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The September 2017 edition of Getaway magazine has an interesting article by Tyson Jopson on a road trip to the Eastern Free State including a visit to the Stars event in 2017. Click here to read more

We could not resist another shot by Dennis Moore from Loraine Gold Mine near Welkom. This is locomotive 2734 hauling twenty hoppers at the mine from a location called “The Hole” where the usual load was 10 hoppers.

To quote Dennis “Never have I seen a loco abused so much. Every rivet was straining; it made it, crawling past at about 2 mph. Some tremendous wheel slips; no wonder all their tyres were shot. When asked why he dragged twenty out instead of doing two hauls of ten wagons each, the Driver just laughed and said "it was more fun that way!" 

2734 was eventually purchased by Sandstone but scrapped some years ago as  “unrepairable” after all usable components were stripped from the loco. We can probably see why it was in such poor condition from the picture! Sadly mine locomotives suffered daily abuse which is probably why so few are ever restored to working order.

2734 has an interesting history though, in that the original 2734 was built in 1946 as works number 7247 by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn but was lost at sea in the Thames Estuary during delivery. Number 2734 was a replacement for this engine but was built two years later in 1948 as works number 7360 and so was out of sequence with its sisters. It spent some of its life at Bloemfontein and then Klerksdorp from where it was withdrawn from service in 1989 and sold to Loraine.

Nevertheless sister Loraine loco, 1938 Krupp built, 2654, also saved by Sandstone survives today fully restored at Bloemfontein.

Master film makers, Ron and Val Nel of Frameline Productions have produced an excellent video of the Stars of Sandstone 2017 event. 

One of Sandstone’s restored locos is the ex Lorraine Gold Mine 19D number 2654. The loco is in storage at the Sandstone Bloemfontein facility under the care of Lukas Nel.

Dennis Moore photographed 2654 at Lorraine on the 22 November 1997 and sent us this short gallery from his books, “Golden Steam” and “Lorraine Gold Mine”

Dennis remarked on the pics: “As it happens this was the very last occasion on which I saw 2654 in steam.  I hope one day, I will renew acquaintance with 2654”.

Click Here to Read

The Crankhandle Club’s recent  CHC Chronicle contains a fascinating article on a 1920’s Hupmobile and a long lost connection to Sandstone which makes for fascinating reading. That the connection is nearly a 100 years old is even more intriguing. Click here to read more

The tedious but essential work of reclaiming items from the chassis of the NG10 continues with subsequent cleaning. The tender bogie axles are also seriously rusted and much attention is being given to restoring them to pristine condition and repairing the damage caused by rust on the tyres and axles as well as the bearing journals.

Keith Stevens and his team have been forging ahead with the boiler rebuild for NG10 number 61, here is his latest report with a picture gallery.

“Work is progressing well with the NG10 Locomotive Boiler and it has now all been assembled together apart from the Outer Firebox.  There is still a way to go and I anticipate completion around the end of October”.

Riveting the dome to new boiler barrel section