GREETINGS to all members and non-members who read our newsletters. I hope you find something worthwhile in each one. These newsletters record the activities of the club and its work on The Pukemiro Line but, sadly do not seem to encourage more members to help with the continuing maintenance of our operating gear, or the restoration and preservation of some of our other items of very historic gear. Lets all try and make 1999 an even more productive year for our railway.
I hope the festive season has been a time to relax and catch up with friends.
This time of the year also brings us to the start of the club's financial year, so the necessary subscription renewal form is attached. We hope you will all 'cough-up' and even encourage others to do the same. Our subs haven't increased for a number of years now. If you think they are expensive, consider one golf club where the joining fee is $25 000.00 - yes! it gives you shares in the club - plus an annual fee of $1200.00. Or at the other end of the golf club scale - one in our area proudly advertises full fees of $185.00.
Our club's fixed charges are - insurance, boiler inspections, land leases, Land Transport Fees etc. etc. etc.
All these must be paid before we can budget $1.00 on the repair or upkeep of our operating gear - let alone put anything into restoration of other gear.
All donations over $5.00 are tax deductible. Any member who hasn't paid by end of March is automatically removed from club membership:
A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED SINCE LAST NEWSLETTER - were you one of those who helped??
ROTOWARO STATION: This is now at the 'last coat' stage as far as painting is concerned. The PD Gang have spent a few more days on this project and a couple more days should see it completed. A gang of ten takes a bit of sorting out as far as materials are concerned - talk to Teresa about the sudden rush trips to obtain more paint! I have seen them put on 18 litres of paint in a day. They also take a bit of sorting out to make sure the right paint goes on the right place at the right time!!!!! Some of them work on the old Army motto of ..."If its standing still - paint it"
Bob Wiseman has got all the lights in place and working. Our window expert - Wingnut - has completed all windows.
We have a price for tar-sealing the platform and hope to do it before we start carrying passengers at the beginning of April - part of this job also means the renewal of all timber that forms the edging between sleeper level and the top of the platform edging. There is also one section of platform edging that badly needs replacing. When this has been completed and sealed, we can look to complete the internal flooring treatment or replacement.
OPEN DAYS: November open day was reasonably well attended but December was very quiet. Dry weather just before December meant we wouldn't risk taking our steam locomotives outside the Junction yard. Passengers were able to go for a cab-ride up and down the Junction yard while diesel 402 was the train engine.
Thanks to all members who turn up on these days to help - without you, we couldn't run!
CHARTER TRIPS: We had a last minute rush during November and early December for kindergartens, old folks homes and a social club. The social club one required both 401 and 402 - one at each end of both carriages with the Peckett doing a few runs up and down the yard. 'Santa' boarded the train at Hangapipi Road crossing and handed out presents. This meant an extra trip over the line so Santa could dish out everyone's present. We made more from charter trips than open days for this period.
TREASURER: The Club is still desperate for a Treasurer - even more so as Teresa has indicated she won't accept the job next year - even if we don't get one! If no-one is prepared to take on this job - the only alternative is to pay someone.
DIESEL LOCO #401: Ever since we first leased this loco off ECNZ, we have kept an eye on the condition of the tyres. They were badly gutted and are now worn down to the maximum allowable under our safety scheme. For many months we have been organising, scheming and generally working out how to get the job done, who we could convince that the job was worthy of sponsorship, and exactly what was needed and how to go about the job!!!!!
Tyres on locos are not like car tyres - but it is possible to get badly worn tyres turned back to shape on a special lathe. Glenbrook Railway have a lathe, so arrangements were made with them and a price obtained. Next task-money! As we purchased the locos from ECNZ, we cheekily thought - who better to ask! Rather surprised, they said yes. So far, so good!
The loco was taken out of service on 6 December - yes! I know it was our open day, but the PD Gang booked for 16 & 18/12 could only come on the very next Wednesday and Friday of the week before. The brake gear side rods footboards and axle box keep plates all had to be removed before the P D Gang could jack the loco up. The removal of this gear took Alan, Wingnut, Mike and myself all of our open day. There were many uncomplimentary words spoken about "Pommy" engineering as we struggled to remove long seized tapered pins. We finished about 3-30 and shunted the loco into the partly completed workshop - ready for jacking. The jacks chosen were 4 X 25T screw jacks once carried on all NZR's larger steam locus.
