RN 273 - Weekly steamshed report - by Gert Jubileus - 16th - 22nd October 2006


This week saw a very hectic week down at the Steam Shed. We started the week with an audit from the Rail Safety Regulator and end the week with steaming the 1895 Lawley for a short passenger train from Hoekfontein to Grootdraai. The Inspectors of the Rail Safety Regulator visits all the operators in South Africa to perform a general audit on Railway Safety. We also went out on a Track inspection on the entire Rail network of the Sandstone Steam Railway and then a audit was done on the file systems that is in place to ensure safe running of trains on the Sandstone Railways. Below: The Railway Safety Inspectors, Mr. Daan Le Roux and Mr. Justus Marais. Track inspection on the left and auditing the books, files and rail standards on the right.



SANDSTONE STEAM RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVES: THE FUNKEY: This week, the Funkey diesel locomotive continued to shunt wagons to Mooihoek station for storage purposes. Below are photos of Derrick performing shunting duties in Hoekfontein Station before shunting wagons to Mooihoek.



THE PECKETT: This week Derrick fitted a vacuum steel pipe to the Peckett locomotive. A ejector will be overhauled in next week and will be fitted to this marvelous locomotive to enable her to work vacuum trains. First Derrick had to work out where the pipes should be fitted, not to spoil this great looking locomotive. Below are photos taken while Derrick fitted the vacuum pipes.


Henry manufactured a coupler beam that will be bolted onto buffer beam of this locomotive. This was done to enable us to couple any type of wagon to this locomotive. The original couplers will remain in the same position. This locomotive was designed with a different coupler that was unique for the Railways she used to work on. Below are some photos taken of the new coupler for this locomotive.

THE LAWLEY: Before we steamed the Lawley, she was shunted to the put for a under frame inspection.

Part of this inspection was to inspect each and every bolt and nut on the locomotive with a special inspection hammer. This is the key to a flawless performance of a locomotive and not one locomotive will dare to go out of the shed if not inspected with the hammer.

Below is a photo taken of the side control springs on the pony of the Lawley.

The passenger wagons were also shunted to the put for an inspection and brake adjustments.

Finally, the Lawley could couple up to her wagons and a vacuum brake test and leak off test was done. At 12H30 we departed from the shed and took the train to Hoekfontein station.



The train departed to Grootdraai at 15H 35 and arrived at 15H50 for a short stop to take some late afternoon pictures. Below: Mr. And Mrs. Mole, Rhys and Norma Rolfe from Viljoenskroon, and Mike and Helen Mullin from Perth.

To view a short video clip of the Lawley in steam, click here >>> (For PC users, right click and save file. For Mac users, control click and save linked file)


Lindie and the Lawley, Mr. Mole’s favorite ladies!

SEMAPHORE SIGNALS: The Home signal for Hoekfontein Station was moved down to the shed and the restoration of this signal is currently in progress. Below is a photo of this signal.

GENERAL: Ben closed five wooden tolls this week and fitted vacuum pipes and couplers to all the wagons recently restored. Oupa bagged the coal spillage at the coal stage. These bags of coal will be used to coal the little Locomotives. Below is a photo of the wooden tools.


PLANNING FOR NEXT WEEK: 1.) To strip vacuum cylinders and bogeys from the wagons at Port Shepstone. 2.) To overhaul an ejector for the Peckett. 3.) To do the valve setting of the Lawley. 4.) To go on with the restoration of the Home signal. 5.) To make and fit couplers to the Peckett. 6.) To spray weeds on the storage line in Hoekfontein Station. 7.) To move the bags of coal into the Coal stage. 8.) To ballast 3’6” storage line in Hoekfontein (lift and pack) 9.) To build an overhead column for the locomotives. 10.) Track maintenance section Mooihoek -Vailima.