One step at a time

Despite the extreme cold weather, work continues at Eveleigh. This week a full set of new wooden steps have been manufactured for HKB813.
All the original wooden steps were rotten and in need of replacement.

The new steps were cut and machined to shape using the woodwork machinery on site. All of the new timber was then primed prior to being fitted back on the carriage.

New step treads have been machined to shape, predrilled and primed ready for fitting to the new steps.

All the step brackets were needle gunned, primed and painted gloss black prior to the new steps being fitted.

A guard’s doorway step fitted without treads applied.

Another step is fitted with the treads screwed into place.

This vehicle is almost ready for painting.

Takin' care of business

The heritage restoration business is a fun but serious business and one that requires commitment and constant effort to achieve compliance and worthwhile results. The Eveleigh work days team takes its work very seriously and also makes every effort to help others to achieve their goals when they can.
At present the Large erecting shop is the temporary home of visiting locos and carriages from the LVR and works continue to take care of what needs to be done.
This work day saw a few visitors and oldmates combine to continue the repair works on 5917.
















The works on the 59 have something for everyone to do from cleaning off the road grime....

























... to replacing boiler stays.
















After the old stays are cut the "prod" is required to fish out the debris.

















These old stays are still in solid condition but are being replaced as part of the maintenance plan and also support detailed inspection works to confirm boiler condition.
















The new stays have been manufactered on site at Eveleigh and once screwed into the firebox are "knocked down" to lock them in place.
















Using the riveting gun is hard work but these boys have been around many boilers in their time and certainly know the ropes.
















While the attraction of big walve steam locos back in the shed has got a few people busy the majority of the team continues on carriages.
Richard has been busy finishing off the wiring runs in L516....
















...and is now at the stage where the first terminations are underway with the reinstallation of the corridoor switches.
















The HKB body work is teasingly close to completion and this week Bob finished off the guards "crossover doors" with the fitting of the cover trims.....
















...the weathproffing of the joints.....























...and a final fill and sand of a few rough patches.























Chris continued on his step replacement with his nuts and bolts approach to the nuts and bolts....
















































.....and the final painting of primer to the step brackets.























Enjoying a day off from garratt duties Ron the cabin boy defected to Team HKB and finished the body sanding....
















...and applied the last of the tinted undercoat.























After lunch Ron also spent some time tidying up gutter strips on the LVR cars with a lick of gloss black.
















Until the supply of new windows arrives the rebuilding continues.

















Some frames cannot be salvaged but the brasses, some felts and jewellery can.






















Slotted head brass screws are also in short supply so those that can be are saved and reused.

















Today a look through the square window sees a bear in there.....


















...and a Steve as well!

















Once rebuilt the windows are given a silky smooth coat of Indian red gloss enamel on the outside and a fresh coat of varnish on the inside.

















Another of the defectors, Graham from the Oberon group helps clean the windows up ready to be reinstalled....

















..by trimming and scraping the excess paint off the glass.

















Then the brasses are cleaned up.....
























...and refitted to the side frames.

















The brass strips get screwed in place with a felt spacer and guide the free movement of the windows in the carriage window openings.

















One more shipment of screws has been received from our UK envoy....
























... so they've been used with new felt to provide the tension required to make a free but firm window fit.
























With all the refitting done the window sides are given a quick wax....

















....and another overhauled window is reinstated. Only a hundred or so more to go......

Steaming along well.

The sun rose on our latest Eveleigh work day and the Large erecting shop was again a hive of steam, heritage and volunteer activity. With 5 steam locos (plus a garratt cab and BoB remnants) in residence on this day it was hard to believe that not long ago there were plans to bury the past and build a high rise building here!

Visiting RailCorp heritage loco 3642 in steam outside on the apron was not only performing a heritage train operation to Newcastle but it also carried a special headboard as a tribute to steam legend and oldmate Ian Thornton. Well done lads!

