The Carlingford Line Celebrating 132 Years€¦ · Carlingford. SWGR Z20 Class No.2016 2-6-4 Type...

The Carlingford Line

Celebrating 132 Years

NSWGR E10 class steam locomotive number 10

at Carlingford Railway Station 1900s (Cultural Collections, Auchmuty Library,

University of Newcastle, JAGN0017).

Carlingford

Politicians and locals celebrate the opening of the newly

acquired Government-owned Clyde to

Carlingford railway line in August 1901 (Australian Town & Country Journal).

Carlingford

The Carlingford LineThe line to Carlingford was built in phases and originally planned as two private railways. John Bennett constructed his Rosehill racecourse by 1885 and, to enable more visitors, he gained agreement from NSW government for a private railway line branching off at Clyde, to service the new ‘Rosehill’ platform which opened in November 1888. In the same year Bennett also constructed the Sandown Line: a branch line from Camellia Junction, just north of Rosehill Station, to service the industrial area along the banks of the Parramatta and Duck Rivers.

A few years later Simpson built his private railway from Rosehill to Carlingford, primarily to carry the oranges - and their growers - from the orchards to Sydney, and also to service property subdivisions to the north. This private railway opened April 1896 at a cost of £43,192. Stations along the line included Rosehill, Subiaco, Victoria Road, Kissing Point Road and terminated at Pennant Hills.

Both the Bennett and Simpson lines failed to prosper and by the end of 1896, both railways were in the hands of the mortgagee, the Bank of New Zealand. The high cost of the Parramatta River Bridge is also thought to have contributed to their financial collapse. On 18 June 1899, the Government offered the bank £20,000 for the two railways. Eventually, the price was fixed at £22,500 and the lines were transferred to the Government on 1 August 1901. At this time passenger services recommenced and many of the stations were renamed - Subiaco to Camellia, Victoria Road to Rydalmere, Kissing Point Road to Dundas, and Pennant Hills to Carlingford.

Since then Telopea Station was added in 1925 and the line was electrified to Rosehill in 1936 and then to Carlingford in 1959. Simpson’s idea of extending the line onwards to Castle Hill and Dural never happened.

More information: http://arc.parracity.nsw.gov.au/home/projects/carlingford-to-clyde/

Parramatta Road Signal Box in 1984

(Courtesy of Graeme Skeet, www.nswrail.net).

Carlingford

Parramatta Road Signal BoxParramatta Road Signal Box controls a small section of line of the Carlingford Branch Line and the Parramatta Road level crossing, one of the busiest railway level crossings in the Sydney Trains network.

While the junction was in place from 1888 when the Carlingford Line first went through, the signal box building dates to 1935 and is typical of railway signal box designs.

Original signal controls were operated via lever interlocking systems. Re-signalling in 1992 closed Camellia and Rosehill Signal Boxes and upgraded the signalling control equipment at Parramatta Road Signal Box with a relay OCS push-button manually controlled signalling system. This system still operates this section of track and Parramatta Road level crossing.


Parcel van at Rosehill Station in 1984, with the

Rosehill signal box in the background (Munroe, ARHSnsw Railway Resource Centre # 466899).

Carlingford

Rosehill StationThe original motivation for the Carlingford Line was to give better access to the Parramatta River and the new racecourse at Rosehill. John Bennett constructed his Rosehill racecourse by 1885 and felt a railway connection was necessary to increase race-day attendance. He managed to gain agreement from NSW government for a private railway line branching off at Clyde to service the new platform at the racecourse. Rosehill Station opened in November 1888.

In the same year Bennett also constructed the Sandown Line: a branch line from Subiaco (Camellia) Junction, just north of Rosehill, to service the industrial area along the banks of the Parramatta and Duck Rivers.

The industrial area became home to many well-known companies including James Hardie and Co, Goodyear Tyre and Rubber, Wunderlich,

Shell Oil, Emoleum and the Australian Cream Tartar Co Pty Ltd. At its peak it was a busy line with ten return services daily to convey shift workers employed in the area.

During World War Two Ambulance Trains staffed by Australian and United States Armed Forces personnel operated to Rosehill where patients would transfer to road ambulances for transport to Concord Repatriation Hospital.

Historic features remaining at Rosehill Station today includes the 1929 riveted steel Warren truss footbridge which is heritage listed.


Railmotor at Camellia Station in 1959 (Sage, ARHSnsw Railway Resource Centre #553128).

Carlingford

Camellia StationCamellia Station opened on 21 January 1885 as ‘Subiaco’. In 1888 trains initially terminated at Rosehill from Clyde, so passengers either transferred to trains to the Sandown Line or steam trams at Subiaco. A private tramway operated from 1883 between Redbank Wharf and Parramatta which crossed the rail line just south of Subiaco.

Due to confusion over the station name ‘Subiaco’ and the significant homestead built by John Macarthur’s nephew, Hannibal Macarthur, the station was renamed in 1901 when the line was taken over by the government. A proposed timetable for the line in 1900 referred to Subiaco as ‘Parramatta Tram Junction’, but this name wasn’t adopted. The new name of ‘Camellia’ was chosen which came from a local nursery, Camellia Grove.

