I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and are looking forward to a prosperous 1993.
The club needs more new members, particularly younger energetic ones. The membership total has been fairly static over recent years, some leaving being replaced by new faces. The last couple of open days could really have done with a few more helpers.
Open Days: October and November open days had good passenger counts but December was fairly quiet.
Charter Trips: The last charter trip was on 5/12 and was a Santa trip for children of the Glen Afton Citizens Club, Santa was supposed to be picked up at MacDougalls crossing but as our train approached - Oh dear - No Santa. Perhaps the weight of water from recent rain had slowed his sleigh down. All was not lost as he - sorry she - was waiting at the crossing on the way back. Santa handed out lollies to the kids while Santas helper gave the loco crews a rather welcome cold drink for later. Once back at the Junction, Colin Ewing took some kids for rides in a Mere-mere diesel while some went for rides in the Peckett. I know the kids enjoyed themselves but the loco crews were rather deafened after all the whistling and hooting of the whistle and horn. All in all a most unusual charter for us.
Calendars: We still have calendars available for $8 - wall type or $9.50 for desk types.
A.G.M: Notice has already gone out that this will be held on 20-2-93 at Pukemiro at 2p.m. It is important that members attend to elect a new committee and voice your views. There must be several changes to the committee for 1993.
General Manager: Eric has resigned from this job and I have been appointed. Eric has been Acting General Manager since Dick Lawrence resigned in 1984 and has done a good job of running our open days and generally overseeing our safety standards.
New laws about to be passed through Parliament will mean the General Managers job becomes larger and will involve much more paperwork. Various law changes have been outlined in previous newsletters.
Pukemiro Pickings: It is difficult to list all that has happened at the Junction since last newsletter.
Several past members have been back to assist in various jobs and it's good to see them again. We could also do with their subs though.
Gordon McClean spent a couple of days helping Bob clean up the edges of the yard. Mostly this was shifting items that had been inside or close to proper trackside clearance for some years.
A special request is made by Bob not to dump stuff beside the line or near the trap points.
F185: The boiler has had new lagging and most of the steel cladding fitted. When all cladding is fitted, the boiler can go back into the loco frame.
Carol Mann has been painting the water tanks.
D2: Andrew and Paula started scrapping and painting the cab interior but seem to have stopped lately.
After last open day - and listening to Andrew complain that no-one knew about his birthday - a BBQ. was held which incorporated a 21st do for Andrew. He even had a cake in the shape of a train. The evening was most enjoyable. The only shout from Andrew was a couple of cans of warm beer!
Loco Shelter: After a long time waiting for the local council, we are extending this shelter by 2 bays. The poles were concreted in by PD gang early in December. Bob assisted by Dick Stratford have done some of the woodwork for the roof and got part of the roof nailed down. When finished, we will have much needed extra cover.
Peckett: This is now out of service for its annual survey. The dirty work was done by Ian Bettison, myself and a PD worker. We plan on welding a plate onto the front of the smokebox to give a better door seal, The plate has been rolled for us by John Thompsons.
Ds Loco: The 2 new bearings were recently turned by John Thompsons. They will be fitted when time permits.
P.D. Gang: These workers have been busy replacing sleepers, cutting a large fire break near our pine plantation, clearing another culvert and generally doing labour intensive jobs.
At the end of October, a slip moved near Hangapipi Rd overhead bridge and partly blocked the line, The PD gang are being used to dig the toe of the slip back and build a crib wall of old car tyres. While this slip covered our rails, we had a shortening of our trips on open days.
Colin Ewing put a good load of weed spray down early in November and got a good clean track. New grass is growing so another spraying will be needed before we start running again.
Tony Hinton is selling on behalf of a friend in UK, footplate equipment used in steam locos in England, The range includes firing shovels, oil pourers and pots, engine drivers leather bags. If anyone is interested 1 have prices etc. He can also get manufactured kerosine lights for locos.
The latest openday raffles have been won by Betty Wiseman, myself and Una Davies. (no comment please).
I hear a genuine P funnel is for sale in a second hand shop in Sanson price $10001.
There has recently been quite a lot of steam trips in the Waikato, KA942 spent a day running trips between Huntly and Hamilton in support of a Country fair in Ngaruawahia.
