WHAT a hectic time it has been for the many 'hard-core' workers at The Junction: the turnout of members has increased somewhat (-but we always need more who can help with all the work still needing doing). I can assure you - the work list NEVER ENDS!
OPEN DAYS: July open day was a good open day, with a lot of passengers, but the weather turned lousy with frequent rain. August was another fine day - but with less passengers. The week beforehand had been very fine and hot - and a spark would have set the undergrowth alight! Unfortunately, this was NOT A GOOD DAY - as F185 blew a tube early in the day while getting steam up. Diesel locos 401 and 402 were used on the trains all day.
One English visitor that wanted to see 'steam on our line' put off a trip to Queensland to see the sugar cane railways - only to find the F was broken!! He was noticed with his video camera taking plenty of video of our trains (even though diesel ones aren't his preference!)
CHARTER TRIPS: The charter trip on the Monday following the August open day was a disappointment for the kindy kids - as the steam loco was in the shed and two diesels on the train. We have another trip planned for a Sunday in September and another for a Tuesday in October. The September trip is a 60th birthday and the October trip for another Probus Club.
STEAM LOCOS: - or the lack of them!!
F185: This blew a 'small hole' in one of the tubes early on the August open day, so was unavailable for that day. We "tried" plugging it during the open day, but weren't successful. I can tell you its pretty (darn) hot in the firebox with the water in the boiler very close to boiling!!! We decided to replace the tube so after the charters the following day. Trev and myself dug out the concrete and bricks and removed an exhaust steam pipe - YES, the bad tube was in behind this exhaust steam pipe!! The tube was cut out by Richard and a new one cut to length, the ends annealed and eventually slid into place - oops, it wouldn't go into the firebox tube plate without its size being reduced. (The typist just wonders what chosen words were appropriate to help it fit!). As we had no block for this job, we had to make one and, then with an off-cut, try and see how to use it for the required result. This was done with the aid of the block, a LARGE sledge-hammer and the anvil (about three hours work).
Next day, the replacement tube was attacked and easily swagged down to the required size. We also found the tube hole in the fire-box tube-plate wasn't exactly round - but we couldn't do much about that. Richard fitted, expanded and beaded the end of the tube and then next day, fitted the steam pipe and put in the bricks and concrete. The loco was steam tested on 20 August - all-in-all about 8 'man'-days work.
PECKETT: The boiler has gone to Pipe Fab Services in Hamilton to have the smokebox repaired and a few other jobs on the boiler done. They do not know of anyone that can get inside the boiler so present plans are to cut enough of the top of the boiler out so that the girder stays and links can be lifted out still attached to the boiler top. Chris and his team of Neil, Harvey, Don, Simon, Mathew (Swabey) and a few others have spent another day on this loco - waterblasting the underframe with our new waterblaster, cutting a piece out of the bottom of one of the side tanks and HEAPS of scrapping and wire brushing.
Dave Mann spent a couple of days getting the rest of the old running boards off, punching out the rivets and generally cleaning up the angle iron that the running boards sit on.
CB LOCO: Our "Friendly" (?) thickness expert called again and checked the last area of the boiler barrel that needed thicknessing - and found this to be UNDER thickness! This will also need cutting out for a patch. There are also some rivets where the patch will be that had wasted heads and we had talked about replacing. On the plus side, he did another check of the front tube-plate and found no extra cracks. Phew!!! The front of the barrel now has a huge piece cut out. As soon as we can get some more money, we can continue with this boiler's repairs. We have had a sample of the boiler steel tested so that we can match new steel as close as possible. Thanks to X-Ray Laboratories of Auckland for the testing!
MINES CAR: Once again, I was going to write about slow progress!! - when Ian Jenner turns up, and does another day's work on the wooden framework. It is very close to being able to put the side chains and buffer back in. -Thanks Ian J, we appreciate this. Ian White (currently overseas) hasn't been down again, he was to come but the timber for the framework was EXTREMELY WET - too wet to use - and then he went away on holiday! The springs have required a lot of work to get out of the bogie, out of the hangers and then get the large pin that holds them together, out of the buckles. In the end, we had to resort to the gas-set to heat the required parts and then THE LARGE sledge hammer (again) to pound them into our way of thinking. All are now in bits with the old springs all in the scrap steel pile. Some of the buckle eyes need a bit of re-shaping. Cleaning of the bogie and parts continues as a rainy day job.
