Bredbo Bridge

Been a while since the last posting (been on holidays)..........

The line from Queanbeyan to Bombala still has a wealth of infrastructure that has not been removed by the razor gangs even though the line closed 25 years ago. The bonus is that the Cooma station and yard has everything that was there in 1965 (although the water tank is a ring-in relocated from Yannergee).
Among the items on the line are the three large timber trestles over Ingelara Creek, Bredbo River and Numerella River. All three are readily accessable if you are prepared to do a bit of walking (although check with the land owner first).
This post (there will be other posts on the infrastructure of this line) will concentrate on the 1889 built Bredbo River Bridge located at 412.616km, just under two kilometres south of Bredbo station. The bridge has ten 40 foot timber ballast topped Howe truss spans with brick abutments. Unique is the 30 degree skew of the timber piers, skewed to the flow of the river.
I have all the timber and bolts required to build an HO scale model of this bridge - stay tuned. 

The bridge viewed from the down side looking in the down direction.

Along the bridge from the up end in the down direction.

Looking in the up direction - note the scouring of the
ballast due to the failure of the timber decking in
recent years.

A view looking down showing the only
major items of steel in the whole structure.

A view of two of the spans

Detail view of the span.

A view of the abutment from underneath - note the red lead
paint on the timbers - virtually everything the NSWGR did
in timber was painted with the red lead to protect it.

A side on detail view of one of the spans.

A view of one of the timber piers - they are much wider than
normal piers due to the skew - of interest is that the piers on 
the original plan are brick (similar to the brick sections of the 
piers of the Ingelara Creek bridge to the north).

A view from the downstream (or up side) of the bridge looking
in the down direction - the skewed piers can clearly be seen

A view showing the upper section of one of the spans.

The brick abutment.

A view underneath of the abutment.

The American or Lifting Jib

During the construction of the Batlow line in 1922-23 (it was opened on 17 December 1923) a new type of jib was used on the tank at Batlow. This lifting jib was similar to the type widely used in the United States for many years (hence their name). While the origin of its use in New South Wales is not known, it is suggested that it may be as a result of a visit by senior railway staff to the Americas and Europe in the early 1920’s or possibly a result of seeing its use in Europe during the First World War – a large number of water columns in Europe were of this type.

Whereas previous jib designs swung out from the tank the lifting jib simply lifted clear of the loading gauge with the train passing under it. The jib was made from No. 6 SWG Galvanised Iron and was thus significantly lighter than the swinging type. The support and lifting mechanism of the jib being more complicated though.

Two more lifting jibs were built in 1924 on the Dorrigo line but it was four years before the next example was constructed. There being no reason for this gap other than very few tanks were constructed in this period. Five more examples were subsequently constructed from late 1928 through to 1932, all of them in country New South Wales.

Lifting jibs were provided on the following tanks – the approximate construction date is also listed:

• Batlow (12.1923)
• Megan (11.1924)
• Dorrigo (11.1924)
• Bullenbung Creek (10.1928)
• Naradhan (1.1929)
• Casino (6.1930)
• Crooble (6.1932)
• Boggabilla (6.1932)
• Taralga (moved from Dubbo)

There were two tanks constructed during this period where the type of jib (swinging or lifting) has not been able to be established. They are at Westby (constructed in 1925) and Ballina (constructed in 1930). Any information on these would be appreciated.

Todaythe tanks at Bullenbung Creek, Naradhan, Casino and Crooble survive although only Casino and Naradhan still have the lifting jib in place. The tank at Boggabilla was removed in the 1990s.

The 20,000 gallon tank at Naradhan showing the lifting jib.
By the time of this photo, 1998, the end of the jib had
fallen off and was lying on the ground.

A view of the jib from the top of the tank.
You can see the end of the jib lying on the
ground at the bottom of the picture.

The end of the jib of the ground.

Detail showing how the jib was attached to the tank.

More detail on the jib attachment showing one of the panels with
'builders plate' on it.

The jib attachments from the rear.

The 20,000 gallon tank at Crooble.

Detail of the Crooble tank.
Note the similarity to Naradhan.

The 40,000 gallon tank in the loco depot at Casino in 1996.

A side on view showng the jib lifted clear.
Note the sand bin in the background

What's on the Inside (of those water tanks) Part 2

Some more water tank interior shots.

Double tier tank at Binalong

Double tier tank at Binalong

Binnaway Loco - note identical bracing to that at Binalong

The roof at Canowindra - why the roof? Well no definitive reason
but dust or birds could be the reason.

Under the roof at Canowindra -
Note the flat bar bracing

Under the roof at Canowindra

On the roof at Canowindra

Crooble - note the angle used for the bracing - a much
later style - this tank was constructed in 1931

Something different - the ground level tank at Darnick  - these
were used as emergency tanks and to supply the village.

