By the time you read this, 1996 will be well and truly history. Perhaps I'm getting older but the years seem to go by quicker and quicker. We hope you all have weathered the hustle and bustle of Xmas and the New Year and are looking forward to a busy 1997!
At this time of the year, we are at the start of the Club's financial year - a subscription renewal is included with this newsletter. A large amount of work will, hopefully, be undertaken during 1997. These jobs include sorting out the track across the sandfill, completion of CB 117's overhaul, continuing sleeper replacement, completion of our workshop.
We hope all Members will renew their subscriptions promptly and remember a recent rule change means that anyone with subs unpaid after end of March is unfinancial.
OPEN DAYS: In keeping with the passenger trend over the years, our passenger count drops off as the weather warms up. Can't really say "as the rain stops" because it didn't until second week of December. Our Open days during Labour Weekend, November and December were fairly quiet but every dollar of income has a home in some business for club purchases.
Very many thanks to ALL who have religiously turned up to help make our open days a success.
CHARTER TRIPS: These have continued into November with some kindergartens and groups new to us. Often someone from the group has visited us on an open day and thought enough of us for a return visit. We already have a few enquiries for our running season in 1997!
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES: After the Labour Saturday open day, and evening social was held at the 'Blue Rooms' at Glen Afton. This was very well attended by 30 Members and partners. A good natter was had by all. The only problem was that the kitchen cooked the meals as ordered so everyone wasn't able to eat together. Thanks Jan for arranging the evening. Quite a few asked for it to be repeated next year.
After the last train at the December open day, a wind-up BBQ was held - again well attended on a very sunny afternoon following very heavy rain earlier.
A surprise 80th party was held at this time for Ken Davies and must be the only time Ken has been lost for words!!! In fact the words he got out were - ..If You pack of bastards!"
We had also hoped to have another 80 year old present - Bo, but he wasn't able to attend. Bo and Ken have been Members of the Club for as long as we have been running trains. In fact, Bo was a signatory to our Constitution.
Both have had to slow down slightly in recent years, but Ken and Una still make every open CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU BOTH.
F 185: Mike has continued working on the balloon stack for this loco. All various shapes have been rolled and are being welded.
The main problem at the moment is a cast base to fit the balloon stack to. The funnel we got with '185' had been cut down to fit under State Coal's screens but is very rotten where the flared section becomes the up right section. We do not want to cut the top off the present funnel and are looking for alternatives. Work continues on fitting up the electrical system. The Pyle National generator is in place and most of the conduit for the wiring and the steam piping needs a bit more work. The loco is now out of service for annual survey.
PRICE CB: Richard is presently rigging up the handbrake - another item that had long since vanished. He is using the one off the chassis of FA 41, but is having to make up all the linkages. He has also spent a lot of time lagging pipework with fibreglass rope. He got a tip off Bo - 'make sure its very wet first' - but still ends up with fibreglass in places he hadn't thought needed fibreglass!
The loco has made several trips to the sandfill and one downhill. We recently had a photographer taking some photos to go with an article he is writing about A & G Prices for the Historical Society's magazine
The new pinions and brake blocks are at the Junction. He is also gradually sorting out some of the knocks in the engine.
WATER: We have tested Andrew's portable pump and fire-engine and it will pump water from the creek that comes under the railway at the start of the drive up to the Junction, up onto the main line above. The fire-fighting wagon tanks are now full of creek water so must not be used for boiler water, except in emergencies.
The PD Gang have cut a track with steps between the rails and the creek to make getting the fire-hoses up much easier.
WORK TO BE DONE BEFORE NEXT APRIL:
There is a lot of work to be done during this time. F and Peckett boiler surveys, several large re-sleepering jobs in Pukemiro yard, replace all rubber grommets in diesel loco 402's radiator and replace engine front oil seal, tune engine in TR 217 ... to name a few!!!
This will keep our active members extremely busy without other jobs - are others able to help? If so please contact me on 07 828 4859 URGENTLY!
P D GANG: They have continued their valuable work on our railway. While the main activity has been re-sleepering when Bob or myself are available, they have done many tidy-up Jobs. They have pulled out a boundary fence just below our pine trees and will shortly be replacing the posts. Most of the boundary fences are in pretty shakey condition.
The main area of work down the line is completing the re-sleepering and re-gauging at the 7 mile curves below our pine trees. This has proved a bigger Job than expected. This is about one or two days work left. They have also deepened some drains in this area.
VISITORS:We have recently had some overseas railfans visit us while they have been in New Zealand working at Huntly Power Station. Two were 'Poms' from Birmingham - one works with one of our founding members -Stretch - (Alan Spalding), and the other owned a traction engine in England. They spent a few hours with us on an open day before getting dragged back to work.
