The disused Mudgee Line

[skipepsi]

Either that or a wire snapper on a trolley in front. The americans who turned up in the middle of nowhere and unpacked and reassembled a four wheel motorbike then took off down the track that was a class act.

[Ruston]

There was a youtube video that was filmed, I think, on Anglesey, where someone took a home-made powered gangers' trolley along a disused line there only a few years ago. I've tried to find it but can't.

[class"66"]

Interesting photos!!

[faulcon1]

Then I guess that some sort of wire cutter mounted on the front like the things on u-boats would be in order.

You would also need a good explanation for the police who would be waiting for you at either a station or level crossing. Although the line is disused it is still on government owned land and therefore you'd be trespassing. In other words in regard to permission,'your damned if you do and your damned if you don't' 

[faulcon1]

Another problem would be the farmers who've extended their land and who would appear complete with double barrel shotgun in hand pointed directly at you. A lot of people out there are ferral and don't like outsiders.

 

There was a video on you tube of a trike ride on a length of disused rail line in the U.S including a ride across a trestle bridge.

[Ruston]

Just making the list of stuff I'll need to do this.

 

Platelayers trolley

Motorcycle engine

Bolt cutters

Snips

Armour plate

Machine gun

 

Cue A-Team music...

[skipepsi]

Ship out an armoured simplex and make a Ned Kelly documentary............

[faulcon1]

The line ceased operating north of Kandos to Gulgong on the 30th June 2007 but has not officially been closed. The line requires at least 100 million dollars worth of investment to enable passenger trains to run again. A mere pittance but the money can be better spent on motorway construction. All of our mainlines are characterised by steep gradients and sharp curves. So were the highways until the magic vote winning words appeared on the scene "the motorway". Long distance trucking companies now have the ears, minds and hearts of politicians.

[faulcon1]

The UK had Beeching and we had one of his hatchet men. Phillip Raymond Shirley. It was he who closed our branch lines although his coming "down under" and his reputation preceded him. He called all the rail unions into a large meeting hall in the transport HQ in Sydney to show the rail unions that he was "one of them". The rail unions out here had been forewarned by their British counterparts as to who was coming do a hatchet job on the railways. Shirley was called to answer a phone in another room and whilst he was out the unions took all the priceless railway silver out of the cabinets and left the room and never met with him again.

I would think that Shirley would have gotten the message loud and clear.

It's hard to turn our abandoned lines here into tourist lines as so many are in rural locations very far from habitation. Those near to the coast.....yes. But those far inland......no. Many of the lines are still there slowly rusting away.

We once had a magnificent railway system here in NSW but successive state governments have plundered the rail system and continue to do so.

It all started to fall to bits in the 1970's when railway born and bred people were replaced by uni graduates who hadn't the faintest idea how to run a railway. 

In New South Wales the passenger trains always ran at a loss and continue to do so. It was the freight that ran at a profit but the freight sector was sold off for a bargain basement price. The government was alarmed that the passenger sector was now showing losses of around two million per annum.

The one passenger sector was split into two sectors and the country trains first CEO was a female who's previous job had been a check-out supervisor at a large supermarket chain. Her appointment was a political one.

Years of no major investment by both Liberal (Tory) or Labor governments has reduced our once proud and once the safest railway in the world to a mere shadow of it's former self. Many lines lay rusting away in quiet locations buried beneath long grass, weeds and trees. Our roads are overcrowded with double B semi trailers which now move the bulk of goods interstate. The motorway between Sydney and Melbourne is one such road where the double B moves 95% of the freight between the two capitals. Airlines move around 3% leaving the railway to take the other 2%.

The railway lines are still on their original alignment with sharp curves and steep grades. No attempt has ever been contemplated to straighten out or lay new fast sections of line to compete with the road dominance of the trucking industry. There is often a sign on the back of trucks which reads "without trucks Australia stops". Unfortunately very very true now.

The hoary old chestnut called the VFT or Very Fast Train rears it's head from time to time. But it's only aimed at passenger trains. A new inland railway dedicated to freight haulage only has been suggested but it's well and truly bogged down in politics with nearly every country town wanting the line to go through or near to them.

The line is proposed to be single track only with long passing loops. Typical thinking here where we think for the present not the future. The thought of a double track line with no bottlenecks is beyond the people who are planning this line. That and the thinking that the cost of a double line would make the project too expensive. So they do what they usually do, sleep on it and then forget about it.        

