Sandstone accused of scrapping Heritage Railway items.
An item has appeared in the sar-L blog which is supported by a number of steam preservationists worldwide to the effect that Sandstone has cut up a vintage lathe previously based at the Alfred County Railway Port Shepstone workshops. The history of the lathe is as follows:
When the Sandstone Heritage Trust was first invited by Andries Geyser, the liquidator of the Alfred County Railway to view various Heritage item for disposal , this lathe was seen to have been stripped and to be badly rusted. Notwithstanding the above we made an offer to purchase it. Eventually after much consultation the liquidator advised that this item did not fall under the liquidation of ACR and was in fact a Spoornet (division of Transnet) asset. An official offer was made to purchase the item by Sandstone but at no stage did they respond. This is normal since offers to purchase items from the National Railways are seldom acknowledged. Subsequent to the above the site was cleared and we assume that the item was sold for scrap or stolen by scrap thieves.
We would like to state unilaterally that the accusation made by Julian Pereira of the Alan Paton Railway that this item was scrapped by Sandstone is not correct. Sandstone has spent considerable time and money saving Railway Heritage items and in fact restoring them and would gain no benefit from scrapping them.
We do accept that there is divisiveness in the Steam Preservation world and sometimes people with an axe to grind make these statements. In response to the many people who have sent us e-mails asking why we were involved in this scrapping exercise we hope that our explanation will suffice. The entire transaction is well documented from our side.
We would also add that in the view of our technical personnel this item was beyond repair due to the fact that it had been outside for so long. At best it could have survived as an incomplete static exhibit.
SARL member writes:
Picked this up today, refer to posting 2a and 2b reply from Julian Pereira. This does not look like Sandstone’s style!
From: sar-L@yahoogroups.com [mailto:sar-L@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: 06 April 2010 12:11
To: sar-L@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [sar-L] Digest Number 3404
2a.
2′ gauge shop equipment From: david b
2b.
Re: 2′ gauge shop equipment From: Patons Country Narrow Gauge Railway
View All Topics | Create New Topic
Messages
Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post
Messages in this topic (2)
2a.
2′ gauge shop equipment
Posted by: “david b” dbloyed@airmail.net locomotive112
Mon Apr 5, 2010 10:23 pm (PDT)
Does any member know if either the Portshepstone or Port Elizabeth shops, or any of the South African shops for that mater, have any; wheel lathes, crank pin lathes and journal lathes that were specifically manufactured in the smaller size required for the 2′ gauge equipment?
Most of the wheel lathes in North America can go no smaller than a 26″ Dia. wheel and I don’t think they will grab an axle of less than about 5′ in length, so they won’t work on the 2′ gauge equipment.
I know the 3′ gauge “Durango and Silverton” in Durango, Colorado. USA bought one of the SAR’s driving wheel lathes back in the early 1990’s. I wonder if these were capable of also working on the SAR’s 2′ gauge; wheels, axles, journals and crank pins?
Please enlighten me. I’ve wanted to know the answer to this question for about 20 years now. Loco112
Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post
Messages in this topic (2)
2b.
Re: 2′ gauge shop equipment
Posted by: “Patons Country Narrow Gauge Railway” kznrail@futurenet.co.za dukejpdac
Tue Apr 6, 2010 3:10 am (PDT)
There was one at Port Shepstone which was cut up for scrap by Sandstone
