Belmont railway line, New South Wales

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The Belmont railway line (32°58′S, 151°43′E) is an abandoned coal haulage and passenger rail line from Adamstown, New South Wales to Belmont, New South Wales. It is in the process of being converted into a cycleway- the Fernleigh Track. The project is a joint venture between Newcastle City Council and City of Lake Macquarie. In 1880 a rail line was built to Redhead, New South Wales with the line being extended to Belmont, New South Wales in 1916. At one stage there was talk of extending the line to Swansea, New South Wales.

At Kahibah Station, the cycleway is crossed by the Great North Walk, a 250km walking trail connecting Newcastle, New South Wales and Sydney, New South Wales. The Track also passes through the centre of the Glenrock Lagoon catchment.

[edit] Track Details

Looking south along The Fernleigh Track from near Adamstown railway station

Looking north from gate on right of above photo across Park Avenue level crossing towards former junction

Station / Platform (km)

• Adamstown: (0)
• Fernleigh: (2.816)
• Kahibah: (3.782)
• Dudley Junction: (4.587)
• Burwood Platform: (5.090)
• Whitebridge: (5.774)
• Redhead: (9.274)
• Redhead South: (10.561)
• Jewells: (12.130)
• John Darling Platform: (12.392)
• Belmont: (15.510)

Track Statistics

• Level crossings, 5
• Tunnels, 1 (curved - 181 metres)
• Over Bridges, 2
• Drive through culvert, 1 (Little Flaggy Creek)
• Stations or Platforms, 10
• Signal Boxes, 4
• Major colliers served, 5
• Maximum gradient, 1 in 40
• Minimum elevation, 5 metres (nr Belmont Station)
• Maximum elevation, 88 metres (on main line)
• Length of Line, 15.51 km

[edit] History of the line

• 1880: Rail line opened to Redhead
• December, 1916: Rail line extended to Belmont
• October 12, 1922: Special train left Newcastle for the opening of "Soldiers' Memorial Hall" at Kahibah.
• January, 1925: Redhead Loop name changed to Fernleigh Loop
• 1967: Last passenger steam train to Belmont
• April 8, 1971: At 17:10 (utc+10) the last rail passenger train to Belmont via Kahibah left Newcastle Station.
• December 19, 1991: Rail line closed
• February 2, 2003: Adamstown to Kahibah Station stage of the Fernleigh Track (cycleway) opened
• August, 2004: Dudley Junction to Whitebridge Station section of Fernleigh Track completed
• May 7, 2005: Kahibah Station to Whitebridge Station section officially opened.

[edit] External links

• http://www.kahibah-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/links/kahibah_and_environs/belrail/belrail.htm Kahibah Public School's Fernleigh Track site
• http://www.nswrail.net/lines/show.php?state=NSW&line=belmont NSWRail.net diagram of Belmont line
• http://www.railcorp.info/__data/assets/file/686/Curve__and__Gradient_Diagrams_V2-0_b.zip Curve and gradient data including the Belmont line

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