Edited September 29, 2016 by faulcon1

[faulcon1]

Another station on the line to Mudgee is the now closed Clandulla. Clandulla is just a village really with all the shops closed and boarded up. There is a coal mine nearby which is the reason for the existence of the village. 

The railway station closed years ago and it to is now boarded up. It's similar in style to Leu Station further up the line but certainly not in the same condition.

The front of the station seen from the station loop.

The other end with someones car waiting for a train (me).

The mainline to the right and the loop with a catch point protecting the mainline.

The rear of the now closed station building.

 

 

[Thebaz]

Great pictures! Brings back memories. I lived in Australia in 2005 and I drove out to Mudgee - I'm sure I got a picture of the abandoned station somewhere, I'll have to try and look for it. It's such a shame about the lack of investment in railways there. I used to travel a bit between Sydney and Canberra there was some talk even of closing the line to Canberra. It is rather unfortunate but the line terminates a good way out from the city centre as a result of a storm which washed away a bridge that was under construction. After that they never bothered to start it again (familiar stories of abandoned infrastructure in the UK...) The train takes 3.5 hours and to drive it takes 2.5 so most people drive or get the coach. Also the coach is about half the price. Couple that with when you arrive 2 miles out from Canberra city centre there is no connecting bus to get you into town. There is bus... but it doesn't connect with the trains. All in all it does seem like a recipe for closure.

 

Having said all that, there was the whopping investment to build the Gahn from Adelaide to Darwen but I think that was more about freight than passenger traffic. At least Aussie has some railways - I also lived in Papua New Guinea and there's not one single piece of railway track in the entire country!

[faulcon1]

Great pictures! Brings back memories. I lived in Australia in 2005 and I drove out to Mudgee - I'm sure I got a picture of the abandoned station somewhere, I'll have to try and look for it. It's such a shame about the lack of investment in railways there. I used to travel a bit between Sydney and Canberra there was some talk even of closing the line to Canberra. It is rather unfortunate but the line terminates a good way out from the city centre as a result of a storm which washed away a bridge that was under construction. After that they never bothered to start it again (familiar stories of abandoned infrastructure in the UK...) The train takes 3.5 hours and to drive it takes 2.5 so most people drive or get the coach. Also the coach is about half the price. Couple that with when you arrive 2 miles out from Canberra city centre there is no connecting bus to get you into town. There is bus... but it doesn't connect with the trains. All in all it does seem like a recipe for closure.

 

Having said all that, there was the whopping investment to build the Gahn from Adelaide to Darwen but I think that was more about freight than passenger traffic. At least Aussie has some railways - I also lived in Papua New Guinea and there's not one single piece of railway track in the entire country!

Yes the Adelaide-Darwin line was built for freight. The Ghan runs on that line and makes money because it's run by a private company. There is a proposal to build the Melbourne to Brisbane freight only line which is well and truly mired in politics but could be made easier if they decided to reopen the Blayney to Demondrille cross country line. It's all still there if thoroughly overgrown. They'd need to put a link line in on the main western line for the line which goes to Mudgee and the next station on at Gulgong which is on a still active line going up to Ulan and avoiding Sydney altogether. The main problem is that both the Mudgee line or Gwabegar line (it's official name) and the Blayney and Demondrille are still government property. Governments here don't like private companies taking on their disused railway lines. Why? I don't know but maybe losing face has have a lot to do with it. A private company may make the line a success where the government couldn't.

These companies want to avoid Sydney because in the morning and evening peak hours there is a curfew in place where no freight train is allowed to run. The commuter trains must have the network to themselves.

[faulcon1]

I finally got a photo of Mudgee Station. Only the road side as an awning has been erected on the platform for the Indian Restaurant.

Edited November 23, 2018 by faulcon1

[faulcon1]

Next station on from Mudgee is Gulgong. The station is closed but the railway line is still active.

Gulgong Station from the platform side.

 

The former load bank where goods wagons would be loaded.

 

The former station masters house.

 

Unknown base of former structure but may have been for the goods shed.

 

The road side of Gulgong Station.

 

Damage to the fascia board allowing birds to nest in the roof space.

 

 

Edited November 23, 2018 by faulcon1