The Main North K Sets

Taken some time ago on 17 March 2003, two car K Set, K3
arrives at Morrisset after its all stations run from Newcastle.

 

On mornings when I bounce!!!! out of bed and manage to get the 6:23am train from Thornleigh I sometimes see a northbound two car K set canter through Thornleigh at 06:15. This led me to an investigation of the 2 car K sets on the Main North and how they operate resulting in the diagram below. The technical name of this is the flip-flop.

My initial thought was that the train I was seeing was a set returning north after servicing at Maintrain or Flemo - how wrong could I be.

It is actually a service that comes down (Up) from Gosford at 03:45 in the morning and then forms a service from Central to Newcastle that stops at all stations from Berowra onwards and takes six minutes short of three hours for the trip.

I established that in total there are four sets and they stable at either Gosford or Hornsby overnight. Each set visits the Hornsby Maintenance Centre every two to three days depending on which roster it is on.

An interesting part of the rostering of these sets is the Wednesday and Friday’s only empty runs from Newcastle to Morisset and return to Newcastle. Apparently these are to keep Newcastle drivers qualified on the K sets. Most of the Newcastle drivers run the Endeavours to Maitland and beyond and with only a few rosters available for the shuttles to Morisset they can go quite some time without a drive of the K sets – the down and back empty run is used to avoid the drivers running out their qualification.

Another interesting part of the roster is that most of the Morisset trains have to run in to the Up Refuge at Morisset to clear the Up Main for a following interurban - they spend 5 minutes in the refuge and come back to the Up platform before departing for the trip back to Newcastle.

A third point is that the movement from the Up Main to the Up Refuge and the Up Main to the Down Main (when the train departs back to Newcastle) are signalled by lower quadrant shunt signals - the only location left in NSW where this occurs many times a day.

The Northern K Set Flip-Flop

What’s on the inside (of those water tanks)

Many moons ago (1993 to be precise) I was exploring the Stockinbingal to Parkes line and came across the station at Milvale. Now, by the time I arrived there was not much left as the station had closed as a crossing loop on 30 Sept 1986 and all of the station buildings had been demolished. There was though the water tank and in the scrub was the remains of the lever frame. The discovery of the water tank has led me on a journey that has continued to this day – the history of the watering facilities of the railways of New South Wales.

Now on first impressions the water tanks are a box-shaped structure and a stand (in the case of Milvale made of steel), but the tanks are just one part of the watering infrastructure – there being pump houses, excavated tanks, conditioning plants, storage tanks and water columns.

The journey started with the photographing of the many (there are 83) surviving tanks and it was not until I climbed up the wheat silo at Milvale and took a photo (below) that the insides of these tanks opened a whole new area of research.

Now in regards to climbing these ladders – it’s dangerous and you are usually in the middle of no where – so if you fall off – you are stuffed. In my mis-spent youth I have climbed some of these tanks when I have been by myself – I don’t recommend this. In fact it is more than likely illegal anyway.

The tank at Milvale taken from the top of the wheat silo
showing a long distance view of the interior

There is a plethora of bracing on the insides of these tanks, the style depending on when the tank was constructed – as with everything the NSWR built, the later it was built, the more simpler the design and construction materials.

Milvale

The tank at Milvale was constructed with the line and opened for use in August 1916 – with no watering facilities at Stockinbingal every train stopped for water. The 40,000 gallon tank is the standard design for the time and one of three 40,000 gallon tanks on the line - the other two being at Quandialla and Wirrinya – Quandialla is virtually identical to Milvale. The tank was fitted with a 8 inch swinging jib and it also supplied a 9 inch water column located between the main and the loop at the down end of the platform.

An interior view of the tank at Milvale looking towards the track.
Note the outlet valve for the swinging jib and the different style
of bracing (from the base to the walls) for the upper and lower tiers
of panels and the additional three layers of bracing in the corners.

Another wider shot of the interior of the tank at Milvale looking towards Stockinbingal.

Binalong

There are two tanks at Binalong and I will concentrate on the tank on the top of the cutting. This tank is somewhat unusual in that it is a single tier 40,000 gallon tank. The bracing of this tank is identical to that of the first tier at Milvale and research has found this to be the standard design used for a long period. 

An overview of the tank at Binalong

 

Detail of the bracing of the tank at Binalong

Bullenbung Creek

Bullenbung Creek, the only watering facility on the Kywong Line, is an earlier style tank that was relocated from another location when the line opened in 1928 – while the tank is a single tier 20,000 gallon type, the panels of the tank and the bracing are of an older style. This was also one of the few tanks provided with an American type lifting jib (more of them in a other blog entry in the future).

