One of the things we have an eternal struggle with at Puffing Billy is a lack of space, whether that be offices, workshops or just undercover storage in general.
Nowhere is this more evident that the carriage workshop at Emerald; with barely enough accommodation for 3 carriages, this facility is responsible for the annual mechanical and body maintenance of all the railways rolling stock.
With a heavy maintenance schedule, it was thought desirable to improve the way components were stored before being refitted to the carriage or wagon. Bogies in particular take up a lot of space, particularly when they are complete with wheelsets.
This simple frame was developed as a means to stack bogies for storage.
Manufactured from profile cut steel plate, lengths of tube and threaded rod, the design is simple but effective, allowing pair of bogies to be stored in stacks, freeing up floor space for the staff working on maintenance.
Above, one of the frames assembled and ready for use, and below, two frames in use as intended, storing bogies.
The frames have even come in handy when transporting bogies between the workshops at Emerald and Belgrave!
