use to live in Te Aroha, went to Te Aroha College, when Don beard was principal. Love Te Aroha Mountain, Never did get to go into the mine, Thank you for sharing. I remember my brothers panning for gold in the creeks lol
@@annette-thetwistedsister8727 thanks for watching. It really is a beautful mountain. Do you remember if your brothers ever actually found any gold in the creeks?
My wife and I walked along that track today. It is from the top of Butlers Incline but on a spur line which goes back toward the base of Buck Reef. I am more interested in the rail heritage and the track work is impressive. Found an Ibbettsen fish plate on a rail joint. Ibbettsen fish plates date from the 1870s and only had one bolt on each side of the joint rather than the usual two or three used today. They were prone to breaking the rail head or foot. One joint found today had done exactly that but the mining was probably nearing the end and it was never repaired. Ibbetson joiners were one piece much like a fish plate on HO gauge model railway track. If one needed replacing the joint had to be unbolted and one rail lifted up to slide the old clip off and a new one slid on. The rail was the dropped and then the clip moved over into place across the two rail ends. Not so bad on the rough gold mine tram track but if it was on a real mainline railway, the sleepers would need to be repacked and it may take several trains to roll over the joint before the rail was restored to its original line and level. They were not successful and were replaced by normal two piece, 4 bolt versions in the mid 1880s. Great video, you are braver than me to go in those mines. I went to the end of a drive near that set of points which was only about 10m deep and that was enough for me.
@@syncrostep thanks for watching. Its really interesting to read your knowledge of the tramway. Ill be out there next weekend and Ill be sure to carefully look at the railway joints. Youd love the Glen Afton rail line near where I live. I sometimes go and ride the steam train there and look at the restorations going on in their workshop.
use to live in Te Aroha, went to Te Aroha College, when Don beard was principal. Love Te Aroha Mountain, Never did get to go into the mine, Thank you for sharing. I remember my brothers panning for gold in the creeks lol
@@annette-thetwistedsister8727 thanks for watching. It really is a beautful mountain. Do you remember if your brothers ever actually found any gold in the creeks?
@@StevenAverage I don't remember but apparently there is gold up there, my brothers were probably to busy drinking their flagons of beer lol
My wife and I walked along that track today. It is from the top of Butlers Incline but on a spur line which goes back toward the base of Buck Reef. I am more interested in the rail heritage and the track work is impressive. Found an Ibbettsen fish plate on a rail joint. Ibbettsen fish plates date from the 1870s and only had one bolt on each side of the joint rather than the usual two or three used today. They were prone to breaking the rail head or foot. One joint found today had done exactly that but the mining was probably nearing the end and it was never repaired. Ibbetson joiners were one piece much like a fish plate on HO gauge model railway track. If one needed replacing the joint had to be unbolted and one rail lifted up to slide the old clip off and a new one slid on. The rail was the dropped and then the clip moved over into place across the two rail ends. Not so bad on the rough gold mine tram track but if it was on a real mainline railway, the sleepers would need to be repacked and it may take several trains to roll over the joint before the rail was restored to its original line and level. They were not successful and were replaced by normal two piece, 4 bolt versions in the mid 1880s. Great video, you are braver than me to go in those mines. I went to the end of a drive near that set of points which was only about 10m deep and that was enough for me.
@@syncrostep thanks for watching. Its really interesting to read your knowledge of the tramway. Ill be out there next weekend and Ill be sure to carefully look at the railway joints. Youd love the Glen Afton rail line near where I live. I sometimes go and ride the steam train there and look at the restorations going on in their workshop.
interesting to see what a blacklight shows,
grew up in the Tron.
@@gregnz1 i just got one in the last few weeks, I hope to put it to more use in the next few weeks. Thanks for watching : )