Driver's View Ropes Creek Line
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- čas přidán 6. 06. 2016
- 22 Minutes. If you ever wondered what the Ropes Creek line looked like, this may satisfy your curiosity.
With the benefit of hindsight, after military activity in the area ceased maybe the line could have been viable with the inevitable spread of suburbia. - Věda a technologie
Just about every true rail enthusiast from the big bad Western Suburbs of Sydney (including myself from Bankstown and Fairfield/Edensor Park) is indebted to you for this upload. This is an absolute piece of history right here and you have saved one of the rarest of railway point-of-views from going to dust especially given that damned photography ban was around. Thank you very much for sharing this with us.
Thanks! It was good luck that the driver I often caught up with on a Friday afternoon was running to Ropes Creek. I forget if he or I suggested the camera. Cameras banned, but who was going to check the regular afternoon train cab? By then, munitions was just about finished anyway. It seems there is little other record of this line.
This video brings back a lot of memories for me as I worked at the Munitions factory from 1965 to 1969 . I never rode on the train but drove to and from work but used to see the train on a daily basis . Just to see what the place looked like and the road bridge over the railway and the railway stations brings back a flood of memories . I still live only 2 minutes away from Ropes Crossing as it is now called and a shame that the line is now closed without any thought of what it area has become.
Another example of the shortsightedness of our state government and sector disconnect between departments
Personally I think the government got rid of it quickly because they did not want another another lossmaking suburban railway branch.
thanks for sharing this gem! amazing the difference 30 years makes. I drive Intercity trains, seeing Hornsby like that was a real mind trip, and double track around homebush loop, wooden sleepers and no continuous welding, no yellow lines or lifts or announcements . . . i still see semaphores and lever frame signal boxes, but only at Mt Vic and Lithgow!
many thanks, this is a treasure.
Glad you liked it. I had forgotten all about it until checking video tapes to see what old stuff I have. I thought it may arouse a little interest, but in fact a lot of people have found it interesting. And I have learned from their comments. As for 30 years, little changes happen bit by bit until we realise a lot has changed in 30 years. The Fast Electric Parcel vans video includes one scene of a pair of vans leaving Hornsby on the same day as the Ropes Creek trip.
Thanks for posting this. probably the only footage anywhere of this line in operation (even still photos are hard to come by!). Hard to believe when compared to what's left of the line today, although it's surprising the ROW around Dunheved and the platform still survive 30 years on. Crazy (and scandalous) to think this live wasn't converted to full passenger use to serve the suburbs that have now been built there...but that's "progress" for you.
As for "not being filmed on HD" all I can say is MUPPET. Scary to think some people like that are loose in the community but we have to get our politicians from somewhere I suppose....
Mate, you are a true legend putting this up, I have always wanted to ride the Ropes Creek Line , never did this is the next best thing , WOW, thanks so much!
Hi mate what year did you film this clip, we would kill to know because as the train comes onto the main line the track speed says 160 kph. So one said that speed was only for the XPT's . But if filmed in the late 70''s there were no XPT, so please help if you can thanks
Art, drugs, gold ,diamonds, nothing comes close to being as priceless as this truly historic video. this is solid gold like you would not believe, I really really love it. I
Quite a few people have expressed their pleasure at seeing this video, but I think your comment would have to be top of the list! And why are all those items you named actually available? Only because people say they are. We can go buy Gold and diamonds any day, but no money will bring back this railway as it was.
Thank you so much for this video on one of Sydney's most forgotten train lines. Unlike the former Carlingford line being converted to light rail and the Abattoirs line converted into the Olympic Park line; the Ropes Creek sadly got severely punished and was demolished. I feel very sorry for Cochrane as the land at the station got sold to housing developers and is now unrecognisable. I wonder if demolishing had something to do with Transurban and their toll roads? Such a shame, if only time machines were invented.
My Pleasure. You have to wonder why the line was closed as the winding down of the munitions works was well underway and replacement with housing should have been obvious. Perhaps the government just did not want another suburban rail branch losing far more money than it ever earned in fares. Shortsighted nevertheless. Toll road involvement certainly could not be discounted.
THIS IS A WONDERFUL PIECE OF HISTORY.FOR WESTERN SYDNEY.I LOVE THIS VIDEO.I GREW UP IN THIS AREA AND HAVE SEEN THE OLD ABANDONED STATIONS QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO BUT TO SEE THIS LINE IN ACTION BEFORE 1986 IT GIVES ME GOOSEBUMPS.CHEERS MATE
+garry cunningham
I'm delighted that it has given you so much pleasure. Regards,
Wow this is great ,reminds me of my youth. I grew up at North St Marys in the 60's & 70's & our playground was around the Ropes Creeķ line. Used to hang around Dunheved station with all the other hooligans.....lol ! on the weekends.Couple days ago i detoured from the M4 to Christy St & the Overhead walk bridge is still there & looks like you can still cross it.Next time I'll stop & take a few pics.Cheers
Its great that this video has given so much pleasure to so many guys. A few days ago Kevin Wilson sent this link to his 2009 photos. Worth a look. www.flickr.com/photos/backflipboy/albums/72157619523914472
Some very recent ones surely would interest some of the guys if you get the chance to take some.
Same here. The 50s and 50s
North StMarys in the old army huts. I still remember the old army general store
Always something to do out there.
