Ready to Move

Well 547 is ready for its big move which may happen during the week. One of the local papers has expressed an interest in seeing how carriages are moved and Mario wants to use 547 for the demonstration. Two goals achieved in one move. Members watch this site or look for an email. As soon as I know the details I will be in touch with Carriage Groups members. I know few will be available during the week but anyone who is can be part of it.

We spent today making sure 547 was ready to move. Anything inside which could fall was removed or laid flat. The generator was removed from underneath. Several ropes that hold the tarp on had been tied to the bogies. They were re-tied to the body.

Kevin and Alan started repairs on the damaged window sill. Originally we thought it would need replacing but closer inspection revealed it could be repaired. A little filler and it will be good as new. The photo shows Alan (on ladder), Kevin (nearest camera) and Paul covering up the windows we had removed to access the sill. Work will continue at the next work day.

The Silky Oak logs that had been donated were moved to our area too. We have been offered some more as well.

As it is Father's Day next Sunday and the following one is the Blacktown Model Show, the next workday will be 17th September. Anyone who can help please let us know.

Preparing for the Big Move

Things have been pretty quiet at the Carriage Site recently and now with the weather starting to warm up and most of our promotional events behind us it is time to refocus and get things moving again. This will be good time for new volunteers to get involved. Anyone who can help please let us know.

This Sunday we are having a workday with the main job being preparing 547 for the move. I visited the site today and gave 547 a quick check. We will need to secure a number of items inside it including ladders, windows and a mirror. We better not forget the generator is under it too!

If we have time Alan would like to get a start on removing the only piece of damaged sill from 547. We can then proceed to repairing the end posts and attaching the cladding to the sides. Once this is done only the roof will need attention before we can get stuck into the interior.

The timber we have been donated need to be moved and stacked too. We have some more Silky Oak coming too.

Big Move Postponed

The planned big move has been postponed until 27th as Mario is not available this Sunday. The following weekend is the Broadmeadow Exhibition so it can't happen then. We will confirm if the move will happen on that Sunday.

If you are available this Sunday and want a regular workday let us know. No doubt it will be discussed at the meeting tomorrow night.

Track Complete

A marathon effort by our crew today saw the track for CBA 547 completed. The track has been moved into its final position and is ready for 547 to be moved.

Next weekend will see the long awaited move happen.

We hope to be able to redistribute the tarps too so that 1549 is covered again by a tarp that doesn't leak.

Any members who are available please come down and give a hand.

New Feature added

In our continual search to make this blog more useful for our members (and because I thought it was cool) a TRAK calendar has been added to the site. I have added events into 2007. If you notice any errors, I swear I put them there to see if anyone uses it, please report them in the comments. So far I have only added events TRAK is part of. If you would like any other event listed just let me know.

It is pretty straightforward to use but here are some things to get you started. Just click on the link and a page will open showing the calendar for the current month. You have the option of viewing as "Agenda" which shows a list of events. The arrows at the top left allow you to scroll through months. Click on an event to see more details, I have not added details for workdays, only other events.

That's it, have fun and let me know if you find it useful.

For those that appreciate the weird and wonderful, Blogger provides a spellcheck facility (that I usually forget to use) but it doesn't recognise the word "blog"!

What's on this week

There will be a workday this Sunday. Ben and Alan are planning to finish the track and also to move the timber they collected a couple of weeks ago. Alan has obtained the bolts needed and is looking into options for drilling the sleepers. They will need help so if you can please come along and give them a hand.

After the Exhibition (Life returns to Normal)

Things have been very hectic over the last few weeks, hence this is the first post for a fortnight. There hasn't been much to post as almost all our efforts have been directed at the exhibition. Fortunately I can report it was a success from many points. Quite a few hundred people visited over the two days, we proved we could pull together a complex plan and organise a wide range of groups to display their interests, everyone involved seemed to enjoy themselves. Financially it was more successful than we expected, we would have been happy to break even. Of course there was lots to learn and we will do many things different next year.

The carriage group was integral to the event as we did much of the behind the scenes work over the four days. Marking out the hall, putting up signs and clearing the garbage were just a few of the tasks we were responsible for. Well done to everyone who helped.

Now it is time to get back to normal. There won't be a work day this weekend as the forecast is not good. Actually the forecast is great, rain that is so badly needed but it makes laying track difficult. I don't think we would have many volunteers if we had scheduled a workday as many of us need a break. Hopefully next weekend will be back to normal.

No workday doesn't mean the committee has been idle as Stephen and Alan have been looking into various ways of drilling the holes for the spikes in the sleepers. Using a normal drill is not an option as they burn out on the hardwood of the old sleepers. Stay tuned for the ideas they come up with. Does anyone know where we can borrow a fettler's augur?

We have picked up the Silky Oak timber donated to us too. Thanks to Ben and Alan for fetching it a couple of weeks ago.

