Sandstone Heritage Trust - News

3rd March 2006

SENTINEL STEAM WAGGON - Keith Stevens is in the process of drawing up the plans for the Sentinel Cab. O & K LOCOMOTIVE - They are putting together the wheels, chassis, cylinders and reciprocating gear. Hopefully if all goes well and tests OK, I will have overcome the welding on the copper fire box. This has been quite some problem. RANSOMES SIMS & JEFFERIES PORTABLE STEAM ENGINE - All that is required now are the brake blocks to be fitted. A new chimney has been made and has been fitted on. McLAREN TRACTION ENGINE - Keith is awaiting a second opinion from Natal Inspection Services regarding the boiler and will then give a report on each part of the boiler.

Sandstone Heritage Trust - News

7th June 2006
Related article: Inventories - AEC Regal Bus III - 1950

The Sandstone Heritage Trust's AEC made available to us by John Allen from Natal, now retired in the UK, is a stalwart we can all rely on. Any time, any day, whatever the weather. The bus is currently about to undergo a cosmetic upgrade which will ensure that all the finishing touches are completed to bring her into pristine condition.

Sandstone Heritage Trust - News

15th June 2006

Sandstone Sentinel S4, which was acquired as a result of an agreement between the Sandstone Heritage Trust and the James Hall Museum of Transport in Johannesburg is now nearly complete. It was acquired 6 years ago and went into the steam restoration queue. The job was allocated to Keith Stevens, a stalwart supporter of ours who has done much good work on traction engines, locomotives and other items. This was a tricky job.

Sandstone Heritage Trust - News

24th July 2006

A mid 1950's W series KENWORTH truck has been relocated to JAN FOUCHE and Sons Commercial vehicle restoration facility in Lichtenburg in the Western Transvaal ,some 500kms from Sandstone Estates for a complete rebuild.

This venerable old truck worked its heart out hauling freight for Albert Brink Transport of Cape Town on the long and dusty 1000 mile (1600km) trip from Cape Town to Johannesburg and back.It was located in a wonderful retirement home for old trucks near Bloemfontein run by Zach and Yvonne Van Staden.Zach will only allow his senior commercial trucking citizens to go to exceptionally good homes and SANDSTONE is justifiably proud to be selected to assist this old girl to get back on the road.She will be joined by our rugged working Ausralian 1990 KENWORTH T900 which has been hauling old machines since she arrived brand new from Melbourne in 1991.

We will publish regular reports on the restoration.

Sandstone Heritage Trust - News

13th August 2006

Sandstone Heritage Trust - News

18th August 2006

Over the weekend brothers Shaun and Pat Ackerman steamed our S4 off the lowbed and in to the local town of Ficksburg. They had this to say about the restoration of the two latest 2ft narrow gauge locomotives and the
S4.

Both Pat and I had the honour this weekend to steam and operate the Feldbahn and Peckett locomotives and the Sentinal Steam Truck as you are aware. Well, what a one in a lifetime experience we had and I say this because if you think about it it is an honour to steam and drive such unique steam locomotives which we have such a passion for and we all know that not many people get such an oppertunity especially youngsters
like us. In the steam industry throughout the world as you are no-doubt aware it would usually be "grumpy old men" doing the honours. No offence to older men though!

Again an exellent restoration and a round of applause to Lukas Nel and Keith Stevens who deserve oscars for steam preservation in SA along and for saving them in the first place.

Sandstone Heritage Trust - News

31 August 2006

Roger Pearce, well known for his exploits with MG's on the African continent (Roger drove all the way to the UK in an MGB recently), has organised a fascinating classic car rally which takes the participants from Johannesburg all the way to the Equator.

The Sandstone Heritage Trust's contribution will be to drive a Ford F100 Series American V8 truck dating back to 1950. In many ways these early Ford trucks are icons in their own right. They conjure up visions of
Route 66 and the good old days in the United States. They have very strong associations with farming and therefore we thought that it would be appropriate to select this vehicle from the Sandstone Heritage Trust's Commercial Vehicle line-up. The Sandstone Heritage Trust exists as a result of the dynamics of Sandstone Estates' arable farming operations and our various commercial vehicles form the lifeblood of that operation.
Obviously trucks like the F100 have been in retirement for some years but an event like Afriod provides an opportunity for these trucks to be sorted out and put back on the road.

Sandstone Heritage Trust - News

7th September 2006

Jan and his team have completed the repairs on the cab, and are now busy with the bonnet. The bonnet is made out of aluminium and some of the pieces are missing, so some welding is needed. The radiator has been repaired and cleaned and now the grill and headlights are being repaired and de-rusted. Oil leaks to the differentials are also being attended to. Two of the brake boosters are beyond repair, but replacements will be picked up in Johannesburg next week while fetching the re-chromed parts.

Sandstone Heritage Trust - News

5th October 2006

One of the items held in much affection by employees and visitors to the Sandstone Heritage Trust is our AEC Regal Bus III - 1950.

Here she is in her new colour scheme.

View her history here>>>

Sandstone Heritage Trust - News

19th October 2006

Most low beds have hydraulic winches fitted. They are expensive and theyrequire that the mechanical horse have hydraulics fitted. Sandstone Estates has a much better idea. We carry a single cylinder Series II contractors model Field Marshall dating back to 1947. Not only does this tractor have a very powerful winch fitted to it but it can move around, leave the vehicle, tow the item that needs to be loaded into position, then climb back on the truck and winch the item on.

This is all for a few litres of diesel. Field Marshall tractors are amongst the most charismatic of all vintage tractors ever made. They are powerful, they are reliable, and in the case of the contractors version particularly immensely flexible. The photograph shows our Field Marshall perched on top of a low bed where it spends a good bit of its time.