The interior of the tank at Bullenbung Creek showing the earlier style bracing

Another more detailed shot of Bullenbung Creek Tank

Yannergee 

Yannergee is located approximately halfway between Werris Creek and Binnaway and was one of two locations on the line to have watering facilities – the other being Caroona although it was removed in 1941. As a result of it being the only facility on the line since then all trains stopped to take water at Yannergee. The tank was initially a 20,000 gallon tank but it’s capacity was doubled in March 1941 – it is possible that some of the required parts came from Caroona. When the capacity was increased the bracing of the first tier was renewed in the current style. The overall bracing of this tank is the one of the final variants of bracing used in NSW.

An overall view of the interior of the tank at Yannergee.
Note that the only bracing of the top tier is across the corners.

A more detailed view of the bracing at Yannergee.
Note the the bracing is made of angle whereas earlier
examples (Binalong and Milvale) above are of a flat bar type.

 Some more examples will follow in due course.

 

The 'as required' Cowra Mail

A week or so ago a ‘Friday Afternoon Pictures’ from Bob Wilson had a picture of the Cowra Mail taken on 28 January 1967. He asked if anyone had further information as to the working of it and this prompted a short period of research detailed below – The picture from the email is also below.

The photo consist of the ‘Cowra Mail’ photos looks like MLV, MCE, MCE, and probably the ACS, ACS and then an EHO on the rear (The photo is a bit small to double confirm the last two pass cars but they are more than likely to be the two ACS cars.)

I don’t have a 1967 timetable to hand but I do have a 1960 and a 1968 reprinted in 1971.

The November 1960 timetable has No. 61 (titled as the Relief Mail) running to Cowra only on days when required. It departed Sydney at 21:56. In the order of Western Line overnight Mails it was fourth in the list – the order being:

•         45 Coonamble Mail (MWF),
•          59 Through Mail (Tu, Th)
•          49 Forbes Mail (Mon Excepted)
•          61 Relief Mail to Cowra (as required)
•          63 Mudgee Mail (M-F)
•          59a Relief Mail to Dubbo (as required)
•          49a Relief Mail to Parkes (as required)
•          63a Relief Mail to Mudgee (as required)

The Cowra Line cars normally travelled to Blayney on No. 49 Forbes Mail and 12 minutes were allowed at Blayney for No. 49 to detach the cars.

When it ran No. 61’s timings were Lithgow (00:56), Bathurst (02:38-02:48), Blayney (04:13-04:20) and Cowra (06:20).

I have a May 1968 consist list which is reasonably close to the time of the photo.

There are no details as to the consist of the occasional ‘Relief Mail’ to Cowra presumably it ran on the really busy Friday evenings and the cars were whatever they could scrounge. The normal arrangements were:

Mondays – an EHO was attached from Sydney to No. 59 Mail to Dubbo (third car in the consist and shunted out of the train at Blayney. (The first and second cars (both MLV’s) went to Orange and Parkes. Presumably the EHO was attached to the mixed as the van.

On Tues to Fri and Sunday the cars were attached to No. 49 Forbes Mail.

Tues, Wed and Thurs had a through passenger car – an ACS (for Grenfell) and an MHO van that was detached at Blayney and attached to the Mixed.

Fridays had an MHO and two ACS cars attached ex-Sydney and detached at Blayney for the Mixed

The cars were all about the train through the week – On Monday the EHO on No. 59 ex-Sydney was third car from the front. On Tuesday and Thursday’s the MHO and ACS were two and three from the front. On Wednesday’s the ACS and MHO were  two and three from the front while on Friday’s the ACS, ACS, MHO were the last three cars on the train (6,7 and 8^th car on the train

By 1971 the ‘Cowra Mail’ had disappeared from the table and there was only a mixed train that connected with the mail at Blayney. On Tuesday’s it was No. 278 and connected with No. 59 Mail and departed Blayney at 04:10 arriving Cowra at 06:23. The train continued on to Grenfell at 07:30 arriving at the terminus at 10:54. It crossed No. 132 (a goods that travelled from Harden to Blayney) at Cowra.

On every other day (yes it had a seven day a week service) it connected with No. 49 Mail at Blayney and departed there as No. 29 at 04:40, arriving at Cowra at 06:56, crossing No. 86a (Diesel Multiple Unit Pass 06:10 ex Cowra which attached to DMU from Orange at Blayney) at Woodstock and No. 132 at Cowra, It departed Cowra at 07:30 arriving at Grenfell at 10:07. The difference in the Grenfell arrival time was because on Tuesday’s the train was allowed 34 minutes to shunt the sidings between Greenthorpe and Grenfell where as on any other day it was only allowed 6 minutes.

