The Bloemfontein team have received some spares from the machine shop but exciting news is the acquisition of some axle boxes that may be modified so that the rebuilt tender will now have eight boxes of the same type.

We could not resist another shot by Dennis Moore from Loraine Gold Mine near Welkom. This is locomotive 2734 hauling twenty hoppers at the mine from a location called “The Hole” where the usual load was 10 hoppers.

To quote Dennis “Never have I seen a loco abused so much. Every rivet was straining; it made it, crawling past at about 2 mph. Some tremendous wheel slips; no wonder all their tyres were shot. When asked why he dragged twenty out instead of doing two hauls of ten wagons each, the Driver just laughed and said "it was more fun that way!" 

2734 was eventually purchased by Sandstone but scrapped some years ago as  “unrepairable” after all usable components were stripped from the loco. We can probably see why it was in such poor condition from the picture! Sadly mine locomotives suffered daily abuse which is probably why so few are ever restored to working order.

2734 has an interesting history though, in that the original 2734 was built in 1946 as works number 7247 by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn but was lost at sea in the Thames Estuary during delivery. Number 2734 was a replacement for this engine but was built two years later in 1948 as works number 7360 and so was out of sequence with its sisters. It spent some of its life at Bloemfontein and then Klerksdorp from where it was withdrawn from service in 1989 and sold to Loraine.

Nevertheless sister Loraine loco, 1938 Krupp built, 2654, also saved by Sandstone survives today fully restored at Bloemfontein.

One of Sandstone’s restored locos is the ex Lorraine Gold Mine 19D number 2654. The loco is in storage at the Sandstone Bloemfontein facility under the care of Lukas Nel.

Dennis Moore photographed 2654 at Lorraine on the 22 November 1997 and sent us this short gallery from his books, “Golden Steam” and “Lorraine Gold Mine”

Dennis remarked on the pics: “As it happens this was the very last occasion on which I saw 2654 in steam.  I hope one day, I will renew acquaintance with 2654”.

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The tedious but essential work of reclaiming items from the chassis of the NG10 continues with subsequent cleaning. The tender bogie axles are also seriously rusted and much attention is being given to restoring them to pristine condition and repairing the damage caused by rust on the tyres and axles as well as the bearing journals.

Keith Stevens and his team have been forging ahead with the boiler rebuild for NG10 number 61, here is his latest report with a picture gallery.

“Work is progressing well with the NG10 Locomotive Boiler and it has now all been assembled together apart from the Outer Firebox.  There is still a way to go and I anticipate completion around the end of October”.

Riveting the dome to new boiler barrel section

Attention has shifted to the tender bogie where some problems have been experienced. Many parts are not original with some items such as the axle box dust shields shown in the photo actually fabricated from wood. This is believed to have happened when the loco was originally set aside for preservation. Lukas Nel and his team are looking for parts with the original look or will fabricate new ones from the NG10 drawings we have.
The springs on the bogie have been pressure tested and the centre part of the bogie is being assembled. All this work is time consuming but necessary to complete the standard of restoration required.

This weeks steam report from Sandstone 10^th August 2017

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Following on from our last update, the Bloemfontein team are waiting for some parts for the motion and in the meantime have begun to strip the number two tender bogie for assessment and repairs. A complete overhaul is required as expected as many parts are damaged and all are very badly rusted.

Attention has now been given to the cylinder and valve covers as all the studs were rusted solid and could not be unscrewed. They have now been drilled out, retapped and replaced with new studs as our pictures show.

We have done some cosmetics on our 3’6” gauge locos at Kommando Nek. Click here to read the PDF

Here are further photos of the repairs currently being carried out on Class 15F No. 3052.

The locomotive gauges have been recalibrated. The brake ejector, hydrostatic lubricator, Fireman’s side delivery pipes and Fireman side blow down drum have all been refitted and the Annual Boiler Inspection was done on Friday 28^th July. The locomotive passed its visual inspection and will be steam tested later this week. A test run, double headed with 15F 3046 is tentatively planed for Saturday 5^th August.

Further pictures show, renewed pipe work to replace that ripped off in the derailment, the tender frames being straightened and welded where cracked and the boiler number restamped into the dome and cover following recommendation by the Boiler Inspector.

The repairs to the front bogie and bissel bogie are now complete and work has progressed to assembling the front ends starting with the side rods, connecting rods, piston slide bars and cross heads. When the loco was originally stripped many parts were found to be missing and these are now being fabricated to complete the work. Our pictures show some general views of the loco’s front end.

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Celebrity 15F number 3052, “Avril”, has been moved from Friends of the Rail in Pretoria after its derailment in March on the Cullinan branch. The locomotive is now undergoing repairs from some accident damage as well as the replacement of some fire grate sections.

The motion has been reassembled, a replacement cow catcher has been fitted and the damaged fire grate sections are in the process of being replaced. The cowcatcher once secured will be primed and painted. The cab gauges have been removed for recalibration and arrangements have been made for the annual boiler inspection to be completed next week.

Our pictures from Reefsteamers show the replacement cowcatcher being fitted, work on the replacement grate and the motion reassembled afte it was removed for the tow from Pretoria.
Following boiler certification the locomotive will be kept at Reefsteamers for the foreseeable future and will be used on their tourist excursions from Johannesburg.