OPEN DAYS: These have continued to be well patronised against our previous pattern. The extra income is very welcome and is soon well spent. Thanks to all members who help on these days - without you, we would be unable to satisfy our passengers.
CHARTER TRIPS: These continued until the end of November and we
had to turn some down. We are already getting inquiries for next season's runnings!
A special thanks to all who help with these.
ROTOWARO STATION: After many false starts, the contractors said they would arrive and put it on the trailer at 2pm on 5/11/97. The transporter truck and trailer arrived at 2pm but the truck with jacks, blocks, most of the gear and most of the workers arrived at 4-30!
Between 3pm and 4:30pm, a way of getting the transporter in and the station out was worked out. Two main problems stood in the way - a deep drain and the bottom abutment of the old footbridge. The drain was soon filled in with two large dump truck loads of spoil. The contractors small bulldozer/loader set about shifting the abutment. All it did was scrape some concrete off. Enter the heavy equipment of Solid Energy. First a large pay loader - (all it did was scrape more concrete dust). Next a large bulldozer appeared. This broke a couple of pieces of concrete off and after much pulling and pushing, ended up on a 30 degree angle - well buried in the slush. Next up was a very large hydraulic digger. This managed to pull the bulldozer out and then remove the bridge abutment. Next problem!!! was to get the transporter through all this mess and under the station.
While all this was going on, the station was jacked up in the air using ten hydraulic jacks. Johnson's bulldozer had cleared the platform to uncover the bottom of the veranda rails which, it turned out, were about 2 feet under the platform surface, and about 4 feet long and at right angles to the station. This was the easiest part of the job!
The transporter was able to back in through the clay, with assistance from the winch on the bulldozer. To get the transporter fully under the station was another story. The transporter was connected to the powerful winch on the gear truck and pulled under the station: About half-way back, the winch truck starter to skid. Solid Energy's large digger was attached to the winch truck as an anchor! Finally, the transporter was in place and the station on its trailer. REMEMBER, the station is 65ft long! The trailer was brand-new - just out of the paint shop -and on loan to Johnson's by an Invercargill firm and due in Invercargill in a few days (already booked on the ferry).
The only way out was how the transporter had come in, but with the weight the station as well (estimated to be 14 tons weight!).
Also in the way, very close to the rear of the station, was a lamp post with all its electric wires and a meter box! A sparkie arrived and, as several wires were already down, though it could be removed. Soon done (by the large digger pulling on the transporter)!!!, the station was out and clear of the clay. The strop connecting the digger to the transporter also broke. The transporter trailer had sunk two metres into the swamp and the whole lot had to be dragged out!
By this time it was pretty dark, and with no street lights, railway yard lights or candles, there was only the vehicles head lights to see with. There were also lots of sparks from the various winch ropes so they made up for Guy Fawkes!
The station was finally out on the road at 10-30 pm and had travelled about 100 metres (X 2 metres down)!!
Again, after many false starts and drawn-out waits, the station finally moved again on 14th November 1997!
The station had been transferred onto one of Johnson's trailers before this, as the Invercargill trailer had to get cleaned up and repainted. Surprise! - only a topcoat was on the trailer so it spent a few days in the paint shop.
Before the station could be shifted to the Junction, the shop had to be shifted to our carpark and the concrete pad it sat on removed. This took another day all told.
On 14th November, the station was due to be shifted with the power board in attendance. All our 'watchers' decided to have a 'cuppa' at the Junction, but about 9.00 am, I heard on the RT of one of Johnson's trucks (left at the Junction) some talk about "minding guywires". We took off to Rotowaro and got as far as Hangipipi Road and there was the station coming over the hill just below our new terminus! It sat at the bottom of the driveway to the Junction until 10-00 am when the power board arrived. The (now wider) driveway was easy for the transporter and a tight corner and several small wattle trees were the only problems.
The wattle trees were soon sorted out and at the tight corner the trailer was lifted to clear the bank.
The rest of the day was spent getting the station into place, removing the trailer and turning it and then putting it back under the station till next day. A few pile holes were dug, but the blue rock chips found, broke the post-hole borer!!!!
Next day with different gear, the pile holes were dug and concreted in. During this day, the building inspector called to OK the pile holes - and he condemned the front bottom plate that runs the full length of the building. New timber was ordered and very promptly delivered.
Next day, as the station was lowered onto its piles, this bottom plate was replaced. Thus we now have a station at The Junction again - much larger than the old NZR one which was demolished before our time.
Those that spent many, many hours waiting - waiting - waiting, watching and helping were Sid, Ken and Una, Andrew, Jan and at times myself. I'm told that the transporter and our station got up to the 70kms/hr on its way to the Junction - this would have blown a lot of the coal dust off it.