With the pig departed the steam action continued inside the large with the Canberra boys busy hotting up 6029's cab roof.....

...and knocking down the bolt heads to convert the cab temporarily to an open top model.

The cab roof hatches allow vital cool air into the hot cab for crews and as they have deteriorated badly during the years of storage they will be remanufactured prior to the cab being reunited with the boiler unit.

Keep up the progress boys and dont forget how it goes back together!

2 other steam locos were also receiving attention with 3237 getting the wash out treatment....

..and 5917 receiving a few new stays. Thanks to Robs excellent machining skills theres no problem supplying the requirements just like has been done at Eveleigh for 120 years.

As usual the P Reynell testimonial lunchtime BBQ & salad bar proved a big hit with the hungry workers and struggled to cope with the demand. Next time we might have to use 2 feeds?

Carriages of course received the majority of attention during the day with the visiting LVR FS cars getting some specialist works completed by the Eveleigh work days volunteers.
Windows are a constant work task and these cars are no exception.

To ensure ongoing safe operations the windows are being inspected and where required removed for adjustment or overhaul.

The cover strips and side runners are removed and all components including the screws carefully placed so none are lost.

Once out the windows are stripped down and repaired as required or replaced as necessary.

Over time many items wear and need replacement including often overlooked details like door felts.

These items may look decorative but they help keep the drafts out, reduce the doors rattling whilst on the move and protect wayward fingers that could get trapped between closing doors.

The felts have a rubber insert and are nailed in place.

Work donwstairs on the HKB accelerated at a great rate thanks to the focussed efforts of a small team. Chris decided to tackle the replacing of the remaining step boards and treads and was soon grinding.....

... and banging.....

...to get the old steps off.

Chris is now sourcing new timber and has started shaping the new steps ready for fitting.

With a clear run at the underframe the dynamic duo of Graham and Ron continued to needle gun the frame and soon had it looking like new.

Graham is one of the stalwart workers on the Oberon Heritage Tourist railway and his efforts to assist at Eveleigh is a greatly appreciated example of inter group support. Ron of course is one of our inspirational oldmates from waaaay back.

Bob followed the boys applying a good coat of primer to the frames....

..and the result speaks for itself.
Thanks all, see you next fortnight.

Its all coming together.

Another day has dawned at Eveleigh and the significance and usefullness of the Eveleigh heritage precinct is realised again.















Inside the shed the boys made an early start to get 516's bogies stripped back with needle guns.















Not only does the bogie get stripped back to bare metal ready for painting but the bogie can be thoroughly inspected and any defects more easily seen.
















To expedite the exacting job of machining yoke bushes, expert help has been brought in.
















Rob (not a dentist so we can show his face) made easy work turning up the 2 bushes to the exact size....

















.... and then pressed them into the yoke.





















Next came the reassembly of the spring pack and welding of pins....






















...and the "Redfern end" yoke is ready for reinstallation.
















The auto pin (also expertly machined) is trial fitted to complete the job.























After an extended absense on the road, our chief eleco Richard has returned to complete the 516 rewiring task.





















Having previously run the main wires, Richard has now commenced terminating and testing the circuits.

















Elsewhere in 516, other internal activity is now underway.





















Bob has picked out a suitable backboard for the saloon end of the car.....





















...and with it mounted on the centre compartment (ex attendants compartment)wall, he and Steve commenced assembling a first class seat module.
















With the first squab and back in position, Bogie boy Benson was called in to perform a load test.






















Not being able to help themselves, the boys were soon passing up a luggage rack selected from stock....






















...and had it screwed and mounted in no time.
















Work also continued on the final preparation of historic HKB 836 which is now even closer to completion.






















With preparations for the Mateland SteamFest in full swing all efforts were turned to reinstalling the generator after lunch.
The first task was to remount the insulation and cabinet panels.....

















...and make sure the gen would fit back under cleanly.















Our hand model demonstrates a recent hatch mod, complete with one of his mums kitchen drawer handles.















