The HECTIC time at The Junction continues with a few more members getting stuck in - and some even having time off for a holiday!! Welcome also, our newer members.
OPEN DAYS: September was a reasonably busy day - BUT October was a cracker!! For September, another disaster with F185 as an eccentric rod snapped on the 1230 trip about quarter way up the hill - just across Hangapipi Road. So it was back to 401 and 402 again. The weather was fine, but wet weather during the previous few days permitted the use of F185. For October, fine weather in the days leading up to open day ruled out the use of a steam loco - so it ran up and down the yard with a few passengers. 401 and 402 were in use on the passenger trains. The crowd was unexpected; as usually during really fine weather we do not get too many passengers. Harvey has now added to his 'multi-skills' ... he, Colin and Mark Swabey were left in charge of the BBQ on the sausage sizzle for October. We think the sausages were only shown a drip of sauce, and 'customers' willingly paid up the asking price, "Would you argue with knife welding chefs?" Goodly proceeds boys - keep up the good work.
CHARTER TRIPS: We had a 60th birthday trip on 15/9 and this was the third of our disasters. A spark set a large fire that was out of control within minutes and got well beyond the reach of our own fire fighting gear. The fire was in a very steep - almost to over-hanging country. The gorse was approx 20 foot high and VERY dry. The birthday party went off very well, even if they only got half their train trip: The last charter trip booked for this year was run on 15/10 and again had to be diesel hauled.
The countryside dries out extremely quickly with a strong wind and hot sun.
SPONSORS DAY went off very well, with the steam loco on the train - with the assistance of a diesel. A couple of the sponsors present were a bit of a surprise: all seemed impressed with progress since their last visit.
THANKS to all who help with either open days or our charter trips. Without your help, our trains would not run!
STEAM LOCOS: -
F185: The eccentric-rod that snapped was an original part of the loco and the fracture looked well crystallised. We had a set of spares but as they were off an F made by a different maker - were too short . The total length of the rod needed was carefully measured and the two pieces taken to an engineering firm in Huntly. The end of the longest piece had bent into a slight 'hook', so we expected a piece to be cut out and a new piece welded in. the rod is wrought iron and the firm were able to straighten the bend and weld the pieces together and come up with a total length 3mms longer than our measurements. When refitting the rod, a couple of packers were left out, the slide valve for the cylinder adjusted and the loco steamed up for its test - the whole job completed within a week and a half of the break occurring. THANKS again to all who helped. This type of problem can occur at any time and everything else MUST be dropped to get the problem sorted out.
We had tried for several grants locally to enable us to buy all new tubes for the loco - with the aim of re-tubing it during the summer. (I'm told that one grant application arrived just an hour before 'cut off time' to be included in the Agenda - the next day). Teresa was only asked at 2 pm that afternoon to have the prepared request available and down to the Council Offices by 5 o'clock.
So far we have obtained $1800 from Huntly Community Board, Waikato District Wide Discretionary Rural Grant and another - total $5000.00. Special thanks for their quick response We are still short of the total needed - any donations towards this job would be gratefully accepted. This work MUST proceed during our maintenance / shut-down period and be ready for 2003 operations.
PECKETT: The picture with the boiler is looking worse - and we will probably have to remove all the brass tubes and then the smoke-box tube-plate so we can get inside the boiler to get at the girder stays on top of the firebox. I shudder to think of what this may cost****
Chris and his crew of workers were down during the weekends of September and October for a couple of days each time to do more work on the wheels and underframe. Dave Mann spent a couple of days removing and cleaning more parts! (We had some photos of the day on email, but were too high to download easily). Thanks Chris for the updates though!
CB LOCO: We have now received the 'Official signed Report' on the boiler thickness checks. Richard has put the loco back together so that all pieces are together in their right place. One of our members has said he will pay for the new boiler plate needed and the cost of getting the plate rolled. This sort of donation really puts the project well ahead.
MINES CAR: Ian Jenner has done another days work assisted by Simon Lilley. The second end now has all its heavy timber fitted and most of the platform decking. Ian decided to replace the T & G on the end of the car body as the ends were rotten about platform deck level BUT - oooopps - when a piece of tin was pulled off, it revealed an old fire behind. More unexpected work !!!!! The side chains and buffer were put back one wet day by the PD crew, as well as painting more bits and pieces of the bogies. The spring buckle eyes were tidied up by myself and Wingnut (who also welded up some cracks in them where the wrought iron was coming apart). All spring buckles are now at the spring makers. The wooden cross-members of the bogie are now out for replacement so, hopefully, that's the end of pulling the bogie apart!