The station sits as low to the ground as is permitted, but the veranda rail feet are from 6" - 18" above the old platform. This means (another problem!) that the whole platform must be built up anything up to 2' 6". Luckily, quarry strippings are available at a quarry pretty close.
The wall that the chimney was in requires a small amount of rebuilding to replace some rotten timber and the chimney area has been built as part of the wall - no open fire now! Some work has been done on the interior to convert one room into the kitchen. Most windows have been removed and are being stripped down and repainted. We intend putting polycarbonate in instead of glass, so the building can't be broken into.
The front of the station has been boarded in - to enable the filling to be put in place. The platform edge at the carriages still has to be done, although most timber in on-site. All this work has been done by Wingnut, Colin Webber, Paula, Teresa and Andrew.
We found out afterwards that as we had altered the 'conditions of the building's insurance' by removing the station from Rotowaro and at present building is very exposed to get at either underneath, or inside - and a hefty excess has been slapped on it.
We intend to completely close in the foundations to stop this and are working on securing the building itself. This is the main job at present. To assist with this added expense, we have just received a Grant of $2500.00 from Rail Heritage Trust. This grant is very much appreciated and will certainly go a long way to making the building vandal proof.
To help with this project, the Club has invested in an electric belt sander and finishing sander. We will he holding working-bees to paint and generally work on the station on:
Saturday and Sunday 3Ist January and Ist February
and Friday , Saturday and Sunday 6th, 7th and 8th February (Waitangi Weekend).
If you have any paint brushes or other gear needed to work on the station, please bring it. There is also electrical work, plumbing work and work on the platform to be done - PLEASE BE THERE!!!!!
Bob Wiseman and Wingnut have got a temporary power supply into the station. Bob has checked out the existing wiring and meter board and all seems reusable.
Sid made a very good video of the shifting - this is available from Jan.
NEW TERMINUS: A lot of progress has been made on this: A lot of tracksets have
been joined up. Our 'new' tractor obviously thought the job too hard and blew a
seal in the torque converter. As one member commented - its coloured yellow, like a
LEMON! To replace this seal is an estimated three-day job, as the whole loader and
motor assembly must come off. The P.D. Gang have replaced some sleepers in these
tracksets and have jacked and ballasted the section re-sleepered.
About half the new main line has been roughly ballasted.
Our old 'Nuffield' tractor driven by Colin Ewing pulled most of the track into place and put the ballast in place. To make this work 'easier', Mike altered the e point linkage on the back of the tractor.
One of the main holdups was that the point delivered for the bottom-end of the area was minus the frog section. A frog has been delivered a week ago, but is still missing the check rails and sleepers. YOU CAN'T WIN!!!!!
Once the main-line is in place to the end of the backshunt and properly lined up, the platform front can be put in and the platform itself made. (Meantime, the 'waiting room' ex-shop, is still waiting final placement on the new-formed platform).
ROTOWARO YARD: This yard and the last of State Coal's once extensive railway network is now history. The rails have all been removed and sent for scrap. The job has been done by Tranzrail's contractors and has taken about three months.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: This will be held on 14th March 1998 at 2 pm - to be followed by afternoon tea (supplied by The Club) and then a BBQ. The BBQ will be 'bring your own' everything.
Teresa has said she won't be continuing as Treasurer so you'd all better think hard for a replacement.
There is a lot of work with 'juggling our funds', and Teresa will be available to help ease in the 'new hand'.
TRUSTBANK COMMUNITY TRUST BOARD: We were granted $1 500 to
overhaul our 1874 handcrane. The main work needed is new headstocks, new hub
pivot pin, fit holding down clips, repair broken sleeving gear and generally clean and
paint this much used piece of equipment.
The headstocks we ordered were 2 X 7ft red-beech. A bundle turned up at Ian Jenner's warehouse - two pieces each 4 mts long. The top piece has drying cracks coming in from each end, but we could get three headstocks out of the timber supplied. As we haven't seen the bill - we think it has been paid. MANY THANKS IAN!!!
LOCOMOTIVES: All steam locos are now out of use for 'boiler surveys'.
CB117: Both bogies are now fitted with brand new gears. The loco
runs much quieter and doesn't 'bounce' around so much. During 1998, we intend
doing some trials with the loco and a carriage to check its pulling and braking power.
F 185: The steel pipe has been welded to the cast steel base and
Mike intends fitting the spark arrestor to this.
PECKETT: The air leaks have been repaired by Sid and myself. Mike worked overtime and got the spark arrestor fitted just after our last December Open Day. The loco was steamed up on 14th December and with a light load, slack coal, and loco brakes on almost enough to stall the loco, test runs were made up to Downer's Crossing. We set one small fire in some pine needles and I saw two other very small red cinders come out. The beat of the loco is very muffled now. The loco looks more like a sugar cane loco from Indonesia now than the Peckett we are used to.
