Three Railway Buzzers

**Vann** · 24th February 2019, 01:25 PM

While on holiday in the South Island in January, I visited a friend in Christchurch – and as he's a volunteer there we spent a day or two at the Ferrymead Historical Park.

During my time there stalking old woodworking machinery I visited several workshops, looked at much old machinery, and even acquired some parts off an old Sagar machine that was going to scrap.

3Bsagar.jpg This poor old Sagar under/over has been sitting in the weather for a long time and now is destined for scrap.

It occurred to me that three buzzers I saw there in three different workshops, all had a common history. I realised they had all been ordered in the late 1920s (from three different manufacturers) and had all served at the Addington Railway Workshops from then until it was closed in 1990, and now all three were in the same historical park.

The first buzzer, I’ve mentioned before - in the thread on Wadkin RB buzzers. I spotted this one during a visit in April, 2017. Shortly after that I managed to buy it’s sister and this started a whole lot of head scratching and research (which meshed nicely with some research I’d been doing on the Pattern Shop at the Hutt Railway Workshops).

In mid-2017 I spent a lot of time going through official government records relating to the re-equipping of these workshops. The files I found are in regard to Workshops Machinery - for anyone wishing to verify or follow up this research, the files are NZR files 1916/1666 – and the best information I’ve found so far is in part 2 (1924-27) & part 3 (1927-31). These files are held at Archives NZ in Mulgrave St, Wellington.

Some background: following the Fay-Raven report of 1925 into the condition of railway workshops it was decided to substantially rebuild and re-equip New Zealand’s railway workshops. From late 1925 through to 1929 tenders were issued and orders placed for a considerable amount of new machinery.

Cheers, Vann.

**Vann** · 24th February 2019, 02:21 PM

Okay. So the first buzzer is a small Wadkin RB. I believe the railway RBs were the first off the production line, as they differ significantly from later machines with their shorter tables, lack of a stand, and herringbone gear drive.
This is RB 113 (probably the 9^th made), one of twelve "Bench Planers H.S." ordered and built in 1926 by Wadkin & Co. of Leicester, England, to railways specification 101 and order WR 6064. It's one of three offloaded at Lyttelton Port (Christchurch) for the Addington Railway Workshops, at a cost of £176 6s 5d (or £58 15s 6d each).

RB 237.jpg

It is now owned by the Canterbury Railway Society, who run the Ferrymead Railway – and resides in their workshop where it is used by a volunteer workforce for occasional work on railway rolling stock or buildings.

On my own RB (one of the three offloaded at Port Chalmers) I found a cast brass plate bearing the order number "WR 6064".

RB 316.jpg My RB - note the cast plate below the outfeed table "WR 6064".

This RB doesn't have a similar plate - but the holes where one was once located are there. I'm surprised that Wadkin would go to the trouble of having an order number plate cast, for no apparent purpose.

RB 113a.jpg RB 113c.jpg RB 113b.jpg

RB 113g.jpg RB 113e.jpg RB 113d.jpg

Surface Planer
RB 113t.jpg
Maker: Wadkin & Co. (UK)
Model: RB surface planer
Serial number: RB 113
Year of manufacture: October, 1926
NZR Addington machine number: 925
Length of tables: 3’ 9” (~1150mm)
Cutterblock 9” (230mm)
Number of knives: 2
Diameter of cutterblock: 5” (126mm)
Speed of cutterblock: 4200rpm
Motor: 1.5hp (1.1kW)

Induction Motor
RB 113mt.jpg

Maker: English Electric
Serial number: X 11530-B
Year of manufacture: ~1926
NZR Addington machine number: 926
Horsepower: 1½ (1.1kW)
Speed: 1415rpm
Voltage: 400v
Amperage: 2.9amp
Phase: 3-phase

Cheers, Vann.

**Vann** · 24th February 2019, 06:09 PM

Like the Three Billy-goats Gruff, the second buzzer is a bigger machine.

Made by The Preston Woodworking Machinery Co. of Canada - their model No.143 which I think came in a number of widths. This machine has a 12” cutterblock.

3B10.jpg

This appears to me to be a tradition American style three footer, and like American buzzers (or jointers as they would have it) it has the fence mounted on the outfeed table.

3B15.jpg

Although the cutterblock is 12”, the infeed table is 18” wide, and the outfeed 15” wide.

3B14.jpg

3B16.jpg 3B13.jpg 3B12.jpg

The single "foot" at the infeed end bears the brand name.

3B17.jpg

Just above the branding, and below the table is a stamped brass plaque...

3B18.jpg 3B19.jpg

...which reads "WR 6749" and "SERIAL 1197". From this I deduce it is one of ten "Machines planing & jointing" imported to work order WR 6749 and specification 247. It would have been one of four unload at the Port of Lyttleton for the Addington Railway Workshops at a cost of £417 17s 4d (£104 9s 4d each).

