Railway Heritage
Sandstone Steam Railway News 27 March 2016
Cosmetic restoration for Class 10CR No. 771
Cosmetic restoration for Class 10CR No: 771.
Sandstone’s unique Class 10CR pacific locomotive No: 771 (ex-Lorraine Gold Mines, Welkom) was partially dismantled some years ago with a view to restoration has been reassembled with a cosmetic makeover. Unfortunately there are too many issues with the boiler of the loco to consider a full return to working order at this stage. The pictures by Gert Jubileus show the Steam Team putting the finishing touches to 771. The loco will remain on display next to Hoekfontein Station with a number of vintage wagons placed behind it as part of the display.
Originally Central South African Railways (CSAR) No: 1007 from a batch of 12, the locomotive was delivered after the Union of South Africa in 1910 as Class 10C and never carried its CSAR number. Subsequently reboilered it became Class 10CR. Originally designed to work passenger train between Springs and Randfontein they were transferred to main line service between Klerksdorp and Kimberley. They ended their days shunting in Cape Town and were all withdrawn by 1973.
Curiously for a main line passenger locomotive, 771 found its way to Lorraine Gold Mines in the Free State where it worked until the mid-90’s before the mine closed its rail system and it was acquired by Sandstone.
Sandstone Steam Railway News - 18 March 2016
Sandstone Steam Railway News - 11 March 2016
Another O&K to Sandstone
Another O&K to Sandstone.
O&K No: 11112, “Ermyntrude”, has now joined her sister “Anna” at Sandstone’s Hoekfontein depot.
This short video shows her undergoing steam trials hauling the newly refurbished children’s coaching set. Under the supervision of Lukas Nel both the locomotive and coaching set were passed for service.
Sandstone Steam Railway News - 6 March 2016
"Anna" steams for her first run
"Anna" steams for her first run
After being moved to the Hoekfontein workshops from Bloemfontein recently, ex-Angola O&K 0-6-0T No: 12140, “Anna” made her first test run after her boiler inspection as part of the commissioning process for the locomotive. The O&K is named “Anna” after the wife of Lukas Nel, head of Sandstone’s Bloemfontein Workshop.
Our pictures from Gert Jubileus show her steaming towards Hoekfontein Station with the newly erected station water tank in the background.
Sandstone Steam Railway News - 20 February 2016
Sandstone Restoration News
The beginning of 2016 has seen substantial progress on NGG11 No. 52 with the front engine unit completed. Work will now continue on the rear units. The regulator valve is also receiving much attention with all the rods, shackles and glands being readied for repair and new parts fabricated where necessary
Sandstone Steam Railway News 12 February 2016
Update on the restoration of 15F 3052 at Reefsteamers from Engineering Director, Shaun Ackerman
Update on the restoration of 15F 3052 at Reefsteamers from Engineering Director, Shaun Ackerman
We have faced a few minor challenges with 3052 in finding the correct size and thickness of copper rings (ferrules) for 3052’s firebox tube ends, which delayed installing them through January. They could have been manufactured from copper sheet internally, but there are always risks involved in this and I made the concise decision rather not to go this route but to use the copper rings which were manufactured for us. They do come at a huge price though because of the process to extrude and manufacture them, which was dealt with by us in honouring this contract.
With the copper rings having arrived late last week from our supplier and all the tubes having been swaged, we will get on with and start installing the tubes in the next week. We anticipate this process to take around two weeks. Thereafter we will have another inspection and hydraulic test later in February.
3052 underwent an extensive washout before the restoration began. Photo by Dave Richardson
The following work has been done since November 2015:
1. Welding up by a coded welder of some lateral gouge marks in the firebox end tube plate, tube holes, which were of concern to us in that they could possibly be leaking areas for the new tubes when installed.
2. The re-grinding and dressing of these tube plate holes to accommodate the new boiler tubes.
3. All of the no. 1 and no. 2 boiler wash out plugs as well as all the larger syphon tube plugs have been annealed, wire brushed and inspected. 14 small plugs in total where found not to be fit for further service and were replaced. 8 small plugs had their threads chassed to rectify the threads.
4. Further de-scaling of hard scale has been done on the boiler barrel as per the inspector’s instructions.
5. All boiler fittings have/are receiving attention:
The clack valve has been stripped. The removable seat was recut as well as the valve and then lapped in to suit and seal.
The clack and pipe threads were also checked for defects and cleaned.
The 2x blow down valves were stripped and checked and found to be in a satisfactory condition and have been cleaned and reassembled.
The 2x water gauge column valves have been stripped and cleaned. The valves have been lapped in and are now satisfactory and will be fitted with new PTFE seals to eliminate the old graphite packing materials.
The 4x safety valves have been stripped, cleaned and assessed for defects. The seats have been lapped in and they will be reassembled.
The vacuum brake ejector has been worked on and this is ongoing.
The hydrostatic lubricator has been worked on and this is ongoing.
3052 at Ficksburg in 2008. Photo from Sandstone Collection
The following work is envisaged within the next two months to complete the restoration:
1. The tubes will be installed and expanded into place on the front and fire-box ends.
2. Preparations will be done on blanking off the entire boiler for hydraulic and visual inspections.
3. The wash out plugs will be fitted and secured once all the boiler shell wash out plug hole threads have been assessed and/or re-tapped.
4. The tube ends will then be beaded over and a coded welder will do the tube end bead welds in the fire-box.
5. The smoke-box table plate, breaker plate and sieve plates will be fabricated and fitted into the smoke-box.
6. The front door will be refitted and sealed up.
7. The brick arch will be rebuilt.
8. After the blanks have been removed again, the fittings will be refitted along with the removed copper pipes.
9. Cab fittings like the refurbished ejector and lubricator will also be fitted.
10. The x-ray of all axles.
11. The main pressure and vacuum gauge SANAS calibrations and certifications.
12. The boiler will then receive the official BI steam test and setting of the safety valves.
13. From here, and if all is fine, the locomotive will be thoroughly tested within the depot before going out on the mainline for a load test.
A sight to be repeated in 2017? 3052 steams past NGG16 No. 113 en route to Ficksburg. Photo from Sandstone Collection
Regards,
Shaun Ackerman
Director of Engineering – Reefsteamers Association (NPC)
