Re: Trip from Newcastle to Sydney

[matthew@mail.usyd.edu.au (Matthew Geier)]

In article <3685d146.6906049@news.ozemail.com.au>,
 <nswsrca@ozemail.com.au> wrote:
>On Mon, 14 Dec 1998 22:32:48 +1100, "Garry Hoddinett"
><hoddos@netspace.net.au> wrote:
>
>>I just completed a trip by Interurban from Newcastle to Berowra and have a
>>few questions that some people may be able to answer:
>>
>>- When was the last time the branch heading to the east from Awaba (to Wangi
>>Power Station?) was used?
>Can't give an exact date.   It remained in use for a period after
>steam ceased in 1973.   Since then, a bridge and embankment at the
>Toronto Road were demolished, preventing rail access to the Power
>Station.

 About 5 years ago, I rode a bicycle along the Wangi branch - besides
saplings growing in the 4ft (which by now would be fully grown trees),
there had been a couple of land subsidences cause by the mining going on
underneath. In a couple of places there were drops of 50-80cm in the
road bed where a subsidence had occured. A maintence trike would ride
over the drops, but a locomotive would go straight into the dirt....

 I imagine the Toronto branch is now impassable due to trees, although
at least it wont have been subject to subsidences like the Wangi branch
(To close to housing..)