Following a ‘D’ exam and re-wheeling of the engine units, G42 is reassembled for return to traffic. Above, the boiler cradle is lifted from its maintenance stands using the 2 overhead cranes and traversed to the workshops center road where the two engine units are waiting.Below, the boiler cradle is lowered towards the front unit,…

Photos from the boiler makers in Sydney have arrived showing the latest progress, and things have come a long way since last time. Above and below, the inner and outer firebox has been fitted together, the foundation ring has been tacked in place, and the stays between inner and outer are being made and fitted.…

Commonly unseen, the inner workings of our G class Garratt have recently been on display during the engines  ‘D’ exam. This is the most thorough of the 4 locomotive examinations, which range from ‘A’ to ‘D’, and for G42 occurs every 18,000 miles. Above, the boiler cradle is lifted from the engine units, and below,…

June’s NG/G16 workshop day (held on the third Saturday of each month if you’re interested!) was another busy one, with the growing number of volunteers working on a variety of tasks. Above, Ian Park & Peter Jenkinson are using the Mag Drill to drill holes in the new rear section of the boiler cradle. These…

Nearly complete, the new water tank and coal bunker stand in the fabricators workshop last week. Above you can see the front water tank before the outer sheets were fitted, showing the perforated internal baffle plates, and below, nearing completion. The blue steel sections are temporary supports, used while the tank parts are welded together…

More exciting news for the NG/G16 project: The front water tank and the combined hind* tank/coal bunker are currently being manufactured, and should be complete soon. The original items were deemed to be beyond economic repair (read: very rusty!) so we took the opportunity to draw up some new ones. Both front and hind tanks…

These are the first pictures to be published of the new boiler for NG/G16 129.  Currently under construction at the works of E. R. Curtain in Sydney, these photographs show some of the main parts of the boiler including the main boiler barrel (above) being rolled to shape ready for welding, and below, the firebox…

Machining has progressed a long way since we last wrote about the new Na locomotive cylinder castings. The first two (seen here) are currently undergoing final machining, whilst at the foundry in South Australia, another 4 pairs are being cast. This allows for a new pair of cylinders for all 5 of Puffing Billy’s operating…

The inner and outer pony trucks are another task entrusted to our contractor Jack Thompson Engineering. Here one of the outer trucks has been set up for machining rivet holes. We are re-using the original bearing carrier castings, attached to a new fabricated frame, 6″ wider than the original. Once the holes  were machined, the…

Work continues apace at Jack Thompson Engineering, with the engine unit frames undergoing final assembly and machining. This involves clamping all the parts in position while the holes are bored to size, ready to accept the fitted bolts which will hold everything together. Once aligned, final machining of worn faces can take place. This is…