WELL...., 1999 is here and over two months gone already. Some of our usually active members at the Junction seem to have been hibernating from the summer heat!
Thanks to all who have renewed their subs and also added a donation: REMEMBER all donations over $5 are tax deductible.
If there is a red dot in the square ..... your subs are now due. 31st March is the final day for subscription renewal.
ROTOWARO STATION: Not much has been done on this since last newsletter (although our ladies have been seen with paint brushes in hand doing some touch-up work, and internal door)
A few more curtains have been put up and the skirting in the Station Master's Office has had its top coat put on. Ken is awaiting the installation of the fire-bucket rack on the West-end of building.
We had priced the timber required to renew all platform edging at time of drafting this report .... but it has since been installed along the whole platform fascia, and capping that needed replacement has to be done!!! Progress is swift at the moment. To replace this timber we only needed to dig a trench 70 metres long and about 300 - 400mm deep!!! Once again the PD Gang have come into their own.
TRAINING SESSION - SUNDAY 14TH MARCH: We intend holding a training session for approximately half-day to explain changes to our Safety Scheme. It is very important that as many of our operating - or prospective operating - staff come and listen. Remember to drag out your copy of the 'Safety Scheme' and bring it with you. Copies of the amended sections will be issued.
The other part of the day will be spent having a fire-fighting demonstration and practice. Pencil the 13th and 14th March on your calendars using a bright colour, as we need everyone to attend.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING:
This is still to be held on SATURDAY 13TH MARCH BEGINNING AT 2 PM. An early afternoon tea/ late lunch will be held BEFORE the meeting starts. We still need nominations for positions on the committee but particularly a Treasurer.
As mentioned last newsletter, the only other option would be to pay someone!
ERA OF THE BUSH TRAM: Paul Mahoney's book on bush trams are available from the club at a discounted price. Paul makes reference to 30lb rail being a 'heavy rail on a bush tram!' At the same time I was reading a book on the equivalent in West Virginia where some of their locos used were 90 ton 2-8-0's on 90lb rail!!
# 401: The tyres have been turned at Glenbrook and have been placed under loco at this stage. Andrew waterblasted the side-rods. These, and the loco underframe, headstocks, footboards and steps etc. have been scraped and painted by the PD Gang over several days.
The crank with the loose crankpin has been taken to John Thompson's for repair. Once again we must thank ECNZ Thermal (Huntly) for this generous community sponsorship on the turning of these wheel-sets.
CAR-VAN: Just when he 'thought' he had replaced all the rotten studs, a lot more were found. I think all have now been replaced! Wingnut has spent about 10 days on these , and Teresa has started scrapping the old varnish from the inside (sitting down on the job ....).
Also all the windows have been removed, stripped of all paint and varnish and renewed. Even the window latches have been stripped to their original condition and lacquered. The steel-guides have also been stripped and rust treated before being fitted back to their timber strips.
The parcel racks holders have been located .... but does anyone have or know of any of the string netting required for replacement?? Would save us the hassle of having to adapt fishing net!!!
Andrew water-blasted the underframe. The day happened to be one of the hottest and he had to be kitted out with yellow plastic raincoat, leggings and gumboots!!
STEAM LOCOS: The boiler inspector visited us mid-January and gave our locos a good going over. All three have been passed, the Peckett requiring a few extra jobs. The one that will take the longest is the making and fitting of 34 flame shields into the brass tubes in the fire-box. Thanks also to Sid for nursing this work.
Richard had the side tanks off the CB, so took the opportunity to paint the complete loco.
F185 is all ready to light up to set the safety valves and check in steam.
TRACKWORK: The extremely hot weather has slowed down some section of this work. Andrew has put in and painted the final track distance markers towards Glen Afton. The PD Gang have replaced some sleepers at the start of the backshunt at the top-end of the Junction Yard.
A culvert, under the embankment in the Junction yard by the firewood pile had the top entrance cleared! Although the water ran into the culvert, we could not locate the entrance. We had to dig down through liquid silt about 2 mts to find the bottom concrete work at the entrance. The job was very awkward and the bloke in the culvert had to throw the silt up the bank to the end of his shovel length. A second did the same and a third was able to clear the silt high enough out of the way so it wouldn't slide back into the culvert. The silt had the odour of long accumulations of silt and vegetable matter!!