For 1997 the CB was in steam 165 1/2 hours and ran 33 1/2 miles.
F 185 was in steam 285 hours and ran 224 miles.
PECKETT was in steam 145 hours and ran 136 1/2 miles.
CARRIAGES: Bob has done a little bit more on the roof above a veranda on the car-van. The roof framework in this area was found to be badly rotten and has taken a lot of work to replace. It is disappointing that others interested in woodwork don't seem to want to help with this vehicle. At times we need three carriages on open days.
# 3 CAR: - Sid spent a day stopping air leaks on the brake pipework. There are now only a couple of minor leaks and all leaks have been repaired.
P D GANG: Their good work continued until 20th December 1997, when they
get a month off. They have spent three days resleepering the main line in Pukemiro
yard, one day re-sleepering, near the sandfill and another two days with Bob on the
sharp curve as you leave the Junction for Glen Afton.
They spent their last day on half the concrete floor of our LONG-STALLED
job on the workshop, and concrete pads under the veranda rail-feet of our station. We
got 4 1/2 metres of Readymix for the jobs.
We have just received some red gum sleepers for a trial. They are half the price of pine and a type of gum very suitable for sleepers.
YELLOW TRACTOR: This is now being pulled to bits to get at the leaking seal. The tractor is in the loco-shed where the car van was and the front bucket framework chained to the shed roof so it is out of the way. Alan and Colin are flat out on this job and are mumbling about overhauling the water-pump on it while the tractor is in bits. (PS from typist, ....and Andrew really thought HE WOULD WIN TWO LITRES OF ICE-CREAM!! eat yer heart out Andrew, Alan and Colin deserve a MAGNUM each).
WEEDSPRAYING: Just before Xmas, Colin Ewing managed to get a break from his hay making and with the assistance of Richard, gave the weeds a drink from the bottom-end of the line to just over the sandfill. Must be a good brew as a week later a lot were turning yellow and looking pretty unhealthy.
CALENDARS: If you still want to purchase some, SORRY, BUT YOU ARE TOO LATE - as any not sold have been returned.
FIREWOOD: Sid and Ian Jenner have each spent a day cutting up firewood. Is anyone else able to help - we have a large heap of packing case type timber ready waiting for your chainsaw.
1998 SUBSCRIPTIONS: These are now due and must be paid before the end
of March if you wish to remain a financial member. We hope all will pay up and,
hopefully attract a new member as well.
Many thanks to some Members who have already paid in advance.
As you can see from this Newsletter, there is an ever increasing mountain of work to do and the more people able to help, the better.
The fixed charges incurred with operating our railway have jumped - upwards as usual -and now form a large part of our expenditure. The largest are insurances, boiler survey charges, and so-to-come annual charges from Land Transport.
COPIES OF CLUB RULES: Up-dated version, changes now authorised by Companies Office are available on request for $1.00.
SAFETY SCHEME: You have all been issued with copies of the sections that take in your activities in the operation of our railway. When 1 issued them, 1 said they were not to just be put in a cupboard or use to prop a table up!!!
THIS YEAR, we will be having a day on this and a day on shunting - and general safety around our railway. KEEP TUNED FOR FURTHER NEWS AND DATES > <.
Land Transport are not completely satisfied with the work of our Auditors and have called for a 'special' audit of us.
The committee do not accept that our Auditors are fully to blame, as Land Transport promised a guild-line booklet of what they wanted, and how we should work with our safety schemes. This booklet has not been produced and we have complained to Land Transport and our National Federation.
The Auditor and Land Transport will have visited us by the time you receive this Newsletter.
The amount of extra work involved is incredible and very frustrating for all concerned.
Luckily, Land Transport have called for this audit under a section of the Land Transport Act which means they pay the bill!
To enable our safety scheme to roll along as smoothly as possible, it is essential that ALL follow the Manual. If it means a little extra work at the time, it must be done that way. I'm the one that ends up with the 'brown stuff dripping off the rafters if things go wrong or aren't done properly.
If you are in charge of a section of the safety scheme, it is vital that you follow exactly what your job description is.
SOCIAL EVENTS: Thanks to Jan, a very well attended evening at the Huntly Workingman's Club was held on the Saturday of Labour Weekend. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and have threatened to return in 1998!! - same place, same time!
A very good spread was put on by the ladies after our last Open Day!
How come it always seems to be the same ones that turn up to these do's. Aren't any other members interested?????
It also seems as if certain members go on a diet for the week before these do's and then catch up on their calories intake.