XC WAGON: One side of one end is now complete. Wingnut, Harvey -and now a new member - have started on the last side, but oh dear, it is worse than the side they have completed!! So far, all the T & G has been removed, the bottom plate removed and the bottom angle iron frame removed. The door is off the wagon and the door-way propped up with blocks of wood - And then they take a couple of weeks off being sick!! Working in the hail and torrential rain outside the previous week probably didn't help. New member Alan Brown has been helping them. Welcome aboard Alan!!
SPONSORS DAY: This will be held on Sunday, 22nd September - starting at 1 pm: It is VERY important that as many members as possible turn up to show our Sponsors just what we are about and what they have helped us achieve!! That means EACH OF US!
TRAINING: Chris will be holding a "Shunting School" on that day - starting PROMPTLY AT 10.00 AM It is i m p o r t a n t that this school is well attended by our current operating and INTENDING operating members!! Even just helping out - you may ALL ATTEND. Come earlier for morning tea: and Lunch will be provided by The Club - so no excuse!
We have received an e-mail about a book soon to be published:- It is a history of NZ Railway Operating Group during World War 2 - during the North Africa and Middle East campaigns. The cost is expected to be $35 - $40. If you want a copy contact Brendon Judd - 06 758 8345 OR email: brendan.judd@inspire.net.nz
TRACKWORK: Good progress has been made in this area lately. Bob and David Mann spent the best part of a week digging out old fine ballast and clay, adjusting the cant, packing and re-ballasting the sharp curve between the top of 'The Junction yard' and 'Downers Crossing'. The cant adjustment on this curve has long been a "job" needing doing. We were fortunate to have the help of two PD Work-parties to help with wheel-barrowing the new ballast and packing under the sleepers. A YB-wagon of ballast was also dumped and spread. The opportunity was taken to replace 6 square sleepers - some of them the trial macrocarpa ones put in about 10 years ago.
There is still more ballasting to do and the odd bit of jacking to get a couple of small dips out. The curve looks a LOT BETTER than it did and feels easier to go round. Bruce has offered to help with a day on the digger moving around ballast with a PD work-party. Approximately 80 new sleepers have been put in the line to Glen Afton past the 'Train Limit Board'. While some of this track has wagons stored on it, the progress has meant we have moved the limit board out a further 50 metres!! This is due to our PD work-parties - they often have a 'race' on to see if they can beat the previous record of 56 sleepers replaced in ONE DAY, BY TWO WORK-PARTIES. Unfortunately, our petrol drill has been giving problems so the spike or screw holes have had to be drilled by hand - and we only got 41 sleepers replaced that day!
Another half-day was spent loading 100 square sleepers on a flat wagon from the side of our car park and taking them 1 km up the line and stacking them for curing and future use. Also, another day has been spent replacing sleepers at the bottom end of our line around the "Train Limit Board". Progress was also made with shifting ballast in the way of laying sleepers at the end of the loop. There is a short section of line needed to hook the loop up to the bottom point.
GRANTS: Our Club, like a lot of others, relies very much on money from grants for our 'extras' so that we can continue to carry out MAJOR maintenance of our rolling stock and restoration of other equipment. For the last 8 or so years we have been extremely fortunate with the grants we have received. A tremendous amount of thought, costing and then preparing the grant application is needed even to be "in the hunt" for consideration. If in doubt, ask Teresa how many hours she spends on each application OR any one of the members that works out what is needed and searches for the costings. (How many times has CJ, Chris Mann or Committee Members had to go back to the drawing board 'cause something's not right for the application??) Then comes the wait ............ - sometimes we are lucky, sometimes VERY LUCKY -and sometimes disappointed! There is always a NEXT TIME.
These grants are for a SPECIFICALLY applied-for project, and cannot be spent on anything else. Often we don't get the total amount applied for, and we either have to prune our ideals on the project to 'fit' the size of the grant received. This often means that some work on that project can't be done just yet because something else on the project must be overhauled or prioritised. The grant scene has changed drastically for ALL CLUBS in the Waikato this year.
WEL ENERGY TRUST -One of our bigger sponsors has recently had the Trustees changed by the residents of Waikato area, so that now residents will get an electricity rebate and money for grants to community organisations will be extremely limited.
