Re: secret train tunnels !

["Rod Gayford" <rjaygee@smartchat.net.au>]

Last time I went on tour to the Bondi Junction tunnel end there was a sign
asking drivers not to relieve themselves in the tunnel.  The one about the
line for the animals may have some substance in that the old Capital theatre
was formerly a circus and there may have been tram access. This was a long
time ago. There is some disagreement where the unused tunnels north of St
James were supposed to go. On the Electric Train Historical outfits site
(sorry cant recall their actual name) an overview of the tunnels claim it
was supposed to head back towards Town Hall to form an inner circle.
According to old Bradfield plans I understood it was supposed to head under
Wynyard and out onto a rather large bridge that was going to cross Darling
Harbour and then head off to Balmain etc. Does anybody know the true story.
Cheers
Rod Gayford
C. Dewick <craigd@lios.apana.org.au> wrote in message
81fequ$gka$1@lios.apana.org.au">news:81fequ$gka$1@lios.apana.org.au...
> In <dlUZ3.24714$we.41065@newsfeeds.bigpond.com> "Someone Else"
<croyle@bigpond.com> writes:
>
> >Here is a list of all the dissused train tunnel stuff i can think of.
Tell
> >me if theres more please.
>
> >Where the line from martin place leaves the tunnel there is a siding in
> >between the tracks that dead ends underground at the tunnel mouths.
>
> This is the shunting neck, and it's very much in use. Just like the one at
> Bondi Junction. We (Waterfall depot) have a weekday job where we work a
> 4-car G-set empty from Mortdale Shed at 1530 to Martin Place neck to form
> the 1618 South Coast train which starts from Martin Place.
>
> >Stjames.....
>
> Which isn't much of a mystery any more...
>
> >wynyard - the old tram lines....
>
> Basically next to the shore platforms upstairs are the walled off area
from
> the old tram concourse which was platforms 1 and 2. This is currently used
> for a carpark. One of the tunnels from the bridge portal end was a police
> shooting range last time I checked it out. The other tunnel is disused
down
> to the Big Fan which vents stale air from all six platform spaces. 8-)
>
> >north sydney - disused...
>
> Single track tunnel which was to form the start of the northern beaches
> line.
>
> >theres a tunnel that links the central to townhall line with the central
to
> >museum line.
>
> Not as far as I know.
>
> >central ghost platforms.
>
> Platforms 26/27, above platforms 24/25. They were leased to Central
Document
> Storage, but I think they're now vacant or used for something else.
>
> >under opera house - where does this go?
>
> What's left of the former tram depot I believe...
>
> >rumer says there is a train tunnel from bankstown airport to the
bankstown
> >bunker.
>
> Never heard of this one before...
>
> >glebe - near the corner of victoria and maxwell rd.
>
> Is this one of the former good line tunnels?
>
> >next to sydnenham station there was a train tunnel now converted to a
> >drainage tunnel.
>
> There's a short 'tunnel' (probably better defined as a culvert) at Tempe
> which runs under the road where the railway goes under a bridge.. Dunno
what
> it was originally built for - perhaps the original railway alignment when
it
> was a single track?
>
> >the waterfall to otford tunnels - these a really spooky on rainy days, we
> >went and one had a waterfall across the entrance!
>
> 8-) These are spooky because they've all been out of use for railway
> operating purposes (except the last one which is Scarborough tunnel) since
> the double track alignment was built around 1920.
>
> One (the first one) was opened up and turned into a cutting for the double
> track. A couple are still used for mushroom cultivation (you know the
story
> - keep them in the dark and feed them bullshite!). One is used by
> Metropolitan Colliery as a water storage reservoir. One is the access for
> State Rail, RSA, RAC, Fleur 'Tampon' Daniel (!), etc. at Lilyvale from the
> Metrop colliery side to the Lilyvale side.
>
> The old Otford tunnel (which is the longest of all original tunnels) is
very
> much out of use but was until a handful of years ago also used for
> mushrooms. The Otford end now has all the buildings demolished and the
> tunnel entrance is so overgrown that it can't even be seen anymore from
the
> current railway alignment. Access from the Stanwell Park end is as easy as
> driving up Chellowdene Avenue (which is formed on the old right-of-way)
and
> continuing along the water-worn dirt track to the mound of dirt stopping
all
> but determined 4wd drivers from getting right to the tunnel mouth.
>
> The south end metal grilles which protected the tunnel from intruders,
etc.
> (they only used the half at the Otford end for mushrooms btw - the rest
was
> unused) were pretty rusty and all but non-existent last time I walked the
> tunnel a couple of years ago.
>
> >Rumors** There is meant to be a short siding from the underground cbd
> >network into a theatre used for bringing in animals for performances.
>
> Never heard of this one either, and I've certainly never found any
evidence
> to suggest it might have existed.
>
> > The tunnels from bondi junction are meant to go quite a distance towards
> >bondi beach.
>
> No. They go far about two carlength's beyond the end of the shunting neck
> (which is the middle road) and end up as bare sandstone walls. The down
> tunnel has track (which is a storage road) and the up tunnel has no track.
>
> > Where is the line to switch trains to their correct track when they are
> >returning from bondi juction?
>
> Between what would have been the up and down ESR lines at the eastern end
of
> Bondi Junction station. I just mentioned it in the last set of remarks!
>
> Regards,
>
> Craig.
> --
>             Craig Ian Dewick            |       Stand clear - jaws closing
>  Send email to craigd@lios.apana.org.au |  Visit my Australian rail
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