Timber Donated

Well things have been quiet at the site lately due to a number of issues. We have had a few promotions events, few of our volunteers have been available and the weather was a problem on a couple of days. One of the reasons few members were available is the upcoming exhibition. Everything is almost ready and the Carriage Group will play an important part. We are setting up the TRAK stand, marking out the hall, putting up signs, delivering gear to the site as well as generally helping out.

Today however Alan and Ben are collecting some Silky Oak logs that will be sawn into useful timber. Thanks to our members who donated it and to the guy for traveling over there to pick it up.

Track Grows

The first section of new track was laid at the site on Monday. Stephen and Alan had previously laid some sleepers. These were moved into the correct position by Stephan, Jim and Paul. Mario then used the crane to put a couple of rails in place. The fire-damaged bogie was moved off the end of the existing track.

Next workday the holes for dogspikes will be drilled and the rails secured. Some new bolts will need to be purchased to bolt the fishplates to the rail.

The other job completed on Monday was retying the tarp on 683. A rope had broken with the strong winds recently and it was repaired. We have run out of spare rope so that's another item for the shopping list.

The new OnTrak newsletter is out on the TRAK site so check it out.

A Little History of 547

Our carriage guru Wayne Dempsey contacted us recently and gave us a little of history of our carriage. 547 was part of set 12A, the set still existed the first time TRAK tried to buy it. We made an offer on the complete set of three cars before it was split up.

12A had been in service at Campbelltown and was stored at Flemington for a short time. When set 25 was withdrawn it was decided to transfer the toilets to 12A. The original centre partition was retained and the toilets added. This explains the unusual offset toilets and the difference between the two dividing walls. We had noted this.

Wayne also noted that the seats are different. We have original Hale and Kilburn seats and some marked NSWGR Clyde and some with no markings. The Hale and Kilburn seats could date back to the original shipment from as early as 1890. The railways copied them and cast their own at the foundry at Clyde.

Thanks to Wayne for some interesting info.

Laying Track

The weather was on our side this weekend. Although there was heavy rail towards the coast it held off in the west of Sydney until this morning. Our workday proceeded as normal.

I wasn't there so I am reporting what I was told. I was busy with the newsletter so look for it during the week.

Those present got stuck into the first stage of extending our siding to allow 547 to join the rest of the fleet. Several sleepers were laid and are ready for rail. Stephan and Alan discussed the length of the track and rail to be used with Nora.

They also managed to get some more sanding done. Stephen has purchased an orbital sander and reports it works well, better than the belt sander in some areas and as it is lighter can be used for a bit longer. Sanding over your head is hard work and you need to take frequent breaks or rotate with others.

We are planning a workday next weekend and as it is a long weekend there is a choice of workday. Let us know which you prefer. However the weather forecasts are for showers every day but we will check as it gets closer. As usual an email will go out early in the morning if it is cancelled.

The Carriage Move is On

I know we talked about it before but the move of CBA547 to the same area as the rest of our cars is on. The van that was in the way has been moved and now we need to lay track. The Carriage Group Sub Committee and our resident engineer are organising track laying days over the next couple of workdays so if you can help please be there.

Preparing for the Exhibition

It is now just six weeks until the exhibition and there is plenty to do. The Carriage Group has agreed to assist with preparations as well as during the event. In return for the assistance provided the Carriage Group will share in the profits made. Any funds that are available for Carriage Restoration will be very handy. We need to pay for paint for 547 as that will commence once the side claddings are installed.

We have already cleaned, repaired and started painting the bookcase. It needs a coat of final colour to be complete. We will also clean and repaint the a-frame display stands. They are being used this weekend at the Mt Victoria Train Festival but after that will not be required again until the exhibition. Paint will need to be purchased for both stands.

On the weekend of the event, which actually starts on the Friday with setting up, the Carriage Group will be responsible for putting up signs around the area, marking out the hall and assembling the Trak display stand. Over the weekend we will assist the Promotions Committee in any way needed. After the event on Sunday evening there will be packing up, collecting the signs and cleaning up. If the hall is not left as we find it there will be cleaning charges that will reduce our returns.

This is the most important event of the new financial year for Trak and a succesful weekend will mean a good return for the Carriage Group. If you can help please do.

A Busy Day

Once again we turned up to work on 547 but first there were a few other jobs that needed our attention. I have previously said how dangerous the steps were getting so that was our number 1 priority. I removed the top step and cleaned the area of rusty nails etc. before Stephen and Alan arrived. As soon as Stephen started he prepared the replacement step using the former Victorian van steps. Meanwhile Alan and I were busy elsewhere.

Mario needs to move one of the trams opposite our cars and our scaffold was in the way. Actually only one corner was, so Alan and I dismantled part of the scaffolding and then secured the remainder. When the step was ready Stephen gave us a hand and then we all returned to the steps to assemble them. In all two steps were replaced and it is now a lot safer.

In the photo Alan is supervising Stephen as he measures the spot for the second step we replaced. The old step can be seen leaning against 361 (or should that still be W462 as it is in use as a works vehicle?).

After lunch it was time to get to 547. David has lent some rotary wire strippers and we tried them out on a piece of scrap using a cordless drill. It wasn't turning fast enough to make an impact so we will try again next time with a power drill.

