I think the only thing that can be said about this year so far is-"where has the first half of it gone?!"
There had been a disappointing turnout of members at our working bees - (and members still ask us why hasn't so and so or such and such been done yet)!! - but then incredible turnouts during the week have made up for this, so read on and see the following reports.
OPEN DAYS: May Open Day was a dry day, and our passenger count improved on April. As a result of the dry weather, we had several fires which were put out by our own fire-crew members - (and a couple of passengers, who helped out for the novelty)! June Open Day had a very good passenger count and with wetter weather - no fires! I was away, but got told that things went very well - perhaps I should stay away more often. I know that the station staff were pretty short this day. Special mention too, to our newer "tea makers", shop and ticket sellers. I am sure Mary and Betty are pleased to see Lynda, Doreen and Bill. A Big THANKS to all who turn up to help, and to the newcomers a special welcome.
I need the enclosed work notices RETURNED. I have heard a few grizzles about not being rostered - but if I haven't had a work notice returned (if you can't be bothered returning it that is) don't grizzle.
MINES CAR: Just when I was going to write about "slow progress" - Ian Jenner turned up to work on the wooden underframe. Last working bee showed those present how easy it is to change bogies. The opportunity of a few members was USED to replace the over-hauled bogies back under the car, put the spare under the other end so another bogey can be overhauled. Incredible progress has been made with the head-stocks and all internal wooden under-framing bolted in place. Ian had precut it all in Auckland. There is still a lot of work needed to get the end into its final overhauled state. It was shunted into the top-end of the workshop but time so far hasn't allowed a start on it. Thanks to Simon Lilley, All three Swabey Boys and Bruce. Work on the body framework has started with our other Ian (White)-from Auckland and also Jim Hansen, welding hammers and saws. (They overhauled an old 6-wheel carriage Glenbrook Railway rescued from Dargaville -which sees occasional use on their railway). Harvey has also seen to be helping with some of this project (probably gets mixed up seeing so many wooden wagons waiting in line for restoration)
XC WAGON: Good progress has continued on this. One side now has all new tongue and groove on it, the overhauled door re-hung and all sorts of painted metal parts hanging up after painting. Harvey has continued with most of this work, with Wingnut helping when off work the same day. Wingnut has now replaced the steel door sill, and Harvey making up the new door (lucky he brings his trailer). PD workers have spent a few hours on blocks of wood, cleaning the under-frame, springs and axle-boxes prior to painting. They have also spent a lot of time undercoating tongue and groove timber for the rest of the wagon. Teresa was also "spotted" being dragged into helping with some of the jobs.
CHARTER TRIPS: We have had two mornings of 'kindy' trips, another one planned plus a charter for a railway enthusiast group (by the time you read this, it will have been). We are often struggling to find members to crew the train for these trips, so if you can help, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
THANKS TO THOSE WHO ARE ABLE TO HELP with these trips, and especially so to Trevor Walker, Bruce, Doreen and Bill King, Mary and Eric Burns, Jan, Ian and Teresa and himself; (For the time they take, these are better money earners for the club than a lot of open days!)
STEAM LOCOS: The situation regarding the CB and Peckett, in some ways gets WORSE, as we look deeper into them.
At least we haven't had the "Wheel Tappers" around yet!!!! so don't tap the wheels Richard!
Peckett locomotive: Colin Ewing had a mate he thought could fit inside the boiler and was prepared to work inside it. Unfortunately, his shoulders were TOO big.
stop press!! stop press!! And whoops......... A couple more of the boiler fittings had been removed - prior to weekend of 22/23rd June - and then hey presto!!, Chris Mann herded (URGED) a team to make up a work gang and they have now dismantled the boiler, cab, side-tanks, brake pump and all fittings, which are safely loaded onto flat wagons. The running boards on one side, and the sand-boxes were removed also. WELL DONE Chris, Neil, Mike (Campbell), Mathew Swabey, Richard and Wingnut.
Things yet to work on are :
1/ running boards,
2/ water-blast complete loco
3/ cut dozy area out of side-tank - repair and paint,
4/ cut dozy area out of bunker, repair and paint
5/ paint cab
The boiler is due to go away to PFS in Hamilton within one month for repairs.
