MEMBERS: We continue to gain new members. WELCOME to our Club and we hope you are able and willing to help with the running and maintenance of our railway.
OPEN DAYS: September was pretty good passenger wise - with the Railway Enthusiasts Society bringing down a busload. October was somewhat 'quieter'.
THANKS to all who help run these days - without you these days just wouldn't happen.
We are providing safety leaflets when tickets are purchased. While we can't make sure our passengers read them and do what the leaflet says- we hope that they will!
The main problem is the lack of parental control of their little (and not so little) darlings! Our guards have been told not to hesitate to stop the train and put anyone off who won't obey their requests about safety matters. No refunds either. Thanks to Colin Swabey for organising the leaflets and the family for cutting and trimming supplies for each open day.
Our next open day is 2nd November and the last for 2003 is 7th December.
THE 7TH DECEMBER day will begin earlier than usual due to an early charter group for 9.30 and 10.00 am trips. Could all our operating/station members make it one hour earlier??? This will conclude our year with the usual break-up do (so everyone needs to think about what to put on the plate that they bring - empty plates are not acceptable! - Salads and deserts.)
STEAM LOCOS:
Further progress has been made on these but we are still a long way off getting one back in steam unfortunately.
F185: Coal smoke with a different smell drifted around The Junction during the October open day afternoon. It was West Coast coal being used in our home-made forge, to heat the tube ends and shrink them a little to fit into the fire-box tube-plate. Our forge is part of an old air receiver, with a vacuum cleaner to supply the air. The rest of the gear for shrinking the tube-ends is also home made - mostly by Richard. The red-hot tube ends are put into a sliding die top with a fixed bottom. An air gun rattles the top die as the tube is turned and the tube then put aside to cool.
Richard, Don and Simon were busy on this job. They managed to get about 30 tubes done that day - another 40 odd to go! We then need to heat both ends of all tubes and cool them in sawdust to anneal the steel. So there's heaps of work to do yet!
We are held up for a welder to do some pressure welding on the boiler until the end of October.
The new parts for the dropper section of the internal steam pipe, which takes steam from the regulator valve to the cylinders, have been returned. The pipe needs welding to the flange and then machining in a big lathe.
CB 117: Richard has replaced 13 stays in the front of the fire-box and has marked some more for replacement on the left-hand side. We have ordered the steel for the patches to the barrel and a new funnel.
PECKETT: Not much on this. Don ground the landing areas of one of the girder stays to show that we can do the job. He has made a template for us to grind the rest to. I got a rough profile with plastercine.
Alan has been spotted scrapping some of the grease/oil/dirt off the wheels and some of the brake parts.
We have just received an analysis of the steel in the spacers that fit between the girder stay and the firebox crown-sheet - with thanks to X-ray Laboratories Ltd!
ROLLING STOCK
MINES CAR: Ian White and Jim Hanson spent a day working on the side of the car and got all the new T & G nailed into place and cut to shape - where needed. The final pieces of wood for the bogies have been nailed on the brake rigging attached to the bogies.
XC WAGON: A lot of work has been put into this. The plastic roof is on and looks good.
Most of the racks for the tools are in place. These had to be taken out for painting last open day. Mark Swabey, Peter and Linda were spotted !! - getting paint on themselves and the racks.
All axle bearings were removed and checked and a start made on checking the Westinghouse brakes.The old work bench from the present track wagon was swapped over. An air pipe now runs just outside the wagon frame so that our air tools can be easily coupled onto the air supply.
The exhaust for this has been repaired, with special acknowledgement to 'Huntly Exhaust Services' for the work undertaken for free. Also, 'Ace Plumbing Ltd' for vent-louvres for this wagon. Those who have been working on this wagon are Ian B, Harvey, Dave and Trevor Willmot plus the CW work-parties.
LOW-LOADER: This was obtained many months ago from Solid Energy's West Mine. It was finally tried over all our railway and has now been approved by Land Transport as a wagon for use on our railway. It has very strict conditions for its use and these must be followed.
