03 July 2009 - Update 13
Further to the completion of restoration of 19D no 2654 Trevor Staats from Australia has supplied these excellent archive photos of 2654 working at Loraine gold mine in the Free State.
The brick fire arch is now being built.
The latest news from our Bloemfontein workshops is that new brake blocks have been obtained for the 19D. Our photographs also show work in progress in greasing and renewing compensating gear cotters and pins. The day of the first steaming grows ever closer.
We do need to paint and polish the locomotive and tender before we steam test her when finished.
We run into some serious problems regarding the boiler and super heater parts of this locomotive. A preliminary quotation amounts up to thousands of Rands in spares.
Attach roof stays, movable stays under repair. Internal steam pipe and super heater header under repairs.
The machine that detect all the boiler problems. The 18 something original steam driven but now air driven hydraulic high pressure water pump...
19D no 2654 nears completion.
Our photos show the Pyle headlamp that was fitted...
The second picture clearly shows the brass cladding fitted over the reverser cylinders...
Work on this locomotive at Bloemfontein has been limited with some spares shortages and pressing work on other locomotives. However, with new member of staff Isak on the team it has been possible to overhaul the superheater header and prepare the superheater tubes for fitment...
With the reverser now rebuilt, it has been fitted together with the loco number plates and name plates. The tender plating has been completed and painted along with most of the locomotive and tender. A number of cab fittings are in place and the troublesome fire door issue has been resolved and the door fitted. The attached pics show 2654 in great shape!
2654 at Loraine 170493 3 Shaft
Following on from our last report, another reverser has been obtained which has now been re-bored and overhauled. Sadly the steam brake cylinder seems to be in the same condition as the reverser so Lukas and the team will have to go through the same drill to find a replacement.
Some other good news, though, is that a set of Bissell bogie springs have now been acquired and fitted. These springs being badly worn when all the locomotive springs were replaced early in the restoration.
As you can see from the pictures, 2654 is slowly beginning to look like a locomotive.
02 September 2008 - Update 5
The shortage of spares continues to affect progress on 2654 but some copper piping and valve motion rods have been obtained and fitted after rebushing. Both return cranks have been sourced and will be fitted. This is an enormous job ahead to set them accurately.
Four valve heads are now being sought as the originals were badly broken plus the sixteen valve rings and piston rings. Two sets of piston packings have been obtained and new valve motion bushes machined and fitted.
As mentioned in the last update, the reverser has been damaged beyond repair but a suitable replacement has been located which will be stripped and overhauled.
In the meantime work on the tender has entailed removing the floor completely as it was completely rusted. While the floor was removed the opportunity was taken to weld in patches to the rusted area within the tender tank.
The target date for steaming the locomotive is now towards the end of January 2009.
Work has slowed slightly on the locomotive as the difficulty of obtaining spares begins to have an effect. Many existing parts are badly rusted and are being extensively cleaned such as the connecting rods and outer smoke box facing. Sadly the reverser has had to be scrapped as it is so badly rusted as to be unusable.
Nevertheless good progress is till being made on the boiler and the superheater header and flue tubes have been refaced by Tinus Dennis.
Lukas Nel and his team are steaming ahead with 2654. The smokebox has been completed and painted and the boiler cladding fitted and painted as the attached photographs show.
Following on from our last update, work continues on the tender with the interior of the coal bunker being cleaned and prepared for new supports and plating. Work has also begun in earnest on the loco itself with cleaning of the cab and running boards plus the smokebox and tubeplate. The regulator valves have also been overhauled and ground in.The attached images courtesy of Lukas Nel show the work in progress and the overhauled regulator valves.
Work continues apace on this locomotive with the tender repairs virtually complete. Only the plating of the coal bunker and the side supports which are heavily rusted still need to be replaced. In the meantime the bogies have been replaced.
On the locomotive, which will be the main focus as soon as the tender plating is completed, new springs and spring gear have been fitted together with the side rods. There is still, however, a lot of boiler work to be done.
A major problem being encountered by Lukas and his team is a severe lack of spares. Already Lukas has had to resort to private collectors and local pubs to procure many items! Particularly scarce are piston and valve chest parts such as packing springs, piston rings and valve rings. A unique feature of the 19D Krupp locos was a different style of boiler fire door, which is totally different to other maker's which do not fit. Should these not be found Lukas will have to resort to the fabrication of new items.
The attached images show the tender in its current state with the bogies refitted but platework on the coal bunker still to be renewed plus the odd sized firehole door mounting.