Alan has fixed the generator as best he can and it works for a while and then fouls the plug and stalls. With a clean plug it runs again for a while. We tried a rotary tool with a sanding attachment and it cut through the paint quickly. Some sanding and stripping continued using the belt sander on the ceiling as well as the gas burner and hand sanding. A far bit was done by the end of the day.

There won't be a workday next week as we will be at Mt Victoria Steam Train Festival. The next workday will be 4th June.

More on 547

Last time I gave an update for 547 I mentioned we had sanded some of the recently stripped area. This shows a panel that has been sanded and surrounding areas that haven't. Getting into the details is difficult but we will try a rotary tool with a sanding attachment. Work here will progress much faster if we have a few more hands on deck.

Alan is working on the generator as I write this (or that what he said he was going to do when a spoke to him a while ago) so hopefully it will be back on deck on Sunday.

Silky Oak Part 2 and More

In a previous post I mentioned we had been given some Silky Oak timber. When this was initially announced to members we were offered some more. One of our members is removing a couple of Silky Oak and offered them to us for timber. I think they have suffered in the drought and many have died. Alan is following up and we have approached Hawkesbury Woodcraft to cut them for us. We will need a truck or similar to move them so please let us know if there is one available.

There will be a workday on Sunday unless it is raining heavily. An email will be sent early in the morning so if you are in doubt check for a message before leaving home.

New Links

You may have noticed that a couple of icons have been added to the site recently. The wheelbarrow is from AustralianBlogs which as the name suggests is a site that links to Australian Blogs. It has keyword search capabilities and is worth checking out. New sites are added each day. I choose the wheelbarrow icon from all those availalbe as it looks like something that would be at home on our restoration site. It is a little old battered but still pretty useful, much like most of us! Our carriage Site will be added there after it has been announced to the membership in the June OnTrak.

The other link is to FireFox the best browser no matter what operating system you use. Nothing to do with carriages but important when you are checking on the site. Not only is Firefox safer but also more useful, check out the extensions available.

The TRAK site has had some changes too so follow the link to it. There are some updated links on the links page and an exhibition page has been added with a list of exhibitors which will be updated regularly.

What will we do on Sunday?

Although we had no workday this weekend there definitely will be one next Sunday, probably. We have some jobs planned. As well as continuing with the paint removal in 547 we have some maintenance to do and there is some exhibition stuff outstanding.

David Ranger has lent us some rotary wire brushes that Stephen intends to test on some old timber. If it works without damaging the surface it may prove a faster way to remove the old paint.

Alan has been working on the generator and hopefully it will be running properly by then.

If you have been at the site lately you would have noticed how the steps we all use to access the BL (the most important carriage as it is where we keep the coffee) have become a little wonky, actually the top step has rotted away and is now quite dangerous. We have been donated some steps off a Victorian guards van and we will use a piece of these to fix the steps. Thank you to our benefactor who wishes to remain anonymous.

I will cover more on the exhibition in another post but one of the jobs we have to do is prepare the bookcase. It has been cleaned, repaired and sanded. Then Paul applied undercoat. It needs to be painted if we remember to buy paint before Sunday.

If Kevin is feeling better he will be working on 683. There is plenty to do but it is coming along well.

As you can see there is plenty to do so if you are available please be there and give us a hand.

A couple of other bits of news are that there is no news so far on our Silky Oak. Also the planned move of 547 has been delayed for while as Mario is very busy and will be for sometime to come.

Progress on 683

Here's an older photo of Kevin (behind) and Paul (in front) working on 683. Alan is just visible on the platform too. This is quite an old scene as it was just after we took the second railing off. Since then the whole end back to the door has been removed. Kevin took much of the steelwork home for repair and painting and is returning it as he finishes each piece.

I will post some more up to date photos of 683 soon.

Gas, Sandpaper and Undercoat.

Another workday is past and once again we accomplished a bit. The exhibition is now only a couple of months away. I will do a post on what the Carriage Group is doing for and at the exhibition. The first thing today was to do some repairs to the book case stand to prepare it for the exhibition.

Previously some damaged areas had been filled. Each time we use the stand it sustains some damage in transport. I sanded and checked the stand and then Paul sprayed some undercoat on the repaired areas. We will get some paint for the next workday and the stand will be ready. Paul suggested we use a darker colour so it doesn't show the marks so easierly.

During this activity the discussion turned to a replacement. The stand is great once it is at an event however it is bulky and always seems to get damaged. If we could make something that folds down and was more durable it would make life much easier. Several ideas were thrown around and Stephen sketched out the combination of the best. We will show Alan and see what it will cost and what is involved in making it. Hopefully it will be ready for the exhibition.

After lunch we sanded the area in 547 that had been stripped. Stephen had tried to strip some more with the gas torch but the gas ran out. He was working on the last panel of the first side too. The area we sanded came up very well. The little remaining paint and even any scorch marks came off and the surfaces are ready for paint.

Progress has been good considering the small number of people working on it. The walls will be ready for paint very soon.