NSW HRSI NEWSLETTER Issue 5 HRSI NSW HRSI NEWS October 2015 1972 view of Muswellbrook locomotive depot ( Peter Sweetten collection) NSW HERITAGE RAILWAY STATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS ISSUE N.5 WELCOME to the fifth newsletter scene and local communities. More Newsletter index of NSWHRSI. The objective of this on the projects can be seen in the newsletter is to inform, educate and state news. Other news is that NSW WELCOME / MAIN NEWS 1 provide insights about the latest Govt is moving ahead with overhaul CULCAIRN TO HOLBROOK BRANCH updates, plans and heritage news of rail station signage across NSW. LINE REVIEW 2 relating to Heritage Railway Railway museums are hopefully to Stations and Infrastructure (HRSI) get first choice on the old signage. COMMUNITY REUSE OF ABANDONED across NSW. The news in this letter RAILWAY STATIONS – PART 1 - Phil Buckley, NSW HRSI Editor is separated into 4 core NSW NORTHERN / NORTH WST NSW 14 regions – Northern, Western and Copyright © 2014 - 2015 NSWHRSI . Southern NSW and Sydney All photos and information remains JUNEE SIGNAL BOX – A REVIEW WITH property of HRSI / Phil Buckley unless BART BETKOWSKI 17 MAIN NEWS stated to our various contributors / original photographers or donors. BLUE MOUNTAIN STATIONS IN SNOW – Mid 2015 has seen some good news WINTER 2015 18 with an increase in some heritage Credits/Contributors this issue – Bob railway stations / yards / buildings Scrymgeour – “The Culcairn to NORTHERN NSW 21 moving forward being either reused Holbrook Railway book (1985), Mark or in the process of becoming Zanker, Peter Sweetten, Chris Stratton, WESTERN NSW 23 reused. Key projects to note Robyn Ridge, Steve Bucton, Adrian Compton, Bart Betkowski, Andrew moving ahead include Nimmitabel, SOUTHERN NSW 27 Woodstock and Wauchope. Some Lawson, Gordon Ross, Lindsay Richmond, Brett Leslie, Sam Kenyon, projects are just starting up while SYDNEY REGION 31 Tim Vincent, Ross Jackson, Greg others are moving forward in their Finster, Robert Paterson, Cameron YOUR SAY - HERITAGE PHOTOS 34 lease discussions with agencies and Johnson, Peter Enlund, Jim Lippitts and councils etc. Hopefully once all Douglas Moyle. established these projects will bring OTHER NEWS, NEXT ISSUE AND LINKS some joy to the railway heritage 39 Page | 1 NSW HRSI NEWSLETTER Issue 5 _____________________________________________________________ CULCAIRN TO HOLBROOK RAILWAY BRANCH LINE REVIEW – SOUTHERN NSW Information and photos by Phil Buckley and Greg Finster HISTORY The plans for a short rural branch line of 26km in length to Holbrook began like others in country NSW with many surveys, public meetings and long drawn out government approvals. It took nearly 18years from planning to reach the opening of the railway line. Starting in 1883 with a preliminary route survey, some critics thought it would not be a worthwhile idea as the return on costs of such a short line would never be achieved. The main push which considerably helped the line to finally be built, was the growing of large scale wheat crops in the late 1890s in the Holbrook region. This agricultural commodity along with further assessments convinced government railway officials that the line could just be viable. It was determined that the lines construction costs and yearly operating expenses would just be covered by the goods and passenger carried. A report was collated and signed off in September 1900 approving the building of the line. The bill for the railway line passed both Houses of Parliament in early 1901. CONSTRUCTION STARTED The branch line construction started in July 1901 heading in an easterly direction from Culcairn to Holbrook and this enabled 3 branch stations Morven, Fellow Hills, Ralvona and a terminus station to be built at Holbrook. This diagram / map to the left is a post construction map used by the NSWGR for the branch line at Culcairn to Holbrook. The Holbrook line can be seen on the bottom snaking off to the right. It was approved by Engineer in Chief Henry Deane in 1901. (Credit- Map supplied by Ross Jackson) Page | 2 HRSI NSW | Issue 5 3 The line was a very easy grade of 1 in 132 and rose only 145ft along its length and was built by local labour expanding from Culcairn. Only Holbrook station yard had signals installed and these were not normally lit unless required. The other stations had no signals installed. The line was unfenced and thus drivers would need to be alert for livestock. The line opened for services on 5 September but was officially opened by the State Governor on 18 September 1902. Once opened in 1902, the short branch line saw an initially fairly busy schedule - despite speeds of only 20mph. Speeds later reached 30mph - which was quite common for those early 1900s era branch lines. With such a short line the services were operating both ways on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday