16-17 January 2010, The hard slog!
The success of our first super weekend for 2010 cannot be understated. However having said that, the work on the four bogies is not glamorous or exciting, rather its dirty and very exhausting work. The many years of outdoor storage coupled with the loads of grime is gradually being overcome. To this end our dedicated team completed the strip down of the second bogie. The usual crack testing and extensive use of the electric wire brushes facilitated the application of grey primer paint. The assessment of the stripped down bogie is as follows.
1. Bogie frame casting cleaned, crack tested and prime coated. All mounting studs to be replaced with new.
2. 8 off manganese horn liners, replace 2 and repair 4.
3. Replace all bushes and some suspension pins.
4. Replace 2 off bogie bearing springs, very expensive fortunately we have several spares in stock.
The main roller bearings will require assessment, however 30 years of grime will have to be removed first.
The third bogie strip down commenced but the ability to access the bolts was hampered by inches of baked on grime and cylinder oil. This bogie supports the leading unit cylinders and it seems that the NSWGR railway maintenance crews didn’t have pay for the bill for cylinder oil. Further visual investigation around the leading cylinders confirmed that all the oil lube lines are either loose or in very poor condition. These lube lines are high pressure hydraulic type and they are not cheap to replace.
Work continued on the boiler cladding around the fire box area. The re-use of the sheet meal that came off the old boiler is causing Ian a few headaches. However the end result is a site to behold.
The MHG service van now has 415v and 240V power and lights. We are now on the lookout for a fridge and hot water unit or at very least a kettle. A big thankyou to Pat the electrician for his work on this van.
By the end of the two days all of the team were happy to go home and like me probably spent a significant amount of time in the shower scrubbing off dirt and grease.
APPEAL FOR HELP TO FINISH THE BOGIES x4
As the bogies are going together we are putting together an accurate cost against this critical work. When we finish the bogies the locomotive will start to go back together. However without the funds we will have to defer the reassembly until we have the finance.
We need $ 10,100
• $3,200 : Hydraulic pressure hoses. Theses hoses deliver the oil to the horn guides from the Nathan mechanical lubricators.
• $2,000: To replace broken manganese horn liners.
• $2,500: To replaced the bogie pivot bowl liners.
• $1,000: For replacement of studs, bolts washers.
• $1,400: For the replacement of worn bushes and pins.
Sponsor a specific item.
Naturally any donation helps, however we are also asking to donate against a specific item. For example if a donation is offered against an item from the above list, a certificate will be issued. This certificate will be an official 6029 donation certificate listing the item and the downers name. Because all of the items listed are over $1,000, two free tickets will be allocated for the first official run of 6029.
Remember we are at the turn around point, when the bogies are finished we start on the home straight!
Alan Gardner
