NEWSLETTER - January 2004
WELCOME to a new year:– this newsletter is being written just before the New Year of 2004, but the sentiments are still the same – and trust this will be one of the best.
At this time of year for our club it often means that a lot of members are on their holiday….. or because we have no open days, think they do not need to come to The Junction – as nothing happens! In fact, the summer period of non-running is busier than most other times.
We are “normally” flat out on boiler surveys – (although not this year), and getting those jobs that can’t be started or completed if there is a chance the equipment may be needed to run trains with….
This time of year also means that your Annual Subscriptions are now due and, if not paid by end of March you are automatically removed from the club mailing list. We hope as many as possible will pay quickly as these are our only actual funds required of our members!! A renewal notice is enclosed.
We continue to attract new members – welcome to our club (check your expiry on your current membership card in case your subscription is also due). All members (including Honorary or Life are requested to fill in their forms to continue to keep our records updated). Thanks in advance to all for prompt attention to this matter.
OPEN DAYS:
November was a pretty good open day with December a little quieter. Thanks to ALL WHO HELP on these open days – right from our ‘sausage chef’ – who has learnt to burn them to a tee for those who prefer them this way, the station and train crews; even those who are available to ‘chat’ to our visitors - You All make up the team for the day – well done!!
CHARTER TRIPS:
We were supposed to run a couple of special trips before December open day, but in the end only 8 turned up – the trip’s were for the families of the Genesis Power Company as it was their Christmas party later in the day.
Thanks especially to all who got out of bed EXTRA early to have the first train ready to go at 9-30 am.
We had a couple of short-notice kindy charters since our last newsletter. (We could always do with lot more of these charter trips, as they are a good money earner and do not involve too many members).
STEAM LOCOMOTIVES:
Still the only sign of ‘white stuff’ around The Junction is fog or drizzle – or the shanty kettle boiling hard!! However, a HUGE amount of time has been put into all three of our locos.
“There are never enough hours in a day, but always too many days before Saturday.”
F 185:
The swaging of the tubes was completed during the December open day. We now have to carefully heat both ends of all tubes to anneal them. Those helping with the swaging were Don, Simon, Eric, Ash, Peter and Linda.
Our contract welder came in early November and built up some areas that were getting thin; mostly around threaded washout plug holes. Don has tidied up the smoke-box repairs and re-threaded two washout plug holes in the smoke-box tube-plate. There are still some other areas to tidy up at the front of the fire-box.
CB 117:
Richard has removed about 50 more stays and has another 12 or so still to remove. The holes in the boilerplate for all those that have been removed have been reamed to a slightly larger size and threaded.
The plate to repair the boiler barrel was collected a few days before Xmas and as I was about to drive out of the boiler-makers, the new funnel arrived.
While the welder was at The Junction working on F185, he spent half a day on the CB boiler, seal welding all stays replaced so far and started welding up the tube-plate threads for the stay tubes.
He also gave us an estimate of the time that will be needed to build up the badly wasted areas on the smoke-box tube-plate and throat plate – it works out to nearly $1000.00!
PECKETT:
The smoke-box has been repaired and is bolted back on the boiler. By careful cutting out of bad parts and welding in new pieces, the smoke-box has retained the riveted ‘look’. The area around each mud-hole door opening in the boiler has been built up and will be dressed up to suit each door shortly.
The only job left to do on this boiler before it can be returned is sand-blasting and painting!!
Alan has been scrapping and cleaning more sections of the wheels and various parts of the brake rigging.
Chris spent a day (wet as it usually is when he visits us) wire-brushing and painting the back of the cab.
Neil spent a day carefully measuring all crank-pins to see if they desperately need machining.
We have pencilled the wheel-sets in with Glenbrook Railway to have the tyres turned in mid-January.
So after a few fairly “quiet months” – a lot has actually happened.
….. did you hear the one about the TWO steamers?
They died and went to heaven. Unfortunately, they found themselves in a long line before the pearly gates. Not only was the line long, it moved very s-l-o-w-l-y. This was enough to try the patience of Job.
As they were saying how slow the line was moving they noticed an old man with a visor and sleeve garters go walking right past them. The man had a train sheet under one arm and a pen in his hand. He walked right past the entire line, and right on into heaven.
This disturbed the steamers no end. How DARE a Dispatcher push in the line, like that!
As the two waited their turn, that was all they could talk about. When they finally reached St Peter they wanted to know why he let the Dispatcher push in the line.
