April 2016 - The Hutt Valley Model Engineering Society Inc

Blast Pipe
Notice of Meetings
April 2016
From the — HUTT VALLEY MODEL ENGINEERING
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SOCIETY INC.
6 Marine Parade, Petone, Lower Hutt 5012, New Zealand
Email address - editor@hvmes.com
Website - http://hvmes.com
Patron
- Ian Welch (Mainline Steam Trust)
President - Claude Poulsen
Ph 568-8507 cnpoul@xtra.co.nz
Secretary - Gavin McCabe
Ph 567-4487
Treasurer - Chris Gousmett
Ph 526- 3705
Editor - Peter Anderson
Ph 232-4533
pjand@inspire.net.nz
and the
MAIDSTONE MODEL ENGINEERING SOCIETY INC
c/o 95 Holdsworth Av, Trentham, Upper Hutt
5018
President - Nathan Reynolds
Secretary - Bob Begbie Ph 976-9114 rbegbie@paradise.net.nz
Treasurer - Brian Hawke Ph 528-4938
Patron - His Worship Mayor Wayne Guppy.
Location - Maidstone Park, Upper Hutt
Blast Pipe is printed with one or two pictures in colour. A Pdf colour
version is available on the website (per courtesy Charlie Lear) or e-mailed
direct to members on request. Webmaster - Peter Targett
Hutt Valley MES Notes
Hutt Valley MES
Meeting on the first Wednesday,
6 April 2016
Petone at 7-45pm.
Jeremy Welch an Aeronautical Engineer
has a Tale to Tell.
Put your contribution in the car now
for the ‘Bits & Pieces’ session.
Hutt Valley MES Committee
On the third Tuesday, 19 April
at 7-30pm
Maidstone MES
The next meeting will be on Wednesday 13 April at 7.30pm
Maidstone Park, Upper Hutt
- Editor
Nineteen members gathered for the March
meeting and despite the brilliant day we noticed it a
good bit darker at the start of the meeting. It suited us
as we were to show a Graham Whistler DVD. It turns
out that we saw most of the same programme in May
2014. Tony, sitting beside me, said he remembered it
from last year - showing how we compress the past to
fit in our age bracket. Unfortunately this time there was
some difficulty with the projection system, conversion
being required from digital to analogue. This resulted
in bands of inaccurate colour and lack of definition.
The two 7½”G railways, Norton Hill and Echills Wood
are great UK miniature railways and we saw some
interesting locomotives in action from every point of
view.
Following the above video John Antliff
reconfigured the projection equipment and showed us
Claude presenting Bruce with the trophy at the March meeting.
‘Julius‘, named after the designer, was judged to be the best
engine in our Waitangi weekend display. - Photos - Anderson.
his video of a trip around the Mana Ariki track that was
taken during the post convention run there on Friday
15 and Saturday 16 January. This ran much more
smoothly than my download from the Youtube link
published in the February Blast Pipe. It is still a longish
trip around with a continuous view over the boiler of
the loco showing the track ahead so is more to rekindle
*2*
February - March there was also a novel set of
about 9 fairground attractions of Spanish
origin, and constructed of junk, recycled gear
and equipment, operating in the adjacent
Frank Kitts park.
Steve Hainsworth had a bucket of long hooked
shank taps in Whitworth and BA, that Claude
has since sorted, and will be available at the
next meeting. Most small but some .375”
The other major item on the table was the
sectioned head of a Westinghouse Air Pump
which David Grant-Taylor had borrowed from
Silverstream. He explained the general
working of the pump and Gavin supplemented
this with some projected schematics and
diagrams of the pump, including the pilot valve
and shuttle valve so that subtleties of the
design could be explained.
At the Track
In the last month we have had one relatively
quiet
Sunday run with about 50 passengers,
One of the whakky merry-go-rounds which ran in Frank Kitts Park on the water
and then one of the best for a while. The weather
front until 19 March. The woman pumps the handle up and down and that
has been surprisingly good over all the run days
works the crank driving the bob weights under the semicircular cover and a
and it is hard to pick what really
shaft takes the drive into the centre.
influences our patronage but
the experience than to be of
we suspect the other activities
entertainment value. I did notice
that may be on in town or in the
the amount of growth clearance
area are the factors that we are
that had to be carried out in
not always aware of.
order to run trains again, and so
In any case we enjoy our run
much that had deteriorated or
days and our young passengers
disappeared since my last trip
come back for more.
around the track in March 2012.
