The Sandstone Oxen team have reached another milestone with the inspanning of 30 Oxen during a training exercise. The initial plan was for 32 oxen but a broken yoke foiled the plan but this will happen soon. Well done to the team!
Work has now begun on the stripping and cleaning of the second locomotive for the Transnet tender at Bloemfontein. The 1913 North British built 4AR locomotive number 1555 awaits its place in the new museum at Bloemfontein after spending over 30 years in storage. As can be seen from our pictures it is much poorer condition than the NZASM “B” tank recently completed. Some damage is evident on the running boards plus serious corrosion to the cladding.
The locomotive has been separated from its tender which has been fitted with new bearings and axle box keeps and covers. The cab has been removed and our pictures show the deterioration of the cladding and the generally poor condition of 1555. Not surprising after so long in open air storage.
The locomotive continues to take shape as the brass boiler bands have now been fitted and work is well underway on completing the cab.
Sandstone’s motto is never forgotten and a recent auction at Belfast saw us put it into action with the purchase of a number of classic tractors and agricultural equipment plus a very rare and complete Marshall steam portable and a veteran Mercedes truck that may well have gone for scrapping
The tractors include a Massey Ferguson 35X, A Massey Harris 55 and a McCormick-Deering B450, believed to be quite rare. The items have now been moved to Sandstone as our picture shows for future restoration although some of the tractors and the Mercedes truck are believed to be in working order.
Work has progressed with this restoration with completion of the fitment of the running boards together with fitting the boiler bracing bars to the front of the smokebox and frames. The next project is now the completion of the cab and its fittings.
The stripping, cleaning and painting of this locomotive is now complete at Bloemfontein. All the loose parts will now be safely secured. Another tender will be issued by Transnet shortly for the assembly and final painting of the locomotive.
A job well done by Lukas Nel and his team.
The crew will now move on to the other locomotive in the tender,4AR number 1555.
These two donations from Sigisi Sawmill have been collected from the mill near Kokstad and transported to Sandstone. As you can see from the pictures it was a very gloomy and misty day in Kwa-Zulu Natal. We have received some information on these two units and they are believed to be Ransomes. They will be given a full examination at Sandstone to try and identify any numbering on the units and trace their history.
Our pictures show loading the units in the misty conditions and after arrival at Sandstone where the sun was shining.
John Deere celebrates 100 years in 2018 and one of the earliest examples of a John Deere tractor in South Africa is Sandstone’s 1924 Model N, Waterloo Boy. This has been loaned to John Deere for the duration of the largest agricultural show in South Africa and is on display at their stand at NAMPO 2018 in Bothaville in the Free State.
Sandstone is a major user of John Deere equipment and wishes John Deere another successful 100 years.