St Peter told them he did no such thing. Both of the steamers swore that he did. “I swear I saw him” said one of the steamers, as he pointed to the little man with a visor hat, train sheet under one arm and pen in hand ….. “Him over there”.
St Peter said – “Oh Him!! That’s no Train Dispatcher – that’s God! He just thinks he’s a Train Dispatcher!!”…….
ROLLING STOCK
Mine’s car:
This is the main priority at present, as far as carriages and wagons go. Ian White has sent down all sorts of ‘fiddly bits’ to hold the windows in place in the side under overhaul. We have also had some flashings made to help keep the windows weatherproof.
The ‘Team of Three’ – Ian B, Harvey and Dave have now started on this car as their work on the XC wagon is largely finished. It must be completed as soon as possible to allow us to overhaul #3 carriage – so any offers of help if asked for, would be greatly appreciated.
XC Wagon:
The diesel air compressor is now fitted inside this wagon and all sorts of bins, hooks and brackets are now in place to put/hang vital pieces of gear on. We shortly hope to change all track gear over into this wagon.
The only check still needed on the Westinghouse brake system is to check the brake piston travel. As you might expect, the adjustment nuts were long seized, but are now freed. Last week I went up to The Junction to check this and it poured with rain again!!
DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES
402:
The starter on this was making a horrible grinding noise and when checked, the pinion was found to be very badly worn. A lot of time was put into trying to find a replacement pinion! A new 13T one was unobtainable so Alan and Colin (Ewing) started asking around for second-hand ones! Finally, a complete rebuild of the pinion end of the starter saw a 12T pinion fitted and the starter in use again. We are hopefully getting the worn pinion rebuilt.
Just a small but necessary piece of gear that cost us many, many hours of time. Help was received from Counties Auto Fix Ltd, of Pukekohe with this job. We thank them sincerely for this.
401:
Lofty has again been working on the air system for this loco. The pressure reducing valve was still playing up, so was changed. Richard made up a small test rig so the valve could be tested with the workshop air supply. After much tweeking, cursing, undoing and re-assembly, the valve is still NOT good and reliable!! Lofty is muttering about “finding a replacement….!”
DS loco:
The colour of this loco has changed to a green (very similar to the Meremere locos). Thanks to our un-named sponsor member for this work!
Battery Electric loco:
Another visit from Chris Lucas and assistants saw this loco again traveling under battery power – this time for the full length of The Junction yard. They also freed the cab – ready to take it away for replacement.
Work has started on the shelter in front of the workshop so that our forge, hydraulic press and anvil can be kept under cover and allow us to work with this gear in rainy weather!!
The area was marked out by Richard, the post holes dug by a Community Work Crew and most of the concrete for the footings mixed by them. One upright was put in place by Richard and Dave while needle gunning of the uprights was started by Peter and Richard.
TRACKWORK:
Progress on this has slowed some-what lately as our CW work-parties have been busy elsewhere, however, progress has been made. In all, we had 90 work-parties at The Junction during 2003.
The mainline near Downer’s Crossing saw a day’s work lifting and packing a few bad areas. The old metal and soil was dug out, new metal wheel-barrowed in, spread and packed with our jack-hammer.
Some really hot days have seen some sleepers replaced in the ‘Fern Cutting’ – close to Downer’s Crossing.
If you haven’t been doing trackwork in the open on a real hot day, you don’t know what you’ve missed!!
Sandfill:
The rest of the older pine sleepers have now been replaced. 2 X YB’s of ballast were dumped in this area – one has been spread while the other will have ‘low track’ jacked up through it to level the track.
Glen Afton end:
Re-sleepering work has continued until we are now working at the 2.50 km peg – onto the section we replaced after NZR lifted the track-sets out before we purchased the line.
We still cannot take our passenger trains this far, as we still need to get the remains of an old mudslide dug out a cutting at 2.250 km peg. This work will be done this summer (providing some work is done on our low-loader wagon first). We intend using this wagon to transport the digger up the line.
Two ‘hard’ days work since starting this newsletter saw 75 more sleepers screwed or spiked, enabling us to move the stored wagons another 60 metres up the line.
Most of the sleepers had previously been replaced by a CW crew but the fiddly work (packing, gauging the rails and tidying up the ballast took these two days)…..
Part of the afternoon of the last day was spent hauling out rails replaced in NZR’s days and left beside the line: some are good enough to replace the ones needing replacing at the 2.50 km peg.
“I can assure you, a few very hot days have been spent up here as well….”
All urgent work picked up on Ian’s 6 monthly checks of our line have been repaired!
