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.
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
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.
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.
