Railpage

 

Kapooka Overbridge

About this thread
 
    •   Search thread   Image gallery
    1 of 2 2
      awsgc24 Minister for Railways

    Location: Sydney
    An advertisement in the Tele today calls for tenders to build a new overbridge on an improved alignment over the railway line at Kapooka, south of Wagga.

    The existing bridge is at right angles to the railway, and enforces a severe speed restriction on the Olympic Highway.

    The existing bridge, IIRC, has room for only one track, and hopefully the new one will allow for two tracks and thus the construction of a passing lane from Wagga.


    Kapooka used to have a WWII crossing loop, and army siding, which was abolished at the time of the installation of CTC, c1980.
    Posted: 17 Feb 2014 16:25

    Sponsored advertisement

      bevans Site Admin

    Location: Melbourne, Australia
    http://www.railpage.com.au/locations/367
    Posted: 17 Feb 2014 16:46
      awsgc24 Minister for Railways

    Location: Sydney
    http://www.railpage.com.au/locations/367
    bevans


    A photo of the overbridge itself showing the number of tracks would be nice.......
    Posted: 18 Feb 2014 21:58
      Rodo Chief Commissioner

    Location: Southern Riverina
    It is a brick arched overbridge with a single line in the cutting below. The siding was to the north of the bridge.
    Posted: 19 Feb 2014 16:46
      bevans Site Admin

    Location: Melbourne, Australia
    It is a brick arched overbridge with a single line in the cutting below. The siding was to the north of the bridge.
    Rodo


    From memory the bridge is quite narrow, single lane in either direction.
    Posted: 19 Feb 2014 16:50
      Fireman Dave Chief Commissioner

    Location: Shh, I'm hiding
    Correct. Regularly altered by road vehicles.
    Posted: 19 Feb 2014 19:03
      Michelle12 Moderator Photo Overlord

    Location: Melbourne
    Here is a shot of BM2 climbing up out of Wagga approaching the Olympic Highway bridge at Kapooka in Dec 2012
    Posted: 19 Feb 2014 19:17
      Roadmaster Locomotive Driver

    An advertisement in the Tele today calls for tenders to build a new overbridge on an improved alignment over the railway line at Kapooka, south of Wagga.

    The existing bridge is at right angles to the railway, and enforces a severe speed restriction on the Olympic Highway.

    The existing bridge, IIRC, has room for only one track, and hopefully the new one will allow for two tracks and thus the construction of a passing lane from Wagga.


    Kapooka used to have a WWII crossing loop, and army siding, which was abolished at the time of the installation of CTC, c1980.
    awsgc24


    Junee - Albury CTC was commissioned in March 1984.
    Posted: 19 Feb 2014 22:22
      awsgc24 Minister for Railways

    Location: Sydney
    Junee - Albury CTC was commissioned in March 1984.
    Roadmaster


    Should have said 1980s.
    Posted: 20 Feb 2014 20:17
      jcsaws63 Locomotive Driver

    Location: 200Mts from the 535k post
    Here you go.
    This was a pic I tookfrom 3642 back in 2013. This is the Wagga side of the bridge heading to Uranquinty. The good side! On the south side it wouldn't look as good as the B doubles have the odd miss queue and the bricks roll down toward the track. The other danger is it is a T intersection, but the traffic from Kapooka Army base and from Wagga must give way to the traffic from South ( Uranquinty ). So if you find yourself driving from the south, just be careful as the drivers don't always read the signs. Just last week I near traded a bit more than paint with a dumb A#$e in a landcruiser leaving the base with the wife’s Celica.


    Also it is south of the bridge were there was a loop was for the fuel depot. I think that was also a station/ platform for the army.


    http://www.flickr.com/photos/101263679@N05/9673650769/
    Posted: 20 Feb 2014 21:36
      duttonbay Minister for Railways

    Also it is south of the bridge were there was a loop was for the fuel depot. I think that was also a station/ platform for the army.
    "jcsaws63"

    I have no recollection of a platform, but given it is listed in the 1964 public timetable it's possible I passed it on my 1966 trip to NSW by train. In 1979 there was a crossing loop, here occupied by 4402 an on up goods refuged for the up Daylight 15Aug79
    [img]http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u23/duttonbay/Odd%20Photos/EP324402upgoodsrefugedatKapookafortheupDaylight15Aug79_zps05ef5319.jpg[/img]
    Posted: 20 Feb 2014 22:30

    Last edited by duttonbay on 20 Feb 2014 22:31; edited 1 time in total
      Campaspe Junior Train Controller

    Here's a bit more history on the Kapooka area that might be useful.

    The wartime crossing loop was opened on 4 March 1941 at 529.407 kms from Sydney. (The Olympic Highway bridge is located at 527.980 kms.).  A passenger platform was added in 1943, although I'm not sure what type of platform was provided (Was it a proper platform or one built of sleepers?).  It has been noted that it was provided for an adjoining RAAF camp, but I'm not sure if this is correct given the location of the army camp.
    In 1971, tenders closed to remove the passenger platform, even though the station was not officially closed to passenger traffic until 4 May 1975.
    The crosing loop was closed on 3 January 1982 and the loop lifted in 1982.

    A crossing loop had previously existed on this site between April 1927 and sometime in the early 1930's (1932?).

    The oil siding was located at 528.336 kms. and was opened on 21 October 1942 as a Commonwealth Government oil depot (Presumably to provide petroleum products to the RAAF and Army). It came under the control of the private oil companies after the war (AMPOL by the 1980's). It was closed on 7 September 1987 and the siding had been lifted by 1991, although I think the original oil unloading manifold is still in position (This would need to be confirmed).

    The oil depot was still being used in 1991, but was subsequently closed. The remains of the depot are still in place, and presumably it has not been removed on account of soil contamination (Although this is purely a guess).

