i was told by someone during a SETS tour that Burwoods used to have another sets of stairs leading from the platforms to the stree level on the eastern side of the station . however they were later filled in or removed .. anyone has more info on this? and when were they removed?

As did Croydon and Ashfield, I believe, and possibly Petersham (or was that just a pedestrian tunnel?.

I used to use the Burwood ones in High School, so that means that they were still there in the early 1980s.  I also [VAGUELY] remember buying a ticket from the ticket office down there when I was a tike, that'd be mid 70s.  I'm pretty sure they closed them sometime while I was in High School, so that means late 80s.  They were removed in the early to mid 90s, IIRC.

The stairs were at the very Eastern end of the platforms.  You could enter from Railway Pde or Deane St (just east of Marmaduke St) by going through a turnstile barrier and going down stairs.  The stairs let to a pedestrian tunnel and ticket office, and there were stairs up to each platform.  There were brick huts with translucent fibreglass over the tunnel and stairs.  They were used as exits at times, but for most of my memory it was for entry and platform changing only.

I could have sworn there are pictures of them somewhere on-line, but I can't find them ATM.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

The photos I was thinking of were in a book about the history of Burwwod ("Harvest of the Years", written in 1974).  Anybody know of any online photos showing the old second entrance?

I forgot to add that there are still remnants of the old entrances off the end of platforms 1 and 6.

I just wondering why they were filled in?

They were very isolated and I'm sure they attracted a criminal element.  Maybe it was too hard to keep fixing the locks, repairing the gates and cleaning it up?  

They were rarely used so I suppose they thought it was cheaper in the long run to get rid of them than to maintain them.

Just a guess.  Anybody know the answer?

They were very isolated and I'm sure they attracted a criminal element.  Maybe it was too hard to keep fixing the locks, repairing the gates and cleaning it up?  
Just a guess.  Anybody know the answer?

in fact i think many of such station subways are quite spooky, not to mention dirty and attracts non desirables. Even been down the railway bridge at Strathfield right after the roundabout from the norh side ... many robberies had been committed there in recent times.

i was told by someone during a SETS tour that Burwoods used to have another sets of stairs leading from the platforms to the stree level on the eastern side of the station . however they were later filled in or removed .. anyone has more info on this? and when were they removed?

That explains a lot... there are evidence of some old stairs on the up side of platform 1 of Burwood... watch the level of the brick fence line. It goes up and then down in the shape of stairs going downwards. No evidence on the up side of platform 6 side though (0nly that the original platform stretched about 10 metres further towards Croydon than it does now.)

They were very isolated and I'm sure they attracted a criminal element.  Maybe it was too hard to keep fixing the locks, repairing the gates and cleaning it up?  
Just a guess.  Anybody know the answer?

in fact i think many of such station subways are quite spooky, not to mention dirty and attracts non desirables. Even been down the railway bridge at Strathfield right after the roundabout from the norh side ... many robberies had been committed there in recent times.

The underpass at Strathfield is really bad... unfortunately if you want to walk through to the other side of the station without a ticket you have to use it (unless its the first few weeks of school where they leave the gates open all the time.)

The underpass at Eastwood on the up side just after the platforms end (you can't see it from the train, only the ramps going down) has been earmarked for closure several times due to crime. It's very dingy. The station entrance is much much safer.

No evidence on the up side of platform 6 side though (0nly that the original platform stretched about 10 metres further towards Croydon than it does now.)

You have to know what you're looking for.  IIRC, platform 6 has not changed length.  What you interpret as a disused part of the platform is actually the base of the brick building that used to sit over the pedestrian subway and stairs, which has been filled in.  It does have the appearance of an old platform, but it's not.

No evidence on the up side of platform 6 side though (0nly that the original platform stretched about 10 metres further towards Croydon than it does now.)

