Thread: Equipping Railway Workshops.

@Vann where do you store all this information? Or is it just up there in the brain basket?

Originally Posted by Vann

Note that immediately below the 100 ton crane rails are a second set of crane rails for several 10-12 ton travelling cranes (one of which is in the foreground).

Cheers, Vann.

Flaming Wow ! What a set up !
That Engine is hanging from the 100 ton crane isn't it ? I thought it was on the 12 ton one at first glance.
That front yellow one looks like a lot of crane for only 12 Ton . Amazing . Thanks Vann.

Rob

Originally Posted by bueller

@Vann where do you store all this information?...

I used to be a steam train enthusiast, and I've worked in rail for 47 years, so i tend to remember rail related stuff - but I also have books, notes and photos. Now that I've developed an interest in old machinery - well railway machinery is the crossover between the two interests.

I found the document this thread is based on, over three years ago - and have transcribed and double checked, on and off, ever since. By asking around (both through work and through steam train contacts), I found out about two years ago that all the "Machinery Record" cards form the Addington Workshops, were thrown in the skip when they closed down in the late 1980s. I got confirmation that the Otahuhu Workshops "Machinery Record" cards met a similar fate in 1993, last October. And about six weeks ago I spoke to someone, who heard from someone, that the Hillside "Machinery Record" cards got the toss in 2012-13. So info is coming to hand all the time.

Originally Posted by bueller

...Or is it just up there in the brain basket?

Nah, can't trust that worn out device . I have to keep checking notes and confirming dates on Wikipedia...

Originally Posted by auscab

...That Engine is hanging from the 100 ton crane isn't it ?...

Yup. That's a 98 tonne locomotive, hanging from what is now a 90 year old crane . Of course the front bogie (under the driver's cab) is off and the fuel tank is most likely empty so it's probably 10 tonne lighter - but still impressive.

Cheers, Vann.

Haha thanks mate! And thanks for the contribution documenting this stuff and sharing for us.

Originally Posted by Vann

...That last specification #101 crops up on this sheet - 12 No. "Bench Planers HS". Won by Wadkin & Co.. One of those resides in my garage/workshop too.

They had one of those in the Pattern Shop at Hutt Workshops too. According the the main register at Hutt Workshops, it was RB 109 and was "scrapped" when the Pattern Shop closed in 1987. The "Machinery Record" cards for the buzzer and its motor are both missing (I suspect the machine was purchased as "scrap" by a staff member and the cards went with it).

These were very early versions of the Wadkin RB. If Jack is correct (and it appears he is) that Wadkin started their serial numbers at #105, then RB 109 was only the 5th RB made.

I first spotted one of these on Trademe in March 2017 - RB 117 (modified to single phase).

RB53.jpg RB52.jpg b RB117 NZ.jpg

Then, in May 2017, I spotted another at the Ferrymead Historical Park in Christchurch - RB 113.

RB 113b.jpg RB 113a.jpg RB 113t.jpg

I was then advised that there was one, ex-Pattern Shop at Hillside Workshops (Dunedin), and did I want to make an offer for it? Yes (of course)
- RB 116.

RB 121.jpg RB 122.jpg

Although I suspected these were all part of that order of twelve "Bench Planers" I had no proof, as I'd not been able to track down a "Machinery Record" card for any of these four machines.

However, one day the penny dropped. There was a strange cast brass/bronze plate on the front of my buzzer (just below the outfeed table)...

WR tag2.jpg

"WR 6064" - D'oh

p10e.jpg

Originally Posted by Vann

...On 2^nd September, 1925, they issued specifications 61 to 99 and 101. Several of these specifications were for woodworking machinery. Tenders for these closed on 15^th February 1926. Note that approximately 6 weeks were required for specifications to reach England, and a further 6 weeks for tenders to return to New Zealand – allowing manufacturers a relatively small window to prepare their bids...

So tenders closed on 15^th February, 1926. A summary of winning tenders was published in July, 1926, and the machines were to hand before this 17 page document was prepared on 17^th September, 1930.

Just when were these buzzers (a brand new model) made? I was able to obtain copies of the Wadkin Test Sheets for RB 109 (Hutt Workshops, Pattern Shop) and my own RB 116 (Hillside Workshops, Pattern Shop).

RB 109 Test Sheet.jpg RB 109 - 12^th October, 1926.

Test Sheet RB 116.jpg RB 116 - 18^th October, 1926.

Tested (complete) three months after winning the tender. Not bad!! Considering the RB didn't even appear in Wadkin catalogues until late 1928.

There's a bit more about these RB buzzers in this thread Wadkin RB Buzzer

Cheers, Vann.

A shed load more travelling cranes. None at 12 tonne capacity (= 11.8 tons) that I can see. I suspect the bright yellow 12 tonne crane pictured in a previous post is a more recent machine.

Not much of interest to woodworkers in this one.