We had just received $10 000.00 towards the work on the boiler of this loco. A new smoke-box alone will cost about $5 000 from this! So this fund has enabled us to get stuck in.
As always, we are very thankful to WEL ENERGY TRUST for this grant. It will go someway also to get the boiler overhauled - so will need wads of money still to complete the project. We still need someone small enough and experienced in working in confined spaces to get inside the boiler to get girder stays out - any ideas welcomed!!
One email from a boiler repair firm in UK said to remove all tubes and take the front tube-plate out - "a massive and expensive job" - ANOTHER challenge from the club taken aboard with great enthusiasm from members. WELL DONE to date.
CB Loco: Richard has cut a section out of the boiler barrel where tests showed the plate to be BELOW THICKNESS!! The piece cut out was purposely large enough to allow him to get inside the boiler, however since cutting this piece out, MORE WORK has shown up including cutting more plate out AND quite extensive wastage of the inside bottom area of the front tube-plate. Looks like a heap of welding will be required. He has also found some stays that may possibly need replacing. Cold weather and poor health lately have meant his visits have been few and far between. He had some stainless steel pipe dropped off recently to fit as a sleeve over the piston rods to stop rusted areas developing as a result of our intermittent use of the loco. We are getting the boiler inspector back (due Monday 24th June) to OK the extra plate we think should be cut out of the boiler. This is proving to take longer than expect - as he isn't always in Hamilton and usually not when I am available!
stop press: Good news!! Stay steels don't need replacing just yet!! But we also need to get more NDT (Non Destructive Testing) work done on this boiler. Special thanks to Chisholm-Whitney funding for the items to this stage.
FIREWOOD: We still need a member (or members) to cut up more wood that is on our wagon. As these wagons are generally stored 1 km up the line (out of the way) some advance notice is needed to get the wagons down. Our PD workers split the last lot (cut up by Andrew some months ago). Just a hint to engine drivers and firemen - when wooding up the loco after use - Make sure a large part of the light-up wood is DRY! Its no use trying to light wet wood in pitch dark conditions. Last time I had to light up, the wood was so wet, water was still running off it!!
TRACKWORK: Some progress has been made on the re-sleepering above our "Train Limit Board". 40 sleepers have been put in an area of bad track about 100 metres past the limit board. The 'back-shunt' that the WMR car and steam crane are parked on, has now been completely re-sleepered. This is another siding not touched since our time at The Junction!
SCRUB-CUTTER: Our member Keith Young spent a very long day cutting back all growth beside our railway - from top to bottom. We hired his road/rail digger that is fitted with a bush whacker - and whack the growth back it did. The sides of the line have been given a real "short back and sides" hair cut. He started about 9 am and finished in the dark - about 6 P.M., the last being the sides of the drive to the station: some of the gorse branches cut were approximately 4" (100mm for modern types in diameter). Myself (Colin Jenner) and PD workers spent a day cleaning all loose bits left by the bush whacker.
GROUNDS: These continue to be kept up to scratch by Richard on the lawn mower and the PD workers - cleaning drains and using the weed-eater. We still have a couple of sheep that wander around and have a nibble at the grass. The flock of goats (OR "...heard of goats?!!....) have gone, so that's one problem out of the way!
SHANTY: Richard has put one more new rail under this building, leaving just one to go. We have purchased the plywood for the new porch floor, so the job is getting closer!!!! The floor in most of the building feels a lot more solid now. All old rails have been put on the scrap heap now ....thanks Richard for doing this essential work. We have recently purchased a "NEW" -well not quite- fridge/freezer: well new to us anyway, for members use in the shanty.
WORKSHOP: The second door has been hung. A new lock has been put on the small man-door in one of the large doors, so for the first time since we have been at The Junction (27 odd years) , our locos can be LOCKED AWAY. The key for this lock is the standard workshop key for the old hall.