The PD Gang came on the Wednesday and jacking proceeded for about 1 1/2 hours using sleepers and blocks as packing as the loco was lifted about .75m above its normal height. The loco weighs 18T but the wheels were left behind as the loco was jacked up. At approximately this time we had a major hiccup with our jacking and it took the rest of the day to sort the problem out. Two days later a second PD Gang completed the jacking, and rolled the wheels out from the side of the loco and onto the main line. While all this was going on - Glenbrook, during the various phone calls - told us they may not be able to turn the tyres because of the position of the axle boxes. A measurement hastily taken seemed to assure them they could turn the tyres. Our carrier was also arranged for 18/12 - so a hasty re-arrangement was the wheelsets loaded on his truck with our handcrane and away to Glenbrook. We haven't heard from Glenbrook so assume the tyres can be turned OK!
All in all - a very hectic few days - or as someone said - "..What's new at BTC - you don't really expect everything to go to plan!!!" - One further problem - we found a loose crankpin as the crank from the final drive and onto the side rods!
HANDCRANE: One end of this crane has had all timberwork replaced - a new 12" X 4" red-beech headstock, a 12" X 3" framing. Those that have worked on this so far have been the PD Gang, Andrew, Wingnut, Mike and myself. Most of the steelwork has also been cleaned and received two coats of black paint. A new deck has also been fitted to the new end - of 9 X 2 red-gum. We are receiving a lot of comments on how good the job is looking. Mike has been getting the nuts off the bolts that hold the sections of the slewing gear to the wagon frame so that a couple of broken teeth can be repaired.
To do this job, we have purchased a few speedbore bits and an expanding bit to make boring the holes in the timber quicker. The purchase of the expanding bit is also a story in itself and chasing it up took many, many hours!!! (and many hardware 'specialists').
All internal framing is bolted to the next piece using angle iron and galvanised bolts. The old pieces were all dovetailed together - rather complicated for us non-wood butcher types - however the result is a very tidy and tight job.
The other end is in better condition but will be done when the crane is not needed for a few months.
CAR-VAN: Wingnut has spent quite a few days replacing the last of the rotten studs and generally replacing other rotten timber as he goes. We have ordered some new fan lights and windows and Wingnut has also repaired some of the older ones. Brian took some of the panels home so he could varnish them while Wingnut has been scrapping some of the old layers on panels in the carriage. Any thoughts or help on upholstering of seats???
MINES CAR: At long last all timber for the repairs to the headstocks and internal framing is at the Junction. Some is red beech and the rest stringy bark gum.
YELLOW DIGGER: Colin and Alan have fitted a new water pump to this - this saves taking a 20litre container of water with them. They started final digging of the shop-site beside the toilet block but had to stop when a hydraulic hose blew. I'm told a replacement is being 'obtained'.
NEW TOOLS: The Club has recently purchased a 5" heavy duty disc grinder and an air driven drill. The disc grinder is for general use and the air drill to use for drilling holes in sleepers for spikes or screw spikes.
P D GANGS: I think members need to remember that the large number of gangs that work on our railway are a 'privilege' NOT 'a right'. - I am often asked why the PD Gang haven't completed such and such. If even a few members were present EVERY TIME a PD Gang was at the Junction - I think you'd be surprised at the amount of work done - some very visible and a lot totally unseen.
One of their main jobs is still replacing sleepers. The use of the air tools has sped the work up a lot. Does anyone know of jack hammer spades that we can acquire to use for packing ballast under sleepers? Our best one snapped and is very slow to use now.
One of their last jobs for the year - as I write this newsletter - was two coats of topcoat on the jigger-shed and painting of the tanks on our water wagon.
TRACKWORK: The number of sleepers replaced this year was 289 X square, 267 X 1/2 rounds and 7 long point sleepers. We also replaced 30 X fishplate bolts. This amount of work is a record for our club and has really tidied up some areas (and knocked a large hole in our sleeper account)! As sleepers are replaced - the track is re-gauged to pull it back within the limits of our safety scheme. NZR estimated the use of 2200-approximate - sleepers per mile - so you can see a sizeable length of track was re-sleepered!
Since our last newsletter we purchased 50 X square pine and 300 X 1/2 round-sleepers at very good prices - even allowing for delivery costs. It certainly pays to shop around.