The bogie wheels on the wagon are extremely small with very small flanges and have a tendency to climb off at point frogs and the like.
AMENDMENTS to our Safety Scheme incorporating this wagon and its restrictions will be sent out to all holders of our Safety Scheme shortly.
DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES
401: Lofty Meekins has given all the air valves a 'once over'. A pressure-reducing-valve still needs some adjusting (tweeking).
Ds loco: This continues to go from yellow, to grey - to white. It is not intended to use this for 'frost specials', but is one of the under-coats being put on. As we don't have snow in these parts, we can't organise snow specials, but we do have some very hard frosts!!
Richard and helper got the motor running again recently (the mid-week Tuesday that many members arrived to work on three other projects!). The grill that fits in front of the radiator has been fitted, so it can be painted easily and the radiator looks like being set up for a pressure test. Well done for getting the work done on this.
Goodman Battery Electric loco: Things have gone quiet on this again - but late in August it moved up and down the yard under battery power. Two sets of temporary batteries were fitted onto the battery box frame-work, and after a lot of "muttering & praying" it would move one way. Then - a LOT more muttering and tinkering and eventually it moved the other way.
WORKSHOP - Engineering:
Cupboards: Trev Walker got hold of a large set of steel shelves which had to be partly dismantled before our CW workers could haul them up into the loft. I can assure you it wasn't a light job. They were too tall - so had to be cut in half. Another set was assembled out of spare parts and also hauled up into the loft.
TRACKWORK
This side still sees a tremendous amount of work put in - mostly by our CW workparties.
Bottom Terminus: The back-shunt has been dug into the bank at the end of the area - ALL DUG OUT BY HAND. The rails and sleepers to complete the back-shunt are in place but in need of ballast.
The last rails and sleepers have been laid to complete the loop.
A recent Saturday saw our yellow digger brought down on our low-load wagon and used to dump a large quantity of ballast on some unballasted sections. These heaps were spread by a CW workparty. They had earlier lifted a few low joints and a low area of the main line and packed them.
The loop can now be used, plus enough of the back-shunt to allow a loco past the points.
2 X YB wagons were also filled with ballast while the digger was in this area.
Bruce also did some other clean up work close to the main line.
Sand-fill: This area has again required some work as it seems to be still settling slowly. A large section plus four low joints were lifted and packed. Some more new sleepers have been put in the top end of this area - leaving very few of the tanalised pine sleepers we obtained from Coal-Corp still in this area.
Glen Afton end: This has been at a halt for the previous month because of other more pressing work - however, we are now about half-way between the 2.25 and 2.50 km pegs on the railway.
There are about 80 new sleepers under the rails awaiting packing and screwing or spiking. We are aiming to be close to the 2.5 km peg by Christmas (2003!!).......
The 6-monthly check of our line has been done and a few areas marked for attention.
We have just received another 60 square sleepers for the passenger-carrying section of our line.
Station Area: a lot of effort has been put into keeping this area tidy. Alan Brown keeps the lawns very tidy and was seen repainting the level-crossing sign at the top of the driveway up to The Station.
Our CW workparties continue to keep the rougher areas of the picnic area tidy and recently spent a day cutting long grass beside the road from the Station to our carpark.
A NEW seat has turned up on the platform. It is one of the ones Dave took home to do as a "small" home job. Very nice looking too - and looks far better than its 'original' condition..... (might even look better on my porch!!)
Peter and Linda are busy cleaning a signal lever frame to fit into an 'untidy' area on the station platform (between the ramp and end of our 'First Aid Room'). It is NOT intended to get this working.
An exasperated mother - whose son was always getting into mischief, finally asked him
"How do you expect to get into Heaven?"
The boy thought it over - and said
"Well, I'll run in and out and in and out in and out and keep slamming the door until St. Peter says - 'For heaven's sake Dylan, come in or stay out!........"
