Re: Port Kembla breakwater railway

["Chris Stratton" <stratton.chris.cp@bhp.com.au>]

David Proctor <daproc@bigfoot.com> wrote in article
<01bd0dd4$d474e3a0$014a23cb@locxvcym>...
> With 3 hours to kill at Port Kembla last night (from 0105 till 0353) I
went
> for a walk along the breakwater, and disvovered that there are rails laid
> into it (including a 130m long crossing loop from 690m to 820m) -
> presumably laid to facilitate carrying the large concrete blocks that
form
> the breakwater.
> 
> The rails are laid to 1435mm (standard gauge).
> 
> Does anybody know anything of this line? Was it ever connected to the
main
> system? When was it last used? (it is currently out of use, as some of
the
> rails are concreted over, etc.)
> 
> David Proctor
> daproc@bigfoot.com
> 
I found some references to the breakwater in "The Gazetteer of Industrial
Steam Locomotives - Illawarra District" by Ken McCarthy. They are as
follows :

- PWD25 worked Reid's Hill quarry to breakwater trains in 1906.
- PWD28 used on stone haulage between Reid's Hill quarry and the breakwater
in   1909.
- Photo of PWD34 after it fell off the breakwater during construction in
Dec 1919.
- PWD75 used to haul concrete blocks from Reid's Hill to breakwater between
March  
  and August 1955 after storm damage to breakwater. The concrete blocks
were 
  made at the end of the breakwater after August.
- PWD75 used for further breakwater repairs between May 1959 and July 1960.
- PWD75 used for further breakwater work between Jan 1961 and March 1962.

March 1962 was the last mention of any locos being used on the breakwater.
Reid's Hill quarry was situated on the southern side of Five Islands Rd at
Port Kembla, behind the current Cleary Bros building and workshop. The
quarry is currently used as the Wollongong builder's refuse dump.
The PWD had another quarry at Gillan's Hill which was near Cringila
immediately west of BOC Gases (CIG) current plant, also on the southern
side of Five Islands Rd. An engineering company has a workshop built at
this site.
The PWD also had it's loco depot at Reid's Hill.
Hope this info helps.
Regards,
-- 
Chris Stratton
Wollongong, NSW, Australia
stratton.chris.cp@bhp.com.au