Bob Wiseman, his son-in-law and workers spent a VERY productive day in the workshop recently, getting the power put in to it. We now have lights, 3-phase power points and a single phase power points available and working. Bob seemed to spend quite a lot of time parked on a box - fitting plugs to the end of leads! We now have an air compressor AND welder in the workshop. There is still lots of 'bits and pieces' - and some junk - in this workshop (already??) , but at least we are now able to do a lot of work UNDER COVER at l-o-n-g l-o-n-g last. That work was completed with the help of last year's Trust Waikato Grant. The electrical work was BADLY NEEDED.
An important item still to do is to replace the cladding on the sliding doors and then extend the roof to cover the doors - and their track and then put a fake front on to stop the weather blowing in.
WORKING BEES: The next ones will start at 12-30 on Sunday 28th July and 25th August. - Take Note: the NORMAL one for September 22nd will now be our " Sponsor's Day" ..... and ALL MEMBERS are asked to be available, as YOU ARE THE REASON we apply for funding - to allow us all to carry on with the numerous projects at The Club - and COMMUNITY FINANCIAL SUPPORT is one of the components!!!!
We would (normally) ask for a 'good turnout of members' on any of these days - but work is very dependant on the weather at present; fortunately, we still have a variety of "indoor" or "outdoor" jobs needing doing.
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF RAIL SOCIETIES: AGM- in Gisborne. This was attended by myself and Jan, Teresa and Wingnut - One of the main topics was a discussion by Occupational Safety & Health and The Federation's Health & Safety convenor (Dr David Black), about how possible law changes MAY affect railways like us. (Unfortunately, I missed most of this as Jan and I had to stay the Friday night in Whakatane, and left early Saturday morning for Gisborne).
From Teresa: 'The HSE (Health and Safety in Employment) Amendment Bill is to cover 'Anyone selling a service' - even if it is "amusement". It arises out of a desire by the Government to provide equal protection against harm to volunteers who work beside paid staff. The present proposal before the House is that volunteers who work for groups that employ staff would then be covered by the HSE legislation. This would mean that volunteers would have to comply with the same safe work practices as industry, and our Club officers may have to accept increased liability for any accidents.
The basis behind the HSE Act is the need to identify, eliminate, isolate or mitigate hazards as far as is practicable.
We also had a chat from Land Transport about possible changes to their laws again, and how they may affect us.'
At this stage not too much is known about changes, as the Bills are still before Select Committees, who are now TOO BUSY campaigning to get re-elected!
We all had a trip behind WA 165 to Beach Loop in Gisborne City Railway's carriages - some are air conditioned (and I don't mean by poor fitting windows or doors!). The worst part was a very long wait at Beach Loop for Tranzrail freight train - VERY LATE! By the time we got permission to return to Gisborne, darkness wasn't very far off.
The Conference was held in the Poverty Bay Club - a very old fashioned 'gentleman's' club - over 100 years old. It was built by wealthy sheep farmers as a club so they had somewhere to stay when they had to come to town.
As with every conference, there is always heap to learn and discuss. The Federation has undergone a name change and is now FRONZ i.e. Federation of Railway Organisations of New Zealand Inc.
TIMBER: The timber from our pine trees was finally returned after treatment on 20 June. Jan and I waited three l-o-n-g hours on Monday 10th, only to find it wasn't coming (but would be here on Wednesday) - no good, as no-one would be at The Junction; so we had to return the wagons - from 1 km up the line, so the line was clear for the charter trip on the next Monday. Booked timber delivery again for Monday 17th PM. At 4.45PM that day, after waiting ANOTHER hour or so, rang the carriers to find out "when the timber would arrive?".. to be told "Truck isn't back from Auckland, and still has to unload at Ohinewai, go to Te Rapa and load our timber and THEN come to The Junction": the carriers were then told to forget it, so re-booked for Thursday 20th. At 2 PM Jan gets a ring "...timber and truck at The Junction", so she shoots down (in pouring rain and strong winds on her bike) to help unload the timber. This took 2 hours. Most of the timber was unloaded and stacked by the PD crew on Friday 21st June. At least its back - BUT it has certainly been a l-o-n-g AND time consuming job as the trees were cut down just on twelve months ago! Many of our members have spent a lot of time on just this job!!