A new roster goes out with this
(John wrote about the
newsletter to those who are
track in the February Blast Pipe)
willing to help run the show
At the start of the meeting
and we acknowledge the good
Claude announced that judging
work done by them. Thank
of the models on display at our
you.
Waitangi mini exhibition had
We note that Auckland SME
resulted in the notable model to
have instituted a “Fundraising
be ‘Julius’. He then presented
Rebate Scheme” to encourage
Bruce Edney with the award for
all members to regular
the engine with a difference.
To show that we are flat out most of the
Bruce replied by telling us more
time when on duty at the track we show
about the origin of the design
Peter Irvine and Tyrus during a Sunday
and the fact that the designer was
afternoon run. There is even time to
more than pleased to hear about
check up on Facebook.
one being built, and named after
- Photos - Anderson.
him. Julius de Waal, of Papakura,
does not turn his Solid Works
Roy examines the
designs into real metal but his
sectioned
comprehensive drawings are
Westinghouse pump
available on the web. Bruce has head following the
presentation. His
made a few changes, one being
hand is on the
the flywheel design with the
curved spokes reminiscent of cast displacement
lubricator, also
iron design but his is a product of
sectioned.
CNC milling. A notable change
since we last saw the engine was
the red paint. (The award has been held by
Murray McKenzie since its inception in November
2011 and was awarded in 2012 for his Horizontal
Mill Engine - Blast Pipe)
It was mentioned that there were a number
of models on display at the Wellington Museum
and it was worth going up to the top floor. During
*3*
attendance on their
track running roster
but they are running a
much bigger
operation than ours.
The hope is that our
run days are of more
satisfaction to our
members and they
want to participate in
this way.
David Turner was running his Case again
when I called on Easter Sunday and he was kept
busy giving rides around the inside of the raised
track. He was using the concrete apron by the
swinging arm as his ‘station’ and families gathered
there for their rides. Apart from the fact that he had
to wander over to his truck to get the water and coal,
that he brings with him, it seemed to work well.
Perhaps we could provide a fuel and water cart on
wheels to sit in this station area for his use.
Both run days over
David Turner doing an anti
Easter went well.
Those involved with clockwise circuit at the track on
28 Feb. His rides can be more
the clubhouse painting
flexible than we can be with
project have got some of
our loco stock.
the side issues sorted out
like the scaffolding, and
upending of the window
grilles, and we can even
see more areas stripped
and paint applied. The
time should come when
more labour can be used
so be prepared, or offer
your services to David
Grant-Taylor.
Do take every care
when doing this stripping
or painting work and use
the protective equipment
supplied and make sure
everything is secure when
working off the ground.
This comes from a voice
of experience.
Gavin McC, David GT and Ross J have recently
spent some time examining our trollies and after
some adjustments the fleet has been given their
warrants of fitness. Thanks to the team for giving us
the assurance of the trollies suitability for service.
Maidstone MES Notes - Bob Begbie
We wish the best to our members, to
members at HVMES, to members at Maidstone MES,
UK and to our readers.
We are sorry to have to record the death a
respected long time member of our society, Cyril
Leigh. Cyril died in Hutt hospital at the age of 88. We
extend our sincere sympathy to his wife, Chrystobel
and to his family.
Cyril was an exceptional model engineering
craftsman and a keen member of our society for
over 30 years. His work was always of the highest
order.
This Climax diagram is of #982 supplied
to Gammon & Co. Ohakune.
It has a tapered course in the boiler barrel
whereas #522 had a straight barrel
The bunker monogram is the agent
advertising - John Chambers & Sons Ltd
Below - A widely used photo of #522 at
Mangapehi with some family members in
the cab but we are not aware of the name
‘Mountaineer’ appearing in any photo.
We have completed
recording, logging and
filing the books and
pamphlets left our
society by the late Phil
Davis. Those are
available for loan to
members. Loans and
returns must be
recorded in the red
hard covered library
records book in the
bookcase.
One of the pamphlets
left to us, was about the
Tokomaru Steam
Engine Museum and
contains a picture of,
and a descriptive article on the “Bush Loco,
Mountaineer”, a geared steam logging locomotive
built by the Climax Manufacturing Coy of Corry, PA. USA
in 1904. It was imported to NZ for the Ellis and Burnand
sawmilling company. It was used to haul logs of New
Zealand native timbers on E&B's private railway of
about 30 miles, from the Pureora forests to their
sawmill at Mangapehi, until about 1972.
