The tubes are prepared for NGG16 Number 113
The boiler tubes have now been swaged and annealed ready for fitment into the boiler of number 113. Our pictures show the tubes being swaged and then annealed and cooled by being covered with clean sand.
Railway Heritage
NGG16 Number 113. The firebox tube plate is now complete
Lukas Nel and the Bloemfontein team have completed the fitting of all the copper ferrules in the firebox tube plate of number 113. Out pictures show the copper raw material, sealing the ferrules into the tube plate and the completed job.
NGG16 Number 113 boiler update
The hard work continues at Bloemfontein with the copper ferrules being placed in the tube plate prior to the final fitting of the tubes. Our pictures show the delicate process of fitting the ferrules and a completed section of the tube plate. The ferrules are then expanded and act as a seal between the tube plate and the boiler tube when fitted.
NGG13 number 113.
The repairs to and preparation of the front tube plate are now complete and the retubing will begin very shortly.
NG10 Boiler completed
The completely rebuilt boiler for NG10 number 61 has now been completed by Keith Stevens and his team at the workshop in Howick. The boiler will be collected shortly for transport to Bloemfontein where Lukas Nel’s team will continue with the final restoration.
More progress on NGG16 number 113.
Work on cleaning up the tube plates is nearly complete although the grinding and welding is a slow but necessary process of the retubing.
Our Lawley and her sister in times gone by
We could not resist these photographs of our Lawley BR7 (SAR NG 106) and sister NG105 that we received from Hannes Palling. They show the sisters at Fort Beaufort where they worked sometime between 1930 and 1934 and are credited to SH Carter. These two locos are the only Lawleys fitted with the “Fowler” type bogie tender. The other photo is of Hannes’ magnificent live steam model of NG105.
Railway Safety Regulator Permit
Sandstone receives its Railway Safety Regulator operating permit for 2018.
The Railway Safety Regulator has issued Sandstone with its operating permit for 2018.
It has been issued without any exceptions. Click here to view
Boiler repairs on NGG16 number 113
Lukas Nel and his team have now begun the descaling process on the boiler and outer firebox of 113. This is a massive task with both tubeplates requiring normal repairs. This will keep the team busy for some time to come. Our pictures show the guys hard at work deep inside the boiler.
NGG16 number 113, a first update for 2018.
Work has begun on grinding the tube plate at the firebox end of the boiler on 113. This needs to be ground to be totally clean and smooth to allow the crack testing chemicals to work and also to check if the tube plate may have any bulging or be bent in any spot.
Our final Steam Report for 2017
Our final Steam Report for 2017. Click on the link to see the latest Sandstone Railway news.
From all of us at Sandstone we wish all our readers Seasons Greetings and a Happy New Year for 2018.
Click here to read
Update on NGG16 number 113
This is our last report for 2017 before the workshop in Bloemfontein closes for the holiday break on Friday the 15th. All the tubes have now been removed from the boiler as our pictures show and the boiler will now be descaled. The tube plates will also be tested and inspected before the retubing commences. This will be during the early part of 2018.
The boiler repairs begin on NGG16 number 113.
Lukas Nel and the Bloemfontein team have begun removing the tubes from NGG16 113. Our pictures show the superheater header at the start of the operation at the smokebox end and then the process to the remove the old tubes by grinding off the ends at the firebox end. Our last picture shows the section of the small tube which caused the failure in April 2017.