STATION AREA:
Alan keeps checking on our lawns – sometimes twice a day! , and if they have grown at all, gives them a haircut. Our picnic area on the top of the hill continues to be mown and weed-eaten by our CW work-parties.
Linda and Peter have nearly finished cleaning and painting the signal lever frame and reckon they will be finished long before the wood-work for the platform it will sit on is completed!! They had better work overtime on it, as Harvey and Dave were seen hacking timber to size for the platform and it is partly completed! (Well done for the work gone it this. Ken Davies will be pleased, as it was one of his requests from the previous ‘station master’s’ corrugated ‘hut’ display that it be set up again – ONE DAY).
WORKING BEES:
These continue to be very well supported and a lot of work gets done, but as Harvey said, his list of jobs is getting longer, with not too many jobs dropping off as “completed”….
As mentioned earlier, one of the main jobs this summer is long put-off work on 402. It must be back in use by mid-March. If able to help, contact Harvey on phone 07 849 8506 (His list of work on this loco keeps getting added to….!!!!).
Because we do not hold open days during February/March, we intend to use the first Sunday of these months as AN EXTRA WORKING BEE DAY….. SO working bees will be held on the following Sundays:-
JANUARY 25th
February 1st
February 22nd
March 7th
March 28th
PLEASE turn up and help with the mountain of work needed to keep us running and slowly upgrading and overhauling our rolling stock.
I can assure you, the progress is often commented on!!!
YOUR AGM:
This is to be held on SUNDAY, 14 MARCH at 1.00 pm at THE JUNCTION.
It is important that ALL members have their say. Formal notices will be sent out during February.
As mentioned in our last newsletter – we must have a new secretary. So far, no-one has offered, so please put your thinking caps on, as Teresa says she is NOT available as Secretary from this year.
SOCIAL:
Christmas get together: a well attended get together was held after the December open day. Lofty was ‘cook’ for the afternoon- and Thanks too to Isobel for sending along the Christmas cake (the little left over has been put in freezer for next working bee morning tea).
Once again, Doreen and Bill had bustled with some little extras for the meal.
Special thanks to all who provided the grub for the meal and the members who helped with the cleaning up. A very enjoyable afternoon/evening was had by all.
JIGGERS:
Harvey and Dave have been spending a little of their “spare” time getting our jigger sorted out. They have been altering some of the controls and the exhaust pipe.
Ash has brought his 2-man jigger to The Junction and it has been run over our line a few times. He has also brought out his shed (after a few weather glitches) to keep the jigger in and has put it beside our jigger sheds. It still needs a floor in it, but wooden rails will allow the jigger to be kept in it.
GLEN AFTON BRANCH LINE:
The branch line as it was in NZR days, continues to change. The new work on the temporary ‘Huntly by-pass’ of SH1 has meant the removal of most of the old curved branch line platform at Huntly.
This area is being made into a level crossing. To allow the work to be carried out, the branch was closed for nearly a week. All track from the present level crossing the Huntly South Rail Yards was removed, all old ballast etc dug out and a new track bed formed. The rails were replaced and the line re-ballasted with new ballast. The recycled and cleaned ballast from Huntly Yard was not used and is still in heaps!
The last original railway house at Glen Afton was demolished just before Xmas. There were three at Glen Afton – one was pulled down many years ago, one was upgraded and is still lived in, while the 3rd one lived in for some years – and then abandoned. This was an A-type house, probably made as a kit-set in NZR’s housing factory at Frankton.
The committee is disappointed with some of our members who undertake work at The Junction, then can’t do it, but don’t think to tell us, even when asked when they could be getting started!
In some cases we have had to apply for grants, get them and then purchase the materials. We have materials at The Junction for these ‘not yet started’ jobs. Please be aware that this prevents us from allowing keen new members from tackling their suggested projects….. Still the New Year will have us all fired up with enthusiasm.
Don’t forget to get to see Tom Cruise in “The Last Samurai” – or should we make particular note of Silver Stream Railway’s rail equipment and The Bush Tramway Club WORLD FAMOUS 1874 Handcrane……..
We have requested a ‘book review’ from our own member Alan in England as he was rushed a book as a special Christmas present (TO dear Alan, love FROM Alan……. Maybe!!) The book is on Waimiha area history, with a comprehensive section on the saw-milling in the area including Ellis & Burnand at Piro Piro, Marton Sash & Door at Waione, King Country Timber Do etc. There are maps of all the bush tramlines.
The cost is $45 plus P&P. (e-mail contact Jim.Walker@xtra.co.nz)
It is available directly from Audrey Walker RD Waimiha 2658.
