Trails to rails

[drivesafe]

OK, I started this thread on the 3801 tread and as it’s off subject, I’ve moved it here.

I originally bought my first 4x4, a Disco 1, to allow me to get to out of the way places to photograph rail operations of all forms.

Over the years, I’ve managed to find some interesting places and many of them are only accessible with the aid of a 4x4.

Now my question is to those who may know of some interesting trails that take in rail operations.

Some of the places I’ve managed to find, and some of these are accessible by conventional vehicle.

I’ve managed to find most of the access point along the Murwillumbah to Casino line.

Unanderra to Moss Vale, particularly between Dombarton to Robertson area. There’s some great trails all through the escarpment.

Covered most of the line from Waterfall to Nowra.

I’ve covered most of the NSW North West with some great locations and rail action around the Liverpool Range at Ardglen.

So far I’ve also managed to do a bit of snooping along the Gatton - Toowoomba - Warwick - Wallangarra line and Warwick to Goondiwindi line

I’ve made a couple of trips along the Kingaroy, Mary Vale lines.

Also followed the lines from Maryborough to Gayndah and on to Monto, on the southern end of the Monto Loop line.

Without question, one of the most interesting lines I’ve covered is the Frankstan to Stony Point line. It's like something of a time capsule.

I’ve found many trails and road access point between Brisbane and Maitland and with some of the best trails being up in the Border Range area, on the Qld / NSW border.

The country around the Border Loop railway spiral is probably one of the most spectacular areas for both rail and off road activities.

A few years ago, I made an amateur rail video based on the spiral loop area and managed to get permission from a number of property owners, to get access to some of the mountains overlooking the line.

Although I’ve done a fair bit of snooping around the line between Emu Plains and Blackheath, I’m planning to try to get into the country around the Rat Holes, between Lithgow and Newnes Junction so any info on access points in that area would be appreciated.

Now has anybody got any suggestions for interesting track and rail locations elsewhere.

Cheers.

[dobbo]

Your pushing the friendship here, I could tell you but I'd have to kill you afterwards. :D

[dobbo]

Most of the access tracks are now two wheel drive accessable. To get the good shots legally is the problem but there are areas that can be got to without to much hassel. You can still get good shots from the roadside on most of the main northern and main southern lines. Areas I like the most are between Mt george to Craven on the main Northern and from Goulbourn to Cootamundra on the Southern. I don't know about the Western you'll have to hassel Ron.

[numpty]

John,

Nothing to do with what you asked but you are obviousely a rail buff so thought you might like this little snippet about Bushie's and Mrs Numpty's grandfather who was a loco driver in England in the early - mid 1900's.

From a the "LMS Locoman" Series, "Wellingborough Footplate Memories" by George Bushell

"The following week, I was called on at 8/15 for a special to Manton. We were second engine on a double-header from Corby, the engines being both 4F 0-6-0s. The train was a long one, even by Midland standards, as it was 88 tube wagons – equal to 133 ordinary wagons. The driver of the leading engine was Stan Keilor, who had transferred from Willesden to Wellingborough for promotion. He was a thin man with a limp and had a very rugged leathery face. Judge our surprise when struggling up the 1 in 67 through Glaston Tunnel, Stan appeared through the dark swirling smoke and steam on our engine gesticulating to Albert Charters, my driver, for him to open our regulator a bit more. And then he vanished in the darkness back to his own footplate! Stan must have come along the tender side on the three-inch angle, hanging on to the beading along the top of the tender and stepped across the three-foot gap between the engines…This is something the cleaners would quite happily do in the comfort of the loco shed, but not in the dark and smoke of about the worst tunnel in our area! At Manton, another two engines were waiting to take our train from us on to Peterborough, which was in the opposite direction but there was a brake van each end. All the way back to Wellingborough, Albert Charters – who was a stolid individual – kept marvelling at Stan’s dare-devil acrobatics"…

[Pedro_The_Swift]

wow,, thats scarey,,

so he was after what? more steam/power?


as for you Tim,,,

any time you want to go looking--
I think there could be a few of us interested:D;)

[drivesafe]

Hi numpty, good story and they must have been big engines judging by the wheel arrangement 0-6-0s, That’s usually what you would find on a shunting engine but to be able to haul a load like that “ They ain’t no shunting engines “

Hi pedro, if you have any ideas of some interesting locations where we can combine 4x4ing and gunzelling ( the pursuit of all things rail ), post away.

I’ve been a rail buff all my life and drove freight and suburban’s in Sydney, for 17 years.

