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KRviator
Moderator
Joined: Apr 23, 2005
Last Visited: Dec 2, 2008
Location: Cab of a 90 Class
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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 3:15 pm
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G'day dasher. I had to go to Rolfe's site to look up most of those locations. From memory, there is nothing left at any of them, though. Rowena, on the Merrywinebone branch has a little, as does Bugilbone on the Walgett branch. There might be a few dogspikes or sleepers lying around the locations, but I don't recall seeing anything on my trips through there.
Trainee Driver, Pacific National
Comments made are strictly the opinion of the author and do not reflect the opinions of the ADF, Pacific National, Freight Australia or the Boy Scouts of Antartica.
My fotopic gallery: http://KRviator.fotopic.net |
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Comeng
Train Controller
Joined: Oct 25, 2004
Last Visited: Dec 1, 2008
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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 3:16 pm
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Krviator,
Thank You very much for sharing your photos with me - they are excellent photos - I am starting to look forward to doing this planned trip even more !!!!
What is the average speed limit for trains on these branch lines?
Thanks again for sharing oyu photos with me mate:)
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KRviator
Moderator
Joined: Apr 23, 2005
Last Visited: Dec 2, 2008
Location: Cab of a 90 Class
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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 3:22 pm
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| Comeng wrote: | | What is the average speed limit for trains on these branch lines? |
Speeds for 48 Class hauled trains...
Narrabri West-Wee Waa, 80kph
Wee Waa-Burren Junction, 50kph
Burren Junction-Walgett, 30kph (Some 10kph TSR's)
Burren Junction-Merrywinebone, 20kph (Some 10kph TSR's)
Narrabri Station-Moree, 100kph
Moree-Camurra, 80kph ??
Camurra-Weemalah, 30kph
Camurra-North Star, 80kph ??
Bear in mind they may have changed a little since I was last there, over a year ago. They might have restored the line to MErrywinebone a little, but they're a good guide...
Trainee Driver, Pacific National
Comments made are strictly the opinion of the author and do not reflect the opinions of the ADF, Pacific National, Freight Australia or the Boy Scouts of Antartica.
My fotopic gallery: http://KRviator.fotopic.net |
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dasher
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Dec 22, 2005
Last Visited: Dec 1, 2008
Location: Within the NSWGR
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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 3:57 pm
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Thanks for getting back to me KRviator. I have followed the Waglett and Pokataroo branches a couple of times over the years looking for RA. But I was not able to get to the locations I mentioned above to have a look as they all seem to be on private property.
I was impressed that the loading bank at Bugilbone was still there. I was even more impressed that the old passenger platform at Merah North was still there!
I didn't come here looking for trouble, I just came to do the RP shuffle... break it down...
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flying_donkey
Deputy Commissioner
Joined: Apr 18, 2004
Last Visited: Dec 1, 2008
Location: Well, at the moment, right here!
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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 5:27 pm
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| KRviator wrote: | Speeds for 48 Class hauled trains...
Narrabri West-Wee Waa, 80kph
Wee Waa-Burren Junction, 50kph
Burren Junction-Walgett, 30kph (Some 10kph TSR's) |
Apparently with all the work that's been done on the Walgett line, trains will be able to do 50kph past Burren (empty and loaded), and once the timber bridges are replaced at Wee Waa, PN and Graincorp are still pushing to take 81's to Burren Jct.
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Inspector
Chief Train Controller
Joined: Feb 05, 2006
Last Visited: Nov 26, 2008
Location: Just across the way from signal 43.9, Woy Woy.
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Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 11:44 pm
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| KRviator wrote: |
EDIT
Okay, I got around to uploading some photos from up north. Click here. Hope they're of some use...
Photo's 1-5 are Coonabarabran yard. What's left of it, anyway.
Photo 6, Burren Junction from the staff hut, looking in the Down direction.
Photo's 7-9 Cryon, from the load point & L/X
Photo's 10/11 from the Walgett load point, looking up & down.
Photo's 13-15 from The Bone's Greentrees load point, looking in the up, and the LX...
Photo 16-18 are the track layouts for Cryon, The Bone & Walgett. I'll upload more later when I look to see if I can parse individual pages form a PDF file to a Jpeg... |
Excellent shots, KRViator. Just to change the subject a bit, how long has Coonabarabran (and, for that matter, the rest of the Gwabegar branch) been out of use? I last travelled the branch on an ARHS (or was it RTM?) tour in the mid-80s. 
Special delivery - a berm........a BERM??!!!?
OLE (Order of Lithgovian Empire), Lithgovian New Years' Honours, 2008.