First Fleeter, Christopher Magee, was granted 12 hectares in 1791 by Governor Phillip as part of early land grants in the area. In 1793 when Christopher and his family were returning to Parramatta their boat overturned near Breakfast Point and his wife Eleanor and daughter were killed. Their grave still stands today just north of Camellia Station, and is one of the oldest colonial graves in the country.


Two car electric set at Rydalmere Station in 1986 (Sage, ARHSnsw Railway Resource Centre # 554086).

Carlingford

Rydalmere StationRydalmere Station originally opened on 20 April 1896 as Victoria Road. It was built as part of Simpson’s private railway from Rosehill to Carlingford. This was an important time in Rydalmere’s history, with the first school opening in 1891, and the first Post Office opening in 1888. When the NSW Government bought back the failed private railway line from the banks on 1 August 1901 the station was renamed Rydalmere.

The line to Carlingford was primarily to service new property subdivisions to the north of Parramatta Road. The line was always for carrying produce from the local vineyards and orchards to Sydney. The steam train that carried the produce was locally known as the ‘ Mandarin Express’.

Thousands lined the track to wave farewell to the old Mandarin express on 9 August 1959 from which time electric trains took over the run with the installation overhead wiring along the line at cost of £250,000.

The station at Rydalmere was originally located on the western side of the line, but was replaced by a new station on the eastern side in 1993.


Dundas Station in c1950s (Cultural Collections, Auchmuty Library,

University of Newcastle, ARHSBox067_1850).

Carlingford

Dundas StationDundas Station opened in 1896 as Kissing Point Road. It was built as part of Simpson’s private railway from Rosehill to Carlingford to provide better transport options for producers from the fruit growing districts around Baulkham Hills, Castle Hill and Dural.

Dundas Station building is a rare example of ‘Type 8’ narrow awning timber platform building with cantilevered awnings and decorative ends. In 2006, a severe fire destroyed a lot of the building’s original structure; however it was reconstructed to the same design and detail in 2007. Despite being largely reconstructed the timber station building still maintains is architectural and aesthetic significance.

While most of the stations along the Carlingford Line have been remodelled in subsequent years, heritage listed Dundas Station represents the line’s early history as the last intact privately built and owned station building in the NSW passenger network.

Today, Dundas Station continues to contribute to the local community’s sense of place and provides valuable and tangible connection to the past.


Telopea StationLarge crowds were reports by the Sydney Morning Herald at the opening of the new Telopea Station opened in June 1925 “when the Mayor of Dundas declared it open for traffic!”. Telopea Station was added 34 years after the branch line was constructed, and after 25 years of constant petitioning by locals, particularly the leader of the Progress Association, Herbert Rumsey. Up until that point, the Railway Commissioners usually had some reason why they could not add another station: the branch line was “too insignificant to have much thought from the management” (Sydney Morning Herald 1925).

The local community were delighted when the station was provided and with it improved a transport service. Rumsey went on to subdivide his neighbouring property and promote new housing in his ‘Telopea Station Estate’ as being ideal for workers in the Sandown area and close to Parramatta.

The station is named after the suburb’s name which is derived from the NSW ‘Telopea speciosissima’ plant (the Waratah), once abundant in the area.


Passenger steam train at Telopea Station in 1968 (Oliver EH, ARHSnsw Railway Resource Centre # 038178).

Carlingford

SWGR Z20 Class No.2016 2-6-4 Type suburban tank

steam locomotive on up passenger

at Carlingford Station c.1940s (ARHSBox025_0768 held at Cultural Collections,

Auchmuty Library, University of Newcastle).

Carlingford

Carlingford StationSimpson built his private railway to Carlingford primarily to carry produce from the surrounding areas to the city. It opened in 1896 at a cost of £43,192 which and terminated at Pennant Hills (later re-named Carlingford). Simpson’s original idea of extending the line onwards to Castle Hill and Dural never happened and Carlingford remained the terminus of the branch line.

After the line was taken over by the government in 1901 a large produce storehouse, weighbridge and goods siding was constructed opposite Carlingford Station now known as the heritage listed Carlingford Produce Stores. The Carlingford Producers Cooperative Company moved to the site in 1927 and acted as a community store, with its main produce being mash for poultry. Wheat arrived at the store in its natural form for processing on site.

The building still contains the machinery used to separate, crush, roll and bag the grain that was dropped into a grid on the railway tracks and into a hopper below, as well as other processes for grain handling. All the equipment was hand made from galvanised iron and cedar timber!

The Produce Store has provided agricultural supplies to the Hills and surrounding districts continuously for 90 years and it also operated as a feed mill for around 60 years!


The Carlingford Line Celebrating 132 Years€¦ · Carlingford. SWGR Z20 Class No.2016 2-6-4 Type...

Documents

Transcript of The Carlingford Line Celebrating 132 Years€¦ · Carlingford. SWGR Z20 Class No.2016 2-6-4 Type...