Re: Railway over Yarra River.

["Stephen Devenish" <JohnnyR@bigpond.com>]

Yuri J Sos/Melbourne AUS wrote in message
<37d3904d.10604698@news.enternet.com.au>...
On Thu, 2 Sep 1999 23:58:46 +1000, "Stephen Devenish"
<JohnnyR@bigpond.com> wrote, and I selectively quote:


>The line as stated by Chris Gordon, was in fact the line down to Webb Dock
>where Pactricks load cars on and off ships.  The line went down along the
>Lorimer street and past Holden and the back around into Web Dock.  The line
>was in fact Dual Gauge although as no trains used the line and the third
>rail (Standard Gauge leg) was removed.

>The line is still intact beyond the Bolte bridge..... I've never seen
>holes in the sleepers where the SG allegedly was.  I thought only the
>river bridge and the crossing of Footscray Road was dual gauge.


Sorry my memory of the site inspection has come back some what with what Bob
said, the Dual gauge was over the bridge (with Pandrol Fastenings I think)
and through the crossings.  The track in concrete was dual gauge though with
a small section of timbered dual gauge at the end (to obviously tie into)

>another poster, movement of Cars by rail isn't big in Australia and with
>Pactricks moving the car loading down to Webb Dock the need for rail access
>was of no advantage.

>But isn't Webb Dock to be developed as Melbourne's premier dock with
>container facilities?

Well it looks like its taking off now but as inner melbourne land prices
increase perhaps the container areas will be moved to a more out of the way
location?  As for rail access well if the bridge goes ahead and the line is
linked to Appleton dock then we might see access again but the bridge idea
would be a complicated thing.  Location, ramprate and height being a
problems.

>There were 2 AN Dual Gauge to Dual Gauge turnouts (AN
>standing for Australian National) embedded in concrete at the end of the
>line, these were removed, cleaned and rebuilt on timber and installed on
>the Appleton Dock line.

Webb Dock end or Melbourne Yard end?

They were at the Webb Dock end, one was right on the edge of the concrete
apron (where Patricks left there old container loaders) the other was at the
other end of the concrete apron overlooking the sea.  They formed two
sidings, and when removed, the existing rail for the sidings was left in
place and the hole for the turnout was mass filled with concrete.

>So Patricks actually stuffed the line but raised
>another line from out of the ashes.  The Appleton dock line will see even
>more traffic as Globex Bulk Commodity Facility comes on line.  The Webb
Dock
>line was slated for removal when the freight centre was relocated and no
>train had actually run down there in the previous years was evident by the
>rail and turnout condition.

>Why was only the rail from the Bolte Bridge back to Melbourne Yard
>lifted and removed?   The line is intact beyond the bridge.  There was
>an article in the Age a couple of months ago that there are plans by
>the MPC to build a bridge across the Yarra  to re-connect the line.
>City Link has already said it will not permit B-triples on its bridge
>to transfer containers from Webb Dock to Appleton/Swanson Dock.


The contract that we won to remove the rail in the Melbourne Yard also
included removing the rail along the line to webb dock to the location of
the Bolte Bridge (The end point was a level crossing at bolte bridge
location I think).  This had to be remove to make way for the Docklands
Development, Mirvac has the job of building a new town / living area along
that stretch and since the rail line wasn't used then it was decided to
remove it.  The key to this all may be the reason that MPC wouldn't let us
remove Insulated Rail Joints from the line, perhaps they new that something
was going to happen to the line from Bolte Bridge onwards to webb Dock in
the future?????

>As an aside, where will the manganese ore to be smelted in the La
>Trobe valley that's to be shipped from Tasmania be unloaded?
>
>Regards
>
>Yuri
>
>==================================
>Yuri J Sos
>Melbourne VIC AUS
>
>Reply to: steam4me@enternet.com.au
>
>Personal Web site at
>http://www.railpage.org.au/steam4me
>Recipient of Compuserve Web Gem Award
>==================================
>Go Bombers!