2ft Narrow Gauge
NG10 Update 20 July 2017
After receiving the necessary machined fixing bolts the brake shaft and bissel bogie have now been fitted to the frames of NG10 number 61 as our photo gallery from Lukas Nel shows.
Hoekfontein Station & Yard
Gert Jubileus from our rail division has produced an excellent schematic map of Hoekfontein and its railway infrastructure. Click here to view the PDF.
NG10 Update 11 Jul 2017
While spares are awaited to finish the bissel truck attention has shifted to the front bogie of the NG10 in Bloemfontein. Our picture gallery shows Isak vd Berg profiling the wheel flanges which were then mounted in the bogie and trembled to settle them. As they were misaligned and the axleboxes did not have the desired play to correct this, liners were welded to the bogie frame and then machined to the correct size. Remetaled axle boxes were fitted to the wheel journals and the bogie reassembled. As Sandstone has a complete set of original drawings for the NG10 new axle box covers were fabricated and the bogie is now complete and on rail
Sandstone Steam Report.
NG10 Progress.
The bissel has been reassembled and refitted with its wheels and placed in position under the rear of the NG10 frames for final adjustment and alignment.
Our pictures from Lukas Nel show final machining in progress and the bissel under the frames and the now machined brake shaft ready to be test fitted for alignment.
Two more Lawleys.
The two Lawley locomotives (BR7 & NG97) at Sandstone are perhaps the most popular engines with visitors and are the only two operating in the world. Two more exist in Zimbabwe at Centenary Park and the NRZ museum in Bulawayo. Neither is positively identified, particularly the example in the NRZ museum which may be made up of a number of locos that worked in Rhodesia after being set aside by the Beira Railway. The Vale of Rheidol Railway in Wales has now listed two Lawleys in their stock list as Falcon Works number 265 (BR27) and 266 (BR28) built 1897 originally at the Busi Sugar Estate near Beira in Mozambique. These were repatriated to to the UK in 2000 by the Rampton Trust after lying unused for 30 years. These are of the F4 type as is Sandstone’s NG97 (Falcon 263 of 1897) The Rampton Trust being the owners of the Vale of Rheidol Railway. You can check details of the locomotives at http://www.rheidolrailway.co.uk/museum.htm
Our picture by David Benn shows the two Sandstone Lawleys double heading a short mixed train. Dave Richardson’s picture shows the Lawley in the NRZ museum incorrectly marked as 27 which is the Beira Railway number of Vale of Rheidol’s number 265.The locomotive also has the flat running board of the F2 type similar to Sandstone’s BR7 which belies its identity as 27 which is of the F4 type with a stepped running board under the cab.
Update on the NG10 27 June
The bissel components have been returned from machining and the bissel reassembled. Work now continues on the frames and other components. As we have mentioned before this is probably the most difficult restoration done by Sandstone and so our updates tend to be about seemingly small items but which are key to the locomotive’ reconstruction, and yes in reality, given the deterioration of the NG10, the restoration probably will be classified as a reconstruction.
Our pictures show the bissel components and the bissel completed plus the brake shaft which needs further work.
NG10 Update
The new bissel castings and brake shaft are being prepared for some major machining work and welding over the next few weeks. Our pictures show the bissel being prepared by Isak vd Berg and a volunteer at work on the brake shaft. Lukas Nel has also retrieved the original boiler plate from number 61 showing its boiler is from 1916 and the last steam test was in October 1958. Renewal was due in November 61 but this was not done. This coincides with our information that the loco was withdrawn in 1961 for preservation but not in working order.
NGG16 153
This stalwart loco of the Sandstone fleet had had the boiler unit lifted from the two engine units to allow access to the pony truck wheels which need attention. This will also allow a close inspection of the engine unit pivots and steam pipe fittings while the boiler is split from the units.
Update on the NG10 boiler repairs June 2017.
Keith Stevens is moving ahead well with the boiler repairs for NG10 number 61.The photographs show the progress we are now making with the NGG10 Locomotive Boiler. Completion is estimated at around end of September or probably first half of October.
As you can see by all the dismantled parts there is still a mountain of work to be done.
Riveting the dome to the boiler barrel
Update on the NG10. 1st June 2017
Our updates lately have not been the usual “glamorous" ones as Lukas Nel and the Bloemfontein team tackle the real hard work on the loco.
Update on NG10 number 61.
While boiler repairs continue at Keith Stevens Mechanical in Howick, Lukas Nel and his team have been hard at work on the frames of 61 in Bloemfontein. This is a long process after the locomotive was subject to extreme corrosion since 1961. Our pictures show the repaired buffer beam, the new bissel frame and stretcher and the new frame support. Our undated B/W pic courtesy of the Transnet Library show number 61 at Humewood Road still with its original chimney.
An undated pic from the Transnet Library of number 61 at Humewood Road still with its original chimney.
Sandstone locos from the Estcourt-Weenen Line
A recently published booklet by the Railway History Society, an interest group of the RSSA Natal Branch and written by Bruno Martin, has revealed that three locos of the Sandstone collection worked on this branch. Click here to read PDF
Update on NG10 number 61
With the restoration of NGG11 number 52 now complete and the loco in service at Sandstone, the restoration of NG10 number 61 continues. Boiler work is being undertaken at Keith Steven’s mechanical workshop in Howick with the refurbishment of the frames moving ahead with Lukas Nel in Bloemfontein.