You have to know what you're looking for.  IIRC, platform 6 has not changed length.  What you interpret as a disused part of the platform is actually the base of the brick building that used to sit over the pedestrian subway and stairs, which has been filled in.  It does have the appearance of an old platform, but it's not.

ok... thanks for the info... I didn't know that.


BTW, do you know which two platforms at Burwood were added when the line was sextuplicated?

The last two platforms added were 5 and 6.  The photo I referred to earlier clearly shows platforms 1 to 4, with 5 and 6 absent.  Interestingly, the pedestrian subway at the up end had already been built to accomodate the two extra platforms - which means that the stairs leading to platform 6 predated the platform.

I'd be interested to know how Burwood was built and changed over the years.  I have my speculations, but it'd be nice to hear from someone who knows.

My speculation is that the original line ran roughly where the local lines are now, except at ground level.  On the down side of the Burwood Rd level crossing was the original station.  The old goods office is still there, and I've been told that this building was the original station, but I don't know if that's accurate.

With quadruplication, the main and suburban Burwood Rd bridges were built, along with existing platforms 1 to 4.  All original platform buildings from this period have since disappeared, except for parts of the entrances at the up and down ends.  The original lines still ran during construction, probably through or adjacent to the old goods yard. (In other words the four new tracks formed a sort of deviation from Conder St to Shaftesbury Rd).

Once the four new tracks opened, the old ones closed, with the part on the down side of the goods platform becoming part of the goods yard, and the tracks on the up side of the goods platform lifted.

With sextuplication, the old lines were built over to form the current local lines and platforms 5 and 6, and the local lines bridge was built.  I don't know whether the buildings currently on the northern side of the corner of Railway Pde and Burwood pre or post dated sextuplification.

I stress that all this is complete speculation (other than my first paragraph).  Anyone have the facts?

As did Croydon and Ashfield, I believe, and possibly Petersham (or was that just a pedestrian tunnel?.

Petersham station has a subway but no access to the platform. I've noticed that someone has tried to pull a boarded part off recently which appears to lead to the platform.

I suppose I'm asking why have the tunnel maintained, but the access removed?

At Burwood I remember as a young relief Booking Clerk in 1973 we used to carry a portable ticket rack to the eastern end of Burwood and sell tickets,

at Petersham at the same time, there were 2 booking offices, one on the top of the ramp. and one in the subway

At Burwood I remember as a young relief Booking Clerk in 1973 we used to carry a portable ticket rack to the eastern end of Burwood and sell tickets,

at Petersham at the same time, there were 2 booking offices, one on the top of the ramp. and one in the subway

The Subway booking office was also the Parcels office and the Coaching Clerks office.No trace of either the Subway or Bridge booking office left now.

...I'd be interested to know how Burwood was built and changed over the years.  I have my speculations, but it'd be nice to hear from someone who knows.

My speculation is that the original line ran roughly where the local lines are now, except at ground level.  On the down side of the Burwood Rd level crossing was the original station.  The old goods office is still there, and I've been told that this building was the original station, but I don't know if that's accurate.

I stress that all this is complete speculation (other than my first paragraph).  Anyone have the facts?

The original Burwood station is the building on the south side of the Burwood Rd underpasswhich is I think a dry cleaners now.  The old alignment went through the now car parking area to the west of this building.  Last time I looked there was an old goods yard crane still standing a couple of hundred yards to the west.  There was also an excellent single truck rail weighbridge with magnificent cast NSWGR scroll work on it - made at the Goulburn workshops but this disappeared in the early 2000s probably to the scrappers.

I remember climbing into the old western end subway booking office at Petersham when I was 16, found an old station masters hat.
Petersham was quite a place in the old days by the sounds of it, two booking offices, signal box with middle terminating road and the old station next to the up main.

I was at Petersham today and was looking at the concrete rectangle at the Strathfield end of the station. I assume that was where the stairs used to be. I also stood back and had a good look at the original station built 1885. They don't build them like that anymore.