I saw that locomotive working hundreds of times.
I did my primary schooling in a small country school at
Benneydale in the King Country. On its working trips
that engine and its logging train passed twice a day,
once out, once back, just outside the boundary fence of
the Benneydale school. It passed at quite sedate, speed
(12mph max) but with rods and cranks flying to
maintain the geared speed.
A pair of young farmers’ sons, from ages about
10 and 6 also had access to that rail track to ride, on
horseback, about three miles, each way, to and from
the school each day. In the morning the train was
Blast Pipe April 2016
*4*
stopped and held at the
school until the boys arrived
and got their horses into the
school horse paddock. In
the afternoon the boys were
held back if necessary until
the loaded train passed the
school on its return to the
sawmill at Mangapehi.
The sawing machinery
at E&B's sawmill was all
steam driven. The main
driving unit was a horizontal
single cylinder engine,
probably a Tangye, with a
large flywheel. I was
interested to read a note in
the NZ Railway observer
magazine for Feb March
2016 that the last steam
driven sawmill in the
country, (Kerikeri) closed in
December 2015.
Back to Maidstone -We managed good running
days on 20th February and
on 6th and 20th March. All our operations
went well with no hitches or difficulty. We are
seeing more interest in our activities, see new
faces every time we run and seem to be
selling more rides. We certainly hope that
trend continues and appreciate the assistance
of the members who help with railway
operations on running days.
Track running sessions planned before
the next newsletter are, Sunday afternoons,
1.0 to 4.30pm each day, weather permitting:Sunday 3rd April, Team 1
Sunday 17th April, Team 2
Sunday 1st May, Team 1 again.
Our society meeting for April will be
held from 7.30 pm on Wednesday, 13th April.
We changed the meeting night from the
second Thursday of each meeting month to
the second Wednesday after a survey of
members preferences. We shall look forward
to seeing you at that meeting.
Bruce Geange taking his 3” Burrell single for a circuit
during Locomotion this year. ! Photo - David Turner
A ½ scale Offenhauser ‘270’ of about 1937, 4 cyl
in line engine by Graeme Hall on the display table
at Palmerston North. The printed sheets with the
models gave some good relevant information.
Locomotion Palmerston North
This event took place over the
weekend of 5/6 March and enjoyed
two days of good weather that
appeared to satisfy all involved.
The March Generator report stated
“One of the biggest gatherings of
locomotives and traction engines we
have ever had. Good weather and
great seeing old friends again. It is
reassuring to see that grey hair is not
confined to our own heads but also to
others from other clubs. Great to see
you all and as always a Very Special
Mention must go the team of ladies
John Antliff takes a closer look once the Bentley
BR2 9cyl radial had stopped after its display run
by Graeme Hall.! Photos - Anderson
who do such a wonderful job in the catering division. The
supply of tea, coffee, iced water, biscuits, cake, filled rolls,
and the BBQ on Saturday evening showed that they had taken
to heart Napoleon’s words. “An army marches on its
stomach”.
This was followed by a page
montage of photos of some of the
activity and models.
I was aware of about 16 Wellington
area members, 7 from Hawkes Bay,
and 5 from other clubs that were
there on the Saturday when Gavin
and myself were present. As visitors
we appreciated the great hospitality
and the chance to meet up with old
friends and meet some new ones
too.
There were four active model
traction engines and about 14 locos
that had a run.
One of the regular features of
Locomotion is the tent housing a
*5*
They had a charity run day for the Mary Potter
Hospice from 10 - 4 on 13 March and there will
be a twilight run from 5pm to 8-30pm on
Saturday 9 April. (Daylight Saving ends 3am
Sunday 3rd April when we put the clock back to
2am)
Their original semi circular storage shed has
been listed for replacement with a container
based shed for carriage storage. Items causing
delays are just being cleared for the work to start.
They are looking forward to easier storage of
their trollies so tunnels do not have to be used,
making for quicker starts on run days.
‘Smile’ posts have been installed around the
Above - Gerard Mouat, Tim Oliver and John Antliff chat as Gerard’s
Koppel simmers away on the steaming bay at Palmerston North
Right - David Brownlow has spotted something but Peter Targett is
concentrating on Dart and possibly his cell phone! Photos - Anderson
display of models of various sorts. The display
consists mainly of Graeme Hall’s and Bruce Geange’s
smaller models of engines, and vehicles. The LBSC
fire engine that won the Les Moore trophy and the
Caterpillar tractor that got the Canterbury Award for
best model, were part of the display. As usual Graeme
ran an aero engine every now and again, attracting a
number of observers with the noise.
