A morning on the Australian Sugar Cane Railway

[GAP]

Spent the morning over at the sugar cane railway in the local Botanical Gardens as part of the “Navvies” crew, digging post holes to take the new crossing signs next to the pedestrian crossings, the old signs do not comply with Aust standards anymore.
They were identified for replacement after a safety audit was conducted and sent to the Office National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR). This body enforces the Rail Safety Act and oversees all railways in Australia, basically, if it moves on rails, they oversee it and all the people who work on them.
I drove the diesel loco towing the car carrying the concrete mix and the signs and added 4 hours to my logbook.
The other piece of equipment is the “trolley and trailer” which have the tools on them.
New sign replaces the cross-arm ones seen in background of fourth picture.

[Rooster]

Good stuff …thanks !

[Eric_Mueller]

Been wondering where you’ve been, GAP! Nice to “hear” from you! Great to see these photos, too!

Eric

[GAP]

I had to have my aortic valve replaced via open heart surgery (joined the zipper club), so that side lined me for a couple of months.
That was my second day back volunteering at the railway.

[JRad (Jon Radder)]

WOW! Great to hear you pulled through and are back doing what you love!

[Eric_Mueller]

Echoing Jon’s comments in full! I’ll hoist a beverage to your health tonight!

[GAP]

After doing heart start rehab for the last 6 weeks which involved gym work twice a week plus lots of walking I am fitter now than I have been for the last 10 years.
The heart surgeon told me that I now have the blood flow of a 20 year old but not the body of one.

My next challenge is to get my drivers ticket for the diesel loco.
Next up after that is to get my steam loco fireman’s ticket then the drivers ticket which is my ultimate ambition (also on the bucket list)

[GAP]

Just an update since the last post.
2 days after it I was back in hospital with Atrial Fibrillation and Atrial Arrhythmia which was fixed by knocking me out and hitting me with the HV paddles.
I am now all OK but my fitness has all disappeared so its back to the rehab gym next week for 2 months then on to a fitness program.
Good new though I did pass my Diesel Loco Drivers exam and practical test so I now have my operators ticket, I am now working on getting 150 Hours of experience on a steam loco to get my Fireman’s/Drivers ticket.

[GAP]

Some pictures of what I have been helping with on the Australian Sugar Cane Railway (ASCR) a volunteer run small railway in the botanical gardens in Bundaberg Qld Aust.
Replacing rotten and termite attacked wooden sleepers (ties) with concrete ones.
Concrete sleeper

Digging out old sleepers

Old sleepers

New sleeper being positioned into the hole the old ones came out of. Chalk marks show spacing.

New sleepers clipped into position on rail ready for track base back-filling

Track base being tamped under sleepers using pneumatic jackhammers.

[GAP]

When we have a large number of sleepers replaced we use the “Tamper” a self propelled machine powered by 2 Honda 4 stroke engines, operated by 2 people that packs the track base under the sleepers. It drives “Tynes” into the base either side of the sleeper then they are moved together to pack the base under the sleeper.
The diesel loco in the background is the one I have my drivers ticket for.

Tynes raised in the “move” position.

Tynes lowered to tamping position.

[Eric_Mueller]

GAP,

Sorry to hear about the health challenges. I am glad to see you are back at it keeping high iron running through high cane!

Eric