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Old Glenbrook Tunnel


cleanerg6e
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This railway tunnel was taken out of use years ago and has had a two uses that aren't railway related.

The above video is one use the old tunnel was put to.

Here's another video in the same tunnel showing it's second use after that use had ceased. The company that ran it an Australian owned company was bought by an Asian company and their H&S left a lot to be desired. The company is in battle with the state government for they just walked away and left a filthy putrid mess and they're in no hurry to clean it up. The tunnel today is closed off to the public and no doubt still in a putrid mess. I think it should be totally cleaned out and reopened to the public as part of a walking track. It should never again be used for any business purposes. I can remember walking through it myself when it was the Australian owned and operated mushroom growing farm and it was clean inside, but wet. Outside it was a summer temperature of 40+ degrees but in the tunnel it was a cool sub 20 degrees. Well cool to us. Even then water leaked freely into the tunnel and that was years ago. Judging by the above footage it still does.

   

The thumbnail above shows 3673 a 4-6-0 of 1928 crossing the present double line Knapsack Viaduct. 3673 was the only 36 class to be fitted with large smoke deflectors but they didn't work very well and were removed. The other 36 fitted with smoke deflectors was 3612 and they were of the small variety and very similar to the smoke deflectors fitted the SR King Arthur class.  They didn't work well either and they too were removed. The main problem was that the Westinghouse Air Pump interrupted the air flow so whilst the exhaust was lifted on the driver side (left side of loco) the exhaust tended to beat down on the fireman's side (right side of loco). We are looking at the drivers side. The 36 class never went through the old Glenbrook tunnel and a double track deviation (the present line) had bypassed the old tunnel by the time this photo was taken. In the video there is a photo of a large 4-8-2 emerging from a tunnel. That tunnel is the present double track Glenbrook Tunnel.  

Edited by cleanerg6e
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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi Roy, happy new year, I love old branch lines especially abandon  tunnels, their is a tunnel in QLD outside Bundaberg is supposed to be the longest open cut unsealed tunnel  in QLD, found a link with some pics.

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMD98J_Boolboonda_Tunnel_Mt_Perry_Queensland_Australia

Many years ago I visited my friend in Bundy and we drove out to the Bundy Mt Perry branch line and traced a lot of what was left of the branch now a bike trail, I walked through the tunnel and friend drove behind me , great experience, we then drive to MT Perry and the old station building was still standing amazing .

What's happening with your layout future plans still planning a rebuild, I am still pushing along nearly there, spiral is done ready for painting and needed track same with the station modules. ready for painting ,, including the approach modules 7 modules all up.

You be feeling it today with Sydney peaking 43 degrees, ouch and we are copping this heat wave this weekend.

 

Keep cool Tony from SE/QLD keeping on moving ahead.

 

201308111215441.jpg

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Well actually Tony the old Glenbrook Tunnel was on the mainline. Originally to climb from Emu Plains up the eastern face of the mountains there was a zig zag. That was replaced by a single track viaduct and the old single track Glenbrook Tunnel. Due to it's horrible reputation and at least one accident when the crew of a loco was overcome by smoke from their engine. The push up loco at the rear had already reversed out of the tunnel and was getting ready to reenter the tunnel when the wagons and loco came out of the tunnel and hit the push up loco. The train loco crew were unconscious on the floor of their cab. What a way to run a railway. Then a double track viaduct and a double track tunnel replaced the old single track tunnel which then had the two uses shown in my previous post.

On the western side of the mountains is the now famous Lithgow Zig Zag which was in operation until 1910. It was replaced by 10 tunnels with tunnels 1 and 10 being the longest. The Zig Zag tourist railway is creeping slowly towards reopening but only when the safety regulator gives the go ahead. The trouble with many railway enthusiasts in NSW is that they tend to look upon authority as people who like to meddle in their affairs and thus they are to be ignored and if that doesn't work you tell them "up yours" complete with hand signal. But the authorities come down on such people like a load of bricks and make them obey regulations.

In the UK every preserved railway knows that there are regulations that must be adhered to or else they would suffer the same fate. They seem to have no problems obeying regulations, but our lot seem to fall back on their convict ancestry.  

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Morning Roy, I didn't know the Zig Zag wasn't in operation last time I thought it could have some thing to do with fire band. I would like a few days next time we go to Sydney, last October only had a few hours at Sydney Central huge building, would like to go for a ride on the double decker train into the Blue Mountains check out the Zig Zag railway, went to Canberra to visit the War Museum need more than an afternoon there as well

There is another branch closer to home called the Fassifern branch, I visited Boonah a few weeks back and spotted what was left of the branch line a bumper with a piece of track even ballast too, will wait till it gets cooler and spend some time in the Boonah library they said they have heaps of info on the line was a tunnel as well and lots of cutting.

How did you fair with the heat yesterday, we peaked 45 degrees, the weather station at the RAAF base at Amberley peaked 42 degrees, was bloody hot, today it is going to pretty humid fells it now, mowed the foot path earlier on and finished painting the top of the first  station module, paint the second one tomorrow morning.

How is your plans going on the new railway any  progress.

 

Tony from SE/QLD keeping on moving ahead.

 

 

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