This is amazing footage, I lived in the area and it was almost top secret to go beyond Dunheved because of the Munitions Factory. Certainly heard detonations all hours of the day
Thanks for that. I suspect that the plant was winding down by the time I took the video, and of course the train driver and others with him are not likely at all to be a security risk, are they? 😊😄😆
My god what a blast from the past used to live on Forrester Road where the train goes through the crossing near the gaurds entrance to the factory. About a 20 minute walk from home. Used to get the train each morning to Parramatta from St Marys and on various occasions would get the 7.07 I think from platform 1 to ropes creek and back and then proceed off to school on red rattler to Parramatta. Always in trouble because I was late for school. Going back to 83. Thanks mate for this really brought back memories and the sounds of the red rattler wheels skipping and fuses blowing. unreal keep up the great work.
Great stuff, tressteleg1. I still vividly recall catching this train in as a 13 year old in 1983. In fact, I was lucky enough to ride RNP, Hardies and Warwick Farm Racecourse lines before they shut too. Just wish I had taken a camera!
In 1986 The ARHS ran a train to Ropes Creek on a Saturday to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the electrification of the Sydney suburban railways. All single deck red rattler cars and some of the old wooden trailer cars. Went from Central to Penshurst first (the first line to be electrified) then via Bankstown. At St Marys we all had to hand in our cameras and they were locked away so we couldn't take pictures of the military facility at Ropes Creek! There was a station assistant on duty at Ropes Creek and some of the guys bought tickets from " Ropes Creek to Central" etc. I think it was the last train ever? I still remember the journey just like this video. Thanks for posting it.
Well maybe your memory would like a little bit of further jogging. In this parcel vans video, you’ll see what I took on that last train to Ropes Creek tour.
It’s funny that they were so fussy with the tour cameras, when only a couple of months earlier, I had made that video of the entire line 😄
I had always wondered about the train line as I grew up in werrington. Dunheved station is just the platform now and the overpass. It's interesting to see what it was like when it was operational as I would have only been a wee lass and my family had moved to the area in 1984
This is absolutely fantastic thank you for uploading this footage
Love these old vids, thanks for taking the time to upload them! I remember old Bourkey...great bloke...
Brian certainly was a character. It’s great that you enjoy these videos. Comments like yours keep me going but the well of vintage videos will run dry sooner or later.
To quote Brian.
"The Jobs Fucked." a comment passed as he held onto his cup (pot) of tea.
Truly a special guy.
+ookland81
Certainly! Sadly no longer with us but he won't be forgotten by all who knew him.
Another great video, thanks for uploading!
Nice to see a good old piece of railway history especially when the heritage trains are running
It's good to make guys like you happy. I had totally forgotten I had taken this video until exploring a tape when making the single deck video. But the supply of vintage video, from Australia anyway, is fast running out.
Where does that line end up.
HI. If you mean today, I have no idea. I don't live in Sydney now. But according to my 1980s UBD directory, when running it ended in the middle of nowhere a few hundred metres south of that kink in Palmyra St where it turns from Northwest to West. None of those streets
southwest of Palmyra St existed in the '80s. Do a Google search for Ropes Creek Station for a more recent update. The station had been fenced off and preserved, but that did not stop firebugs, it seems.
It now has been turned into a park and the station is open again
That is good news. If you can post some photos somewhere, I'm certain a lot of us would like to see them. And the exact locations of the station, as well.
if you go to some train vlog channels they will show you
Ah so glad I stumbled across this video, Been using what is now the ghost of the old railway line as a dog walking spot for the last Decade. Always wondered what it was like back in the day! Amazed there's video of it
It was extreme good luck that a train driver I knew told me he was going to Ropes Creek that day so I took along the camera. There are few photographs of the line due to security constraints and I doubt if any other video was ever taken along it. Anyway I’m glad it has answered a few questions for you.
Thoroughly enjoyed this video.
great video i didnt realise that cochrane and ropes creek stations were so close together i think ropes creek is now called ropes crossing these days and the area surrounding the station is all housing now
I just looked for myself. They are comically close together. Why? It would have been a 1 minute walk.
I noticed the same thing! The train could barely stretch between the two stations.
WOW that was very interesting and the small history behind it, I lived at Blacktown for many years and I always wondered about the Ropes Crk line, thanks for informing me, and all from the drivers perspective, I really enjoyed it, many Thanks.
😊👍
Good to see footage of it in use and to learn when it stopped being used.
😊👍
Fantastic video Tressteleg1,thanks for sharing,this line will now live on forever thanks to you.
Thanks. It has been a popular video. In view of the official secrecy about this line, it’s most unlikely anybody else has video anything like this to share. I knew how hush-hush it was, but I did not think anybody would take notice of people in the driver’s cab, and that proved to be the case.
All good.
Amazing! I once rode that line, buying a SHOPPERS EXCURSION TICKET from Summer Hill, when Ropes Creek had no shops!
9:50- I remember in '93, riding in the back seat of the car with my Aunt and Uncle, going over this railway crossing and by that stage while the overhead wire poles were still standing, there were trees growing in the middle of the railway line from disuse. At the time I wondered where the line went and when it'd ever been busy enough to warrant electric trains running? Ever since I'd wondered where the hell that level crossing was and on what line- until now. Thankyou!
Thanks for the upload mate. In the late 90's I use to run 4 cars from Campbelltown to St Marys and terminate and change end at siding ahead and return. The diagram says terminate at Ropes creek siding. Now I know what Ropes creek is all about. I appreciate your upload and please give us more.
I’m glad to help out but unfortunately as far as I know I don’t have any more vintage video left which shows Sydney trains. It’s just remarkable good luck that I did that Ropes Creek run with the camera.