We are presently getting the car measured up for new seat squabs - the old horse hair ones are a little bit past it! We are hopeful that work will recommence on the side of the car early November.
XC WAGON: Both Harvey and Wingnut have been on holiday (or sick) - at least that's their excuses! They were busy on this while the others were busy helping Chris on the Peckett. The angle iron for the bottom plate has been replaced and several other small weld repairs done on the frame. Harvey has also spent a day replacing some of the wooden framing and bolting it in place. We hear they had an extremely 'profitable day' at the last working bee - everything went EXTREMELY well (is this being reported from the Bush Tramway Club????)
TRAINING: An extremely well attended Shunting School was held on the morning of our sponsors day with Chris as teacher - assisted by Eric for the practical demos. These training days form an extremely important part of the operation of our railway. Thank-you all who ran this and members who turned up. Even young Mark and Sebastian were dragged into making toasted sandwiches for lunches. Well done! (We noticed there were no burnt ones left over, so they must have been 'just right').
TRACKWORK: Just when we thought we were getting ahead of the routine maintenance on the mainline, Wingnut's 6-monthly inspection reveals a couple of areas in need of urgent attention: Wingnut attended to the easiest ones and left the biggest ones for the PD crew. We are ploughing our way through this work and have re-sleepered the sharp curve on the sand-fill with 40 square sleepers - and now have about the same still to do in this area. The treated pine sleepers on track-sets we got from Coal-Corp are now about 40 years old and in need of replacement, particularly when used on curves. We have spent two days on the job so far, and another two should see the job completed for a year or so at least. We also spent a day replacing sleepers on the curves just below The Junction: there is still the odd sleeper to be done on the line to the bottom terminus. Further progress has been made at the Bottom Terminus and we were able to shift the 'train limit' board down a further 50 metres!
All this sudden use of square sleepers means we have had to order another 100 - YES!, more money going out.
Without the stockpile of sleepers we have, urgent jobs or extensions to our main line just could not happen. We often have to think of our likely needs - up to eighteen months ahead!!
WORKSHOP: This is probably the brightest area of progress lately - mainly brought about by Richard. The lathe is now going - thanks to a new gear wheel. The drive belt also needed replacing and a new 'device' has to be made to enable the electric motor to be lifted, so the belt can be moved to the different sized pulleys to alter the speed. We now have a smaller drill press in place. It had sat in its 'box' for a few years. The pipe-vice is also in place the power hacksaw is also roughly where we want it.
Richard has also altered the sliding doors-to-door and replaced the old door covering with 'new' galvanised iron. He has also put up the flase front to the workshop and spray painted most of the workshop - even has white window surrounds and barge boards.
All in all, this workshop is being used more and more so there is now all sorts of 'necessary equipment' hanging from "hooks" on the walls (i.e. 3" or 4" nails!!). A large cupboard with all drills and electrical equipment in it - really, what this means if you can't find something where it used to be - it could now be in the new workshop -somewhere!! - even up in the loft, as that is where all pipe fittings are now.
OVERHEAD GANTRY: This is also painted in matching colours (looks like a matching air-delivery letter box for the workshop). Well done all round, and being put to good use on the restoration projects.
TREES: Ex-member Gordon McLean came down during October's open day with another car load of trees - and has planted them in the area around the sandfill. He still has heaps more and of course this is HEAPS of room to plant them. We have found that 'wild sheep' were snacking on the previous lot planted!!
DIESEL LOCOS: 402 This loco has had some work done on it - the fan belt and compressor belts were adjusted and several radiator hoses replaced. Inspection of all these belts showed that they were in a 'sad' condition and new ones have been purchased - but as yet, to be put in place.
All this really came about during a check to see why the radiator was getting so hot. Unfortunately, it still is! So we go onto plan '2' - scratch the heads a bit more Even a couple of our 'steam crew' were noticed getting diesel oil and muck on their hands!
TR 217: Mike continues to battle on with this and is presently working on connecting up the clutch control (eeer, well after his return from Aussie holiday, also!)