WORKING BEES: The next ones are:
Saturday & Sunday 31/1/98 & 1/2/98
Friday, Saturday & Sunday 6, & 75 & 8th /2/98
Saturday & Sunday 28/2 & 1/3/98
Saturday & Sunday 28/3 & 29/3
If you haven't seen the progress at the Junction for a while, why not turn up and join in?
Ever since starting to write this newsletter, a week later there is enough to fill another page!
LOCOS CONTINUED: Earlier I mentioned that our steam locos were out for
their boiler surveys. At that stage, not much had been done.
All three locos have had their tubes brushed, fire-boxes and smoke-boxes wire brushed -and all tubes done by Richard.
Sid spent a day working on the blow down valve for F 185. This had a slight leak across the seat all year. The valve spindle screws into the body so can't be lapped in like most valves. The valve spindle was machined and a dummy spindle made to lap in the seat.
The fittings on most locos have been opened up and about one days more work will see all three locos ready for the Boiler Inspector.
As usual, I seem to draw the short straw for the wire-brushing of the fireboxes on the Peckett and F 185. Ended up looking rather 'black' and was still like it when a local Councillor turned up with a visitor from England. The visitor gave us a very generous donation. (Perhaps it was to buy some soap).
NEW MEMBERS: We have had some new Members since the last
Newsletter. Welcome aboard, we hope you will participate in our activities and enjoy
the benefits of operating a railway. If you want to, you can get splinters in your hands (helping, with sleepers), diesel all over your overalls (helping our diesel crew), or genuine black soot (helping. our steam loco crews), or paint over all (helping with painting of station building - or carriage, which ever is your preference!).
ILLNESS: A few of our members are on the 'out of action' list at present.
Bob is having trouble with an eye and his wife Ruth, is due to go into hospital for an operation.
John Hunter has had a knee joint repaired - (was it with 'Uhu' glue??)
Trev Terry has had a bad foot- and
Ron Jenner has a bad artery in one leg (I offered to get some plastic tubing for the repair).
We hope you all get well soon!!!!
MERMERE DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES: After eighteen months of talking with ECNZ, we have finally purchased these two locomotives at a very reasonable price. Thanks Wingnut, for giving ECNZ the final hurry-up.
LAST OPEN DAY: Rob Storey and his wife Lorraine, came for a visit - their first I think, and had a long talk to some of the committee about how we operated, received our funds and generally ran within the new laws. He was Minister of Transport when the new laws were put through Parliament. He has written the following article in the local paper ......
Riding on the Pukemiro Line.
OVER THE HILL with ROB STOREY
Although I don't classify myself as a railway buff, I have been fortunate enough to have ridden on some interesting trains around the world. The Indian Pacific which takes three days to travel from Perth to Sydney across the Australian desert, the steep switchback which climbs out of Cuzco in Peru on the way to the hidden city of Machu Picchu and the South Island's Trans Alpine are commercial routes of great scenic interest. On a smaller scale, the Snowdon Mountain Track railway, which transports people for five miles to the summit of Mt Snowdon in Wales and Barry Brickell's Driving Creek Railway at Thames with its own unique mix of switchbacks, trestles and tunnels are memorable rides.
Until last Sunday, I had never ridden on our own local train with a difference. Having promised two grand daughters a ride on a 'real train', that is one that belches smoke and steam, the best and nearest option was a ride on the Pukemiro Line, operated for twenty years by the Bush Tramway Club.
It was slightly disappointing to find that for fire safety reasons, the train was being pulled (and pushed) by a diesel shunter. However the old wooden carriages creaked and groaned and the bogeys rattled and clacked in a most realistic way as we travelled the five kilometres of track past derelict (but restorable) wagons, through over-hung cuttings and regenerating bush, or as grand daughter Sarah describes it "the forest".
A hair-raising ride on the fire engine, and a short trip on a genuine steam locomotive, the 1904 Heisler, were all included in the price of the ticket. I know of no other railway where the passengers sit on the engine tender on the firewood, and have to move when the fireman needs more fuel!
Unlike the railways mentioned earlier, the Pukemiro Line is run by a club who actually pay for the privilege of keeping a functioning rail system open. While the income from 3000 passengers carried each year, and grants from the Waikato community Trust and other organisations are all ploughed back into track building and plant restoration, the limiting factor for expanding services further is people, rather than just money.
"We do need money. " says 'Secretary/Treasurer Teresa Bettison, "and local organisations and companies are most generous. But we also need members who would like to help with some of the restoration projects such as the re-furbishing of the old Rotowaro station, now moved to become the headquarters of the line."
While the Pukemiro line is an interest for its members, it is also a growing attraction for the North Waikato region. The scope for development is limitless, and the project deserves the support of local people. Perhaps an extra in the Christmas stocking could be a voucher promising the family a ride on the Pukemiro line when it re-opens at Easter!