    Could anyone provide any details as to what was said in the Kapooka bridge tender called last Monday (17 February 2014) as the Roads and Marine website does not appear to say anything about it.

    Thanks
    Posted: 21 Feb 2014 10:36
      Rodo Chief Commissioner

    Location: Southern Riverina
    My recollections must have become confused by the fact that the oil siding was north of the crossing loop not the bridge . I have a very vague (probably faulty) recollection of a reasonably long platform built on stilts near to the oil siding. This would make it a handy disembarkation point for the army base.

    All these memories confused by the fact that it all flashed by quickly from the train and was mainly observed as a sign that the train was approaching Wagga. I never stopped to observe it on a road trip, it was all just an ordinaryscene reminding me that I was about Kapooka. I recall being surprised how long that the oil siding remained in use.
    Posted: 21 Feb 2014 12:08

    Last edited by Rodo on 21 Feb 2014 20:29; edited 1 time in total
      bevans Site Admin

    Location: Melbourne, Australia
    Campaspe, I have added your excellent post to the Kapooka locations database.  http://www.railpage.com.au/locations/au/nsw/kapooka-railway-station  Hope you don't mind.  ANy changes required, please let us know.

    Regards
    Brian
    Posted: 21 Feb 2014 14:00
      cootanee Chief Commissioner

    Location: North of the border!
    Won't miss it as a MV driver. That is a dangerous piece of road for those not treating it with respect.
    Posted: 21 Feb 2014 14:25
      Campaspe Junior Train Controller

    No problems Brian.

    Regards

    Campaspe
    Posted: 21 Feb 2014 16:13
      wat700 Junior Train Controller

    Location: Richmond, NSW
    I would be surprised if the platform / siding ever served a RAAF Base.

    Certainly it would have served the nearby Army base at Kapooka.

    There was a RAAF Base a Uranquinty during WW2 as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) but given its location (to the SW of the town) it would have been best served by Uranquinty station.

    RAAF Wagga is on the Eastern side of Wagga Wagga (opposite to Kapooka) and was served by the Tumbarumba line (it actually ran through the base).

    Cheers,
    Posted: 21 Feb 2014 19:58
      jcsaws63 Locomotive Driver

    Location: 200Mts from the 535k post
    Google map.
    The bridge at the top right, fuel depot Mid bottom.


    http://www.flickr.com/photos/101263679@N05/12671954045/
    Posted: 21 Feb 2014 20:08
      Rodo Chief Commissioner

    Location: Southern Riverina
    Yes wat700, I had a bit of a brain fart there. All fixed now thanks to the edit button. The fuel decanting pipe can be observed on Google Earth  street view,as can a few other faint signs of the siding.
    Posted: 21 Feb 2014 20:35
      awsgc24 Minister for Railways

    Location: Sydney
    An advertisement in the Tele today calls for tenders to build a new overbridge on an improved alignment over the railway line at Kapooka, south of Wagga.
    awsgc24


    FYI, the advert from the RMS is titled "Realignment of Olympic Highway at Kapooka". DTele 12Feb, p33.

    It includes a new road over rail bridge. Will the old one be removed?

    The project is at the Environment Impact stage, checking for rare fauna and flora.

    South West Regional Office, on 131 782.

    Contact Wagga.Wagga.Regional.Office@rms.nsw.gov.au
    Posted: 21 Feb 2014 22:59
      awsgc24 Minister for Railways

    Location: Sydney

    Could anyone provide any details as to what was said in the Kapooka bridge tender called last Monday (17 February 2014) as the Roads and Marine website does not appear to say anything about it.
    Campaspe


    See previous post. Ad from SMH Wed 12 Feb 2014. p33. Got confused with shrunken Tabloid SMH and Tabloid DTele.
    Posted: 21 Feb 2014 23:05
      jcsaws63 Locomotive Driver

    Location: 200Mts from the 535k post
    The original idea for traffic was for the road to go straight ahead at the bridge on the eastern side of the rail line and onto Redhill rd in to Wagga. About 10 years ago. But because of a "rare possum" had a hollow in a tree near that proposed route, the road from redhill rd got extended under the rail line to the Olympic way near the Csiro site. They did also install some poles, Pvc pipe and launching pads for the possums to jump across the road. Like the ones on the hume highway near Tabletop.
    So the impact stage could take a while.

    here is a link to the RMS video of the project. It looks nice and flat, no sure how you get to the Army Base from the south. it show an access rd but when the Video come from the north to the base as you pass the old bridge it looks cut off.

    http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/roadprojects/projects/south_western_region/olympic_hway_kapooka/project_videos.html
    Posted: 22 Feb 2014 09:03
      jcsaws63 Locomotive Driver

    Location: 200Mts from the 535k post
    Well we now have a work site office, lots of safety tape, so things look like there starting
    Posted: 11 Jun 2014 22:24

    Last edited by jcsaws63 on 11 Jun 2014 22:27; edited 1 time in total
      Westby3026 Locomotive Driver

    Well we now have a work site office, lots of safety tape, so things look like there starting
    jcsaws63

    yes it appears the whole road corridor alignment is marked out now, you mustn't live too far away from me mate!
    Posted: 14 Jun 2014 12:45
      jcsaws63 Locomotive Driver

    Location: 200Mts from the 535k post
    yes it appears the whole road corridor alignment is marked out now, you mustn't live too far away from me mate!
    Westby3026

    about 7km
    Pass it everday
    Posted: 15 Jun 2014 18:01

    Sponsored advertisement

    •   Search thread   Image gallery
    1 of 2 2

    Subscribers: Nightfire, Raichase, steamfreak, wurx

    Display from:   

    Quick Reply

    We've disabled Quick Reply for this thread as it was last updated more than six months ago.

      Reply