Thanks for sharing, spent time in the area yesterday and found the history fascinating, retraced the rail line to Ropes Creek, such a shame they didn't keep it.
Marcus R 😊. Whether it was closed from short-sightedness or a desire not to be bothered with another passenger line, we may never know.
Thank you for sharing this video - considering the era it is from, it is well shot, IMHO. I was too young to have even realised that the Ropes Creek line existed, and only learned about it's existence a few years ago, so watching this video has satisfied my curiosity indeed.
It humored me to hear you fellas talking about the locals at Mt Druitt nicking off with things from locos ("There was a coal train that stopped at Mt Druitt, and they took his lamp!", lol).
+databrickjpm
It’s just very good luck that the driver Brian was going to Ropes Creek on a day I could go to Sydney so took along my camera. The munitions works were very fussy about passengers with cameras but could not see me in the cab :-)
Absolutely amazing historic footage 👏🏻
It’s just lucky I knew the right driver at the right time in view of the ban on photography on this line during all its life.
Great video. Just discovered your channel. Really am enjoying it thank you. I have never been on this line so it was great to see this cab view.
+Richard Smith (Javaricho)
It is kind words like yours which keep me going although my supply of vintage Aussie video is running a bit low.
I have marked down a lot to watch over the weekend. It is amazing to me that this was over thirty years ago. It does not seem that long but on viewing now you can see so many changes that have taken place. Your comment on the small supply of vintage video material is sadly too true. I would love to see some footage of an operation single deck driver trailer and motor car set as was once common on the outer reaches and backwaters of the network such as Cowan and Carlingford.
Once again thanks for uploading and sharing your love of trains.
+Richard Smith (Javaricho)
It is great to hear from people who get something from my videos. Before 1984 video cameras were bulky and few people used them. I was surprised to see that I am a video pioneer but I do have some to post from a friend even earlier. Sadly I think 2 car sets were more or less gone by that time. But he does have video of double deck D cars hauled around Wollongong by 48 class before electrification. Coming soon.
I will look forward to that. Thank you.
Where the video shows the track crossing over at StMarys to the Ropes line you can still see the remnants of an old WW11 fence that was commonplace for hundreds of acres in the nth western area of StMarys. It played a big part in the war effort in munitions and other supplies. The cottages called durations are still standing and occupied behind Queen st. They were erected to house workers employed out there
A great video! Thank you.
Thanks!
Remember the days when we used to drive and walk across the railway from Queen st to Forester rd to Nth StMarys pass Cucksons where mum worked. Like yesterday
amazing! thanks for sharing.
😊👍
A real gem, I come from Melbourne and on my occasional trip to Sydney, I’d look at the rail map at Central and I’d see this little branch line and wondered. Even then I was aware that it was an employees line, not sure if a normal passenger could travel on it. I read that AFP would patrol the platform and let nobody off the fan trips.
I don’t think the public was ever banned from going on the line, but the strictness of rules could well have been varied over time. I don’t recall being told we could not get off the train on tours, but they certainly didn’t want anyone waving cameras around.
Priceless footage
Thanks. And yes, nobody else got anything like this.
wow! what a find. I was aged 16 when I caught the
Ropes Creek train, I was working at 'Keith Gambles' on Links Road, the northern side of the tracks. When living in North St Marys. I would walk to Keith Gambles and walk across the foot bridge every day, however would occasionally would catch the train to St Marys on pay day to go to the Rex Hotel. I recently made a video tracing the train route along what is left of the Dunheved Rail stop(soon to be published) The 'Then and Now' comparison would be interesting.
+Terry Nelson
Good luck with your project there. Link them together somehow if you can.
Ah the Rex. Couldn’t find a more friendlier blood bath. Late 60s ?
Awesome video liked 👍 So sad this rail line is no more 😢
Agreed!
This is awesome! 👌🏼
Claudia Laming 😊👍
I must say, I've always wondered what the old line looked, especially from the drivers cab, so thanks for sharing this one mate. I hadn't actually realised how well built the Ropes Creek branch was, I was expecting to see some of the old wooden stanchions and possibly some single track in sections to be honest. Then again, I suppose being an ex Commonwealth Government branch line (correct me if I’m wrong) it would have been built well in the first place. Such a shame that it was closed and pulled up with no future transport planning considered. I believe that much of that area out there is well developed now day. Having a railway line / train service now days would be well utilised by local residence today, I’m sure.
Agreed, Dave. It was probably Brian, the Driver on this run, who told me that the Commonwealth paid for most if not all of this line. I think it largely served a wartime munitions factory, the line being for the workers and also to take away the goods produced. On one fan trip there, we were ordered to stay on the train, I seem to recall.
At some point, we were required to hand in our cameras, I think at Dunheved.
great video.never got on this line,but good to see what it was like.its the next best thing.just shows you after they close down a line and they never forsee the future.never see trains there again.
Interesting to notice the semaphore signals as well as the coloured lights.
With limited usage, I imagine the line was kept going with the minimum of modernisation.
After 5 years it’s still recommended to me
I have no idea how recommendations are chosen, but certainly not by me.
