RN 04 - July 6th saw a successful steaming of NG11 No: 55 at Sandstone
Sandstone Heritage Trust - Railnews
RN 04 - July 6th saw a successful steaming of NG11 No: 55 at Sandstone
July 2004
Sandstone Heritage Trust - Railnews
July 2004
Sandstone Steam Railroad - Rail News
Lukas Nel and his small team are making good progress with the locomotives at the Bloemfontein workshop. The value of a husband and wife team like Lukas and Anna, who have created a well motivated, trainable group whose capabilities grow by the week and show the value of skills transfer in a way that is a example to all. Lukas has been involved with steam locomotives for the best part of forty years and works to very high standards as well as knowing all the little tricks that make jobs easier while not compromising safety or standards.
As the number of serviceable steam locomotives declines nationally it is worth remembering that most, if not all, last saw the inside of a railway workshop for major work fifteen years ago or more. They are all now wearing out and overdue for repairs under the previous SAR protocols. Only by securing decent facilities, the skilled manpower, and transferring those skills to the next generation can steam hope to survive into the future. Sandstone Heritage Trust is fortunate indeed to have a man like Lukas Nel heading up our steam locomotive restoration programme, for he is a steam man through and through.
The ex Angola Decauville is now far from the rusty relic it was when it arrived. The side tanks are nearly complete and the chassis is on rail and just needs the springs plus final assembly. The springs are finished and Lukas will collect them and the boiler mounts next week.
Work continues on the boiler, which is not in such poor condition as feared. This is no doubt due to the fact that it was kept in the Museum for many years, even if the roof did collapse of late, which prevented much of the corrosion suffered by those left to their fate outside. The photographs show it to be in fair condition although as often happens the bottom of the smokebox had rotted away because of water collecting in it, which combined with any ash present forms a corrosive acidic mixture.
Replica works plates are being made using details from a photo from another loco in Angola for a pattern, as well as assistance from contacts in France who have preserved other Decauville locomotives.
The locomotive was originally named BATHALA but there is no trace of a name plate and no photographs survive of it so named. Does anyone have any details of this which may be of assistance in making replica plates, or were names generally painted on the sides of the tanks like many other industrial locomotives?
The “Decauville” portable railway system was widely used in industrial and military applications and a reprint of the January 1905 catalogue is available from
Feld-und Schmalspurbahnen verlag und Buchhandel e-mail:
It contains much detail of the equipment and some fascinating illustrations of a time when rail was king.
Similar designs were manufactured by a variety of French and Belgian companies and there is a similar locomotive built by SA des Usines Metallurgiques du Hainaut, Couillet, Belgium plinthed on the platform at Maputo Station.
Work is continuing on the ex Sena Peckett No 14 (P 2161/1957). The boiler, which was repaired by SGE Services in Pretoria, has been returned to the frames and the boiler inspectors are sorting out the paperwork concerned.
Because the locomotive was stored under cover at Sena for many years, only being pushed out into the open a year or so before being acquired by Sandstone, most of the platework is free of serious corrosion and has needed a good cleaning to get rid of loose paint and surface rust before being painted. Even the inside lower corners of the saddle tank, which are often where corrosion forms as water gathers, are OK.
There’s a lot of work still to do, making good damage sustained in its Sena days and during its movement to Beira, as well as replacing all the non ferrous fittings and manufacturing missing items such as coupling and connecting rods, slidebars etc. There is also the task of straightening the front buffer beam which was bent in a heavy shunt during its industrial service.
Fortunately thanks to our good relationship with the UK’s National Railway Museum in York we have been able to acquire some drawings from amongst those saved when Peckett went into liquidation. Not everything was saved, but we have a good start with those we have acquired.
The NG 4 has not been forgotten and the boiler is due for inspection soon. A lot of work has been carried out on the side tanks as the old ones had suffered corrosion and lifting damage in pre-Sandstone days and a new cow catcher has been fabricated.
The rare Jung locomotive ‘Gazengo’ has not had any work done on it of late as it looks likely that a new boiler will be required. We have had no success in acquiring drawings for this locomotive which is perhaps unsurprising given that the Jung works received a major visit by Allied bombers in October 1944 with catastrophic results.
However, we have received permission from Jeff Lanham to reproduce a photograph he took in October 1969 of the locomotive at Bomb Jesus sugar mill by when it was out of use. It, and many other historic photographs of Angolan, Mozambican and African Steam (not South African) are contained on two CDs by Rob Dickinson entitled Steam Safari (South) and Steam Safari (North) and available from Rob, who has been very helpful with our loco research.
Rob’s contact details are:
http://www.internationalsteam.co.uk/internat.htm
http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/javatour/java1997.htm
email
Sandstone Steam Railroad - Rail News
In all Johannesburg's major cities, and particularly in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg, are large, flashy gyms and health facilities encouraging the local population to get their bodies fit and looking great. Never mind that many of these people rock up in their flash 4 x 4s and BMWs and are in pretty poor shape anyway, it's the in thing to do and the place to be seen, and not inexpensive either.
Residents in the platteland don't have the 'benefit' of such establishments, but judging by the look of Ben, one of Sandstone's young steam workshop staff, they certainly don't need one. Note the well tanned body and bulging muscles, all the product of the Sandstone bogie pushing routine, which comes free with any day's work. Also part of the Sandstone Fitness Programme is stripping down and reassembling wagons and locos and the steam sauna treatment, shovelling coal on a loco footplate. As you can see in the background where there are a number of stored narrow gauge wagons in need of restoration there's no chance of anyone getting old and flabby on the Sandstone Fitness Programme, nor any need for the Dr. XYZ 32 steps to a slimmer body type diets.
So, rather than pay loads of money for a gym membership, get down to your nearest steam preservation society and get stuck into pushing bogies, shovelling coal and ash, fixing locos, painting, welding, hammering, retubing and all the other important tasks associated with keeping steam locos running and you too could have a body like this!
You'll then be able to cancel your membership of 'Virgin on the Inactive' or 'Planet Fatness' and save a bundle of cash as well!
Sandstone Steam Railroad - Rail News
Sandstone Steam Railroad - Rail News
http://www.martynbane.co.uk/argentina.htm
More than 40 years after being withdrawn from service one of the most important locomotives of the 20th Century now has a very precarious future. Following the closure of the museum in which she was displayed the locomotive has been dumped in a disused loco shed at the mercy of thieves who are stealing parts for sale as scrap metal.
The locomotive is the first locomotive designed by the world renowned steam engineer Dante Livio Porta, who died in 2003. Named Argentina, it is a metre gauge 4 cylinder compound 4-8-0 of a streamlined futuristic design, one of the most striking and memorable of all time. Porta worked with other well known steam engineers to improve the steam locomotive, leading to the production of such locomotives as the Class 26 Red Devil and NGG 16A 141 and 155, of which Sandstone Heritage Trust has the latter in its collection.. There were other locomotives around the world which owe their success to Porta's input.
A fund has been started to raise GBP 10 000 to move the locomotive from the closed museum at Tucuman to Buenos Aires by road for safe keeping, with the longer term aim of returning her to steam, but this cannot be done without the move going ahead quickly. An experienced road haulage firm has quoted a price and preparations are well in hand for the move once the funds have been raised.
One of the Sandstone Heritage Trust directors recently visited Argentina for three months and developed a good awareness for what is going on there and the enthusiasm of the band of people involved.
Sandstone Heritage Trust recognizes the importance of this locomotive in world steam terms and although its primary focus is Southern Africa has donated GBP 500 to assist in the success of this project.
For more details and how to contribute go to http://www.martynbane.co.uk/argentina.htm