Re: Sydney Suburban in the dirt

["Neil O'Connor" <noc@acslink.net.au>]

I went and had a look today (Saturday 10th) around midday. Was surprised to
see the 4 cars sitting on ballast with no track beneath! There has been a
lot of work going on around Hornsby lately (both track and overhead), and
the track that it ran off appears to be new track that ends just after the
points. Looks like the train went down the wrong road to nowhere for some
reason and the first 4 cars ran on the ballast where no track exists yet,
taking out one of the newly erected galvanized poles for the overhead in
the process. They had a small backhoe there clearing ballast away from the
sides of the cars to get better access I guess, but no heavy lifting
equipment was on site. All the other tracks nearby seemed to be operating
OK but much slower of course.

When it ran off the rails on Friday it would have been dark, and the place
where it happened would not have had much light around. Since the track
ended just after the points, the driver may not have had much time to react
once it was on the wrong road. Lucky it didnt go out onto the road that
runs parallel.

Neil.

The Morphetts wrote:

> The news tonight had a Sydney Suburban train in the dirt at Hornsby Car
> sheds. It appears someone sent it up the wrong track. But why would the
> driver not have realised something was amiss?
>
> Could it be that the stories we are hearing in Qld about the deplorable
> condition of Sydney's track work are true?
>
> Graham
>
> --
> The Coramba Creek Timber Company's Railway
> Web Page:
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