3B11.jpg

It now belongs to the Tramway Historical Society (THS) and is in regular use in the restoration of trams for the Ferrymead Tramway and trams for the Christchurch City tramway.

Maker: Preston Woodworking Machinery Co. Ltd (Canada)
Model: No.143 Buzz Planer & Jointer
Serial number: 1197
Year of manufacture: ~1926 - 1928
NZR Addington machine number: 2378
Length of tables: 7’ 8”
Cutterblock 12”

Drive. I believe this buzzer would have originally been flat belt driven, off a lineshaft (certainly the Preston buzzer delivered to the Hutt Railway Workshops, and installed in the Pattern Shop, was). However, at some stage in it's life it was fitted with an electric motor.

3B18CPtag.jpg

Maker: Crompton-Parkinson (Australia)
Serial number: 12511
Year of manufacture: unknown - Crompton-Parkinson was formed by the merger of Crompton & Co. and F&A Parkinson Ltd, in 1927.
NZR Addington machine number: unknown
Horsepower: 5
Speed: 1430rpm
Voltage: 400/440v
Phase: 3-phase

Cheers, Vann.

**Vann** · 25th February 2019, 06:35 PM

And in keeping with the billy goats gruff theme, the third buzzer is the biggest (but no trolls permitted

).

This one is manufactured by Thomas Robinson & Son Ltd. of Rochdale, England. Type HV.

Rob1.jpg

It was recently acquired by a joiner operating on the site, from the THS. The lighting conditions, and my lack of skill with a camera, did not allow better photographs. You can tell this one was a NZ Railway buzzer - it has the "Ideal" blade guard fitted - made by JT Peat Pty Ltd, of Sydney.

Rob5.jpg Rob3.jpg

Certainly the fence on this one is mounted in the English way (on the infeed table).

Rob2.jpg Rob4.jpg

The tables are 10ft (actually 10’ 2½” or 3110mm) long; 18½” (470mm) wide; and 34” (865mm) off the ground.

With the first buzzer, I was surprised that Wadkin had gone to the bother of casting a brass plate bearing the order number (WR 4060). I was considerably more surprised to see that Robinson had cast the order number (WR 6748) into the main casting !

Rob6.jpg

Four "Machines planing, jointing & surfacing" were ordered to WR 6748 (and specification 246). Three were landed at Lyttleton Port for Addington Workshops at a cost of £615 5s 3d, which equates to £205 1s 9d each.

3B11.jpg Immediately above the Prestons.

Maker: Thos. Robinson & Son Ltd. (England)
Model: Type HV Jointing and Planing Machine.
Serial number: not yet found.
Year of manufacture: ~1926 - 1928
NZR Addington machine number: 1238
Length of tables: 10’ 2½”
Cutterblock 18”

Drive. I believe this buzzer was also originally flat belt driven. It currently has no motor and has not yet returned to service.

3B22.jpg From Melbourne Matty's collection - with thanks.

Cheers, Vann.

**Vann** · 26th February 2019, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by Vann

...The first buzzer, I’ve mentioned before - in the thread on Wadkin RB buzzers. I spotted this one during a visit in April, 2017...

Knowing that this machine was there, I wanted to raise awareness of it's history, in the hope it would go from a relatively neglected anonymous piece of machinery, to a valued piece of equipment (several former Addington Railway Workshops employees volunteer there). Before leaving home I prepared an information sheet (just a laminated A4 sheet) which is now attached to the machine's bench.

We also greased the cutterblock and motor roller bearings, and oiled the herringbone gears (all possibly for the first time since 1990).
We then plugged it in and ran it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II7784xJa9c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGnpkH21Q4g

Next time I go to Christchurch I hope to take similar info sheets for the other two buzzers.

Cheers, Vann.

**Vann** · 27th February 2019, 07:01 PM

Originally Posted by Vann

...Made by The Preston Woodworking Machinery Co. of Canada - their model No.143 which I think came in a number of widths. This machine has a 12” cutterblock...

Thanks to the generosity of Melborne Matty for sharing.

Preston_143b.jpg
What a dapper machine

.

Cheers, Vann.

**L.S.Barker1970** · 27th February 2019, 08:31 PM

Vann, this is a great write up, and as usual you are very thorough in your research, it's a pleasure to help out with some catalog Pictures, especially for someone as passionate as your self on woodworking machinery.

Melbourne Matty.

Thread: Three Railway Buzzers

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Three Railway Buzzers

Buzzer No.1 - Wadkin RB 113.

Buzzer No.2 - Preston No.143 ♯1197

Buzzer No.3 - Robinson HV.

Buzzer No.1 - again.

Buzzer No.2 - again.

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