I love this video!! I often wondered what those lines were on Links Road in Dunheved Industrial Area just near the golf club, now after seeing this I know it isn't part of the main Ropes Creek Line!! The rail crossing that's around the bend from Dunheved Station heading towards Ropes Creek, I think that signal box near there is the same one that is still standing!! It's opposite St Marys Leagues Club!! I would love to see an old street directory
+Nicole Livingstone
Hi Nicole, I do have a 1984 UBD which shows with at least a fair degree of accuracy where the Ropes Creek line and its long branch went. Unfortunately it can't be posted here and it is not a good idea to post email addresses or phone numbers here. If you can somehow contact me via CZcams Messages something could be arranged.
Hi Nicole, i think the single line that branches northwest of Dunheved station heads for about a kilometre or so to the former Army land.
Amazing history and heritage.
Thanks!
What a priceless gem of a video this is, I worked at the Commonwealth Munitions Filling Factory when rostered on and off from 1970 to 1975 as a Commonwealth Police Officer, you can see the main entry Guardhouse on the right (9:55) with flagpole and the Australian flag flying, we would raise the flag around 5:00am and lower it around 7:00pm at night, other duties were to check I.D. passes of the car drivers entering the facility, do point duty (directing the traffic) at the cross-roads where the overhead bridge (11:15) is at the AM and PM peak hours when the workers were arriving and departing from work, we would do spot checks (about every 3rd car) when they were leaving, check the car boot and inside the car, just in case someone was trying to sneak out a Naval guided missile or a land-mine to take home as a souvenir. There were also mobile car patrols of the area and along the perimeter fence line 24 hours every day, occasionally we would have to go by police vehicle to the industrial area, and open a padlocked side gate of the facility on a single branch line to give exit and entry for a small diesel shunting locomotive, stopping traffic on the road until the train passed and then padlocking the side facility gate again.
When arriving for duty we would park our cars on the left hand side of the rail line, (10:14) crossing the railway line carefully on the left just after the Guardhouse, I do remember one of our police officers getting hit by a train while crossing the line in his car from memory around about 1972, also part of our duties were to go to the stations and check I.D. passes when the workers got off the train at Cochrane and Ropes Creek Stations in the mornings, the train line finished just after Ropes Creek Station where there was a rear entry gate and a small Guardhouse again to check I.D. passes on the way in and do car spot checks on the way out, that rear gate was only opened at the morning and afternoon peak hours for workers entry and exit, the rest of the day the gate was closed and padlocked.
That was 50 years ago, but this video brings back the memories very clearly. Thanks for this upload and sharing stressteleg1
I’m pleased that this video brought back plenty of memories for you. You account of a typical day there is very interesting. You would not want any works souvenirs going home with the workers!
As a railfan we knew that this line was rather secretive and on tours beyond a certain point, all cameras had to be locked away. So it amuses me a little that I was able to have my video camera in the cab of the train. In fact when we changed ends at Ropes Creek I did not do anything special to hide it although with the line about to close in 1986 I suspect that the factory and security were winding down a bit anyway.
@@tressteleg1 I'm quite sure that the closing down of the rail line was the main reason that you were not hassled for taking the video, they were too pre-occupied with other distractions, lucky for all of us and CZcams that you had the foresight and a bit of courage to video that trip for posterity. 😃 👍
@@alanrandall49 I rather expect that you are correct - more important things to worry about at that time. I used to regularly catch up with the driver Brian Burke on a Friday afternoon, and one day he told me he was doing the Ropes Creek run and probably suggested I bring the camera along. So I took the video. Move along 30 years and I had essentially forgotten that I had taken it then ‘found’ it while checking the tape for potential CZcams material. So I posted it, and it has since become obvious that unless the government has movie film or video of the line, this is all there is of it, plus a few fan photos. On the video day I don’t remember seeing any security people around the station area. Anyway trains normally arrived empty to take the workers home, so in theory there was no security to check.
@@tressteleg1 We are all lucky that you had a friendship with the train driver Brian Burke, and from how you speak of him he was a good soul, it was also fortunate that you decided to check some of your old VHS video cassettes, for as you said 'potential CZcams material' when you did, before they had deteriorated any further! Actually I have a lot of VHS video cassettes that I had recorded and surprisingly most are in quite good condition, I suppose that it depends mainly on the quality of the tape and how you store them. Thanks again, and a Merry Christmas and all the best to you and your family for the New Year. 😃
@@alanrandall49 Well I’m always on the lookout, but think I have just about run out of vintage Aussie rail video.
Whenever I could, I used TDK tapes and most survived quite well. They have been stored in pull-out drawers made for tapes, or cardboard boxes. Just occasionally mould has been a problem. I have a little electronic converter box to change them from analog to digital. Maybe some of your tapes are worth publishing if from a camera and the topic is of general interest.
My pleasure, and all the best for Christmas and New Year to you and yours!
fabulous----loved standin next to driver in old electric trains---ya could back in 50-60s cause his compartment was only half width of ailse---so kid could look out window on right and watch track ahead---like in this film---thanks
Cass Cumerford Exactly! The world has got less and less interesting with time, at least for us.
they should open it back up again, with all the population that is that way now. Thanks for sharing this video, I enjoyed it.
We can easily see now that it was short-sighted to close the line. Surely they knew that housing would blossom in that regions. It would not have been hard to 'leave it in moth balls' for some years until housing developed. Bit late now, sadly.
This has been asked many times over Kath,but the rail authorities have consistently said that this line is not up to modern day rail standards,can you believe this?
Brings back memories from early 60s
Rode it a few times with push bike.
Was munitions still then. Got hunted from riding thru the grounds that used to go all the way thru to the Northen rd by the military police.