WEATHER: The last half of May and all of June so far, has been very wet and windy, unusually so. Apart from some surface water immediately after heavy rain, no water has been lying around and all drains are working. The only tree to come down was a young wattle tree that fell partly across the drive up to The Junction and was chopped up by Trev.
TREES: Ex-member Gordon McLean came down during May open day with another station wagon full of trees. He planted them around the sand-fill area to extend the area previously planted. This area is starting to look good. He was also observed peering into his camera when the trains went past!! Unfortunately, - the possums have been hungry, and have devastated the young plants!
PLYWOOD: At last!! We have received a lot of sheets of plywood to re-clad the bunk-car and the last side of the guard's van. This plywood already has an imitation groove machined in them to 'resemble' tongue and groove timber. Until some of the old T & G is removed, we don't know what framing repairs will be needed. Bruce offered many months ago to give this job a go ..... Any help on these projects would be gratefully accepted with his guidance........! !!
TRAINING: A Safety Refresher School was held in late April. The attendance was good from newer members but disappointing from the older members. These schools are a requirement of our Safety Scheme. The safety scheme was gone through and those members present were enlightened why we do some things like we do. A shunting school is being organised and will be run by Chris. WATCH THIS SPACE. Your attendance is important>
Even since I started writing this Newsletter a few more members have been working flat out at The Junction: Mike (Andrews) is going to replace the diesel motor in TR 217. The old Commer motor has been getting sicker - and sicker for many years and the spare is not in good shape. The old motor is now out of 217 and Mike will be fitting a Ford Diesel - donated by Warwick Johnson at the end of last year (and test run by Richard a couple of months ago). This loco is an important one, as it is the largest diesel loco permitted on the old section of line above the passenger train limit.
PECKETT: Chris - and ex-member John Herbert are removing the cab part of the work to get the boiler cut off the loco. The cab and tanks will be put on a flat top wagon for storage (first job though was to remove the rubbish and rotten decking from the wagon) Any empty wagon soon seems to accumulate loads of junk.
Sunday 23rd June - the boiler shell is on the flat wagon and covered from further wet weather! So the "easy" part of the job is done reports Chris ...... and it is usually about now he trips off overseas!
PLUMBING: We have managed to lose a lot of our water from the tanks. Accidental leaving on of men's urinal meant it was given a good washing down - unnecessarily. Thanks to Richard for installing a pull chain cistern. Also, the need for men's hand-basin to be replaced. Jan reports PD boys were rather heavy-HANDED! All these urgent jobs take our members away from projects they MEANT to come and work on! Thanks too to Richard for making the shanty fridge operable - not sure why it wasn't fixed first off. From the open day: we are now aware how many members don't realise there is a certain procedure to follow before we can get the water pumping through the station, but at least the 'new assistants' are being shown the route to organise this operation!!! And Bob Wiseman has also made a move to make it FAR EASIER to have the pump in the station operated from the first aid room. When completed, we will advise in Newsletter. Members not mentioned: Thanks for turning up and doing your bit at The Junction, and behind the scenes as well. We have obviously run out of room!
BEREAVEMENTS: We sadly report the passing of Ron Jenner - father of Colin, Ian and Margaret on May 6th. Most older members will know of Ron who had remained a loyal member of The Club. He remarried and Lyn and he moved to Perth some four years ago. He had only recently been back over here to visit the family a month or so before his passing.
Also, notice was received of the passing of Alice Shroder, who with Kevin and son
Donny were regular helpers in the early days of The Club.
The Club's Condolences to all Families.
FOUR PHOTOS ADDED TO NEWSLETTER:
Bruce, Colin, Mark & Mathew Swabey & Jan
.....bogie being pushed towards the Mines Car
The Mines car - minus its T & G sides prior to new studs etc being replaced
Peckett - the start of the real dirty work -
ee
The chimney stack removed.
This is Colin Jenner playing 'chimney sweep':
XP wagon - door with steel plate being hung - This was the woodwork "workshop" on another of our wet windy days (inside the engineering workshop, the Mine Car was being worked on)
The photographer apologies for the DARK PHOTOS - but in colour they look much better!!