The latest was from U S of A. He paid a quick visit with member Gary Solly after work recently. He was impressed with our collection -particularly the CB. He owns a loco in the States and certifys loco boilers as fit for use as part of his hobby.
We also had Ken Philpott and Gordon McLean - once members of the Club. Ken helped with the overhaul of a CB at Ferrvmead, while Gordon was part owner of F 185. Rather odd to see them taking photos under an umbrella. We also did a posed line-up of the Peckett, F 185 and CB 117 for them - let's hope we get a photo.
SAFETY SCHEME: This is in the final alteration and amendment stage - I hope!. L T S A have sent us a few areas for re-consideration mainly qualifications and experience for inspectors of brakes, boilers and the like and standards for train crew personnel. I gather we are not the only group finding it hard to put down these type of standards without tying us up for ever.
The amount of work involved so far is incredible.
The implementation of this scheme is not without large costs. We have had to increase our insurances and are looking at an additional one to cover our Auditors, General Manager and Officers of the Club. If you don't believe this one is necessary - think of the legal battles after a child fell from an express and the subsequent compensation claims.
Ministry of Transport recently sent us a paper outlining various costs they hoped to charge for the safety scheme and its audits. We strongly objected to these costs and I'm sure all like railways did!
Our Federation of Rail Societies agreed to this safety scheme regime on the understanding costs would change very little - IF AT ALL.
As a person very closely associated with the spade work over this system said recently - "We've been conned!".......
Once the safety scheme is accepted - it becomes the 'bible' of our railway and we must work to it.
Part of that means that ALL REPAIRS, LOCO HOURS AND MILEAGES, TRACK FAULTS AND REPAIRS MUST BE PUT IN THE APPROPRIATE RECORDS. I know this is not always being done at present.
So if I have to get tough with you for not carrying out these simple Jobs - you've only got Yourselves to blame.
WORKING BEES Yes! these are still held on the 4th FULL WEEKEND of each month. The next ones are
JANUARY 25th and 26th
FEBRUARY 22nd and 23rd
MARCH 22nd and 23rd
As the Chinese say 'Many hands make light work'. There is always heaps to do so why not come along and do something different for a change (Girls, we need some painters!).
WEEDSPRAY: On the day before our December Open day. Colin Ewing decided to spray the line. He arrived about 10:30 and with Richards help, got the line to Rotowaro Sprayed.
After lunch, with Bob's help, he tackled the rest of the line to Glen Afton. They wouldn't have been 1/2 mile up the line when it started to drizzle and by the time they returned, the rain was quite heavy. That night it really poured down (understatement).
I'm not sure if Colin measures the spray out by the mill ilitre, ounce or bucket but by Sunday afternoon some of the weeds were not looking very happy.
The grass towards Glen Afton was very long but is certainly looking sick.
COMPUTER: The Club has zone very modern and obtained a computer by donation. It is at Teresa's home and will be used to make our accounts and records keeping much easier.
Our safety scheme was drawn up using a computer, so it is only a matter transferring all the write-up onto a disk if we need to and it can be used by future General Managers.
Computers can be very handy if used correctly but can also be a great time waster .... (shouldn't play games then!!!).
We are on the look-out for a printer. any offers, preferably a laser/ or inkjet will do?
ROTOWARO TERMINUS:
Not much more to report on this. While solid Energy were removing the soft clay from the area, a dump truck dropped a wheel into the ground. Yes, it looks as if it broke through the roof of an old underground mine! There is also another place on the old railway formation very close to this spot where a dump truck tyre has sunk into what should be solid ground. All underground mine tunnels were supposed to be at least 100 ft below any railway but this certainly hasn't happened in our case.
I have been onto Solid Energy about this and have given them two options:
1/ Dig any coal out then backfill the old workings OR
2/ Punch the tunnel roof in and backfill the old workings
.
We need to stop any future collapses when Solid energy might not be so inclined to fill in any holes.
A new power line to Glen Afton and beyond is presently being put in and will follow the new road. This will put the line across the end of our railway terminus so will mean we won't have far to run a future connection to the station.
Don't forget our open days start in April and we need plenty of hands to do the jobs badly needing doing before we can carry passengers
The Committee has also decided to operate during EASTER WEEKEND AGAIN this year BUT EASTER IS MARCH 29th/30th please pencil in on calendar!!!
BEFORE WE START RUNNING AGAIN we also need a lot more firewood cut up. If anyone has a chainsaw and a few spare hours, we have a large heap of wood needing cutting up. It can be stacked in the old water tanks beside the heap.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST: Our ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING will be held in the shop on SATURDAY 15th MARCH 1997 at 2 pm. It is important ALL MEMBERS have a say.