At least they should have kept the line going to StMarys Leagues Club😊
Yes the military police would not have liked even a kid on a bicycle going into restricted areas. When I did my video, firstly I think the works was winding down, but perhaps more importantly nobody would expect a camera on a train on a weekday afternoon, especially when accompanied by the driver.
As for not keeping the line, the government must have known that housing was likely to take the place of the factories but they probably did not want another Railway branch which was sure to make great losses.
I was born 11 years after the Ropes Creek Line was finally closed. I plan on modelling Dunheved station, the yard and the branch that went to the Munitions factory. This video definitely helps me. :)
+I went to Bunnings
Glad to be able to help. Being a munitions works, authorities were very sensitive about photography, but who knew who was in a train cab?? Anyway the whole place was winding down by this time. You will have to send a photo when your layout is complete!
Yeah true. I've got a book called "Sydney's Forgotten Military Railways" which has a large chapter of the Ropes Creek Line, track layouts and diagrams and some photos. That, this video and other photos I might find on the net would definitely help me. The last time I saw Dunheved station was in NYE 2008 (a week after I turned 11), and it was pretty run down. I imagine it's gotten worse over the years.
And definitely will do. Although it might be a long while.
@@tressteleg1 The Ropes Creek Line is in Trainz Railroad Simulator 2006!
@TrainsForNSWVlogs Well your video will show how accurate that game is. Maybe they copied from my video. I doubt if anyone else took similar video of this line.
@@tressteleg1 The route in the game isnt made by me.
Bloody hell.. at 11:42 ,you can't even park a coal train at Mount Druitt station before someone starts knocking stuff off..
😊
Hi, mate. I had seen this some time ago but was not sure where I bookmarked it. So glad to find it again. Now saved in the Lost Railways section of my Trains bookmarks. I lived in Werrington just before I think this closed down. I should have tried it out. Thanks again. I need to point you to my CZcams channel to show you what I have been up to with the St Marys workings for the Metro etc. I was there, today. The Box at St Marys for the Metro station is really progressing.
I’m pleased that you found where you had placed it. I did manage to access some of your videos, but did not notice anything relating to Saint Marys. If I missed the link, maybe you could put it here so I could readily access it without hunting.
@@tressteleg1 OK will get all the links on here seeing you are OK with that. There is about 9 of them, going back to the demolition of Station Plaza shops.
@@tressteleg1 Planning on posting a link to my CZcams "Channel". See if you can pick up whatever is in there otherwise I will post links to each of the St Marys Upgrades and Links to my other videos if interested in other trips etc. I seem to not get many comments. I now have them set as not for kids as apparently, that works better for comments??
Just a general link will be best. That should include the St Mary‘s metro thing. No rush, as I have plenty of other things to do here. Your video certainly should be set for adults. There might be all sorts of restrictions for kids-only videos. And anyway your principal viewing audience is adults, but that setting won’t stop kids watching it anyway.
@@tressteleg1 Hi mate, coming by here to tell you I added the old Rope's Creek Link of yours to my recent presentation of the beginning of the work at St Marys for the new overbridge to the Metro that's coming.
Only worked this line once in the few years I was a Sydney guard, certainly could have been netter utilised post defence activity
I think closing and removing it was particularly shortsighted. And the government must surely have known that the area would be used for housing later on.
Just re enforces the lack of foresight of planning in NSW rip up the rail line then fill the area with houses, even using the corridor for light rail connecting to St Mary's would have been smart. Thanks for sharing this vid.
Several people have wondered about this. My thoughts are that perhaps the government simply did not want another loss-making passenger branch, not that I agree with such an approach.
Spending 2 hours in the cab with Brian Burke would have been an experience on its own LOL
I usually finished work early on a Friday and if going to Sydney phoned Brian to get details of his days work. Thus I spent a lot of time riding with him. He always had great tales about his Steam Traction Engine, his club, this and that, as this video shows. Never a dull moment. Great days.
3:35 Talk about wide open spaces on the Cumberland Plain. A very rural feel all the way to Werrington and Kingswood. If the Sydney System Map of July 1985 is any guide it is funny this train came down the red northwestern line instead of staying on the yellow line via Chatswood. 0:34 textbook sound of a compressor on an R or S set. The line to the army camp at Llandilo comes in on the left at 6:50 with the cutting on the side. It sort of does a U-turn from the first station. Funny place to store container flat wagons. Classic sounds of the track without continuous welded rail (CWR) and concrete sleepers. Block telegraph, three bracket semaphore signals, dwarf signals 7:19, section huts, electric light signalling and 1950s metal staunchions this line is full of surprises. March 1986 interesting times, you could catch a suburban train from Ropes Creek to Cowan. 13:00 looks like the line goes further than Ropes Creek but how far I wonder?
Red, yellow, green etc lines did not really matter in those days. Most drivers worked most lines which would be more fun than going up and down one or two lines forever. I believe the line was owned by the Commonwealth and probably not intended to be to permanent so was built a bit on the cheap. My old street directory does not show the line going beyond the station although clearly it did. The line that went west from Dunheved went at least as far as the top of the golf course.
@@tressteleg1 Ta for the feedback. According to old UBDs prior to 1986 the line does cross South Creek into Llandilo for sure. Once I looked on a Google satellite map and the evidence of lifted track work went on for quite some distance beyond South Creek and split up into a yard layout not dissimilar to a POW camp of the war era with long loops and everything. It almost went to The Northern Road. The line terminating at Ropes Creek looks like it gets in with close proximity to Stony Creek Road Shanes Park. I've never been out there but I'm sure it would be like Siberia in winter time especially at night in July or August. I know a heap of 44 and 45 class ex auction locos were cut up en mass at Ropes Creek. If I'm not mistaken Simsmetal is the first siding in the video. Great work on your part to obtain this footage.