As you might expect, there were a few 'squelchey' gumboots that day.
HUTS AT THE JUNCTION: We have used PD Gangs to scrape, sand and paint some of our storage huts at the Junction. So far, two have been completed and another two lined up. The aim is to 'tidy-up' the general appearance of all the buildings.
POWER CABLE: We have long 'talked' about a new power supply into our loco-shelter from the overhead lines and cables from there to the hall and station: The cables to the hall and station were laid some time ago ... but remainder of the money from a WEL Trust Board Grant of 1997 was also for the cabling of the workshop extention. At long last this final report will be able to be furnished.
After much talk on ideas, Bob Wiseman finally pegged out where he wanted the trench (from the power pole by the water tanks, down the bank and into the switch board in the loco-shelter - Bob had to hack his way through the undergrowth to get the cabling measurement!). Four days later and the PD Gang 'found the tools necessary' to dig the trench on their trailer!! The job took about three hours - the hardest section being through reasonably soft rotten-rock as they dug down the bank.
-And to think Bob then says he's off on 'holiday' for 10 days!! (How long does he think these jobs take the PD boys these days?)
OPEN DAYS: The first for 1999 will be:-
Sunday 4th April .... Easter Sunday!
and Sunday 2nd May.
Please fill out the attached work notice and return it - OR BETTER STILL, HAND IT IN AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING....
We need as many members to help run these days as possible.
CHARTER TRIPS: Yes!! we have already have a booking for a diesel-hauled trip on 14/3/99 - between 5pm and 6pm. There is also another charter inquiry for 150 visitors. Lets hope these bookings continue.
WORKING BEES: It is so pleasing to see so many members turn up without a planned working bee. We need a lot more members turn up to help out on the many tasks of keeping our railway running. A recent 'prospective member' didn't think he could join us ..as he had no railway experience! "Join the crew...." and welcome aboard.
Next 'planned working bees' will be: 27 - 28th March
24 -25th April
22-23rd May ..... see YOU there!
There is always a mountain of work to be done - the usual few are really very busy and can't do some of the things that perhaps we ... should.
Colin Ewing, Alan and Richard recently moved one of the huts in our carpark forward. This gives more room in the carpark. As usual - any flat open space tends to get gradually cluttered ....starting from the edges and working inwards.
Alan has also been clearing the flat-area around by the workshop hall, and hopefully this will be tidied up by the time this newsletter is out. A fair amount of 'rubbish' ended up here, and Alan has had quite a job cleaning this up.
SHANTY-CATS: They have recently decided that Jan's jellymeat is not as tasty as it could be, so have varied their diet with rabbits. There is often only an ear left to let us know that another rabbit won't be eating our grass and plants. Thanks to the few that continue to bring something to help out with the cats food. Recently a couple of large rats have been found killed by the cats and left around the shanty
Jan recently found a small ginger kitten at the shanty - luckily we were able to give it away to our farmer neighbours. A small pup was also found in the toilet block on a day a PD gang were at the Junction. One of the boys took it home. We don't want to become a 'dumping ground' for unwanted animals - they also need feeding and then a home has to be found for them.
ROTOWARO 'TOWNSHIP': If you haven't been in the area for a while - you will get a s-h-o-c-k. As reported some time ago, the railway yard is long gone, the coal dug out and in the process of being backfilled!
The area where the village WAS, is now rapidly becoming a huge hole. The only structures left in the area are the screens at the old 'Allison' mine.
The area where the mine workshops and loco-shed were, are also now being dug up for a mine!
FIREWOOD: Now that our running season is nearly here we need a good supply of cut up light-up wood. There is heaps at the Junction just wanting to be cut up and stacked in the old water tanks. Any Offers? Surely, someone not already up past their eye..brows with other jobs can help with this....#####!
CONGRATULATIONS: To our own Bob Mann on reaching a healthy 70 years in January.
Would have been nice to have joined in a wee celebrationary drink or three... (along with Paula and Andrew's engagement), these happenings make excellent Club socials.
CONDOLENCES to the Thompson family on the sad passing of Mark recently. Our thoughts are with you all.