Photo of original document page.

p11.jpg

Transcribed sheet.

Machinery sheet 11a.jpg
Machinery sheet 11b.jpg

Edit: I suspect the "Ballard Machine Tool Co." (last listed supplier) should read "Bullard Machine Tool Co." (of USA).

Nothing in the next one for woodworkers either .

Cheers, Vann.

Another sheet bereft of woodworking machinery.


Photo of original document page.

p12.jpg

Transcribed sheet.

Machinery sheet 12a.jpg
Machinery sheet 12b.jpg

The typist way back in 1930 made at least one error - Frederick Tons & Sons (4th supplier down) should read Frederick Town & Sons (of Halifax, England).
A handful of woodworking machines coming up on sheet #13.

Cheers, Vann.

This sheet includes a Wilson Bros. "Post wood borer"; a "Panel Planer & Thicknesser" and a "Saw Bench" from Thos. Robinson; another "Planer Bench" from Wadkin & Co.; a "Wood Trimmer" from Modern Woodworking Machines Ltd.; 3 Porter Cable "Sanders Take About".

Also some saw doctoring gear including 2 "Saw Filers" from Foley Saw Tool Co. of USA; "Band Saw Soldering Apparatus" from the Selson Eng. Co., and a "Cutter Balancer" also from Thos. Robinson.

Photo of original document page.

P13.jpg

Transcribed sheet.

Machinery sheet 13a.jpg
Machinery sheet 13b.jpg

No woodworking machines on sheet #14 .

Cheers, Vann.

Originally Posted by Vann

This sheet includes a Wilson Bros. "Post wood borer"; a "Panel Planer & Thicknesser" and a "Saw Bench" from Thos. Robinson; another "Planer Bench" from Wadkin & Co.; a "Wood Trimmer" from Modern Woodworking Machines Ltd.; 3 Porter Cable "Sanders Take About"...

Originally Posted by Vann

...
Included is that the 12 Bench Planers - High Speed were shipped as follows:
- 3 to Auckland (nearest port to Otahuhu workshops) – value £176 6s 9d;
- 3 to Wellington (nearest port to Hutt workshops) – value £176 6s 9d;
- 3 to Lyttleton (nearest port to Addington workshops) – value £176 6s 5d;
- 3 to Port Chalmers (nearest port to Hillside workshops) – value £176 6s 5d.
an average value of £58 15s 6d each.

The thirteenth planer supplied by Wadkin went to Wellington and had a value of £59 3s 3d. With the value being so similar to the previous 12, it's likely that this machine is also an RB...

In addition to the Machinery Record cards, each workshops had a master index of all machinery - I the case of the Hutt Workshops it's a big leatherbound foolscap book, so thumbed-through over the years that the pages containing the first thousand or so machines have partially disintegrated. Each machine gets a single line - so not much information.

The Pattern Shop machines are mostly grouped from #1695 to the mid #1700s. Similarly, in the #1300s are a group of machines that went to the Wood Mill. These include a listing:
#1370 Planer, Bench Type - Wadkin AB 141. Wadkin never made an AB planer, bench type or other (edit: with the exception of an early general joiner or variety wood worker - see next post). It is likely then that this is a typo and that machine was in fact RB 141 - and therefore would be the 13th planer - listed on page 13 not to an order number, but to memo/letter 23/108 dated 26/9/1928.

Cheers, Vann.

edit: wallace, I have no pictures - unless it's pictures of the Machinery Record cards that you want?

Vann, wadkin made a machine called the general joiner or variety wood worker with the designation AB, it had a saw a compund work table, could take moulding heads and do slot morticing, it also had a tennoning attachment. This is early on when they were patentees and builders of 'Diploma woodworking machinery'

Originally Posted by wallace1973

Vann, wadkin made a machine called the general joiner or variety wood worker with the designation AB...

Aha. I stand corrected (and will edit my previous post accordingly).

However, it's apparent that the AB/RB in question would not be one of these, as an AB would not fit the description of Planer, Bench Type. Nor is it likely that a variety wood worker would sell, 2½ years later, for just 7 shillings and 9 pence more than an RB buzzer (£59 3s 3d in Sept, 1928, vrs £58 15s 6d each in Feb, 1926).

Cheers, Vann.

Photo of original document page.

p14.jpg

Transcribed sheet.

Machinery sheet 14a.jpg
Machinery sheet 14b.jpg

No woodworking machines on sheet #15 either .

Cheers, Vann.

Mostly machinery for the black trades here, with boilermaking, blacksmithing and foundry gear.

Photo of original document page.

p15.jpg

Transcribed sheet.

Machinery sheet 15a.jpg
Machinery sheet 15b.jpg

Cheers, Vann.

Photo of original document page.

p16.jpg

Transcribed sheet.

Machinery sheet 16a.jpg
Machinery sheet 16b.jpg

Now that's more like it, with plenty of woodworking machinery .

Cheers, Vann.