WORKING BEES:
These continue to be held on the Sunday of THE FOURTH FULL WEEKEND of each month. A few got caught out in August - as it had FIVE Sundays. - whoops (read the working bee dates).
We have been getting A GREAT LOT OF MEMBERS on these days - all come ready to get stuck in ....we can usually find jobs for everyone! Special thanks must go to Doreen and Bill for preparing and serving lunch AND also for cleaning up after you have all gone back to your jobs. It is appreciated by all - we have no doubt.
Harvey's list of jobs continues to grow - and grow, but many are actually getting finished!!
Trev & Troy Willmot have another pile of small diameter logs waiting to be cut up.
Sean is still busy with his point-lever parts - the heap keeps changing, as a couple of points have recently had the long sleepers replaced - and generally the holes in the base are too small for the large screw-spikes needed for pine sleepers. If he ever looks like finishing, - there's always the LARGE heap buried under some honeysuckle...
The next organised working bee is for SUNDAY 23RD November - note there are five weekends.
A small boy is sent to bed by his father. Five minutes later.....
"Da-ad....."
"WHAT!!...?"
"I'm thirsty. Can you bring a drink of water?"
"No. You had your chance. Lights out"
Five minutes later
"Daaa-aaad"
"WHAT?"
"Dad - I'm THIRSTY. Can I have a drink of wat-ter??"
"I told you - NO! If you ask again, I'll smack your bottom!!"
Five minutes later.........
"Daaaaaaa-aaaaad....."
"WHAT!"
"When you come in to smack me, can you bring a drink of water!!!!....."
YELLOW DIGGER
The continuing problem of old hydraulic pipes shows itself every now and then, usually resulting in a LARGE loss of expensive hydraulic oil.
A month or so ago one of these pipes to the back legs let go and, on spotting several old holes (already brazed up), we decided to replace it. Dave got the old pipe out - got a new section of hose made up and refitted it. During its test - the pipe to the other BLEW!! - so it was back to the hose company and get another piece. (This "LITTLE" problem took Dave FOUR trips to The Junction and back to the supplier..... I wonder what he was muttering???)
This, we can now report, is fitted - so keep your fingers crossed that other pipes don't blow - as we have a lot of work lined up for this digger.
MEMBERS DAY
This was held on Sunday 14th September after our 'shunting school' - two Miro trees were planted in our picnic area - to commemorate past members. After lunch (prepared and served by Doreen and Bill King) those present took a look around The Junction - and went on a train ride over the useable section of our railway. Most members walked the 1 km or so to the end of the rails looking at progress - and thinking of the HUGE AMOUNT of work still needed.
A large input of folding stuff will be needed - certainly by mid 2004 for work to continue at its present pace. This extension is also 99% dependant on the continuing co-operation of the Community Probation Service to supply us with our workparties.
This is the first time most of our members present had been to both ends of our railway.
SHUNTING SCHOOL
This was the best attended training day so far - but even then, some 'essential' train crews were missing. The school was conducted by Chris - and assisted by Eric.
"One summer evening, during a violent thunderstorm, a mother was tucking her son into bed. She was about to turn off the light when he asked - with a tremor in his voice "Mummy, will you sleep with me tonight?"
the mother smiled and gave him a reassuring hug. "I can't dear" she said "I have to sleep in Daddy's room."
A l-o-n-g silence was broken at last by his shaky little voice........." The big sissy!"
CHARTER TRIPS
We have had a few more kindies visit us and the other two planned have now been held also. We could do with more charters - as these give us a little bit of extra revenue for not too much effort.
Thanks to all who can be 'conned' into helping with these. (Thanks to Bruce and his four-legged companion - Teresa has noticed that the kids LOVE the pink-loco AND the dog, and has wondered if we don't just park the pink-panther with dog at the platform and make that the attraction......). Of note: do you realise very few pre-schoolers have NO idea of what coal is and its use... think on!