LOTTO - have announced a large drop off in Lotto sales and hence amount of profits that can be directed into grants back to the community. All this means that our other major sponsor of grants the Waikato - Trust Waikato - is receiving many more applications and is having to vet them much more. We have currently been turned down for a grant from them so that we could do the earthworks and preparation for a wood-work workshop as we could not give a definite timetable for this work. This project is necessary to separate the woodwork/engineering side of what was is in the old hall- that is slowly falling apart. The workshop would have allowed us to overhaul carriages and wood rolling stock under cover - rather than is often, out in the weather (ALL WEATHERS). The Committee has to be realistic and realises that we will never get funding from one source - no matter how good a 'case' we put forward. This means, that some projects can still only remain at "the dream stage", unless we can come up with other sources of money that we can direct into these 'necessary' projects.
If you don't believe this - come onto the Committee next year, and see how much time we spend discussing /debating grant applications!!- the application AND expenditure - before either takes place!
PLYWOOD for Guard's Van and Bunk-car: Our postbox hasn't been overloaded nor our phones red hot with offers to help Bruce with the tidy-up of these vehicles. Bruce has recently been out of action after a work accident that took the top off a finger - ouch! - and yes, he says the piece of coal was small - but sharp.
COMMUNITY RADIO report: Paula's publicity reports had generated an invitation for our club members to speak on this radio station 1206 am on the Thursday BEFORE our open days - at 2115 (quarter past nine). Bruce should have reported by the time you read this Newsletter. (So his injured finger hasn't prevented him pushing The Club's 'barrow'). Teresa had previously been 'encouraged' to do this!!
WORKSHOP: A lot of work has been done - mostly by Richard - in setting up our mechanical workshop at the top-end of the loco shed. The lathe (ex-Genesis) is in place and goes, but hasn't been used yet. We found one of the gears had a tooth missing and another badly chipped (more expense normally!). This gear is away for repair at present but we also need a four jaw chuck and a face plate that will fit on the lathe. They weren't with the lathe when we got it. Our trusty old large drill press has been installed and was used to bore out the swagging block for the F boiler tube. A welder is in the workshop - and is very often in use.
Our air-compressor, complete with larger air receiver, is set up in the corner of the mezzanine floor and we now have air pipe work - and take-off fittings around some of this workshop. All this machinery able to be used often, means that tools are left in the workshop. It is important that the workshop doors and the doors at the end of the loco shed are left SHUT AND SECURE at the end of the day - OR if you are the only one at The Junction - and go out of the yard for even a short period.
Next to be fitted into this workshop, is our power hacksaw, pipe vice and a smaller bench drill press (and more benches). I see a spare vice in the old hall ready to bolt on a bench as soon as it is moved into the workshop. Mike recently arrived with a large supply of off-cuts of all sorts and sizes of steel and pipe. These pieces are always handy and often save us BUYING small lengths. Most steel suppliers will only sell you a 6 metre length - even if you only want 1/2 metre or so.
TREES: Bob and Teresa recently spent a day or so - in the scrub! Wingnut had 'acquired' a large supply of natives, mostly pittosporums and these have been planted in the area of the sand-fill. The gorse cut by the PD crews during the last summer is growing nicely thank-you, and will need spraying during this year's spraying season. We have the spray, - we have the knap-sack sprayer, - and we can even park our water wagon at the sand-fill for refills - ANY OFFERS?
TR 217: The replacement of the old 'Commer' motor with a more MODERN Ford Diesel continues. The motor is in place and coupled up to the gear box, the radiator is in place after some 'alterations' to its pipe-work (more carefully chosen words!), and work is presently being carried out on hooking up necessary items that will be operated from the cab --like the clutch and throttle. Mike and Richard have done all this work. The motor runs well, but hasn't actually moved the loco YET!
CHILDREN AT THE JUNCTION: These MUST be under control of their parents or guardians at ALL times. Railways are dangerous places and accidents can (and do) happen very quickly - like a child running around and not looking where they are going, tripping even on the ballast and banging their head on a rail. Section 6.1.10 of our Safety Scheme is the Club's ruling on "Children on Site". It is important that all members read and observe these instructions. Continuing compliance with our safety scheme is one of the conditions of our operating licence.
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: Genesis, we continue to get this Newsletter printed for our members- keeps everyone up-to-date with our activities.
AUDITORS: Our auditors have given their reports to us and given a copy to LTSA. There are a few changes needed to our Safety Scheme and these changes have just been approved by LTSA. The main changes are to our emergency/crisis section which has been completely re-written to include instructions on what to do in the event of a fire in or close to our neighbours pine plantations and a new 'derailment report'. As soon as we can get copies run off, all members that have a copy of our Safety Scheme will receive the new instructions. Thanks to Peter and Rodney for your continuing work as our Auditors!