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KRviator
Moderator
Joined: Apr 23, 2005
Last Visited: Dec 2, 2008
Location: Cab of a 90 Class
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Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 4:52 pm
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| Inspector wrote: | | Excellent shots, KRViator. Just to change the subject a bit, how long has Coonabarabran (and, for that matter, the rest of the Gwabegar branch) been out of use? |
I think f_d is best placed to answer that, as IIRC, he worked the last train in from Baradine... I "think" it was around mid-2005, but I am by no means certain...
Trainee Driver, Pacific National
Comments made are strictly the opinion of the author and do not reflect the opinions of the ADF, Pacific National, Freight Australia or the Boy Scouts of Antartica.
My fotopic gallery: http://KRviator.fotopic.net |
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nosecone
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Aug 08, 2004
Last Visited: Dec 2, 2008
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Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 5:00 pm
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| KRviator wrote: | | I "think" it was around mid-2005, but I am by no means certain... |
In late August 2005 or shortly thereafter.
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a6et
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Aug 13, 2006
Last Visited: Dec 2, 2008
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Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 7:19 pm
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In the days of WB testing, I travelled the line from Nbri to Walget station as we checked the facilities with the SRA & different union reps to determine the aspects & needs for the implementation.
Unfortunatley my notes on all of the areas are now long gone but I can remember some aspects of the trip & observations.
At that time once past Wee Waa & especially Burren Jct we followed not just the railway by main roads but also along several (many dirt access roads) to allow for the survelance of as much of the line as possible.
There was even then very little infrastructure with the exception of Burren Jct & Cryon. I was amazed at what I saw & later found out from some of the old Nbri crews when seeing the remains of many long sidings on the down side of the line in several locations.
These were the remains of old farm stations that had private stock loading facilities with run round facilities that loaded sheep & cattle in different locations, some of these sidings were shared by several homesteads, & often used to carry full trains out of them.
Seeing such places like Wee Waa, B Jct with the yard spacings, & both still having steam watering facilities in place was a pleasant surprise, the same as at Walgett.
I am most dissapointed that I never took photos on that line as with some of the others, especially with what took place afterwards.
So sadly not much help but does bring some memories back.
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dasher
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Dec 22, 2005
Last Visited: Dec 1, 2008
Location: Within the NSWGR
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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 8:33 am
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| a6et wrote: | | At that time once past Wee Waa & especially Burren Jct we followed not just the railway by main roads but also along several (many dirt access roads) to allow for the survelance of as much of the line as possible. |
Is it too much to hope for that these dirt roads were public access?
I didn't come here looking for trouble, I just came to do the RP shuffle... break it down...
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a6et
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Aug 13, 2006
Last Visited: Dec 2, 2008
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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 9:04 am
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| dasher wrote: | | a6et wrote: | | At that time once past Wee Waa & especially Burren Jct we followed not just the railway by main roads but also along several (many dirt access roads) to allow for the survelance of as much of the line as possible. |
Is it too much to hope for that these dirt roads were public access? |
The roads we used were some that were quite well used, & only ones that we were given information on that would not end up in dead ends, or taking us into areas way out of our way..
In most areas of the state there are a lot of public access roads that are & were not shown on maps. Like many photographers back in the 60's, I can vouch for many of them. What I founf was that in those days, when all of the Petrol companies issued road maps, many were very different & showed roads that were different to others. The best was a booklet type that BP issued that was indespensible in the way it showed a huge amount of roads that intersperced & connected across & along railway lines.
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KRviator
Moderator
Joined: Apr 23, 2005
Last Visited: Dec 2, 2008
Location: Cab of a 90 Class
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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 9:25 am
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As a6et said, there are a great deal of dirt tracks that aren't on the normal maps, unless you get the Army 1:25K topo maps that will have them. But then you're looking at a shyteload of maps for the area...
I've got the 1:250K Auslig maps on CD and have copied the relevant sections to fotopic, for anyone who want's them...Of course, if you use OziExplorer you can import the Jpeg file and a set of co-ordinates into that and geo-reference your maps so your GPS will show where you are on these specific maps... Depending how keen you are...
Narrabri West to Wee Waa ]*.PDF Normal Link
Wee Waa to Merah North *.PDF Normal Link
Merah North to Burren *.PDF Normal Link
Burren to Cryon *.PDFF Normal Link and Burren to Merrywinebone *.PDF Normal Link
Cryon to Beanbri *.PDF Normal Link
Beanbri to Walgett *.PDF Normal Link
Merrywinebone to Pokataroo *.PDF Normal Link
Trainee Driver, Pacific National
Comments made are strictly the opinion of the author and do not reflect the opinions of the ADF, Pacific National, Freight Australia or the Boy Scouts of Antartica.
