Belmont Railway Line

[Ausfree]

Mention has been made of the old railway line to Belmont in NSW that ceased operation in the early 1970's. It is now a cycleway/walkway that has been restored at a great cost, it would have to be one of the most scenic railway lines in Australia.

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belmont_railway_line"]Belmont railway line - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]


It is a real shame that it has not been retained as a rail line and extended further south!!

[101RRS]

My family home is at the northern end of Belmont and the old rail line runs through the jungle at the back of the house and we could gain access to the railway via a track through the jungle that we called "Burma" - from there you could travel along the railway to a track behind the Belmont shopping centre that went through the swamp to come out on the old sand mining road behind the sand dunes and then out onto 9 Mile Beach (this saved taking unregistered bikes onto the road to get to the dunes). Later I found that my 56 Series 1 would just fit on the tracks and on the railway.

Now all we have behind our place is Bunnings.

Later my then 15 yo brother found all this out and when I was away from work would steal my Series 1 and take it down to the dunes. He now lives just opposite the Beach Street access to the beach but never goes down there. When I get my Haflinger back on the road I might see just how much of the railway still exists - I assume that they did not actually dig it up to make the cycleway.

Garry

[Redback]

So many great memories of the dunes at the back of Belmont and the swamp just before the dunes at the back of Belmont sports grounds, all the old bush bashers we used to drive on the dunes and on the BMG routile road, that went from Jewels Crossing to Belmont South

I have great memories of going flat out across the dunes in Gordy Woodfords beach buggy(him driving) I used to knock around with his younger brother, whos name escapes me.

We would buy old cars from the local wrecker opposite the Bus depot, he used to let us practice out the back of his wrecking yard on his oval track he had made, Gordys house was right next to the wrecker

We would then drive down to the routile road and drive down there too.

The train to Newcastle was a great trip, we'd go up and talk to the driver when we could also, at times you could get off where ever you wanted, great times

Baz.

[Ferret]

My parents lived in a house almost directly over the tunnel near Fernleigh Loop.

As a kid I have great memories of playing / walking along this line and the trains (both steam and diesel) that used it. I would lie in bed at night listening the sounds of the old steam locos that chugged along that track. I remember clearly the sounds at night of the rail carriages clanking together one by one as the trains slowed or stopped just before their descent down the hill towards Adamstown.

It was a bike track and walk way to the neighbourhood kids of the day long before it became a 'cycle way' for the urban masses of today.

Just think about it today - kids playing on an active railway line like it was part of their own back yard. Today Tonight stuff.

[101RRS]

We would buy old cars from the local wrecker opposite the Bus depot, he used to let us practice out the back of his wrecking yard on his oval track he had made, Gordys house was right next to the wrecker

Baz.

The wrecker backed onto our back fence and as a neighbour we could use the oval to test our bikes and later our landie - car bits were cheap too. The area is now a furniture storage facility, Bunnings and a smash repair business.

My Mum still lives there.

Garry

[cal415]

I havnt been along it in years but recently had a little hunt around near red head on a section i had driven along a few years ago, but it was so badly overgrown i couldnt get to it and the old quarry that was nearby was all blocked off.

When i was a teenager before it was converted to a cycle way we used to ride our mountain bikes along it from Adamstown out to top of Glenrock lagoon near Kahibah, it was a hard ride back then before it had a path along it bouncing over the sleepers and sometimes there was water in the tunnel - not much fun falling off in the dark in there! Back then in the early 90s I followed it as far as red head where it came out into some kind of abandoned train yard but Looking recently at the red head end i have no idea where this was and havnt been able to find it, i think it may have been demolished.

[Redback]

I havnt been along it in years but recently had a little hunt around near red head on a section i had driven along a few years ago, but it was so badly overgrown i couldnt get to it and the old quarry that was nearby was all blocked off.

When i was a teenager before it was converted to a cycle way we used to ride our mountain bikes along it from Adamstown out to top of Glenrock lagoon near Kahibah, it was a hard ride back then before it had a path along it bouncing over the sleepers and sometimes there was water in the tunnel - not much fun falling off in the dark in there! Back then in the early 90s I followed it as far as red head where it came out into some kind of abandoned train yard but Looking recently at the red head end i have no idea where this was and havnt been able to find it, i think it may have been demolished.

I'd say that may have been from one of the mines along the line, maybe even a fixing yard for one of the mines and was demolished to make way for the cycleway, maybe Lambton colliery or even the Redhead Coal Mining Company which owned the Belmont line.


I must do a trip back up there one day and have a poke around.

Ahh great days, park out the back of the Gateshead drive-In and watch the movie with no sound with your girlfriend or climb in the boot of a mates car and sneak in for free

Down to the 16 footers for a keg and gear for alnight parties on the beach at Belmont Sth

[robbotd5]

What class of steam loco worked the Belmont line? I am thinking 30T class, or even the old 20 class tanks.
Regards
Robbo

[Ausfree]

My memory is the class 30 tank Loco!! They always went tender first to Belmont and engine first to Newcastle!!!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ont_052878.JPG

This picture was taken at Belmont in 1954 (Wikipedia photo) after the engine had "run around" it's carriage set for the return trip to Newcastle.

[Ausfree]

Mention has been made of the diesel loco's that operated the passenger service on the Belmont line in it's final days before passenger services ceased in 1971. They were called "Tin Hares" and they used these rather than the "Red Rattlers" that operated on the Maitland line because the "Red Rattlers" would not fit through the Fernleigh Tunnel.

Unfortunately, I never rode on the "Tin Hares" but I did see them going through Whitebridge!!

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPH_railmotor"]CPH railmotor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]