Re: Sydney intercity trains

[ajwright@ozemail.com.au (Ashley Wright)]

On Mon, 12 Jan 1998 02:02:11 +1100, David Johnson
<trainman@ozemail.com.au> wrote:

>Ashley Wright wrote:
>
>>   South coast trains were running into the eastern suburbs railway,
>> although I am not too sure if they were running to Martin place, or if
>> there is some form of turnback between central and town hall.
>
>stopping at Central, Town Hall and Martin Place.
>
>>   The Blue mtns and Newcastle trains were interesting. Train from
>> Newcastle were comming in down the North Shore across the bridge and
>> into Central electric. Trains from the west were comming into Central
>> electric also, presumably through Sydenham and Enfield goods yard (can
>> somone confirm/deny).
>
>No, along the Local lines with all the other suburbans..
>
>> But the interesting thing is it seemed that the
>> mountain trains were turing into Newcastle trains at central and vice
>> versa. Im not 100% sure, but that is what it looked like.
>
>No.  The western line Trains were going to North Sydney to reverse, and the
>Northern line trains were going to Eveleigh yard to reverse.
>
>>   Also while waiting at Town Hall about 3pm two V sets passed through
>> platform 2 on their way to central. I personaly would have thought
>> they would have stopped for passenger convenience, but they keeped on
>> going.
>
>Problem with that is that all the people on the platform at Town Hall would want
>to get on to go to Central, which is not very convenient for all the long
>distance passengers from Newcastle.
>
>> Both sets passed within about 2-3 minutes of each other, with
>> passengers on board. Anyone know why 2 were running so close
>> together???
>
>Are you absolutely sure they both had passengers on board?  The first one was
>due through at 14:53 from Wyong travelling to Eveleigh.  The second one should
>have been empty from North Sydney, travelling to Katoomba, due through at 14:58
>
>--

  Yes. The first one through definatly had passengers (not many mind
you), as too did the second one (more than the first).

  However the order looked slightly different. I caught a train from
town hall to central which arived just as the second V set had cleared
the platform. And when it arrived at central the first V set was
loading to the Blue mountains, and the second set was sitting on the
viaduct just short of the platforms (Still with a lot of passengers),
presumably waiting for the first set to clear the platform.

  The fact there were passengers on the set going to the mountains as
it want through Town Hall was the reason I thought that maybe the
Newcastle trains were working through to the mountains. As it seemed
strange considering they weren't stopping at Town Hall

  Also the reason I assumed the mountain trains were traversing
Enfield was because I assumed all lines between Mcdonaldtown and
Strathfield were closed (Guess thats what happens when you live in
relative isolation on the Illawarra's). Which raises a question, why
did the Newcastle trains not run to Central via Strathfield and then
to North Sydney as well. I can understand why the Hornsby to central
via Epping were running short to Strathfield only. Having only one
pair of lines open would have been a bit much for the lines, but I
cannot see what effect Newcastle trains could have had on a weekend.


PS the sight of all the trains at Eveleigh was interesting, but I
cannot ever remember seening that many stored in the sidings at Sydney
terminal. Also as it appeared that only the enterance lines to Sydney
Terminal were being rewired why were the sets not left in Sydney
Terminal. Surly there would have been enough sets elswhere available
if in fact the Eveleigh sets were needed for use. Just a thought.