Re: Bombala (was Re: NSW country rail lines upgrade)

["Shaun M. Barker" <seagn@apex.net.au>]

One of the largest problems with reopening any length of this railway beyond
Michelago is the cost of bridge inspections and repairs, other than that the
greatest cost overall would be the fact that as there are to be no new "
Level crossings or Level crossings reinstated". Start some two kilometres
back either side of the " Old level crossing sites" and start building up an
earth ramp to attain some height over the now current level of the road to
have a railway overpass.  Then there is of course Cooma Yard where the
watercourse that goes under the old yard is if Wooden construction and was
in poor condition last time that I saw it in 1996, no work has been done on
it since from what I have seen, it would be obvious from the large
earthworks that would be required.

South of Cooma the line is in a much greater deteriorated condition, and
could be repaired economically if we had some thing like the old
Unemployment Relief Programmes of the depression years, this is almost one
of the last pioneer types branchlines in NSW. No ballast if the is no supply
of Loco' Ash, sleepers spaced at about 1200 per kilometres, no Safeworking
equipment as such, rail missing although there are some very sturdy fence
posts, on surrounding farms.  I have no idea how many level crossings there
might be now but it almost be assured that those that were there at the time
of the cessation of services, less than what appears to be there now
although some if not all of the official crossings would ignored at present.

Just on what has been covered so far it would be far to cost prohibitive to
even attempt to reopen, the line south of Cooma.

Shaun