Cooperation between Reefsteamers and the Sandstone Heritage Trust continues

Details: Last Updated: 24 September 2015

Cooperation between Reefsteamers and the Sandstone Heritage Trust continues

Aidan McCarthy, Lee Gates and Philipp Maurer have sent us these excellent pictures of the successful passenger train that visited the Ficksburg area in November last year. One of the more interesting pictures is the agricultural tanker from Sandstone Estates supplying water to one of Reefsteamers locos.

The dysfunctional Ficksburg Municipality was unable to support the passenger train with water from the municipal supplier and so the locomotives had to relocate the 14-kms to Sandstone to receive water.

During the same trip all the locomotives and rolling stock previously housed in the large Sandstone locomotive shed at Ficksburg were relocated to Kommandonek Siding. The entire building was moved on site to the farm.

Our thanks go to Aidan, Lee and Philipp for the interesting and creative photographs.

Photos by Aidan McCarthy

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Photos by Philipp Maurer

Photos by Lee Gates

01_-_Relocation_-_Unshedded_Collection

02_-_Relocation_-_Mighty_Wheels

03_-_Relocation_-_Backing_move

04_-_Relocation_-_Shunting_under_the_green

05_-_Relocation_-_Three_tracks_deep

06_-_Relocation_-_really_big_shunter

07_-_Relocation_-_Pulling_Wagons

08_-_Relocation_-_Lots_of_action

09_-_Relocation_-_Wagons_under_the_awning

10_-_Relocation_-_Quickie_Lube

11_-_Relocation_-_15_and_25_Dominated

12_-_Relocation_-_First_25_moved

13_-_Relocation_-_Contrast

14_-_Relocation_-_Faceback_on_headshunt

15_-_Relocation_-_Ficksburg_Loco_Depot

16_-_Relocation_-_Shunting_past_the_gantry

17_-_Relocation_-_Coming_through

18_-_Relocation_-_Dominated_by_the_silo

19_-_Relocation_-_Early_Birds

20_-_Relocation_-_Looks_Promising

21_-_Relocation_-_Water_canteen_at_Vailima

22_-_Relocation_-_Charging_out_from_Vailima

23_-_Relocation_-_Rounding_the_bend

24_-_Relocation_-_25NC_gets_a_drink

25_-_Relocation_-_Hitch_Hikers

26_-_Relocation_-_Loco_Train_moves_into_cutting

27_-_Relocation_-_Banking_Engine

28_-_Relocation_-_Bowling_along

29_-_Relocation_-_Blase_Cows

30_-_Relocation_-_Water_Canteen_at_KommandoNek

31_-_Relocation_-_Insecure_Sheep

32_-_Relocation_-_Wagons_shunting_home

34_-_Relocation_-_Vortex_Tubes_for_oil_burning_25NC

36_-_Relocation_-_Crew

37_-_Relocation_-_Watering_Point

38_-_Relocation_-_Reassembling_the_borrowed_coupler

39_-_Relocation_-_Nap

Steam report 17 Oct

The latest steam report from Gert Jubileus and the Sandstone Steam Team. Click here to view.

Further progress on NG10 No 61

Lukas Nel and his team have now completed the rebuild of both tender bogies and will now concentrate on the rebuild of the tender frame which is in near scrap condition with severe rust. Our pictures show the new tender tank which was completed in 2016, the new bogies and the existing tender frame.

In Howick Keith Stevens continues with the fitment of 350 boiler stays with the completion of the boiler expected in mid to late November.

NG10 Progress Report Oct 2017

We have had so many enquiries about progress with the NG10 restoration that we have combined all our reports of 2017 into one for easy reading. Click here to view the PDF

NG10 Perfection

The hard work put in by Lukas Nel and his team over the last few months is now coming to fruition with the completion of the first of the two tender bogies for NG10 number 61. Our pictures of the first completed bogie show how the team almost travelled back in time to produce the units as they were in 1915 when the locomotive rolled out of the Baldwin workshops in the USA.

Sandstone acquires another 91 Class diesel.

Class 91 number 91-016 has been acquired by Sandstone from RRL-Grindrod after the closure of their rail division. One of four ex TFR 91 Class diesels staged at the Pretoria workshops of Grindrod, 91-016 was Grindrod’ s number 91 04. This example, as with the other three, was converted to 3’6” gauge for use in the Welkom area by extending the 2ft gauge bogies and axles to 3’6”. The locomotive is complete and still retains its Caterpillar engine although it is not in working order. The locomotive is primarily for parts for Sandstone’s 91-010 but the locomotive is being examined to diagnose the fault that resulted in it being staged.

Our picture gallery shows its arrival at Sandstone and unloading for storage in the 150m shed. An additional picture shows 91 04 working in the Wekom area in 2011.

Sandstone Railway Stock List 29 Sept 2017

The stock list has been updated. Click here to view

Sandstone Steam Report 29 Sept 2017

Click here to view the latest update on the railway scene at Sandstone.

Stars of Sandstone 2017

Sandstone Heritage

Modern Farming