Re: CityRail Guessing Games - 23 & 24 Oct.

[Railway Rasputin <bob@fastlink.com.au>]

Bill McNiven wrote:
> 
> This weekend's puzzle was how all lines could be shut between Strathfield,
> Regents Park and Granville without Olympic Park trains being affected.
> 
> The short answer was that somebody forgot Olympic Park in the published
> shutdown list.
> 
> Since every ticket I buy from CityRail has "TRY OLYMPIC SPRINT" printed on
> it, I thought I had better put a Green TravelPass Weekly to good use.
> (After of course, like all good CityRail customers, checking at the CityRail
> web site for any shutdown to the Olympic Sprint!)
> 
> Bridgework:  On Saturday afternoon, the rail bridge over Arthur Street at
> Lidcombe was missing.  By Sunday afternoon, track was being laid on a new
> bridge.
> 
> Trackwork:  Re-sleepering etc on the Down Suburban at Flemington.  On
> Saturday afternoon 48111+4872+48?? on a ballast train on the Up Suburban,
> on Sunday afternoon 4880 + 4855 on the Down Suburban.
> 
> Overhead Wiring:  New catenary for the Up Main and Up Suburban between
> Homebush and Strathfield.  On Sunday only, some work on the Main Lines at
> Auburn and on the Goods Line near Homebush.
> 
> Signals:  Some signals on the Main just west of Lidcombe were replaced.
> 
> Stations:  Re-surfacing platforms at Homebush.
> 
> Train services:  All-stations trains for Lidcombe and beyond terminated at
> Ashfield.  Trains for Penrith, Riverstone/Richmond, Glenfield/Campbelltown
> via Granville ran empty from Strathfield to Rhodes (and maybe, in some
> cases, points north).  Extra stops at Croydon and Ashfield for some trains.
> 
> Local bus services:  Strathfield to Granville and to Regents Park.
> Strathfield to Olympic Park (usual STA route 403).  Lidcombe to Olympic
> Park.  Strathfield to Granville express. (I didn't check out Wynyard -
> Blacktown).
> 
> Freight:  On Saturday, I saw NR81+NR69 heading north through Concord West
> around 1540h, followed by NR120+NR26 at Homebush around 1600h.  42219 was
> ready to leave Clyde Yard towards Lidcombe (going via Lidcombe Loop???) with
> a load of containers around 1630.  On Sunday, I saw no freights and I don't
> think any were possible.
> 
> So the score from two weeks of testing the published shutdown info is:
> 
> Last weekend:  they forgot the East Hills train diversions.
> This weekend:  they forgot that Olympic Park was shut down (I still must try
> Olympic Sprint sometime when it's not a bus!)
> 
> A few other observations:
> 
> I caught the bus from Granville to Strathfield at one stage.  Most of the
> passengers then bought tickets from the machine at Strathfield.  I guess
> that travel is "free" when buses are running?
> 
> There was no work on Lidcombe station itself.  About six station staff, one
> to sell tickets and five to watch.
> 
> Entertainment at Lidcombe included an RSA flat-top truck trying to drive
> across the Up Main for 15 minutes.  Rubber tyres and wet steel rails are a
> fiendish combination!
> 
> Next weekend there's no puzzle: looking at
> http://www.cityrail.nsw.gov.au/upgrading/SUM991025-991031.htm, there's a big
> Blacktown shutdown, a big Liverpool shutdown and work north of Gosford.  It
> might be simpler to publish a list of which trains ARE running!
> 
> BTW, how did the Ghan get in and out of Sydney today?  Via Douglas Park and
> East Hills?  Via Unanderra?  Via Lidcombe Loop and Bankstown?  By bus from
> Goulburn after flooding?  By bus from Blacktown?
> 
> Mystery observation:  around 1745 Saturday, 4827(green)+48119+4852 heading a
> ballast train from the Goods lines at Sydenham (NSW) towards Central.  Going
> to the New Southern Railway?  Going to Circular Quay?
> 
> Rgds
> 
> Bill :)

I saw that Ballast train leaving Sydney Yard. I noticed tonight driving
to Campbelltown that there was a large stretch of new Ballast arround
Flemington.

rgds