Re: railway crossings on parramatta road (auburn meat works)

markmeow · Beginner Joined: Jul 14, 2007 Last Visited: Jul 18, 2008

Hi,

In the post that I made in relation to railway crossings on parramatta road, there was mention of a siding for auburn/siding meatworks at auburn, can anyone tell me more about this siding?

drwaddles · Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 5:37 pm

It came off the Main West somehwere in the vicnity of the Lidcombe triangle and went north into the meatworks.

I'd love to know more/exactly where to look for remnants.

People who talk out their asre usually have bad breath.

petan · Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 8:17 pm

drwaddles · Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:22 pm

The Auburn meatworks was different to the Abbattoir - located in the vicinity of St Hilliers Road.

According to 125 years of the Sydney-Parramatta Railway, the line was opened in 1886 and abandoned in 1979. There were exhcnage sidings adjacent the NSWGR lines there.

In 1983, when the book was written, you could still see remains of track near the netball courts and in the pavement at Rawson Street. I doubt anything remains but haven't looked closely because I'm not sure of the exact route.

People who talk out their asre usually have bad breath.

rjaygee · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 12:50 am

It came off the main line down from where the Mosque is now located and where the old Australian General Electric plant (became AEI then Malleys)used to be where I think net ball courts now exist. Now go down to Percy Street, the road directly behind St Hilliers Road (Runs off Silverwater after crosing Parramatta Rd) and there may be some track belonging to the meatworks line still embedded in the driveways of some of the businesses fronting that street. The line did not cross Parramatta Rd. I lived in Auburn as a child a remember it being shunted by a standard goods loco usually with an LGH guards van. On the other side of the rail line (slightly further towards Auburn station) there used to be a rather long siding into the old Ritchies carriage works, and that was always shunted by the 20 class tank locomotive from Clyde yard.

Cheers

Rod Gayford

sandown · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 3:55 pm

markmeow,

In your last post marvin linked a page from Robinson's 1960 street directory.

The line is clearly shown there, it went to Sydney Meatworks, the site was later bought by Arnold Glass and became Capitol Motors. The area was bounded by the open channel ( still extent ) Parramatta Rd, Boorea St, Percy St and St Hilliers Rd.

It left the mainline where rjaygee stated, near the Netball Association's carpark. The earth works are pretty much still evident and the brick retaining wall that runs along North Pde to Station Rd indicate the point well as it finishes adjacent to the point of departure .

Innuendo is not Italian for suppository

EMD-SD45X · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:51 pm

The sidings came off the Main West lines at approx 18km at the corner of North Pde and Percy St and headed North.
Might have to look up my archives to see if I have something for ya.

drwaddles · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 11:52 am

Thanks for the replies fellas. Did the line run alongside the west or east side of Percy Street?

Look forward to seeing what you can find EMD-SD45X Smile

People who talk out their asre usually have bad breath.

DesL · Beginner Joined: Nov 11, 2006 Last Visited: Jan 7, 2009

Have a look at the 1943 aerial photos. They show the branch and meatworks.

Des

drwaddles · Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 6:40 pm

Thanks Des, I actually did do that when I remembered them after that last post. I wish those photos covered the whole state!

People who talk out their asre usually have bad breath.