After some groaning and gentle pursuasion the gen is back in place....















...and the filters replaced to finally complete the works.
















With a thorough inspection and full service this job definitely has a happy ending in time for the big trip north.

Catch up time

Its been a while between drinks (particularly in the ABN) and despite a range of distractions and other projects in many areas, good progress continues thanks to the efforts of the Eveleigh work day team.
Since our last look inside the shed the HKB has gone pink. The use of tinted undercoats is a long standing railway tradition used to help provide a good final coat so with the final stages of the HKB's body overhaul getting close, the first coloured coat has been applied.














Theres still a few niggly dents and scratches to tidy up so some putty freckles have reappeared.














Inside the boys continue their works to make the doors run smooth like they never have before......















....while Steve having finished his external patches is now replacing some damaged internal timbers.















Project 516 has also been the recipient of some rekindled works with missing sill replacement underway.















The new sill has the recesses cut out with multiple saw cuts and then the "fingers" snapped out.















A clean up of the edges and an overall sand follows,














....and the sill is then test fitted in place.





















Work on the compartments has also recommenced with the bedding stripped for stuffing and new trim. This involves the removal of many securing tacks....














...to remove the precious green vinyl cover....














.....and reveal the inner lining.














The compartment floors are also receiving new masonite base sheets......





















...prior to their covering with new lino.





















Thanks to many individual efforts over many weeks the ceilings can now receive their coat of gloss "Manilla" enamel.....














...and the light fittings and vents reinstalled.














The windows have also had their polished tracks and catches reinstated......















....and the sills finished off with a hard setting coat of brilliant Bristol enamel.














Preparation of the ABN for its next outing has also seen Shamus continue with the overhaul of the generator....






















...and even Mr S Tinger sacrificed one of his last days of freedom to help adjust the clapper switches.














Lunch time saw a gathering of oldmates and lit candles to celebrate the 45th anniversary of our oldmate Bob who announced to all that he couldnt believe that his 29 years of railway restoration activities had passed so quickly. Congratulations oldmate, lets hope you get to enjoy many more at Eveleigh.














Down the back of the shed the father & son reinforced articulated team started trial fitting of the gutter strips....














...and spectacle plate section to the cab.














Not being shy types, the boys soon had the new rolled cab boiler angle being fitted.....






















...cut.....





















...drilled....














.... and bolted in place.















Canberra escapee Mike has also now become a team fixture and continued the clean up works to get all the components ready for final placement.













































Prior to "gluing" the new metal in place a survey of the cab was performed and some ingenious but simple methods used to get the cab squarely in place.





















The missing lower door and step plate were reunited briefly to check all was well....














...and then a new section of frame angle welded in.














After a quick grind.....














...and a lick of primer its on to the next job(s).

In the News.....

The recent article below is from the St George and Sutherland Shire Leader and highlights the efforts of our father and 2 son volunteer team at the Eveleigh work days.
The "Rowlings" who share a passion for rail heritage restoration have an unblemished attendance record at our Eveleigh workdays and have become leaders in our work team with Dad Steve passing on his meticulos wood working skills to sons Todd & Brett.
A great example of the passing on of traditional skills to future generations and how we can help secure our heritage for the future.

Oldmates West - The Cowra Road trip

For a change in scenery and to help out our oldmates at the Lachlan Valley railway, the Eveleigh oldmates headed west to Cowra for a weekend of boiler, carriage repair and social activities. Despite the temperature hovering in the low 40's day and night, much progress was made and we suspect a good time was had by all.

Here we see part of the boiler brigade who worked with the LVR team to remove and fit boiler tubes to The 5 9 1 7 steam locomotive......















...whilst over in the carriage shed father and son Steve & Todd carried out repairs to internal car fittings.
















Another team worked on sealing the carriage roofs ready for another year of operations.











All in all a satisfying weekend away and a great example of oldmates working together.