Interestingly the 1980 consist list has W249, the ‘Orange Overnight Parcels’ (departing Sydney at 20:38 has an LLV for Cowra on Monday’s, MLV for Cowra on Tues, Wed and a LLV on Friday’s. There were no through passenger cars by this time and you connected at Blayney off W59, the Western Mail (21:55 ex Sydney).

Why does the water tank stand at Grenfell look strange?

Location and Area History

The many years of work by the residents of the Grenfell area finally bore fruit in late 1897 with the commencement of an inquiry on 20 Decemeber 1897. Over three months later on 28 February the inquiry concluded that the 51 kilometre line should be built from Koorawatha to Grenfell. It subsequently was approved in Parliament and the Act assented to on 24 December 1899. Construction by the Public Works Department had actually commenced the previous month. Additional contracts were let to Messers A Taylor for the supply of timber for the underbridges, and to Messers Espley and Morgan for the bridge piles.

The line was opened on 7 May 1901. Services on the line were based on the connections from the overnight mail at Cowra. General running time from Cowra being slightly over or slightly under three hours depending on whether the train was a Passenger or a Mixed.

Grenfell is 444.947 kilometres from Sydney (via Blayney). Regular passenger services were suspended on 11 August 1974 and all services on the line were suspended from 22 October 1991. The line was subsequently reopened to Greenthorpe (approximately halfway) and this continued to be the case for grain trains only until 2009.

From the opening until the demise of steam two water supplies were provided, one at the junction at Koorawatha and one at the terminus at Grenfell. For a period in the 1960’s an additional standpipe was provided at Greenthorpe.

The tank at Grenfell showing the strange bracing.

 

The Tank and Dam

On 24 September 1900 Henry Deane, Engineer in Chief signed the plan for a dam on Emu Creek approximately one mile [1.6 km] north of Grenfell station. The area of the dam was approximately 2560 feet long and the length of the dam was 690 feet. The catchment area covered 4.8 square kilometres.

A 3 inch (76mm) pipe was laid from the dam to the station. This pipe was laid on the initially on west side of but after a short distance on east side of Emu Creek in a 10 feet (3 metres) wide easement. Emu Creek runs to the west side of Grenfell Station and with the dam being upstream of the station gravity was used thus negating the need for a pump house.

The pipe then travelled under the railway lines in the loco area to the tank on the eastern side of the tracks. A float valve on the tank controlled the water supply.

A diagram (again signed by H Deane) details all aspect of the tank stand and pipes. The contract for the stand was separate to the actual tank which was the usual practice of the time. The superstructure of the stand was constructed using 12 inch [30 cm] square lengths of timber with 16 piers were sunk into concrete lined pits. These piers were topped by a grid of 12 inch square timbers which supported the tank. Between the horizontal timbers and the tank were 36 cast supports which on which the tank was placed.

The tank of 20,000 gallons (68250 litres) capacity was built with 45 virtually identical 5 feet [1.52m] square cast panels bolted together. The usual practice was to line the bottom of the tanks to assist in their integrity. Concrete was the medium used in the tank at Grenfell.

In the base of the tank is an outlet that supplies a 9 inch diameter swinging jib.

The tank and stand structure at Grenfell was identical to that at Koorawatha and there is surviving evidence on the Koorawatha tank that was the sides were also rendered with concrete. This was not the usual practice.

In early 1946 the tank failed, the details of the failure not being known. With no other water facility on the line locos (generally members of the 30T class with 3650 gallon tenders) could not run from Koorawatha to Grenfell and return without running out of water and a replacement was required. The opportunity was taken to assess the actual requirements and it was found that a tank of similar size was not required. This was because under normal circumstances there were a maximum of two locos at Grenfell at any one time and combined their maximum tender capacity was less than than 7500 gallons.

A drawing was issued on 1 March 1946 showing the new tank and plumbing arrangements. The Railway’s had stocks of the panels used to construct the tanks and these were used for the new tank. The original stand was still serviceable but was bigger than the new 10,000 (40,000 litre) tank required. As such the number of piers was reduced to nine and the surplus piers removed. The cross-bracing was reused and shortened to fit. A new swinging jib was also provided. The unused portion of the stand was recovered on 19 February 1947.

The tank also supplied a 3 inch stand pipe located beside a nearby road.

The outlet structure from the dam to the water tank

Looking along the dam wall from west to east - the station is apporximately 1.6km to the right.

The base of the tank stand showing the no longer required foundations.

The front of the tank showing the swinging jib. Note the angle of the timber bracing and the unused holes in the vertical posts.