A new book on the Port Elizabeth to Avontuur 2ft narrow gauge line will be published in October. The book is the first to be taken from the material published on the excellent Soul Of A Railway website hosted by Charlie Lewis and Les Pivnic. The book is co-authored by the late David Payling who visited Sandstone many times over the last few years.
Welcome to our first Heritage News for 2020.
The Covid 19 Pandemic has changed the way we work and we have extended our report from the pure Steam Report to include all heritage activities at Sandstone.
Enjoy the first edition! - Click here to Read
After the return of the boiler from Wonder Steam in Pretoria the locomotive has been re assembled with the boiler unit placed on to the modified engine units, originally from NGG16A number 141. Work has begun on the boiler cladding and making up patterns for the numerous pipes and fitting required for the locomotive. Our pictures show the initial cladding in place as well as the backhead of the boiler and the steam generator.
Garratt Bucher and his father, Robert, are good friends of Sandstone sharing a South African 2ft narrow gauge interest with NGG13 number 50 based at the Hempstead and Northern railroad in Texas along with NG15 number 18. Recently the front tank has been replaced on number 50 which brought to life a number of parts from other numbers in the NGG13/16 family. It is common knowledge that South African Railways swapped parts between locos but we did not expect Garratt to discover a piece of our own number 49 in the USA! Our picture shows this part which is from the sanding system as well a large axle nut from our NGG16 number 113. The part marked TC10 is from Tsumeb Corporation NGG16 number 10 which became SAR 141. Now modified to NGG16A configuration, number 141 is stored at Sandstone for a private collector.
Our pictures show the wandering parts as well as number 50 resplendent with her new front tank.
The Sandstone Steam Railway Stock List has been updated. The new version amends the incorrect Hanomag works number for NGG13 number 49 from 10599 to 10598. Information via Andreas Giller at the Hanomag Museum in Germany and Garratt Bucher in the USA confirms that 10598 is the correct works number for number 49. The attached pic courtesy of Hanomag confirms the information.
Our documentation extending back some 20 years has always detailed number 49 as Hanomag 10599 but after all these years the correct information has emerged.
Click here to see the Latest Stock List
155’s boiler returns to Sandstone.
The rebuilt boiler of NGG16A 155 has now arrived at Sandstone following its rebuild at Wonder Steam in Pretoria. This was done with an official permit as railway maintenance departments were declared as essential services by the Minister on the 4th of May 2020 meaning we could collect the boiler as it is part of maintenance. This also means that we can now continue with the restoration at Sandstone.
The photo of the boiler plate show that the boiler of 155 is its original from its construction at Hunslet-Taylor in Johannesburg in 1968 although the boiler itself was actually constructed at Leeds in the UK.
Our other photos shows 155 off loaded and stabled in the loco depot prior to work beginning on uniting the boiler with the rebuilt engine units.