MikeFromOz Thanks for your extra detail. I must admit that since I took that video, I have never been anywhere near the place. Unless I had someone to visit, there would be no point. I guess most of the line has disappeared without trace.
@@tressteleg1 Unfortunately yes but it would have been extensively beneficial to the Jordan Springs estate which is built on the site of this extensive munitions works.
I suspect that the government did not want to spend a lot of money doing up a line which was almost falling apart and which would be just another money-losing suburban branch line.
This incredible, As someone who was born in 1993 It is amazing to see history in action. I know the beginning of the Ropes Creek line is just a freight car stable area nowadays. I would be curious if you had any visions of the early days XPT's up Kempsey way ?
+JMSRENFORCER98
Hi. I'm glad that Ropes Creek video has been significant for you. I suppose early days is comparative but the only videos I have of them on the North Coast line were taken in 2005 when you were still a boy. I have not decided the theme for the North Coast videos but will post these scenes in due course.
Thank you, It's amazing to see how much of a time capsule all of this beautiful footage is. It gives me a glimpse into what life was like in Sydney back in the late 20th century. You've got electrification expanding to the outer reaches of the suburban area's, Old "Red Rattler" carriages being mixed with Comeng S set carriages, The old Tulloch double deck cars, S Set trailers being hauled through non electrified area's by diesel alco's, Just amazing. I suppose the most incredible thing is that this vision was at sort of a turning over of an era for Sydney railways, The old single deck stock was being phased out in preparation for the mass growth of Sydney today as we know it. Your vision is incredible my friend. Thanks for a genuinely stimulating look into history.
+JMSRENFORCER98
All my earlier video cameras cost $2000 each and that was over 30 years ago so as you can imagine few people had them. Luckily I put mine to good use with the Sydney scene but of course should have taken more. It is alarming when new trains built in my life time have since been scrapped. Perhaps the biggest shock was the 85 and 86 class Electric locos. Very common so we ignored them. Suddenly they were gone and negligible video of them exists now. Everybody seems to have a camera now but don't take it for granted that all of today's trains will be around forever because they won't and your grandchildren will enjoy any video you take now. As for the single deck red electric trains, only the newspapers called them Rattlers in their last few years and this was intended as a derogatory term. Most fans now call them Red Sets. I don't think I have much older vintage video left to publish but I will check one day. Anyway I'm glad you liked it all and you may find some of my videos from overseas interesting for their similarities and differences from our own.
+JMSRENFORCER98
I don't know if you will see this but I have started work on a video about XPTs on the North Coast line in 2005. I think Kempsey was missed bot there are many other places including the Macksville bridge. It will be published in a few week's time.
Thank you very much, I loved traveling on the XPT as a boy right up until an early teenager. When we moved to Sydney in early 2002 we used to take the XPT back up to Kempsey to visit my great grandma (fat nanna) sadly she's no longer with us and we have a car now so it's much easier but how I would love an excuse to travel on the XPT again before it eventually does get phased out.
I really appreciate your kindness to produce a video of the XPTs and such. btw what was your favourite Conutrylink livery ? For me personally it was the white/blue countrylink livery which I believe came after the red state rail intercity livery.
Love the yobbos walking on the line at 2:15
It must have been known that the munitions plant was closing down and the land would become available for housing, I suspect the government did not want another loss-making commuter rail line so got rid of it smartly.
epic!!!!
That train is still on service today.
I hope they restore and preserve Dunheved Station
As nice as that would be, I think the government will will see other transport projects as being more important.
Has Christie Street been re-routed since this video? I would have thought the level crossing to cross Christie Street would have been between St Marys and Dunheved...
Hi. I have UBD street directories from the mid 1980s and also 2015. Comparing the two, the dotted line on today's map looks accurate. At the time of the video, Christie St did not cross the line but ended just out of sight behind bushes at the end of the left curve, return journey after Cochrane. You cannot see it.
ah, awesome! Thanks for clarifying! I live in the area and was curious about Christie St
Memories
😊👍
Why did the train stations look abandoned? Dunheved looked like it just had a dirt platform and no signs. Ropes Creek had grass all over it.
Also "Two trains in the morning and one in the afternoon"? Were the trains really this infrequent? Was it always like this?
And why was Ropes Creek and Cochrane stations so close together? So many questions I have.
+Old Aussie Ads
A google search will provide a full history of the line which you may find interesting.
Briefly, even in 1986 nobody lived anywhere near the line so trains were only run for change of shift times for the munitions factory, the only reason the line was built.
As the line closed 5 months after the video was taken, stations were not maintained.
We can now say the line should have been mothballed after munitions closed as housing estates are there now, but that did not,happen.
I did a bit of poking around and it seems that by the time this video was filmed (1986) Ropes Creek line had already been closed to the public for 6 years. So I'm thinking this might have been some kind of heritage run for interested patrons before the line was decommissioned for good.
Fantastic video by the way! I'm looking forward to seeing what other videos you've posted.
Mate during WW11 that line was hoping.
So much industry connected to the war supply
Heres hoping it will open again.
@@markf3229 How could it reopen? It's been completely removed and there's roads and houses there now.
@@tressteleg1 The state government doesn't like branch lines so even with the estates now, it would probably close.