Road cones are still in regular use for signalling
purposes in the depot area, but notably, florescent
vests were asked to be put away, except for the track
manager as this was his identifier. This suited some
photographers very well.
Kapiti Blowdown - Anderson Comment
Their Autumn Edition (1 March) shows that there
is plenty going on in our neighbouring club. As they
have not had an open day in the past two years some
of us who visited on those days have missed out on
what is happening. Blowdown makes it clear “Members of other clubs are welcome at all our
events and adds that if you are bringing a loco a
phone call or email will ensure a welcome.”
track, presumably to liven up their dour faced drivers.
The public are advised “Your train trip is 20 smiles
long and will take about 7 minutes” and they note
that a KMR smile is about 40m.
I paid a visit on 13 March and teamed up with
Derek Townsend for a while and saw the new junction
control, and the station route setting and signalling
operating for the first time. They do not look like
traditional railway signals but they are straightforward
to use. A compulsory stop is required at the junction
to set the route and give the required green light.
It was good to see Tony Brown’s new loco,
based roughly on a Dsc shunter in use. Fitted with his
traditional Kubota diesel
it has hydraulic
transmission to each
bogie with a final chain
drive.
It still requires finishing
touches but they take
time, and it is doing a
stirling job in the
meantime.
Gavin McCabe with his #66 on
the start of the grade up to the
viaduct on the Palmerston
North track.
!
Photo - David Turner
Blast Pipe April 2016
*6*
Right -This train has come off the viaduct at Kapiti and stopped at the
signal control box and plunged for the usual line to the station. The points
then set and a green light given. When the loco passes the gantry the light
reverts to red and cannot be reactivated until a time delay has run down.
The battery electric De locomotive built by Ikon Eng. is fairly new to Kapiti
having been purchased from the Mouats of Hawkes Bay.
Left - Tony Ives
driving the Dsc
through the
junction toward
the station.
Below Right Having selected
the station road 4
he gets a green.
Photos Anderson
The petrol engined Mini Fell
constructed by Ikon
Engineering for the start of
their railway.
Cross Creek Railway
Roz Harding has sent us some
publicity material and reports that the
two Race Meetings (Jan/Feb) out at
their Tauherenikau track were a lot of
fun, the weather was fabulous, the
children enjoyed themselves, and so did
the adults, as they rode the rail in
amongst the trees.
The new Cross Creek Railway
buildings are going through the
process of quotations. Once these have
been completed then it is the paper trail, and then full
on to get the buildings ready for the 3rd September
‘Mini Train’ Carnival ---
‘MINI FELL’ Will Be There ………
Dear little ‘Mini Fell’ the backbone of Cross
Creek Railway, will be at the Mini Train Carnival
Saturday 3rd September
The Fell Locomotive H199 (our Mini Fell
Engine is a replica of the Fell Locomotive) the only
remaining Fell Locomotive in the world, is one of six
engines designed for use on New Zealand’s famous
Rimutaka Incline. The locomotives climbed
gradients as steep as 1 in 13 on the 3 mile (4.8km)
Incline between Cross Creek and the Summit. John
Fell’s method of four grip wheels on a raised centre
rail was used for added traction, with the centre rail
also used for braking. H199 was built in Bristol
England, in 1875.
The Fell Engine and the railway over the
Rimutaka Ranges were vital to the early
development of the whole of the Wairarapa region
from the late 1900’s up
until the rail tunnel was
opened in mid 1950’s.
You can see the original
Fell Locomotive in the Fell
Museum Lyon Street
Featherston.
The month has been full
for Mini Fell and his brother Kiwi Rail and have
been hired for that special outing. If you have a
birthday, school, kindergarten, playcentre or a
special occasion coming up, why not hire a
miniature train. Tel: Trevor 06 308 6369 for more
info.
Please become a member, we need you! It is
only $10 single $15 family of 4 for membership.
Free Rides go with your membership, so come and
be part of a growing Society. Wonderful Fun!
Dates to Note
9 April ! Kapiti MR Twilight run. 1700 - 2030
Cancelled Hawkes Bay MES ANZAC weekend
The HVMES run at the track at Petone 1300 to
1600hrs on fine Sundays -- Welcome
Maidstone MES, Upper Hutt, running on the 1st
and 3rd Sundays of the month.
- Welcome there too.