and these trips would take on average around 40mins each way. They were of a mixed service type, which meant a goods train had a carriage for passengers attached at the end of goods wagons. These mixed trains connected at Culcairn with the Mail trains heading between Albury and Sydney. Critics predicted in the late 1800s that the line was built, that it would never be profitable due to limited local goods and passenger loadings. This lack of money was proven within a few years of opening with expenses outweighing income. By 1907 the costs were being met finally with some further years seeing quite a good profit margin generated. A NAME CHANGE The terminus station was originally called “Germantown”. The inappropriate name was changed very quickly in September 1915 following the outbreak of WW1 combined with strong anti-German feelings in the local community. The town’s new name – Holbrook - commemorates the successes of WW1 era Lieutenant- Commander Norman Holbrook who was a Royal Australian Navy submarine commander. SERVICE CHANGES By 1923 services to Holbrook were forever changed with the introduction of the new CPH petrol/diesel railmotors into service in southern NSW. The CPH services operated to a different schedule on a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday both ways. Meanwhile the goods train only operated once a week on a Monday. Due to lack of patronage in using the CPH, this was dropped by 1924 and a mixed goods/passengers service was reintroduced which was more economical for the railways to provide. Over the next 6 years patronage decreased further and this saw the reduction in 1929 of mixed services to only 2 days a week. 17years later in 1946 this mixed service dropped to one service a week only on a Monday. By 1940s the train trips each way were taking about 1hour instead of 40mins. By the late 1950s, the steam era in NSW was beginning to give way to new motive power – diesel locomotives and by 1962 the Riverina and southern NSW were seeing the steam locomotives replaced by 48 class branch line diesel locomotives. CLOSURE With declining traffic and line maintenance costs increasing, the branch line saw all forms of mixed passenger services to Holbrook ceased in October 1970. This decline in passenger services was due to every increasing reliance on use of motor cars and buses removing the passengers from many of the NSW country branch lines. Regular goods services ceased in 1974. A few years later with lack of use and less maintenance, speeds restrictions on the line were in some places 10kph. The last official goods service finished in March 1978 with trucks replacing it soon after. By October 1978 temporary fences had appeared on the line indicating it was closed. The entire Culcairn to Holbrook line was booked out of use and closed officially in February 1987. In 2015 the Goods shed is used by a local Mens’ Shed organisation. HRSI NSW | Issue 5 4 CULCAIRN - 596.820km, opened 1 .9.1880. Main south / branch line junction station. 2015 views – Phil Buckley Left - The Holbrook line breaks away from the main south line just south of the old former footbridge at Culcairn as seen below. Where the 2 tracks merge, the area on left where grass is growing was the area where the Culcairn/Holbrook line junction was. The line on the right hand side is the former Corowa branch line remains. (Photo: Greg Finster) HRSI NSW | Issue 5 5 Once the Holbrook line leaves the main South it skirts the edge of Culcairn and heads towards a small timber bridge at Willow Bend Creek. It also passes through culverts and level road crossings. Looking towards Culcairn from Gamble street level crossing. Hume Highway cuts the railway line – and other view as the line crosses a field in 2015. Left - Looking towards Holbrook the photos show the rail type changing from lighter rail to height weight rail. Right is the site of the Culcairn / Holbrook Road level crossing looking towards Holbrook. HRSI NSW | Issue 5 6 Looking towards Holbrook from near Willow Bend Creek and the remains of the bridge structure. HRSI NSW | Issue 5 7 At the 602 km marker is this small culvert. HRSI NSW | Issue 5 8 MOVERN - 604.060km, opened 18.9.1902. Closed 4.5.1975. A simple layout with a 100ft long platform on the down side of the line, loading bank opposite. Left Morven station mounds remains and 604 km post and right, Down end points looking towards Holbrook Left, Looking towards Holbrook, the down end points and right, Coach Road level crossing. Looking towards Holbrook at the Coach Road level crossing. Remains of the Goods Platform looking towards Culcairn. HRSI NSW | Issue 5 9 Left, Morven station platform and goods shed mounds, Right, Up end point lever and annett key. Photo left - – Looking towards Culcairn with platform on right and goods sheds on left, Photo right - taken near the up end points.