Looks like a lot of busy overhead wiring criss crossing and complicated catenery and rails for a humbling beginning to this section of 2 line railway from the main line from Sydney to the mountains....
Just a weird observation from me
As the line served the major munitions works, I think it was built with Commonwealth money so I presume they dictated what they wanted.
@@tressteleg1 more look like they bickered lol
Worked out at Dunheved Signal Box for some months as well as Ropes Creek, As a Safeworking Station Assistant in those days sign on at 0535 so I’d catch P1 parcel van from Pendle Hill and alight at St Mary’s walk some distance to Dunheved or Ropes Creek ( A good few KLM’s) wherever I was rostered, Some instances I’d catch last Up train out in afternoon and leave the Accept and Down Home “Off” and ride first pass out on Down leg in the morning but sometimes a storm would knock the power out and put the sticks back to “On” and I’d hop off and walk to the box and recluse the road, Dunheved and Ropes Creek were split shift boxes whereby you’d work the morning trains and travel on P1 to St Mary’s and work in the goods shed and if required work T127 local trip to Dunheved to place a munitions truck of explosives or a truck for Sims after running around at Dunheved or up to Ropes Creek, Then back to the GoodsShed and after a 2 1/2 hour break work out to Dunheved for afternoon trains, I took many rolls of photos out there and Ropes Creek and never pulled up by Commonwealth police at Ropes Creek and was a Mecca for me with great safeworing equipment like depression bars, FPL’s and wire pulled signals and lots of different signals all now extinct, Early days of my signalman years leaning all the tricks and traps, Awesome video brings so many memories flooding back. Cheers John
Thanks for your fascinating story. I expect that modern workers complain about their jobs which would be much less arduous than you did. Broken shifts - a devil’s invention. A very long day with hours wasted in the middle.
@@tressteleg1 I was lucky enough in 24 years as a Signalman to be qualified for 27 metropolitan signal boxes before went out Chief Traffic Inspector and later Assistant Driver at SSR (34 years all up) to see mostly large lever boxes plus power worked ones, Today’s Signallers wouldn’t know the operation of what sometimes we did to get a wire detector operating or freeing a jammed FPL but in those days help wasn’t always close so to save delays I often left the box to free something or find the fault, Todays regulations prevent that, But as an Inspector I used to conduct training and I always played a video a mate took of me working Chullora Box in 1997 it’s on my CZcams channel ( Chullora Box 1997) but shows how things were before computer screens and clicks of a mouse to set routes, Split shifts whilst long I didn’t mind as if I was out on the shutter at Dunheved the crew which was often Ray Wybrow as driver would have crib out there and given he was the fireman on Pendennis Sastle from Eveleigh to Broadmeadow in the late 70’s we would be deep in conversation and often by the time crib was over and shunt finished I was on overtime so 12 hours in my pocket was better than split shift, The only time I’d ever done it but as a Telephone Boy at Flemington Car Sidings Box in 1982 the Special Class Signalman on day work had an assist on split shift, On break they would often stay at the box as there wasn’t enough time to go anywhere else as it was a travel to get anywhere as nearly all came to work by train, Thank Christ they banished those split shifts to the sands of time😂😂
I will get back to you later, but I am with a retired QR driver and he asked me if any mechanical signal boxes are still working in Sydney. Maybe you know?
@@tressteleg1 As far as I’m aware Gosford Box is still there and a large lever box but that’s about it apart from Coal Stage at Lithgow modernisation has crept up very quickly and in the Metropolitan area in pretty sure all mechanical stuff has disappeared from the scene, Pity great boxes to work
Many Thanks. I will get back to you later today.
This line should never off been closed, or at lest reopen now that houses are out that way.
See the speed signs, on the mine line just as the train comes on the main as it enters St Mary's, the speed sign says 40km/h cross, the straight through says 160kp/h. I I'll have to see what that sign says now, is it still 160 ,or changed to 115 or 140.
As I know government have slowed the trains down as their to scared in case something happens. That line is new now so it should be at 160 or 200 kph it's a joke if they've slowed the trains down.
Imagine being on the old fish or the chip's going through there at 160kph on those old tracks, man it'll be a fun ride.
Several people have the previously commented that the line should never have been closed. But it has taken many years for housing to develop. They should have seen that this was sure to happen. I suppose the railways saw their chance to get rid of it when they could, so grabbed it.
The 160 km/h speed limits referred only to the XPTs. The other trains could not go that fast even if they wanted. I don’t live in New South Wales any more so can’t comment on what speed limits are today I suspect management fear and poor quality of track would have something to do with any reduced limits, certainly Albury to Melbourne.
+tressteleg1 yes but XPT wasn't out when this was filmedI think it was filmed in the late 1970's the XPT come in 1982. I'll have to look it up then get back to you.
The main line now is in top condition eg concrete sleepers plus welded track..
I wish he kept filming out off Home-bush so we all could see who much has changed .
Colin Wilkie
I nearly always put the date at the start of my videos so you must not have seen it was videoed on 31.1.86, about 6 months before closure. I expect that there would have been much more scrutiny for cameras in the 1970s. So clearly XPTs had been around for a few years by that time. One of my other videos deals with them.
Will any section of this line be part of the new route to Badgery's Airport about to commence?
I don’t know but there must surely be maps of the proposed route on the Internet somewhere.
@@tressteleg1 it's not easy to navigate with this question on the internet.
Wouldnt think so.
Goes in opposite direction
As far as reopening it could seeing that there is plenty of new housing going up
in the area.
