Hits: 2140
Sandstone Heritage Trust - Rail News
RN 136 - Sandstone Weekly Steamshed Report 10th - 15th December 2005
|
|
|
STEAM SHED ACTIVITIES
This week saw a hectic week for the steam staff. The conversion of the B wagons to FZ wagons for the Harvest event is in full swing. Every one is on this project and work is delegated in such way to ensure mass production at one time. The photos tell the story!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| And then the satisfying end result of a hard week! |
|
The Wagons from Ratanga Junction
We offloaded the one lobed with the wagons from Ratanga junction this week. Arno took the lobed to Vailima. The Hunslet was used again to assist us in doing so. Arno, Henry Petrus and I offloaded the wagons while the rest of the Steam Staff converted the B wagons. First and most important is to line up the rail panel under the wagon to the existing rail at Vailima, but with Arno as driver it’s not difficult at all.
|
|
|
|
|
We then had to secure the panel to the existing line with fishplates and support the joint with wooden sleeper because of the overlap of the rail between the lobed and the existing line.
|
|
|
|
| Then we coupled the Hunslet leaded by an empty B wagon before we could loosen the chains that secured the wagons on the long journey from Ratanga Junction. The wagons then were pulled of very slowly. |
Because of the uneven weight of these wagons, it was not possible to move them from Vailima safely and the one wagon now needs to be offloaded first before they can be taken to Hoekfontein.
Rail News
Goldfields track laid the new set of points for the storage line in Hoekfontein Station this week as well as ballast the 3ft 6 storage line at the back of the Waenhuis. Because of the limited space where the points were to be fitted, they had to build the points on the existing line in Hoekfontein Station. With the NGG 16 in steam for the Supper Summer tour, it was used to pull the points to the desired place to insert the points. |
|
|
|
Early this morning we shunted the wagons from the loop line to the storage line to free the two main lines threw Hoekfontein Station. All the wagons at the coal stage will now be re-railed and shunted to this storage line and will await restoration there.
Here are photos of a busy shunting yard at Hoekfontein. |
|
|
|
On Monday all Steam Staff pulled out weeds on the Railway line from Pandora Junction to Vailima Halt all the way down to Vailima.
Tractor for the steam shed
Chris Wilson overhauled a John Deere tractor for the Steam shed.
Thanks Chris, you did a great job! |
|
|
|
FROM THE PAST
|
|
|
| Double headed Class 25Nc’s storming up the last embankment just before Petrusburg with the daily 15:15 train to Bloemfontein. These locomotives usually ran double headed to Bloemfontein and would return single locomotives departing 19H 30 from Bloemfontein with the return trip to Kimberley. This photo was taken in July 1988 and the Kimberley crews worked all the trains with steam on the Kimberley – Bloemfontein line at that stage. The Bloemfontein diesel crews only worked the Orange Express on Tuesdays and Fridays and a speed freight goods train on Saturdays. After the withdrawal of Steam traction, this line was only worked solely by the Bloemfontein Diesel crews. |
PLANNING FOR NEXT WEEK
1.) To have 8 converted B wagons ( FZ)
2.) To prepare locomotives for Harvest days in next week.
3.) To work harvest trains
4.) To go on with water tank from Eastern Cape
5.) To fit remaining signs in Shed and Vintage Shed
6.) To offload second lobed with wagons from Ratanga
7.) To spray line for weeds
8.) To clean up Hoekfontein Station
9.) Gardening |
|
|
|
Steam Greetings... Gert!
|
|
