Friends of Opapa Station 1998 Newsletters

Friends Of Opapa Railway Station Inc.
Inside this Newsletter

Friends Of Opapa Railway Station Inc. vol 5 june ‘98

1.   SAFETY PLAN
2.   NEW MEMBERS
3.   WORK IN PROGRESS
4.   MEETING JUNE 21
5.   AGM JUNE 28
6.   COMING EVENTS!.

IMPORTANT NOTICE!
PLEASE READ!!!

A copy of the SAFETY PLAN has been placed in the draw [drawer] of the desk at the Railway Station

We all must be familiar with the PLAN and read the booklet, be prepared to sign it after reading and understand the information.

This is necessary and if we don’t enforce it we will be taken to task by the O.S.H.

So! For everybody’s sake and for the sake of the station read, understand & sign the SAFETY PLAN.

WELCOME TO THE FRIENDS OF OPAPA RAILWAY STATION Inc.

IT HAPPENED.

The station has been repiled and looks really great in its now straightened form.

The work was financed by a grant from the Trustbank Communities Trust Loan and also from the Rail Heritage Trust.

A.G.M.
or
Annual
General
Meeting

Place – Opapa Station
Date – 28th June

Agenda.

9.30 meeting
11.00 morning tea
11.20 work until then ?
Please ladies bring a plate

guys:

bring some work tools and help clear grounds, fix fences and tidy the building!

Anyone wanting to help or just to have a look around ring Spud on [Phone number withheld – KB]

Do not forget – AGM – 27 JUNE – WORKING DAY PRIOR TO AGM – 20 JUNE

! Friends Of Opapa Railway Station Inc. vol 5 June ’98

The ceiling in the Operations room needs cleaning! Anyone got any long mops.

More groundwork also for us to care for! The section on the Southside needs attention

And the North side fence also needs working on!

An annoying hole in the Southend wall that lets birds in is also in need of fixing!

ALSO!

We need a Zip Heater

To replace the unit that obviously lived in the passageway by the sink.

A SMALL one not the usual large size, judging from the holes that support the unit.

WANTED!

GIVMEE: GIVMEE.

Power Cable: –

4mm OR 6mm wiring cable for transferring power from spuds house to the station, we have the switchboard to modify and install

But we have little luck picking up approx. 85 metres of 4mm cable for the short trip. We really need this to provide lighting and electrical needs, but will not need to be required to carry more than 10amps. 6mm will be okay but will not be necessary due to the little amount of current use.

(we will use 6mm if anybody can get it at the right price – donated or just given to us).

Anybody know where we can scavenge some from?

or at least pick it up at a very reasonable price.

The Water Stand!

WHO CAN HELP!

I have reclaimed the remaining parts of the water stand BUT there are many missing pieces. Spud and myself took photos at Ormondville but a few more pieces would make it easier to put together!-

If anyone has any plans or measurements then give them to Spud or Mike Betts.

CAN SOMEONE HELP.

WE need
Quotations!
no! not Chinese proverbs!
but quotations for
Platform resurfacing
&
Installing and LAying of Cable for the power project discussed previously

PLEASE SUBMIT QUOTATIONS TO

MIKE BETTS
SECRETARY/TREAS.

That’s all folks: –

see ya on 20th June for our cleanup

PRIOR TO THE AGM ON THE 27TH.

Do not forget – AGM – 27 JUNE – WORKING DAY PRIOR TO AGM – 20 JUNE

! Friends Of Opapa Railway Station Inc. vol 5 June ’98

New members

Always on the look-out for new talents.

The more we have the least we have to do!

Welcome to

Kevin & Sharon Brewer

Thank you for joining our group of workers.

SUBS!

There still remain some unpaid subs for 1997/8

It is a condition of our constitution that all members must be financial!

Those that are not, will not be allowed voting rights, and if they are on the committee they will be removed of any responsibility.

A tick in the area below will signify paid members.

A cross will signify Unpaid members.

MONEY!!!

We need MONEY!!

We are a bit short in our dollars for the repiling

But

Thanks to Rial [Rail] Heritage Trust we now have enough money to repile the Station & get some plumbing done!

This means that we can get on with the inside of the building once it is levelled out.

THANK YOU TRUSTBANK.
&
Rail Heritage Trust

WORKING BEE!

Summer has gone and so too have the longer hours we needed to do the jobs that we did not get done during Summer.

SO!

June 21ST

IS WORKING DAY

Commencing at 9.00 a.m.

We need to wash the station outside.

The Chimney needs to be fitted and made to look the part.

Toilet wall needs to be repaired and the plumbing in the sink to be organised.