As I posted, I bought a disco so I could do more rail snooping and had no intentions of doing any other forms of 4x4ing.

Oh how thing have changed, rail is still my first love but 4x4ing, especially landy 4x4ing is now also a passionate past time.

So any excuse to combine the two is OK by me.

Cheers.

[Ace]

Hi Drivesafe, the newnes plateau (which you access via the road in at the Zig Zag railway station) is pretty easy to access by the public and to my knowledge doesnt traverse and private property. The only area of railway that is relevant historically is the zig zag line and the old line that went through what is now known as a the Glow Worm Tunnels. There is quite a bit of history surrounding the area if you did a google search on "Glow Worm Tunnels" you would find a bit. There is also a railway museum in State Mine Gully on the outskirts of Lithgow aswell.

Here is the number for the Lithgow Visitor Centre they should be able to give you some more info on the museum and any other info on the area

02 63503230

Hope this helps, Matt

[drivesafe]

Thanks Ace, in the mid 70s, I was on-loan to Lithgow loco depot for 6 months and did a few bit of snooping in the area. You could drive over much of the old rail bed between Newnes Jct and through one of the tunnels on the old Newnes line.

I also have some 8mm movies of the Zig Zag before any of the narrow gauge tracks were laid.

what I was hoping, is that there is a track of some form going to parts of the Rat Holes, where you can get some video of trains operating through some of the ten tunnels.

Now I have not yet tried to use Google Earth, so I was wondering if somebody else could set up a like to a view of the area around Clarence.

Cheers and thanks again Ace and that's a nice neck of the wood where you are.

[Disco_Drivin_Dude]

Don't get caught trying to get to close to the line for a photo here in Queensland. QRNational drivers have a tendency to call the train controllers when they spot people anywhere near the rail, and the only thing that the train controllers do is warn other drivers in the area of the train buff then call the police.

Only 2 nights ago, a call came over the radio, that a guy and his wife were on the up line, taking photos of a train rolling past at 70km on the down line. The driver said over the radio " the dickheads didn't even get off the track after a 20 second blast of the country horn. The female just waved and laid in the middle of the up line and took photos as we rolled past them. ":eek:

A little off topic... the shunters pushed 3 loaded cattle wagons through the stop blocks at the cattle yard this morning about 3am. The derailment crew showed up at work, grabbbed the truck and off they went. I went out to see how things were going when the sun came up. On arrival I almost **** myself from laughing so hard. I got out of the ute just in time to watch a cow release it's bowels out the side of the newly re-railed wagon, all over a fellow workmate as he crouched beside the bogie. One of the funniest things I have ever seen!!!:D

[dobbo]

Don't get caught trying to get to close to the line for a photo here in Queensland. QRNational drivers have a tendency to call the train controllers when they spot people anywhere near the rail, and the only thing that the train controllers do is warn other drivers in the area of the train buff then call the police.

Only 2 nights ago, a call came over the radio, that a guy and his wife were on the up line, taking photos of a train rolling past at 70km on the down line. The driver said over the radio " the dickheads didn't even get off the track after a 20 second blast of the country horn. The female just waved and laid in the middle of the up line and took photos as we rolled past them. ":eek:

A little off topic... the shunters pushed 3 loaded cattle wagons through the stop blocks at the cattle yard this morning about 3am. The derailment crew showed up at work, grabbbed the truck and off they went. I went out to see how things were going when the sun came up. On arrival I almost **** myself from laughing so hard. I got out of the ute just in time to watch a cow release it's bowels out the side of the newly re-railed wagon, all over a fellow workmate as he crouched beside the bogie. One of the funniest things I have ever seen!!!:D

Same in NSW, everyone has to have a hobby, but some the buffs don't realise how close to death the come in endeavouring to get the perfect photo. Most are O.K, some are just plain stupid. I heard of an incident where "Rail Fans" were illuminating spotlights to get better photo's when the train rolled by. This only resulted in momentarily blinding the driver as he is trying to do his job. Consider how this would effect him if he was about to traverse a blind corner or pass through a level crossing?

I have also seen persons racing trains from location to location, a train generally travels a lot quicker than a car, these guys have to pack up their equipment get in the car race off at breakneck speeds thus endangering other drivers on the road. All to get there ahead of the train.

I personally have no problem helping someone out with publicly disclosed information, but a public forum is not the place to do it.

I am sure most people are safe in their rail adventures, but the ones who are not just endanger and risk there own and others lives.

For the record I have and will do my job and report all persons trespassing