Trouble is it links to St Marys. A shthole.
@@tressteleg1 Where in change to Ropes Crossing rail line on this side is where the tunnel will come out of the ground from to the Badgery's airport.
What year is this?
this was filmed on 31.1.1986
9:07 heh funny i'm sitting on the ladder thingy for that signal box esc structure
😄👍
The stations on the way are badly neglected. No white lines in the edge. Bad platform surfaces too.
The malaise era of rail.
I dare say that closure of the line had been expected for years, so naturally maintenance would be kept to a minimum.
Anyone know what year this video was taken?
If you watch it again from the beginning, you will see that the date was clearly showing.
Is ropes creek stations the on that’s fenced off in ropes crossing?
Sorry I don’t have the slightest idea. I have not been there since I took the video.
To answer your question, yes it is. Part of Ropes Creek station still exists with the lever frame "bent due to the extreme heat of the fire," the footbridge is still in place. s518.photobucket.com/user/TheLoneGunMan_969/library/Railway%20Stations?page=1 The link is mine to my Photobucket folder. Cochrane Station doesn't exist anymore, and the island platform, footbridge and a signal relay hut are all that is left at Dunheved. You can see in this video that Dunheved Station suffered one of it's first vandal attacks with from the fire that was set in the Station Master's/Signal Box end of the building. Where the Ropes Crossing Blvd bridge crossing Ropes Creek, this is the location of the railway bridge. Cochrane Station was roughly on the western side of Ropes Crossing Blvd. near the roundabout to the Ropes Crossing shopping complex.
Now there are thousands of homes and no public transport! It was criminal to remove this line.
The government of the day must have known the land out there would be used for housing. They are the ones to blame for not at least putting the line into mothballs until enough houses were built out there.
Now days its been replaced with the international modal interchange Hopefly they'll re-open dunheaved station again it'll come in handy for the industrial area.
Unfortunately I think it’s unlikely that there will be any future passenger service on the line.
@@tressteleg1 That really sucks as there were talks last year regarding reopening the line due to re development of the industrial area.
@@RAM_845 Well I don’t live in Sydney, so it’s possible that somebody raised the question. But whether it was an official or just a suggestion from the public is another matter.
@@tressteleg1 True that, btw awesome videos and documentaries brother. keep it up.
@@RAM_845 Well I got a movie camera in 1965 and in 1984 a video camera and was using them to record trains and trams long before the majority of enthusiasts, plus the luck of knowing a driver who did the Ropes Creek run all combined to create this unique video. Glad you liked it.
What year was this gem filmed?
I thought the date was at the beginning. January 1986, I think, only months before closure.
+Sydney Trains Vlogs
Now there r house's all around there now..
No doubt. The line should have been kept to serve them.
What happened to the focus?
If you mean in the whole video, that was the best that ‘State of the Art’ home video cameras could provide. And it cost about $6,000 in today’s money. Not much was lost in VHS to digital conversion. It will look better on your big TV as well.
Oh, okay. A VHS conversion? That explains it. I still have my old original Zenith VM 7030 VHS camera, one of the first self contained VHS cameras produced. I also converted some of my old VHS tapes to digital as well. How man-years ago? ha ha You didn't mention it was an old VHS video or I never would have said anything.
Well the video is clearly labelled as 1986. Digital for the public has come much later than that. At the time we thought it was pretty good, but digital is so very much better. And TVs reproduce the picture very much better than your computer. Try it!
With all the housing being built out there now in 2021 this line would of flourished if left alone!
As I have said before to others, I suspect they closed it because they did not want another loss-making suburban line. Public transport never runs at a profit in this country. There is not enough population to adequately support it.
@@tressteleg1 That line runs mostly south to north from StMarys.
The land west of the line is now being taken up by housing and in a couple of more years it
will be even more
I’m not surprised about the housing, but I suspect that these days governments are only interested in rail public transport where multi story accommodation is the norm.
Smell that electricity . Smells better in the rain .
what year was this filmed?
+jzzonmymang
It is shown at the start. 31.1.1986, just a few months before the last train, a fan special, ran there.
when i was 5 years old. thanks mate and it is an excellent video great to see something that will never be seen again
Why was it shut?
Because the munitions factory was closing so no workers would be riding. Short sighted because housing was sure to follow the closure, and it did.
Because most likely some politician got a big brown paper bag to close and sell to some dodgy developer
The lack of foresight is somewhat regrettable- such a waste of resources
Tressteleg hello please email me I have some questions for you I don’t wish to ask here many thanks
OK but I don’t have a lot of time to spare. Give me an address but insert (at) instead of the normal symbol.
You have my gmail address your message is coming to it
I don’t have your gmail address. CZcams has it and keeps it secret from me.
I can go faster than that train on a bike 🚲
Well the line was about to close so got little maintenance so the track was not in good condition so speeds were lowered.
Why not reopen this line if it still exists today ! This is infrastructure we should be using ask the transport minister today Friday 13 September 2019 I’m sure many people would like it reopened !
That is a question you should ask your government. Would any such line win the Libs any votes??
I’m not interested in winning any politician votes
I’m interested in providing services to the people of Australia
This is the charter of politicians and government to provide services to its constituents
Who are you by the way ? Tresslegg ?
You miss the point. Unless the project will WIN THEIR PARTY any votes, it won’t get built.
I was a Melbourne Tram Driver around 1990 and before that knew a few Sydney train drivers with whom I had plenty of cab rides and more than that.