Main Western railway line, New South Wales

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The Main Western Railway is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Blue Mountains, Central West, North West Slopes and the Far West regions.

Contents 1 Description of route 2 History 2.1 Branches from Wallerawang and Tarana 2.2 Broken Hill line and branches 2.3 Branches north and west of Dubbo 3 See also 4 References

[edit] Description of route

The Main Western Railway Line is a westwards continuation of what is known as the Main Suburban Line between Sydney Central station and Parramatta. The line is six electrified railway tracks between Central and Strathfield, where the Main Northern line branches off. The line is then four tracks as it passes through Lidcombe, where the Main Southern Line branches off, and then through the Sydney suburbs of Parramatta and Blacktown, where the Richmond railway line branches off. At St Marys, the line becomes two tracks as it passes through Penrith and Emu Plains, the extent of Sydney suburban passenger train operation. From Emu Plains, the line traverses the Blue Mountains passing through the townships of Katoomba and Mount Victoria before desending down the western side of the Blue Mountains through ten tunnels to the town of Lithgow. Lithgow is the extent of electric passenger train services, although the electric wires extend to the town of Bowenfels west of Lithgow. The line then proceeds through Wallerewang, where the line beomes single track, and then passses through Tarana, Bathurst, Blayney, Orange (where the Broken Hill line branches), Wellington, Dubbo, Narromine, Nevertire, Nyngan, Byrock and Bourke. The section between Nyngan and Bourke is now closed. Passenger train services operate as far as Dubbo.

[edit] History

In 1855 the first railway in New South Wales, the Sydney - Granville railway opened (see Rail transport in New South Wales). This railway was extended from Granville to the current Parramatta station and Blacktown in 1860 and Penrith in 1863. In 1864, a branch line was built to Richmond, and extended to Kurrajong in 1926, but the extension was closed in 1952, following landslide damage.

The first "little" zigzag line opened near Glenbrook in 1867, a part of the ascent of Lapstone Hill on a gradient of 1 in 30-33, which was built up the side of the range with comparatively light earthwork, although it includes the substantial seven-span sandstone Knapsack Viaduct bult by engineer, John Whitton. By 1910, the line was replaced with a gentler alignment with 1 in 60 (1.67%) grades. The line reached Wentworth Falls in 1867 and Mount Victoria in 1868.

Lithgow Zig Zag Railway, built between 1866/69, was laid in the shape of a Z including points where to reverse, included extremely heavy rock cuttings, three fine stone viaducts with 30-foot semi-circular arches and a short tunnel. In the 1-in-42 descent of the middle road for 67 chains, the line dropped 101 feet between the reversing points, being part of the 550-foot descent from Clarence, then the highest spot on the western line. The Lithgow Zig Zag was replaced in 1910 by a deviation, which included ten tunnels.

The Main Western Line reached Wallerawang in 1870, Tarana in 1872, Bathurst and Blayney in 1876, Orange in 1877, Wellington in 1880, Dubbo in 1881, Narromine, Nevertire, and Nyngan in 1883, Byrock in 1884 and Bourke in 1885. The line between Nyngan and Bourke was abandoned following flood damage at Nyngan in 1989.^[1] A branch line ran from Newnes Junction (near Clarence) to Newnes (now in the Wollemi National Park) from 1907 to 1932 to service an oil shale mine. Its tunnels have become home to glow worms since their abandonment.^[2]

[edit] Branches from Wallerawang and Tarana

A branch line was completed from Wallerawang to Capertee in 1882, Mudgee in 1884, Gulgong in 1909, Craboon and Dunedoo in 1910, Merrygoen, Binnaway and Coonabarabran in 1917 and Gwabegar in 1923.^[3] At one time it was proposed to extend it to Burren Junction to connect with the lines to Walgett and Pokataroo (near Collarenebri). The section north of Coonabarabran has been abandoned. A branch line was opened between Craboon and Coolah in 1910, but it closed in 1982.^[4] A line was built from Merrygoen to Dubbo in 1918.^[5] and another line was built from Binnaway to Werris Creek on the Main Northern Line in 1923.^[6] These lines completed the inland route from Junee to the Hunter Valley. A mountainous branch line ran from Tarana to Oberon from 1923 to 1979.^[7]