My fotopic gallery: http://KRviator.fotopic.net |
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flying_donkey
Deputy Commissioner
Joined: Apr 18, 2004
Last Visited: Dec 1, 2008
Location: Well, at the moment, right here!
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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 4:42 pm
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| KRviator wrote: | | Inspector wrote: | | Excellent shots, KRViator. Just to change the subject a bit, how long has Coonabarabran (and, for that matter, the rest of the Gwabegar branch) been out of use? |
I think f_d is best placed to answer that, as IIRC, he worked the last train in from Baradine... I "think" it was around mid-2005, but I am by no means certain... |
The one I worked to/from Coonabarabran was on the 12/13-9-2005. It was supposed to be the last train out there, but from memory they ran two more after ours a few weeks later.
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21C123
Chief Train Controller
Joined: Sep 15, 2005
Last Visited: Sep 6, 2008
Location: In the inspection pit checking the "bicycle chains"
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21C123
Chief Train Controller
Joined: Sep 15, 2005
Last Visited: Sep 6, 2008
Location: In the inspection pit checking the "bicycle chains"
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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 12:11 am
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| a6et wrote: | There was even then very little infrastructure with the exception of Burren Jct & Cryon. I was amazed at what I saw & later found out from some of the old Nbri crews when seeing the remains of many long sidings on the down side of the line in several locations.
These were the remains of old farm stations that had private stock loading facilities with run round facilities that loaded sheep & cattle in different locations, some of these sidings were shared by several homesteads, & often used to carry full trains out of them.
Seeing such places like Wee Waa, B Jct with the yard spacings, & both still having steam watering facilities in place was a pleasant surprise, the same as at Walgett. |
Interesting comments as always a6et!
I was fortunate enough to take a trip out to Walgett and back by rail in late August 1983. We left Narrabri with railmotor HPC401 plus trailer HCT508 and a total of 17 passengers. The following stand out from my notes of the trip (and I hope will be of some interest):
Narrabri: 2 "American" suburban cars still at the station from earlier "flood relief" duties (LFA474, LFA465), also railmotor trailer HCT504.
Narrabri West: (exchange single line staff), some RU four wheel wheat wagons still present (inc. 25260, 25248 - all the rest had moved to Temora the previous season as detailed in Bruce Mead's account in Digest).
Kiandoo: not noted.
Culgoora: grain silos, station nameboard fixed on the ground.
Wee Waa: 5 passengers alighted, exchange single line staff, station intact with platform, buildings, sidings for grain, cotton etc.
Merah North: exchange single line staff, platform still intact, nameboard on platform, wheat (and cotton?) sidings.
Carbeen: not noted.
Cubbaroo: watering facilities, siding mostly lifted.
Burren: 2 passengers alighted, exchange single line staff (3 staff boxes in signal box), station and platform still intact, very tall chimneys attached to station buildings (RRR refreshments no longer available(!)), locomotive turning triangle, various sidings, junction for Rowena/Merrywinebone (formerly to Pokataroo). Merrywinebone line very overgrown (no trains since clearing the previous wheat harvest at least 6 months earlier, which had been a small one if I recall) - the weeds were at least 5 feet high on the branch!
Bugilbone: long goods loading bank still intact, livestock loading races intact, but everything very overgrown.
Cryon: exchange single line staff, station nameboard on a short platform, loop and loading bank in place, locomotive turning triangle.
Inverness: remains of watering facilities.
Koothney: not noted.
Beanbri: siding completely overgrown.
Kiel Kiel, Waminda, Eurie Eurie: not noted.
Walgett Grain Sidings: short of bridge and approx 4km from terminus.
Walgett: station still manned, vegetable gardens and small piggery at SM's house near station(!). Saw my first ever "Phillips Acremaster" tractor in Walgett - a big and impressive Australian-built machine!
On the return journey, we had 15 passengers ex-Walgett. 3 more embarked at Burren, while 10 embarked and 4 alighted at Wee Waa.
I did manage a number of photographs. As with all my others, one day I will get them copied into an electronic format(!!!). Apologies if the note taking was a little limited, but I was enjoying the scenery (very flat!) and spent a lot of the time discussing "matters of state" with the driver...
It was a good time to travel the line as most of the "traditional railway" was still there to be seen, even although much of it had fallen into disuse. I hope this will be of some interest as a comparison with what is left today. It is good to know the grain is still moving on this line and that, all being well, there is an excellent grain season (at good prices for the growers, too!!) to look forward to.
This trip was followed the next day with a journey by wheat train to Boggabilla and back - great days!
TimP
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Sad to think of the fate that carrriage and some of its occupants met on Cowan Bank several years later...