The trips that must take the honours for 1992 was a visit to Hamilton by F163 from Palmerston North. It was hired to run between Hamilton and Ruakura to raise money for a high school in Hamilton. About a week beforehand I got word that it was being steamed up from Taumarunui and as it happened it was to be my day off. Jan and I decided to leave home early and get as far south as possible to get some photos of the train coming north. We left early, picked Bob up at the Junction and headed South. We called at Te Kuiti station to get an idea of its times. The station agent hadn't heard of it and certainly didn't have a train advice for it. He rang Taumarunui and was told it was due to leave at 9 a.m but would be leaving about 9:30. We scrambled back into the car and with foot down headed south again on the Mangapehi - Ongarue - Taumaranui road. We got as far as the top of the Ongarue gorge and decided to wait there. Shortly afterwards a group of cars arrived with a shout that the train would be past in 10-15mins. The train was picking up school children, taking them to the next station, dropping them off and picking up more. Very soon the train came into view - what a magnificent sight. The F was hauling a UB wagon of coal and water, a 56ft guards van unfortunately painted white and 2 steel carriages. We chased it back to Otorohanga getting some very good photos. Just past Otorohanqa, we made an instant decision to side-track to the old Kio Kio Railway station. We got all set for our photo and could see smoke about 1/4 mile down the line and just around the corner, behind some willow trees. The smoke gradually lessened and we waited, and waited. At last the guard came walking up the line to ring train control. He told me the loco had broken a side rod and the crew were in the process of dismantling the rods.
We set off down the line and found the crew covered in oil and grease with most of the rods off. I had met a couple of the crew in Palmerston North a couple of Labour Weekends ago and one - Mike Barnes, I had known for many years. I asked one bloke if I could help and he said "not unless you've got a spare side-rod." When I replied that I had. Jan wished that she had a video camera to record their faces. After finding out what they required, we started walking back up the line to head for home and get the necessary bits. The guard asked if we could give a school teacher a lift as she had to be in Hamilton by 4.30p.m. We got a photo of the F at Kio Kio as it went past - now a 2-2-2 instead of 0-6-0. The loco had been dismantled until only the centre driver was connected to the cylinders.
Into the car and away with Jan in the front so the school teacher was in the back with Bob. We arrived back home, got changed, grabbed some overalls and took off for the Junction. The side rods on the firemans side of our F were quickly removed and put in the boot of the car.
We arrived at Te Rapa loco to find the crew flat out re-assembling their side rods. They grabbed our left hand leading side rod to replace their broken one, our bearing yoke for this side rod and 2 brake blocks. With a bit of filing and adjustment of packings the whole lot slid together perfectly. We arrived home at 10p.m. and sat down to the first food since midday.
Unfortunately work meant I could not see the F that weekend or follow it home. Lack of a suitable lifting cradle made it necessary to drive the loco to and from Palmerston North instead of just from Taumarunui.
The chances of the crew of F163 being able to get the parts for a 112 year old so easily were very remote but we just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
We expect to get our parts back sometime when the broken parts off 163 have been welded.
THE WAY WE WERE
D.S.I. a la I.K.B. Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887 was to be celebrated in the railway town of Swindon with a huge fete and tea in the New Park. Fifteen Thousand people were expected, and they would all want tea. How on earth to make so much? The spirit of I.K. Brunel is ever-present with G.W.R. man, and the locomotive department yielded to none in their determination to be worthy of him. "Leave this," they said, "to us". And they set about scouring four locomotive tenders lined up on a siding near the Park. Cleaned and fitted with draw-off cocks, the tenders were filled with fresh water into which were emptied cases of tea. Each was in turn coupled to a flexible hose from a nearby loco, live steam was injected and presto, enough tea to float the 'Great Eastern'. Moral One: There's nothing like a nice cup of tea. Moral Two: There are more ways of making it than most of us get the chance to try.
Now I know how the ladies in our shop can make the tea, but I hope it doesn't sit there brewing too long!
Three new books on Bush Tramways are due to be published in 1993. They are;
1. On the railways of Northland, including all bush tramways largely written by a long-time researcher of bush tramways - Forbes Neil.
2. A book written by club member Paul Mahoney. He has also spent many thousands of hours on researching. This is published by IPL Books of Wellington and we hope to be able to get it at a discount price. Anyone who is interested, please let me know.
3. Ngapuke - facing the challenges. A book of the tramway that ran from Mananui near Taumarunui to fairly close to Lake Taupo on the western sides. It is also a history of Ngapuke district. It is written by Ron Cooks who published "Roll Back The Years" booklets on the history of the King Country.
All should be excellent books with a price of $40.50 each.
After several years of talking about it and several more years trying to. Don and Bo have shifted to Mangonui in Northland. They have set up camp on some land overlooking the harbour. I hear 1 workshop is up and another on the drawing board. Dons lathe has already been used for a couple of jobs in the area. I hear Bo is not the best lately - hope your health picks up Bo, when the rain finally stops.
Tony Hinton has given us a rather large donation towards Rotowaro station. This will be held for any maintenance that might crop up.
STOP PRESS: We intend holding a B.B.Q. after the AGM. At this stage if everyone brings their own meat and salads, we will put them all in together.