the restoration of the two B wagons
2.) To finish the restoration of another 2 B wagons
3.) To start with the restoration of another 2 B wagons
4.) To re-rail all the wagons at the coal shed
5.) To clean up the Shed yard
6.) To do Boiler Inspections on 8 boilers (internal, hydraulic and steam test.)
7.) To stencil 3’6” wagons at Waenhuis
8.) To make clearance marks out of short pieces of rail.
9.) To have a Rail day ( signs, speed posts and gradient posts)
10.) Train ride for the visit of the High Commissioner.
11.) To go on with the BSA
12.) To send a train to load all the bags of weeds at the railway line side.
|
|
STEAM GREETINGS... GERT!!!
|