[edit] Broken Hill line and branches

Further information: Broken Hill line

A branch line, which is now the main line from Sydney to Perth and Adelaide, was built from Orange to Molong in 1885 and extended to Parkes in 1893, Condobolin in 1898 and Trida in 1919. An isolated section of standard gauge line was also opened from Menindee to Broken Hill in 1919, which met the 1067 mm gauge Silverton Tramway at a break-of-gauge, which connected with the South Australian Railways at Cockburn. The final missing link between Trida and Broken Hill was completed in 1927. In 1969 the Broken Hill - Port Pirie was standardised, completing the Sydney - Perth standard gauge link.

[edit] Branches north and west of Dubbo

• A branch was opened from Dubbo to Gilgandra and Coonamble in 1903.^[8]

• A line was opened from Narromine to Peak Hill in 1910 and extended to Parkes in 1914.^[9] This forms part of an inland route from Junee to Werris Creek.

• A branch line was completed from Nevertire to Warren in 1898.^[10]

• A branch line was built from Nyngan to Cobar in 1894 and the CSA Mine (12 km northwest of Cobar) in 1963.^[11]

• A branch line was built from Byrock to Brewarrina in 1901 and closed in 1974.^[12]

[edit] See also

• Rail transport in New South Wales

[edit] References

1. ^ Main Western Line. www.nswrail.net. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
2. ^ Newnes Line. www.nswrail.net. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
3. ^ Gwabegar Line. www.nswrail.net. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
4. ^ Coolah Branch. www.nswrail.net. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
5. ^ Troy Junction - Merrygoen Line. www.nswrail.net. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
6. ^ Binnaway - Werris Creek Line. www.nswrail.net. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
7. ^ Oberon Branch. www.nswrail.net. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
8. ^ Coonamble Branch. www.nswrail.net. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
9. ^ Parkes - Narromine Line. www.nswrail.net. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
10. ^ Warren Branch. www.nswrail.net. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
11. ^ Cobar Branch. www.nswrail.net. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
12. ^ Brewarrina Branch. www.nswrail.net. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.

Railway lines in New South Wales:
Main lines:	Broken Hill Line,   Main Northern Line,   Main Southern Line,   Main Western Line,   North Coast Line,   South Coast (Illawarra) Line
Country Branch Lines:	Berrima Line,   Blayney - Demondrille Line,   Bombala Line,   BHP Port Kembla,   Binnaway - Werris Creek Line,    Boggabilla Branch,   Canberra Branch,   Cobar Branch,   Coonamble Branch,   Gwabegar Line,   Grenfell Branch,    Hay Branch,   Lake Cargelligo Branch,   Medway Quarry Branch,   Merriwa Branch,   Mungindi Line,   Murwillumbah Branch,    Naradhan Branch,   Oaklands Branch,   Parkes - Narromine Line,   Picton Loop Line,   Pokataroo Branch,   Sandy Hollow - Gulgong Line,    Skitube,   Stockinbingal - Parkes Line,   Temora - Roto Line,   Tottenham Branch,   Troy Junction - Merrygoen Line,   Unanderra - Moss Vale Line,    Walgett Branch,   Wallerawang Colliery Branch,   Warren Branch,   Yanco - Griffith Line
Sydney Suburban Lines:	Airport and East Hills Line,   Bankstown Line,   Carlingford Line,   Cumberland Line,   Eastern Suburbs Line,   Cronulla Line,    Inner West Line,   Illawarra Line,   Metropolitan Goods Line,   North Shore Line,   Northern Line,   Olympic Park Line,   Richmond Line,    Sandown Line,   South Line,   Western Line