The Sandstone Grafton Steam Crane, dating from 1950, has arrived at Sandstone after being delayed by blocked track at Bloemfontein Depot. In June 2009, this crane in Bloemfontein was in danger of being scrapped with a number of other redundant units. Sandstone secured its future and had it moved into the Sandstone security area at Bloemfontein Depot.
A very busy day for the second day of our festival with high visitor numbers who have missed their visits to Sandstone. Our photo gallery shows some of the highlights of the days activities.
Newly restored NGG16A number 155 made its debut today at Sandstone hauling the Cherry Festival train with her older sister, NGG16 number 88, “Joanne”. Our gallery shows number 155 posing for a beauty shot and then with 88 on her first train since the early 2000s.
Although we completed the moves of the Sandstone assets from Bloemfontein a few weeks ago, one item remained there, steam crane 187. This was blocked in by some scrap material on the tracks which was cleared and Mercor Transport brought through the crane on Monday 8 November. Our gallery shows Crane 187 on arrival and ready for unloading.
The press in the Germiston area, courtesy of the Caxton Group and their reporter Charmaine Slater, has given us good coverage of our locomotive moves from Germiston and will be following up with further stories of the locomotive arrivals at Sandstone.
Click here to view the Bedfordview and Edenvale News and the Germiston City News in PDF format or click on the links below for the on line editions.
https://kemptonexpress.co.za/321774/final-goodbye-to-the-ladies/
https://bedfordviewedenvalenews.co.za/481385/locos-make-final-journey/
https://germistoncitynews.co.za/282126/all-aboard-one-final-time/
Sandstone has just completed a restoration of the Oliver 1950 tractor. Oliver Tractors came about from a merger of four companies in 1929 and continued to manufacture tractors until acquisition by the White Motor Company in 1960. The new company continued to manufacture tractors up to 1974 when the Oliver name was dropped. Interestingly we have a White M5 military vehicle from WW2 in the Sandstone collection.
FIAT tractors were also marketed under the Oliver name in North America during the mid-1970s, such as the Oliver 1465 tractor.
This model was designed as an agricultural tractor and mostly marketed as such in Oliver’s green and white colours. The industrial version was a wholly Oliver designed alternative, and contemporary photos show it in yellow with a heavy duty drawbar and no 3 point hitch, exactly as Sandstone’s example.
Interestingly for a model launched in 1964 it was available as a two and four wheel drive. The four wheel drive appears to be mechanical, although there are fleeting references to a hydrostatic front wheel assist option, much more common in the ‘60’s.
Our tractor expert, Chris Wilson, has examined a lot of photos and thinks Sandstone’s version was originally four wheel drive, but has been converted to two wheel drive, presumably due to a failure in the 4wd drive train.
Technical Data:
Manufactured in Charles City, Iowa, from 1964 t0 1967. According to the serial number, 295-9203, Sandstone’s was manufactured in 1965.
Powered by a GM 3.5litre 4cyl 4-53 engine, giving 105Hp through the PTO.
The wheelbase of the 4wd, at 85”, is short for a tractor of this power, which probably reduced its traction and explains the massive ballasting on the rear wheels. The weight, un-ballasted, was approximately 6 tons.
The transmission was 6 speed, with a partial power shift option, Hydra-Power, on each gear giving 12 speeds in total. In service many of the Hydra Power boxes were “locked up”, due to un-reliability.
Our photo gallery shows the Oliver as restored and on its first drive at Sandstone with a compaction roller.
With new items of rolling stock and locomotives arriving at Sandstone from Germiston over the next few days, we have been hard at work preparing the display area for the new arrivals. Much of the hard work and ground preparation has been done by our 1965 Caterpillar 621 scraper. 621 tractors were powered by a Caterpillar model D336TA V8 turbocharged and after-cooled diesel rated at 300 horsepower and connected to a Caterpillar eight-speed full powershift transmission, with the first two speed ranges direct converter drive for added torque during loading and pulling out of the cut.
At Sandstone we carry on our tradition of using our older machinery for modern tasks and the Caterpillar 621 is no exception.
The Sandstone Stock List.
The Sandstone stock list has been updated to reflect the moves of Sandstone’s 3’6” gauge assets, from Bloemfontein and Germiston, to Sandstone. Click here to view.