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Sandstone Heritage Trust - Rail News

RN 211 - Weekly Steamshed Report & activities - 16th -23rd July 2006 - By Gert Jubileus

SANDSTONE STEAM RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE REPORT
CLASS NG 15 Number 17:
The Kalahari is due for Boiler Inspection soon, and she really is not making it easy for us. We hydraulic tested her this week, two elements were leaking badly and we had to remove them to do the necessary repairs. The regulator was leaking through and we had to remove the dome and removed the regulator to enable us to face this valve. For the mean time the internal steam pipe was blanked of and the dome was fitted back. The regulator valve seats are pitted and will take time to face properly.
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Derrick decided what was to be done and then he got head and heels into the smoke box!
Derrick behind the blast pipe of the Kalahari.
The elements were repaired and were hydraulically tested before they were placed back into the super heater tubes.
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A photo taken from under the super heater in the smoke box of the Kalahari.
The element repairs.
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The element repairs.
Derrick loosening the dome bolts to remove the heavy dome.
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The dome was removed and the regulator valve too.
Jacob cleaning the snifter valves and baffle plates.
The dome was placed back and she will be hydraulic tested again in next week. The regulator valve will be seated to. All the gauge columns and the blow down corks were fitted back and are being tested with the hydraulic test. If they are not leaking when we hydraulic test them, then they will not leak when she is in steam.

CLASS NGG 16 NUMBER 153:
This week we cleaned the snifter and bypass valves. We started to fit them back but are not finished yet.
Below: A clean bypass valve compared to the condition they were in.
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SANDSTONE STEAM RAILWAY WAGON REPORT:
This week we had a busy week dedicated to simulate a First World War train on the second of September this year when the perfectly restored Feldbahrn locomotive will return to service.
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G WAGON NUMBER 3210:
This cattle wagon was spray painted this week and Ben went on with the fitting of a new wooden floor for this wagon.
Below: Ben spraying G 3210
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The left and right bottom doors needs some steel repairs and will be finished very soon.
This week Ben spray painted one Flat wagon and two DZ wagons to make part of the First World War train consist.
While Ben was busy with the spray painting of these three wagons, Jacob sanded of our old Guards Van. We decided not to spray the Guards Van in white, but instead we mixed a kaki colour and sprayed the Van with it. A white circle will be painted on both sides of this Van with a Red cross in the middle.
Ben finished the repairs on two big wooden crates and both were spayed in a light grey livery. We also filled bags with hay and will use it on the wagons to add to the atmosphere as it were in those years.
Below: Photos of the DZ wagons and flat wagon that were spray-painted with light grey paint.
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Jacob sanded the Guards Van and Ben spray-painted it with a Kahki colour.
Friday afternoon we shunted the wagons that we are going to use on the consist together to see the end result.
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Ben also started to spray a B wagon that was due for a paint upgrade with Copper berry paint.
Below: Ben spraying the B wagon with another coat of fresh paint
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THE WAGON LOADS:
Below: The two repaired wooden crates and the twenty sandbags filled with hay.

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PEERLESS TRUCK:
Henry started with the restoration and cosmetically upgrading of the old Peerless truck. A new frame was made to fit the planks to the back of the truck and Henry started sanding the body of this old truck. Once Henry is finished with the sanding work, he will spray paint the Peerless with a Kaki colour.
Below: Photos of the restoration of the Peerless truck:
A new wooden back will be fitted after the Peerless is spray-painted.
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THE OX WAGON:
The Ox wagon that we are going to load onto one of the Flat wagons was pushed outside the Vintage shed where Jacob could start with the cosmetically upgrading of it.
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THE BSA RAILCAR:
Henk went on with the restoration of the BSA railcar. The doors take up a lot of time to get all the bends in the door sides perfect. The one doorframe is finish and a new steel plate will be welded to it. Another two doors to go.
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THE RATANGA LOCOMOTIVE:
Henk is working four days a week on the BSA railcar and the fifth day is dedicated to the restoration of the Ratanga locomotive “ Little Miss. Brakpan”
Below is a photo of Henk with the restoration of the Ratanga Locomotive coal wagon.
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The tender manhole was removed and the tender will be de-scaled. Henk made a frame on one of the trolleys and loaded the tender onto. The trolley is open on the underside and makes it easier to excess all the parts on the tender.
SIGNS AND DECALS:
Eight signboards were stencilled this week with special safety notices on. They will be hanging from the roof beams to just above eye level in a straight line down the shed.
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The two Semaphore signals received a second coat of paint this week and we have to turn them to paint the underside.
FROM THE PAST...
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A perfect summer day, just another usual day for the Station Foreman. A 25Nc number 3469 storming through Petrusburg station in 1987 with a freight train headed for Kimberley. A few years later they were gone, the colour signals were removed and the station abandoned. All the beautiful stations “died” soon after Steam was withdrawn, almost like a protest not to live without what made them live, Steam.
PLANNING FOR NEXT WEEK:
1.) To finish the restoration of 3210
2.) To hydraulic test the Kalahari.
3.) To build a 90 meter 3”6” Storage line at the Waenhuis.
4.) To finish restoration of Peerless truck
5.) To finish cosmetically upgrading of the Ox wagon.
6.) To go on with the restoration of the BSA
7.) To go on with the restoration of the Ratanga Locomotive.
8.) To finish safety signboards and to fit them.
9.) To paint Semaphore signals complete.
10.) To move last spares from Pandora salvage yard
11.) To finish repairs work on 153.
12.) To finish repair work on the Kalahari.
13.) Might start with moving of wagons from Kommandoneck Station to Hoekfontein.
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