Steam Generator – It’s been well over half a century, but thanks to the great work of Steam Rails John Farrell and locomotive K190, the ASG’s steam generator finally spun again under steam for the first time since leaving the cement works. The top of the firebox is the only section now requiring the paint treatment, which will occur once the top of the firebox is flame descaled. Whilst some boiler wall stays still require attention the sides and end have now been painted. Whilst the majority of the boiler had previously received its coat of Dulux High Temperature Silver Paint, the firebox now follows suit. One of the more difficult tasks yet undertaken by the ‘Cliff’ Workshops team. Removing the sand boxes created additional space to allow works on the tanks, however the access area was still considerably restricted. A bloody challenging task to say the least, the process was completed with the air tanks remaining in-situ. Removal & Reconditioning of the live Steam Pipeįurther hours also spent reconditioning the air reservoirs and strengthening the support brackets. To arrest the corrosion in this space part of the smoke box exhaust plate has been cut out with a new piece to be fabricated. Removal of the elbows presented some challenges, specifically with flanges where corrosion certainly hampered the process. CAB RIDE INSIDE LIVE XTEAM LOCOMOTIVE SKINInspection of this specific area revealed significant delaminating and corrosion between the double skin of the smoke box steam pipe access point. Other repairs affected in the area of the Smoke box involved removal of the live steam pipe elbows from the underside of the smokebox. Significant water damaged and corrosion in evidence on parts of the frame, hence various sections were removed and new pieces fabricated and reinstated to maintain the structural integrity of the pivot. In particular, the footplate on both sides around the smoke box and the fireman’s section of the cab footplate suffered from significant corrosion.Ĭonsiderable preservation hours also spent completing structural repairs to the frame directly supporting the front engine pivot. Of note, significant restoration externally and internally has been undertaken to remove substantial rust and corrosion associated with these piping fixtures.įootplate restoration & replacement – having endured prolonged exposure to the elements and damaged in various minor incidents and crashes, parts of the footplate required either repair or replacement much of which has now been undertaken. The boiler cradle preparation works continue with both reconditioned steam and water balance pipes now being reinstated in stages on both sides of the cradles frame. Queenscliff Workshops Young Volunteers Day Organised in conjunction with Jake Short and Darcy Peterson, we had 15 eager young volunteer railwaymen tackling a variety of tasks from needle gunning, footplate preparation, rust prevention, manufacture of driver’s seat and various painting tasks, such a magnificent contribution to the restoration project from these guys – kudos to all involved Importantly our success into the future relies heavily on the next generation of railway enthusiasts rolling their sleeves up and getting involved – January 30 th Queenscliff Workshops was a hive of activity with our young volunteers’ day. Operated by the Geelong Steam Preservation Society, the Bellarine Railway has been around for more than 50 years. Moving out of Christmas and into the new year, even a minor February COVID lockdown hasn’t dulled the team’s enthusiasm – on the contrary we’ve welcomed three new blokes to both the Tuesday and Saturday shifts! Without a doubt it’s the positive attitude, skillset and energy of this great bunch of volunteers creating a workshop that’s experiencing little wins each and every day whilst having a lark at the same time. CAB RIDE INSIDE LIVE XTEAM LOCOMOTIVE UPDATEBellarine Railway’s ASG 33 Restoration Project March Update
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