RN378 - Weekly Steam Report - by Gert Jubileus. 24th - 28th April 2007

SANDSTONE STEAMS AGAIN!
On Friday the 27th of April we steamed the Little Lawley for Koos Moorcraft Touring group. We had a taste of early winter on this morning in the Eastern Free State with clouds storming in over the Maluti Mountains. The 1895 Lawley was steamed early on Friday morning to haul a short passenger train from Hoekfontein Station to Grootdraai. She was polished to a shining little star, but the rain soon messed up her brass jewelry. The train departed at 09H15 and returned to Hoekfontein after a short photo shoot where the Lawley proudly posed for the passengers.

Below Left: The Lawley, shining strar!

Below Right: Henk de Bruin behind the controls of the Lawley.

Below: The Lawley on her way to couple a PE coach in the Wagon Shed.

Below: The Lawley just before departure standing in the beautiful Hoekfontein Station.

Below: The Laley posed for a group photo in the balloon at Grootdraai.

SANDSTONE STEAM LOCOMOTIVES

THE FELDBAHN:

Henk repair the broken spring hanger on the Feldbahn driver wheel. The Locomotive was jacked and the spring hanger was adjusted to insure an even spread weight over the driving wheels of the Feldbahn. He also rectified the little problem on the mechanical lubricator and bored another hole to adjust the stroke of the lubricator to ensure the correct oil feed to the cylinders.

Henk adjusting the spring hanger.

The stroke of the mechanical lubricator.

Below: Henk then removed the regulator valve to face the valve and the seat.

SANDSTONE STEAM RAILWAY WAGONS

XC 2227:
Derrick fitted a complete new steel vacuum pipe with goosenecks to the XC Creosote wagon. He also fitted new steel and rubber chamber pipes and removed the vacuum cylinder to be overhauled. Ben overhauled two vacuum cylinders and one will be fitted onto the XC in next week. This wagon will receive a complete under frame restoration with paint touchup in next week.
Right & above: The almost completed XC wagon.

NG G WAGON NUMBER 2834
Wagon number 2834 was shunted to the shed for repair work that was needed to the roof. Ben stripped of the old roof planks and fitted new ones. He then secured the end sides with angle iron.

Below: Ben fixing the roof of 2834.

Below: Angle iron was fitted on the side end to secure the planks.

THE FLAT WAGON
The Flat wagon was inspected this week and all the work needed to be done to this wagon was written on the frame with white chalk. This wagon will need a lot of grinding work to the frame because it originally was a ST wagon.

FROM THE PAST

Since the early 1900’s there was a Steam revolution all over the world. Locomotive builders from all over the world had their hands full with the demand for new locomotives, but what the Locomotive builders didn’t know, was that they made machines that are so alive and that they all had their own personalities even if they were of the same class. They had a heart and a soul. These machines became the pride of their drivers and for most of the drivers they were loved more than they could love their own wives!
They ruled over mainlines and shunting yards and really built the Railways. All over South Africa these locomotives are being slaughtered with cutting torches, with no respect for killing their souls. Silent and with fear they await in dumping yards to be cut, forever they will be gone.
Man made these giant machines, but God gave them living souls!
Locomotives in Bloemfontein and Beaconsfield are being cut up on this moment and we await photos that will appear in the weekly report soon.

OUTLOOK FOR NEXT WEEK

1.) To finish restoration of the XC wagon.
2.) To finish repair work on 2834 roof and to paint.
3.) To overhaul vacuum cylinders.
4.) To finish repair work on Feldbahn regulator.
5.) To do repair work on 113.
6.) To change engine springs on 113.
7.) To test traction of 113 on the Pandora embankment.
8.) Train tour on Friday ( Koos Moorcraft)
9.) To push all wagons and locomotives together on storage line.
10.) To clean all level crossings
11.) To clean locomotives and coaches for tour.