With the restoration of NGG11 number 52 now complete and the loco in service at Sandstone, the restoration of NG10 number 61 continues. Boiler work is being undertaken at Keith Steven’s mechanical workshop in Howick with the refurbishment of the frames moving ahead with Lukas Nel in Bloemfontein.
The completed rebuilt boiler for the 1897 Lawley NG97 has been loaded at Keith Steven’s Mechanical Workshop in Howick and returned to Sandstone. The boiler will now be reunited with the locomotive and commissioned for the upcoming Stars of Sandstone event.
The boiler suffered a failure of the copper inner firebox and this has been replaced with a steel version which is less prone to damage.NG97 was originally launched into service in June 2008.
Construction at Sandstone is moving ahead of the new line designed primarily for our younger visitors (although our adult visitors will love it too!) that runs from the grain silos and along by the loco workshop to a large loop around the dam in the south east of the Sandstone complex. After last year’s drought, Sandstone has been experiencing exceptionally heavy rain which has slowed progress but the line is till on target for a grand opening at the Stars of Sandstone 2017 event at the end of March. The line is to be named Seb’s Railway after the grandson of one of Sandstone’s directors. The map below shows the layout of the new line and ongoing progress can be followed in the weekly steam reports via the regular links published on this page
The Sandstone Heritage Trust in South Africa are custodians of David Shepherd’s 15F loco, No. 3052, which was gifted to him by the South African Railways in 1991.
In recognition of the many happy times David spent in South Africa we have produced a YouTube documentary which features extensive use of archive material from his many visits. Please click here to view: https://youtu.be/b-hA_LfZdNs.
We hope that you will enjoy it as much as David and his family have done in recent days.
Sandstone’s 91 Class diesel moved under its own power after many years of standing idle and did some test runs in the loco shed yard. After the fitment of 32 new batteries and some close attention by Pieter and Dean from Genrail she fired up in 2 seconds.
After an extensive overhaul by the Sandstone team at Bloemfontein under Lukas Nel, NGG11 Garratt No: 52 has completed its first run on the Sandstone system after being moved there in the last week. Apart from a short steam test in 2016 in Bloemfontein this is its first steaming since being retired from Rustenberg Platinum Mines around 1972 where she was their No: 7. The locomotive will undergo more loaded commissioning trials over the next few days.
Our picture gallery shows her in the Hoekfontein Station area.
Here is our latest steam report, a mega edition for December!
Some new drawings and information.
The Transnet Library with kind assistance from Yolanda Meyer has been extremely helpful to Sandstone over the years we have been restoring locos. They recently assisted us with some drawings of the 91 Class and a short article on the units by Leith Paxton originally published in SA Rail in 2000.
With the number plates fitted, number 52 is almost complete but work is still required to rectify some excessive side play and misalignment of the connecting rods close to the piston heads. Both steam brake cylinders for number 52 have been sent out for a total overhaul and once all these items are returned the locomotive will be complete. This is expected towards the end of January 2017 when number 52 will transported to Sandstone for final steam testing and certification. Number 52 will undergo a number of load trials at Sandstone prior to the Stars event in April 2017.
