Save the Great Northern Railway (NSW)

[ozbob]

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-the-great-northern-railway.html

Save the Great Northern Railway  Petition

Petition Background (Preamble):
Various proposals have been aired to convert a number of presently disused railway lines in New South Wales, Australia, to rail trails.

One such proposal is to convert the railway line (known as the Great Northern Railway or Main North) between Armidale and Wallangarra, or sections thereof, into a trail. That proposal includes a preferred option of dismantling the railway track (which has remained in situ) and funding the construction of the trail through sale of those items.

The Great Northern Railway is suitable for use as a tourist / heritage railway and the railway is included in a serious proposal for a revamped rail transport network in NSW and the railway should be retained.

Further information can be found at our Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/savethenorthernrailline

[ozbob]

The Armidale Express --> POLL: Northern Railway

[ghostryder]

Either way rail trail or heritage railway its gonna need a lot of work. Most of the line is overgrown with 20 odd years of growth, For heritage trains to use any of it most of the bridges made from timber will require replacement.

Either way lots of work either way.

[ozbob]

https://www.facebook.com/savethenorthernrailline/photos/a.530251770438608.1073741828.530204497110002/555576301239488/?type=1

Save the Great Northern Rail line Group

Breaking News!!!!

As expected, the Transport Administration Amendment (Rail Trails Community Management) Bill 2014 has been defeated!

The bill was voted down today in the New South Wales Legislative Council (Upper House) without being sent to the Legislative Assembly (Lower House).

The bill, if enacted, would have granted the Minister for Transport, without the need for further authority from Parliament, the discretion to allow any railway, which had not seen regular services for 15 years or more, to be dismantled and the corridor converted to a rail trail.

The defeat of this bill means the status quo will prevail which is that a specific Act of Parliament will be required before any railway can be permanently closed and dismantled.

Rail trail advocates should note that the defeat of the bill doesn't necessarily prevent the use of a railway corridor for a trail but any such trail would have to be constructed alongside the railway track which would have to remain intact and undisturbed.

However, we are not rail trail advocates and it is not within our charter to formulate or promote any such proposal.

[SurfRail]

Absolutely agree.

Then again, NSW is the home of Dorrigo, so this kind of behaviour is to be expected.

[colinw]

Its ridiculous - I'm nearly 48 years old, and there's lines with rails still down that haven't seen a train since before I was 1 year old.  Bungendore to Captain's Flat for example - last train was 1968, track is still in.  Take the track away and let it become a nicely graded mixed use trail.

About the only lines in NSW that were mothballed and then returned to service were Blayney to Cowra (out of use again) and Kandos to Gulgong (also out of use again).

The QLD experience shows that even if you do want to reinstate a closed line, you're far better of doing it with the old infrastructure long gone (think Lota to Cleveland), or along a superior alignment to the original (Gold Coast, only reuses original alignment for a few km around Yatala).

[ghostryder]

Some work would be required near Tenterfield, i know of one section of Highway 15 that would need to be rebuilt as it physically cuts the line.
To run Heritage trains would need to see the whole section ripped up and relaid not to mention fix a number of timber bridges. Though not in the section Tenterfield to Glen Inness there are i am told several other substantial bridges like this one that would need repairs. This bridge is at Sunnyside between Wallangarra and Tenterfield.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sashmos_pics/12715161225/in/set-72157627850004423

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sashmos_pics/12715551834/in/set-72157627850004423/

All lines construction and closure and removal requires an act of Parliament. These days it takes a brave Government to close lines fully. Services withdrawn then let nature have its way with the line seems to be the way to go. Then after 5 or 10 years the cost of returning the line is considered to high and the idea is dropped.

For the record 8 lines have been formally approved for closure, 7 were closed between 1948 and 1963 only one since 1964.

http://www.nswrail.net/trivia/formally_closed.php

[riccardo]

So true. And heritage rail is getting harder. The generation who drove and maintained steam for real have gone, in fact the days of large government railways with thousands of people employed and thus skilled and accredited have also gone.

I would like the movement to concentrate on the 'gems' eg Kuranda, Puffing Billy, Zig Zag, that might have a chance at survival and breaking even, and forget the marginal ops. Even the rail museums and the Rosewoods and so on are a difficult call.

We have seen scandal after scandal in the movement, from your Rev Jim Jones types wanting to accumulate scrap iron and cult devotees in the hills, or surreptiously run loco hire companies, or have continuing safety scrapes like Gympie and Beaudesert, or just interminable fighting.

Vast millions have been wasted of public and volunteer funds on vanity projects, towns that thought themselves more appealing to tourists than they really were, groups that had no business sense. I,m sure someone will claim 'knockers' snd 'having a go' but these are not
Wagners of Wellcamp, who spent their own money.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[ghostryder]

There are two bridges on this section, one over McClennan st this bridge is a steel and masonry structure, the second is over Martins Gulley, unable to ascertain what the bridge is made of due to the view being impeded by trees.. There is a loop at Dumaresq it was used for unloading Superphosphate, Also running heritage specials along the sections of Main North should not be an  issue seeing as there are only two trains a day north of Werris Creek. this being the daily Explorer service.

[ghostryder]

One of the issues with running over existing lines is the ability to service and turn heritage locomotives. Sadly many of the facilities needed like ashpits working water supplies and turning facilities are few and far between or require large sums of money to fix them up.