Rewatering the Df (A second part - Because some people can't wait . . . )

Good afternoon to you all, Dear Reader's of Komata's Blog.

You may have noticed that, for once, I have posted a second 'Blog about the same topic on the same day (gasp! shock, horror!)

This is because i can't bear to see others crying and the impassioned Aaaaaaaaargh from one of our number, has touched me deeply so . .

Without further ado, herewith a second part to 'Rewatering the Df' (and as I said before, it is all true!!)

As I had told you in the last 'Blog, our poor lonely Df class locomotive had somehow struggled into Papajura at the head of a long goods train and had been diagnosed as having run out of water.  As a result the 'Low Water alarms were ringing very loudly in the engine cab as almost evry railwayman at NZR Papakura gathered round to see if they could somehow 'help' our favorite loco.

As part of its design, the Df class Locomotive had both a conventional radiator and a 'Header-tank' into which water could go as it heated up and expanded.  As it cooled, the water would return back into the radiator to provide more water and so on.

The unfortunate thing was that the water wasn't returning and had actually leaked away, with the result that eventually the loco was running out of water as leaks and evaporation took whatever water remained behind in the radiator itself

The locomotive had been fully serviced at Westfield (the Loco Depot for the region)  prior to setting out, but had run out by the time it arrived at Papakura.

The 'Low-Water Alarm' bells started ringing at Tironui (2 miles North of Papakura), and were still ringing when the train arrived, slowly, at Papakura.

Having arrived was all very well, but a new problem arose - how to get water into the Header tank and, eventually, back into the radiator?

At Westfield Locomotive Depot, they had overhead gantries, hoses and lots of space.

At Papakura, the only hose was a 1/2in internal-diameter Garden Hose  which leaked badly, and, because of the locomotive's position alongside the station verandah, space was almost non-existent!

And, just to make things a tad more interesting, the only water available was from a small domestic-type tap on the corner of the station building, fed by a very low-pressure public water main.  However, it was a case of making do with what was available.

Next came the problem of access.  The Header Tank ws up on the roof of the loco (11 ft above the ground) - on the opposite side from the previously mentioned station verandah, but how to get there?

The gap between the loco roof and the verandah was too small to squeeze through and there appeared to be no way to get onto the loco roof itself. (and don't forget Dear reader, that, throughout all this the locomotive was still running!).

Eventually, two teenage male yard staff members, managed to climb out and up onto the rear-end 'nose'  of the loco via the rear near-side cab door, then walk along the roof towards the middle of the locomotive.

However, they still had to get the hose to the tank!!

Because of the very narrow gap between the locomotive and the station verandah, getting the hose up to the boys on the loco roof was very difficult.  The hose kept getting caught on the verandah guttering, and, although that was eventually dealt with, because of the narrowness of the gap between this guttering and the top of the locomotive, it was ultimately impossible to pass the hose directly up from the platform.

Eventually though this hose DID reach the loco's roof.  It was paid out to a point above the rear platform-side cab door, then guided around past the air horns on the roof and so along to the Header-tank filler hatch.

The tap was turned on, the water flowed.

Unfortunately, as it was only a small diameter garden hose, on low-pressure mains supply, this took time, and at one point the leaks from the radiator were outstripping the supply of water!

With time however, as the header-tank and the radiator were full once more, the Alarm Bells stopped ringing. 

The silence was impressive! 

Everything was returned to its proper place, the crew got back on board and the train moved off - slowly, but gathering speed.  The entire drama had taken about 3/4 of an hour.

We all returned to work.

We learnt later that poor 1501 stopped again, and again, and again - at Pukekohe, at Mercer, at Huntly, at Ngaruawahia (no, don't even attempt to pronounce that one!!), and had been taken off its train at Frankton (part of Hamilton) - the next major station south of Auckland, and the site of a major Locomotive Depot. Frankton is some 50-odd miles south of Auckland.  It had stopped at all these minor stations for the ame reason - Low Ater Alarm's ringing, shortage of coolant in the radiator.  It seemed that the 'Water' range was only about 14 miles!

That was, really. almost the last trip that Df 1501 made.  I'm not sure, but I suspect that it may have been the last 'Down' goods train trip a Df ever made, certainly we never saw her again that I recall - and yes, for a few days, we DID all look at our watches at around 1400 'just in case'.

1501 returned to Auckland, somehow, and, a few months later was give the task of taking a Railway Enthusiasts Society (RES) rail-fanning excursion through to Tauranga via Karangahake. For this she was all spruced-up and shone.

It didn't make it!  1501 broke-down completely, utterly, irrevocably, at the Boundary Raod level crossing just south of Papakura, while en route southwards.

This time that WAS the end, and 1501 and its train had to be pushed through to Pukekohe - the next station down from Papakura.

It never turned another wheel in revenue service!!

Curiously though, Df 1501 still exists!  After its forced 'retirement' it sat for many years on public display at a steel works in Auckland, while a group of dedicated Df-nuts tried to get her restored to running condition (at times against severe railways opposition).  This aim did not eventuate, but the loco is now in safe hands at Ferrymead Museum (near Christchurch in NZ's South Island), where she will be lovingly looked after and cared for and maybe, one day, run again (although the class never set foot in the South Island during its railway revenue-earning service)

So there you have it, Dear Readers - a conclusion to a long tale (all of which is true!).

 I hope that you enjoyed it, and that you will return again, when Komata's Blog sallies-forth once more.Thanks for dropping by, and as always. . .

Happy modelling

Komata

"TVR - serving the Northern Taranaki . . . "