GrahamH's photos

At DownsSteams connection to Queensland Rail's we changed a points control lever from 'always set one way or held for the other way' to a 'fixed this way or fixed that way' lever. This is in the Qld Rail corridor but is part of DownsSteam's track. There is still points which have to be held where we access Qld Rail's track. See the PiPs for more details.This vintage petrol-poweredair compressor supplies a tool for drilling holes and driving screw in to sleepers. April 2024. Pips 1 & 2 The old points lever and sleepers have been removed, the ground excavated a bit more and two new sleepers added. PiP 3 Graeme is using an air-powered tool to drive a screw through a bracket which will hold the rail in place. The jack is supporting the rail at the correct height. This results in the sleeper being lifted from the ground by a few centimetres. PiP 4 The first sleeper is in position. Andrew is drilling the pilot holes for attaching the second sleeper the the track. The rodding which will connect the lever to the rails is roughly in position. PiP 5 Joe and Ian battling the air tool which didn't want to hold the bolt driver for the lever mounting screws. Eventually they won. Also note the addition of ballast which has been hand tamped under and around the new sleepers. PiP 6 Final adjustments to the lever operation to ensure point blades are at the correct gauge and the spring mechanism is equally strong in either direction setting.

View this on a non-laptop screen for a better rendition. Part of out front garden lit by early morning sunlight. May 2024

At Wyreema loop on a training run. DownsSteam's loco C16 106 has uncoupled from the far end of the carriages and is moving on the other track of the loop to connect to the train near where this shot is taken from. April 2024.

I found this lizard collecting some warmth in the early autumn afternoon sun. The pavers are the walkway from the entrance to the station at DownsSteam. March 2024.

An assembly in the DownsSteam workshop which allows air regulators which are used in locos and carriages to be set to their required pressures. The type of regulator shown is used in the loco 106 and in the carriages. March 2024. PiP 1 shows the oily gunk which has to cleaned from the insides of a regulator after years of service. We use paint thinners with brush and rags to wipe down and wash out the body and the removable parts, and compressed air to blow out the thinners and gunk mixture. PiP 2 A closer general view. PiP 3 The gauges showing 660 Kilopascals input pressure and 40.7 pounds per square inch regulated output pressure.

A modest fire underneath the arch. I was lighter-upper and fireman for loco 1037 for the completion of the annual boiler test. We also did some runs with our 3 operational carriages out from and back into our station for the local TV news crew. They were invited to DownsSteam as we now have approval to carry paying public passengers on Queensland Rail's track. The first run should happen on 18th of May. May 2024.

The completed brick arch in the firebox of loco type BB18 1/4 No. 1037. April 2024. Happy Wall Wednesday for 01/05/202.

In the cab of loco BB18 1/4 1037 Damien is passing the last brick, the keystone brick for the second of the two rows to Andrew and Oliver who are in the firebox installing the arch. Mouse over for the PiP to see Oliver on the left and Andrew on the right installing the first row, the one against the front of the firebox. Short lengths of timber support the bricks until the keystone brick is added. Then some wiggling and adjusting is done to get them into their final position. The same is repeated for the second row.

The 10 specially shaped 'bricks' were made with a cement able to withstand temperatures to around 1800C. These are part of a steam locomotive's firebox. It is called the brick arch. The upper level text denotes the types of locomotives which this set of molds is used in. When installed they form an arch over the forward part of the fire. They create a longer path for the flame from the coal burning on the grate to the tube plate of the cylindrical part of the boiler. This enables more energy to be obtained from the coal used. They also cause the fire's heat to be more evenly spread over the tube plate thus reducing stresses in the metal while heating and cooling. March 2024.

This shows disassembled molds with a can which holds its screws. The battery powered screwdriver, lump hammer and large flat blade can be seen, these are the tools I used to extract the bricks. 8 bricks are now on pallets. The molds need to be cleaned of cement remnants so they can be returned to Queensland Rail's heritage unit. March 2024.

Over several days the cast bricks cure. As sufficient strength is achieved the mold frames are disassembled and the brick is placed on a pallet for further curing. The generally rainy weather during this time meant the curing took a couple of days longer than expected. March 2024. See PiP.

With the initial quantity of Vesuvius bought, 8 of the 10 required were made. Two more bags were bought. This enabled the last 2 molds to be filled. March 2024.

5 of the 10 molds waiting for Vesuvius to be poured into them. PiP 1 Self knocking gas bubbles out of the liquid. PiP 2 A mould filled with the Vesuvius cement. March 2024.

Much horn blowing and waving from a Watco grain train going past DownsSteam's site on the Queensland Rail main line. Loco 106 responding with whistling as it moves from the shed to the platform for an afternoon crew training run. April 2024.

Doug and Andrew mixing up some Vesuvius. March 2024. See PiP. SURCAST 65P-RT High strength, thermal shock and alkali resistant. Rapid turnaround castable 1760C working.

Visiting magpies. March 2024.

On Saturday 13/04/2024 a meeting of people who do Postcrossing happened at DownsSteam. This is a scan of the souvenir postcard. www.postcrossing.com Thanks to SV1XV (a Contact here) for educating me about this on Ipernity some time ago.

Loco C16 106 in DownsSteam's Drayton siding, lit by late summer afternoon sun, between light engine training runs to Wyreema. February 2024.