Do not forget – AGM – 27 JUNE – WORKING DAY PRIOR TO AGM – 20 JUNE

FRIENDS OF OPAPA RAILWAY STATION INC.

We can then put up the fence and gate as the railway plans allow us too per the- The farmer whose land the Hatuma Railway station is situated upon have donated the fence posts and rails provided that we replace the rails with like or similar objects, these are just the original posts we need with the vee and necessary cut outs, which will enable us to finish the cart Dock and loading bay!

A pot – belly or not!

Carol and Denis Williams of Clive have donated an original square pot belly railway stove complete with flues and fittings believed to be from Kopua Railway Station, to replace the unit that was stolen and was donated originally by Melva and Stewart. – thank you Carol and Denis Williams.
Carol’s father used to use the stove at home and was her father’s favourite, at present under good security.

Hukanui!  Who knows where it is?

O.K. it is the third station after Piahiatua [Pahiatua], Spud and Ray and a Lada found this out after having traveled there, having acquired permission from Mr. Euin Mcqueen [Euan McQueen] and railways heritage Trust we now own a large gate and posts. Thanks to Spud and Ray for getting this for us, it took a mammoth effort to get it off its hinges and onto the trailer, and even had to resort to using a 4 wheel drive to help pull out the posts and place it onto the trailer, and Spuds poor old Lada had to tow it back to his place where it is in the process of being water blasted and cleaned and minor repairs being carried out. This will be placed on the roadside and with the edition of a pedestrian gate to be fitted on the back. This will look great and shall be a good eyecatcher for the public!

Back to Basics.

If you haven’t paid your subs then please do so, we need the money to help these projects and although it is purely voluntary we still need money to pay the insurance and we need to have financial membership to keep us afloat. This is very important. To prove to ourselves and the Rail Heritage Trust that we do care!

So to prove you care please pay your subs!

If you have a project you want to tackle then call Lee, Spud or Mike and we will organise it for you!

Also we would like to raise more money – Give your cans to Spud – pop them behind Spuds fence and he will take them in to be cashed in!

Firewood – to sell $90 – $100.00 per good cord, giving us a profit of $50 -$60.00 Please help in this area as we need more bodies to help not just the odd one or two

OLD CHINAMAN ONCE SAID – MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK.

COMMENTS – Mayor himself, People of Opapa, passers by and the councilors have all been positive, because we have created a good looking area of the valley instead of an eyesaw [eyesore] as it used to be.

OUTBUILDINGS.

Oxide hut, Long Drop and an open top Urinal building plus the gates and fences the area will look positive and a busy scene will be portrayed, – BUT we do need peoples help to come down if even only for a few hours, this will prove to our backers The Rail Heritage Trust,

Spud Langley – Mike Betts – Ray Beattie – Lee Hall [Phone numbers withheld – KB]

FRIENDS OF OPAPA RAILWAY STATION INC.

Trustbank Community Grants and the council that we are sincere in our efforts and is the case with a lot of railway groups these days it seems only a few are doing the work to get things off the ground.

Thumping water!

This is the original name given to Spuds pumphouse and will be re-instated as soon as Spud has cleared away the gorse and blackberry and re-painted the pumphouse to station colours to make it look more picturesque.

PRESIDENTS PLEA!

1.   Please pay your subs – Mike has to present a list of paid members each year to the Rail Heritage Trust as proof of our intention to assist in money raising. Without this R.H.T. will not consider us favourably for loans! We must all be financial at each AGM or it mucks up our constitution and our accountant has a field day moaning at me! So keep our accountant happy – pay Mike the subs NOW!

More workers at working bees – this will reduce the amount of work each one has to do and will foster a greater fellow kinship.

NEXT WORKING BEE – SUNDAY 9TH APPROX 9A.M – 3;30 P.M.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS;

Victor Trotter   Twyford   2 gates and posts
Doug Scott   Dannevirke   Weatherboards
Ray and Joan Beattie   Longdrop, Paint and fittings.
Carol & Dennis Williams Clive   Railway pot belly stove and flu kit
Spud   Cement, fence posts, wire, battens, studs, facia boards, wash hand basin, toilet seat.
Barry Muir   Zip water heater
Lee Hall   wash hand basin & brackets, fence staples
John Potts   Toilet cistern, staples
Kay Highwood   Te Aute   N.Z. Govt, Clock, letter holder
Monica Logan   Twyford   600 gallon watertank

THANKS TO:
Euan Mcqueen of the Rail Heritage Trust and Tranz Rail Properties.   16ft Railway Gate and Totara Posts

The Hikanui [Hukanui] gate was taken 24th April by Opapa Railway Group!.

Spud Langley – Mike Betts – Ray Beattie – Lee Hall [Phone numbers withheld – KB]