Thread: Hunter Valley Steamfest!!!

Thanks for the headsup and wish I could be there.

But that is also one very good web site!

The biggest problem I have found is that there are no timetables/destinations designated for any of the locomotives, or am I just a silly old B and can't find them, I'm particularly interested in 6029, I did want to see a 32 class as well, but it would appear none will be present, cheers Dennis

For those that want to believe ---
steamfest?
https://www.facebook.com/nswgrad60class/

G'day All,
I left home this morning very early (0630hrs) so I could get a suitable parking spot for my 110, thus enabling me to escape to other locations to photgraph this locomotive 6029 'Beyer Garret'

and again

it was leaving on the it's first run of the day to Branxton, here it is later in the day arriving at Branxton

it certainly is a machine worthy of all the admiration it gets, but there was a downside to the day, I didn't get any work done on my 5" gauge 32 class loco, cheers Dennis
ps here are some recent images from my shed, I had made the oil clack valve and pipes etc, so it was time to see if it all worked, here is the lubricator filled with the lovely steaming oil

the clack valve, made from 5/16" dia brass stock, with 1/4" x 40ME thread, the clack has a 5/32"dia steel ball which sits on a brass carrier held in place by a very finely wound spring, the square on the top was cut by hand using the lathe as a shaper

the first drop of oil past the ball n spring

all connected now

the boiler has to be squeezed again so I stripped it of it's stainless steel cladding, LOL I had forgotten what the pickup looked like (this is the inlet for saturated steam to pass through the superheaters, BTW the 3 studs that screwed out were put back in with double nuts and torqued up,

some of my efforts @ Silver soldering, very neat even if I have to say so myself LOL, cheers,,.

This weekend, these trains are shuttling around here. A question from the hunter steam festival... why are these trains all towing diesel locomotives? Surely they're not that unreliable???

I suspect it stems from no longer being able to sand the track for traction following the Cowan rail crash.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowan_rail_accident

The diesel can provide the extra drive.

I remember years ago being on a steam train in the Lapstone tunnel where the loco couldn't get traction.

Ahhh, interesting stuff! That makes sense. Thanks.