Cooperation between Reefsteamers and the Sandstone Heritage Trust continues
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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.
After receiving the required paperwork from the RSR, NG10 number 61 has passed its commissioning test at Sandstone. The final documents are now required from the RSR for the locomotive to be placed into service.
Our pictures show number 61 on the Grootdraai section during its trials.
Sandstone’s third Class 91 diesel has safely arrived at Hoekfontein and has been placed in the running shed alongside sister loco 91-010. Initial examination has shown that the loco has a good engine and excellent wheels and bogies. A number of cab fittings are missing together with some electrical components but these will be retrieved from 91-016 acquired from Grindrod in 3’6” gauge some time ago.
Sandstone has acquired 91-019, the penultimate member of its class, from Port Elizabeth. 91-019 is believed to be the last unit given an overhaul by Transnet but a full inspection will be carried when the unit arrives at Sandstone this week. After almost 9 years out of use the unit looks a bit shabby but will be fully assessed by the loco workshop team.
Our pictures from Hansie Claasen show the complex loading procedure at Humewood Road on to the transport lowbed using two cranes.
Ex SAR 19D, Sappi no 2, has been donated to Sandstone by Sappi from the Saaicor Mill at Umkomaas in Kwa Zulu Natal. The Unkomaas Mill was the last industrial steam operation in South Africa and introduced diesel operation in 2015. The 19D, which was SAR no 2633, was built by Skoda as works number 928 of 1938 and is one of only fifteen 19D’s built by this manufacturer.
Planning is now underway to relocate the locomotive to Sandstone’s Eastern Free State base where the locomotive will be initially plinthed and examined for possible future restoration.
The Class NG10, currently under restoration at Sandstone’s Bloemfontein workshop, underwent its first steam test under the watchful eye of Lukas Nel and moved under its own power for the first time in 59 years having been withdrawn from service for preservation in Port Elizabeth in 1960. The restoration will certainly go down in the annals of steam preservation in South Africa as one of the most difficult ever accomplished and on a par with some of the restorations from the famous Barry scrapyard in the UK.
The locomotive will be launched into service at the Stars of Sandstone 2019 event on April 5th.