We do get a lot of enquiries for small charters, but we usually encourage them to come on an open day.
One day the first grade teacher was reading the story of 'Chicken Licken' to her class. She came to the part of the story where Chicken Licken tried to warn the farmer.
She read
".... And so Chicken Licken went up to the farmer and said "The sky is falling!"
The teacher paused and then asked the class "And what do you think that farmer said?"
One little girl raised her hand and said
"I think he said - 'Holy ####!!, a talking chicken.."
(the teacher was unable to teach for the next 10 minutes - this was a true story!!)
HUNTLY RAILWAY YARD
This yard is now just two main lines and a loop. A new platform has been built near the top-end of the yard on the east side of the loop (close to the overhead bridge that crosses from the township to the east-side car-park). The edges of the platform are recycled concrete from part of the old platform. The new platform is very short - so long passenger trains obviously aren't expected to use it. It is still only surfaced with gravel and no shelter built yet. The old platform is cut off at the northern end close to the station building. A new relay building and crew amenity building has been built at the south end of the loop to house all signal relays that were in the old station.
A mobile screening plant spent a month sorting out all old ballast from the pulled up yard. The heaps are still there!
PUBLICITY
Congratulations to our members for helping out with photos to go with reports to 'Te Kauwhata Chatter'. The reports are faithfully reported - and printed in the edition closest to receipt. A big thanks to "The Chatter" Team for this publicity. Also, to our other Community Papers, Council Links Editorials, Radio stations and of course TV 1 Weather team and 'Living Channel'.
If you think YOUR local paper should be given news, give us their contact address/emails or fax numbers and they will get regular reports also. You need to give us the contact information.
This is an IMPORTANT part of our operations, and obviously we want to maintain the media-coverage we are enjoying (at no actual cost).
We have a special request from Colin Swabey (our own Webmaster) who is compiling a section on our website entitled "Gallery" - and some useful suggestions have been made for this - the lead therefore from Colin is He would like someone to work with him setting this up, also request for USEFUL shots secretary@bushtramwayclub.com - see the email address on letterhead if not sure of contacts.
A BIG thank-you to all our commercial supporters - both the bigger on-going and many one-off sponsors - also, the Trusts and grants-funding for many of the above projects. Remember, these grants are only received if we can undertake to do the work within a given calendar period. Until then - more often than not, we cannot make applications towards our current progressive projects.....
And a special thanks to Y O U ..... our volunteers - whether it be turning up at our working bees (and others beside), our operating days, back-room administration/food preparation, other necessary 'club stuff' like mowing lawns, painting, fixing working equipment - or generally taking an interest in The Club - The results are for all to share!
Don't forget to write these down:
organised working bee is SUNDAY 23RD November -only informal ones 'planned' for December - but 25th January 2004, so pencil in now.
Lunch will be supplied by Club (prepared and serviced by Bill and Doreen King).
.....and not least. Another 'gem' sourced recently.
A pre-schooler told the teacher he's found a hedge-hog on the road by their house.
She asked - was it dead or alive.
"Dead" she was informed.
"How do you know?" she asked the toddler
"Because I pissed in its ear and it didn't move," answered the toddler innocently.
"You did WHAT?!!!" exclaimed the teacher in surprise........
"You know," explained the child, "I leaned over and went 'Psssstt' in its ear - and it didn't move"...
An urgent report from your Committee: It is time for members to put their hands up ......... The Club is in urgent need of a Secretary. Some of the activities needed for this to spread the load will be dealing with Committee Matters, Minutes, correspondence, Newsletters; publicity - early monthly reports to various media outlets; PR - activities to name a few. Inquiries through our email system and the Club's answer-phone will need follow-up personnel as well.
The Chairman would like to hear from you as the forthcoming Annual General Meeting is nearly upon us. So - if you are approached, please make serious consideration as to how YOU can help. The administration side is often the unseen business of this club - but is as important as the physical operation of the railway.