HELP FOR OUR STEAM CREWS! We have been asked if anyone would like to spend a day (a couple of days - or whatever) as a fireman on the tug "William Daldy" in Auckland. This could be quite a change of scenery and experience for anyone interested. The time needed is largely during the week - I think, in the summer and will enable the 'Daldy' to run more trips during the 'America's Cup' regatta If interested, contact Terry Carroll (at Rice Craig Solicitors, Papakura) on 09 299 6900. One thing to remember ......If you don't like it down in the stoke-hold, it may mean a l-o-n-g swim home.
FIRST STEAMING CELEBRATION: The Ohai Railway Board Heritage Trust have sent a brochure of a big celebration around Invercargill from 8 August 2003 to 10 August to celebrate the first steaming of a railway locomotive in NZ - 140 years ago. Plans are to have a full sized replica of the 'Lady Berkley' in Invercargill for the celebrations on Friday 8/8/03 with a two-day event at Ohai Rly Trust's headquarters at Wairio on the Saturday and Sunday. -This MAY seem a long time away, but if you are interested, put it on your NEW calendar!
The Club owes a big thank you to ALL members who carry out the many, many unseen jobs around our railway - like lawns, cleaning, getting supplies, banking and back-up support in so many avenues. (PAT is around somewhere - it will take ages to get around EVERYONE that this pertains to though!)
It is 'almost' planned to hold our usual get-to-gether at the end of the December open day. The Club normally provides the eats and drinks. (and hopefully, all members will be very, very tired after another hectic open day).........
CONGRATULATIONS: To Andrew and Jody. Our best wishes to them both on their very recent marriage at the beginning of this month.
PLYWOOD for Guard's Van and Bunk-car: If anyone is looking for a job, these sheets need undercoating, before they are measured up.
COMMUNITY RADIO report: Our Club is mentioned quite often, keep up the reports Bruce and Teresa - and Maureen reports that Community notice is now on Sky channel.
WORKING BEES: These have been much better attended lately - lets keep the work going. There is always heaps to do. The next ones will be on 24th November and 29th December.
WEEDSPRAY: Richard has finally been able to weed-spray the whole line. This is NOT always an easy job, as all the wagons stored up past the end of our passenger carrying line must be brought down to The Junction and ............. then taken back up later! This time, the job wasn't made any easier by the wind! The first day he got all the gear down to clear the line, mixed up the spray and a strong wind came up. As we had a charter trip within a couple of days, the spraying was abandoned and all the wagons returned up the line. Just before October open day, all wagons were brought down again and the spraying got underway on the open day morning at 7 AM - how many other members were at the railway by that time??? About 9 AM all wagons were taken up the now slippery line to allow us to run our open day trains.
CALENDARS: We have a limited number of Loco Engineer and Railfan calendars for sale in the shop - if you want one, look in the shop . Any not sold by first December will be returned.
NEW ITEM AT THE CLUB: A MUCH NEEDED item of rolling stock has been donated to the club by Solid Energy. It is a bogie flat-top wagon - VERY low and VERY wide> its deck is only 1/2 metre above rail level and it is 3 mts wide. It is from Solid Energy's now closed West Mine and was used to transport heavy equipment underground. Its acquisition was largely organised by Bruce and transported to our railway at reasonable cost by Warwick Johnson. We see it as having a very practical use on our railway, as it can carry a medium sized digger for drain cleaning and STILL HAVE ROOM to put a lot of much out of the drains on the rest of the deck. A large bin WAS SUPPOSED to be part of the deal, but this got 'separated' from the wagon and went for scrap. We now need to get the tray off a truck and it can be used for the same purpose. These wagons had a very different coupling arrangement, but Wingnut has 'modified' the coupling to take a solid draw-bar - sometimes used to hook 2 steam locos together. (Many played around with ideas, to couple this to our diesels - at least its ready now). This wagon has not yet been tried over ALL OUR LINE - and could not go past the West platform edge WHY? You may well ask - it was TOOOOO wide by about 8 inches. CJ and Wingnut spent a couple hours 're-arranging' the platform to suit the needed modification! - and we thought it was only the water main that we had to worry about. CJ spent some time in an unusual position setting the new hanger and brake arm on the flat wagon on the back row, with the gas cutter. Another 'quick' job undertaken - but this took about an hour. - He only had 'invalid' Ian (Wingnut) to help lift the brake arm into position. (And where was all the gas equipment? - yes, still down in the old workshop - WHERE was the wagon?, up opposite the station building....) Say no more. (The typist must add, at least it wasn't raining!)
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: "Don't be afraid to ask stupid questions. They are more easily handled than stupid mistakes"