Back to Bogies

With the overhaul of the wheelsets imminent, focus was given to the bogie frames on Saturday 6 November.

In order to prepare the bogies for overhaul, it was necessary to strip down the frames by removing the brake cylinders, brake lines and other linkages.

Here we see Milton and Gav removing one of the 12 brake pistons that will be overhauled as part of the bogie restoration. Good work guys.



















... and here we see Pat hard at work, demonstrating that his technical ability cannot be questioned.


















Happy days indeed!

Of course, we have to see what it looks like to pick up and take away locomotive wheels. Here we see our goodmates at B&D cranes using a franna to load up the locomotive wheelsets and traction motors onto our carrier Ablett's Transport.

First axle chained up and ready to be hoisted.
















Lowering on the truck.
















Almost there, fine tuning to get the wheels where they need to sit exactly.
















Onwards and upward - one step closer to more ALCOing good times.

What Has 12 Wheels, Weighs 115 tonnes and Flys...

During the period of Wednesday 15 Sept to Friday 17 Sept, our Goodmates from Goodwin Alco (Steve), Far North Engineering (Peter) and Jason the Lithgow fitter came down to Canberra to give Gav a hand to remove the bogies from 4468 (and disassemble them) in preparation of rediscing the axles. All photos credit to Steve Preston.

Here is 4468 sitting at loco without any brake rigging attached.













4807 shunts '68 to the crane road.













Fitting the lifting bars













No. 1 end sitting on blocks and temp bogies.













No 1 end lifted





















Start of lifting no. 2 end













Up she goes





















Off the bogies













Gravity wont get you high.













Damn, that pesky toilet chute is in the way!



















Here they come out.



















Rolling out













No bogies.













Putting in the temporary set.



















Removing the keeper plates













Moving around to where they can be got at more easily and out the way of other projects.













A Lithgow Fitter!













Removing the bogie frame off the axles













Wheelsets remaining with traction motors attached.













The engine wont go far on those bogies.













The second A-Team (or does that make them the B-Team???) - Gav, Peter and Jason.













Keep on ALCOing until next time.

Traction Motor Tasks

Prior to removal of the bogies from the engine, it is necessary to disconnect all the various wires, brake hoses and traction motor bellows.

Saturday 11 September 2010 saw 4468 being shifted out of its home in the shed to the loco pit so Gav, Pat and Paul could work on this very dirty, yet important task.

In this shot, 4403 is fired up and shunting 4468 into ARHS loco.


















Duffman performing the role of shunter uncoupling 03 from 68.


















Underside shot of 4468 in the pit of ARHS Loco.


















An AEI253 traction motor.


















Artsy sort of shot looking out of the pit onto loco 1210.


















A close up of the No.2 end draw gear pocket and the end of the bogie.


















Here is Gav disconnecting the wires from one of the traction motors.






















































Pat also getting very dirty under the engine disconnecting traction motor wires.


















Just for good measure, one more shot of Gav.


















Onwards and upwards with Alco power until next time!

Cold Canberra Winter Days

Saturday 4 September 2010 saw a genuinely cold canberra day host a few hardcore 4468 workers. Present were Pat, Lindz, Gav and Paul all in attendance.

Work continued on the metal locking strips, needle gunning and painting the buffing packages (having been needle gunned a couple of weeks ago)

Here the second and third buffing packages that have been painted up. This is the package inside casings.


















... and the outsides also painted up.


















Cold day, but Lindz is setting up for the job.


















The rubber compression block interiors of the buffing packages all painted up.


















Yet more panelling removed from the north side of the engine.


















Pat in his hi-vis vest continuing to remove more NFG metal locking strips.


















4468 and 4403 meet in the yard outside the workshop.

















Very cold day indeed with lots of rain and grey gloomy clouds.


















Happy days until next Alco workday.

Under Pressure And A New Arrival

Sunday 15 August 2010 although rainy and gloomy in Canberra, good work was made towards the restoration of 4468. The ARHS also had a new arrival too!

Today's 4468 focus was on needle gunning the No. 2 end, work on the panelling on the eastern side of the engine, and disassembling another two of the buffing packages to remove the rust out.

Here we see Josh working on removing the locking straps on the buffing packages so the cover can be pulled off.




























Here is Milton continuing on needle gunning the No. 2 end of the locomotive. Most of these sections are covered by the pilot when it is reinstalled, but whilst the engine is disassesmbled to this extent it is worth preparing the surface and rust removing.




























With half the A-Team off firing 3016 out to Bungendore, Pat was left to soldier on the body work on the 44 class by himself. Here Pat is working on continuing to tidy up and remove rust in preparation of reinstalling the body work panelling locking strips.




























In order to disassemble the buffing packages, after removing the exterior welded on locking strips, it is necessary to compress the package to remove the remainder of the locking strips on the inside of the package.

Here we see a special bracing compression tool that bolts around the buffing package that winds up to squeeze up the rubber inner blocks.




























After removing the cover off the first buffing package, we see the stack of rubber blocks inside - all very rusty and in need of repairing and repacking.














... and a singular rubber block out of the package.














Lots of rust in package that needs needle gunning and priming/repainting.














Removing compression block out of package.














All foots needed on deck to stop the rotating of the package as the compression device is screwed down.














Package cover removed with a very rusty inside.














Here are the rubber blocks lined up ready for cleaning up, painting and reinstallation after being removed from the buffing packages.














The ARHS-ACT has just exchanged paper work with the Office of Rail Heritage for the re-allocation of 4403. After much organisational efforts and preparation work in the background, 4403 was delivered light engine from Junee to Bungendore, where it was attached to an ARHS train to work a doubled headed consist with 3016 and Set 52, BJ, BVJ into Canberra Station.

Here 4403 shunts Set 52 back into the shed having just arrived in its new home.














Driver Mark at the controls of '03.














4403 shunting Set 52 back into the shed prior to stabling.














Happy ALCOing until next update!