END-OF-YEAR FUNCTION: A most enjoyable do was held after the last train of the year. 22 attended the BBQ and had a good natter. Alan got the 'Bettison' Annual Award for making the biggest foul-up of the year - and YES! it was the telephone cables - wasn't it Alan!!! The BBQ was held at the station now that there are good facilities available there. Andrew has been given an extra christen name - JACK! as part of his birthday treat!
SHANTY CATS: Jan continues to feed them - usually twice a day and they have got used to hearing her scooter arrive. Thanks to all who help with 'goodies' to keep them going. Last month we found a dead rat - the first for approximately 8 months. The young rabbit population get sorted out judging by the pieces of rabbit found lying around.
DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES: Ds loco - the second cab window was fitted and sealed in time for this loco to be shunted out of the shed and replaced by #401 !
# 402: Bob Mann has been busy chipping patches of rust, priming and top coating sections of this loco.
"THE ERA OF THE BUSH TRAMWAY IN NZ": Paul Mahoney's book has recently been published and can be purchased through the club. We do not hold stocks of it but will order it on receipt of orders. Retail price is $59.95 (plus post and packaging).
SAFETY SCHEME: The amendments required after our special audit are very nearly complete. Our operator sections has been completely reprinted and will be issued to all holders of the section. You MUST read it very carefully as there are some changes to the previous issue. You may have noticed that some parts of the way we operate have changed during the year - like the use of 6 X 6 red gum sleepers! If the Safety Scheme doesn't say you can use them - you may have to remove them:
Land Transport have now requested we include a section in our 'risk analyses' section to cover run-aways as there have been a lot of runaways on other railway recently. We will need to hold a half-day talk about the changes to the safety scheme before we start operating again - BE WARNED!
WATER SYSTEM: Richard has rigged up an automatic system for keeping the concrete tank on the hill full, using the pump and tanks behind the loco-shelter. It is also possible to use the pump on manual to do all it could before. Richard is soon to give us a list of instructions!
STEAM LOCOMOTIVES: YES! it's that time of the year again when all our boilers are cleaned, scrapped, pulled apart and generally tidied up for the boiler inspector. Sid, myself and Richard have done the work so far - I even 'conned' a couple of PD bods into doing the tubes on two of the locomotives.
The Peckett has a few jobs to do on it. Clean up the threads of two washout plug-holes in the smokebox tube-plate and repairs one mudhole door - also replace the stud in another mudhole door.
I walker into John Thompson's fitting shop last week to be greeted with "What horrible jobs have you got for us today?" and I only wanted to talk about making a new mudhole door - possible threading two new washout plugs and repairing the crankpin on #401.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: This is planned for Saturday 13th March 1999 at 2PM in the Station, at Pukemiro Junction. PLEASE mark this date on your NEW CALENDARS as the AGM is important
STEAM HAMMER: Coal-Corp has for many years had a steam hammer in its blacksmiths shop and it was in use with compressed air until a couple of years ago. As Solid Energy had cleaned all workshops etc. from the area for part of an opencast mine, we got an 'urgent' call to get rid of it if we still wanted it. Only Andrew was available to shift it in the time allowed so he hired a hi-ab and, with Solid Energy's help, shifted it to the Junction. It will eventually form part of our display of steam engines and equipment.
D3 LOCOMOTIVE: Alan has overhauled the starter motor and it now starts first time! He has also repaired some air leaks in the brake system.
ROGER REDWOOD: Oct 1945 - December 1998:- Although not a member of our Club, he was one of the 'original gang' that worked at MOTAT. This gang was largely the nucleus that formed the Club. He saved D170 during the late 60's. He eventually moved to Christchurch and took D170 with him. He started a private museum at Prebbleton - Chch. His marriage split up and the only thing left was D170. Some years ago he moved to the Waikato and for the last 18 months was a contract supervisor at Huntly Power Station: He served his time as a fitter at Otahuhu Railway workshops.
WEEDSPRAY: Recently Colin, Richard and Kerry did a complete weed spray of the line using a rather unusual method. The CB took a small flat-top wagon up and down the line. The slow speed of the CB resulted in an extremely good job. Just in case you think that's it - we have just purchased another 20 litres!! Andrew has been spotted doing small lots of spraying around the Junction.