RE: A JOURNEY TO NATIONAL PARK BEFORE THE TRAMS.
  Noel Reed

Hi Pete,

I did a search through my old pocket notes of photos. The train B21 was in
fact near Loftus.

Considering the infrequent electric train service beyond Sutherland in the
fifties, I had

thought that two electric trains passing each other south of Sutherland was
unlikely.

The record has been duly amended.

Apologies and many thanks.

I have copied this to Bob Merchant to amend his records.

Noel Reed.

From:TramsDownUnder@... [mailto:TramsDownUnder@yahoogroups.com]

Sent: Friday, 17 November 2017 11:03 AM
To: 'Noel Reed';TramsDownUnder@...; 'Adam Greaves'; 'Terry
Boardman'; 'Howard Clark'; 'Mal Rowe';filanddavid183@...; 'Ian
Saxon'; 'Danny Adamopoulos'; 'Greg Sutherland'
Subject: RE: [TramsDownUnder] A JOURNEY TO NATIONAL PARK BEFORE THE TRAMS.
[1 Attachment]

Noel,

I don't know how I can say this politely . having lived at Loftus for over
50 years, I should know my local station. The location of your photo IS
approaching Loftus on the down direction and definitely NOT approaching
Jannali.

On this occasion, your photo recording is not correct and you should amend
same to "approaching Loftus".

The overhead structures between Sutherland and Loftus Junction were of the
same steel stanchions design as those north from Sutherland, as it was
originally intended that suburban electrification would extend to Waterfall.
Possibly the Depression changed the Government's mind as the substation
intended for the Engadine-Heathcote section was instead erected on the
Bankstown line. It was only the track from Loftus Junction to The National
Park that received the wooden poles, which still remain to this day as part
of the Sydney Tramway Museum's tourist line.

While there was a frequent service of electric trains to The (Royal)
National Park on weekends and public holidays, electric trains only ran
there on weekday afternoons in the early peak - solely as a means of getting
them out of the way of other services at Sutherland (down and up Cronulla
trains using platforms 3 and 1 respectively, with the rail motors
terminating and starting from platform 2). To terminate another train in
platform 2 would take the best part of ten minutes, including clearing the
track into the platform, arrival, driver changing ends, waiting for a path
out, departing, clearing the section, etc.. A mid-morning rail motor was
run on weekdays to the Park and return for any hikers, etc., but they would
need to wait for one of the electrics in the late afternoon for the return,
or walk a little further to Loftus station! This excludes "driver
training" with electric trains, carried out from time-to-time after the rail
motor returned from its morning trip and before the afternoon electrics.

The level crossing between (old) Como and Jannali was located very roughly
mid-way between the two stations, in hilly terrain. Your photo shows
flatter surrounds. &n bsp; The level crossing at Loftus was immediately on
the Sutherland side of the station. The gate-keeper's residence at Como
was on the up side of the track, the residence in your photo is on the down
side of the line. The terrain between Sutherland and Lotus is a flat ridge
over which the line is located, before the climb of Loftus Bank is
commenced.

I'll attach a photo of mine of Loftus station in the 1960s, from which you
and others will be able to see that the station your photo is the same as in
mine.

Noel, please accept that on this occasion, the photo record isn't correct
and change it to "approaching Loftus".

Cheers,

Peter Neve

Hunslet

From: Noel Reed [mailto:noelreed10@bigpond.com]
Sent: Thursd ay, 16 November 2017 10:57 PM
To:TramsDownUnder@...; 'Adam Greaves' adamg@...>;
'Terry Boardman' terry.boa@...>; 'Howard Clark'
hclark@...>; 'Mal Rowe' mal.rowe@...>; filanddavid183@...; 'Ian Saxon' ian_saxon@...>; 'Danny
Adamopoulos' danny.adamopoulos@...>; 'Greg Sutherland'
gregsutherland@...>

Subject: RE: [TramsDownUnder] A JOURNEY TO NATIONAL PARK BEFORE THE TRAMS.

Hi Pete,

My photo record says 'near Jannali'.

The OHW structures as far as Sutherland were steel 'portal structures'.
Beyond Sutherland to the National Park they were timber with span wire
support as far as Loftus Junction, then inclined catenary on the branch line
[see attachment] from Loftus to National Park. The original 1926 Sutherland
- Loftus OHW structures were all replaced when electrification was extended
to Waterfall.

The electric train in my picture [near Jannali] would have come from
Cronulla as there was never more than one train at a time to and from
National Park. The electric trains then only ran to and from National Park
to serve Loftus residents in weekday pea k hours. Waterfall passengers had
to change at Sutherland to CPH rail motors at that time.

There was once a manual level crossing [with a gatekeeper's hut and bells
to warn him of Down or Up trains] between Como and Jannali. A train/car
accident once happened at that level crossing. I have seen the plan of the
level crossing which was prepared in the S&T Wynyard drawing office for the
accident inquiry.

Noel Reed.

From:TramsDownUnder@... [mailto:TramsDownUnder@yahoogroups.com]

Sent: Thursday, 16 November 2017 9:06 AM
To:TramsDownUnder@...; 'Adam Greaves'; 'Terry Boardman';
'Howard Clark'; 'Mal Rowe';filanddavid183@...; 'Ian Saxon'; 'Danny
Adamopoulos'; 'Greg Sutherland'
Subject: RE: [TramsDownUnder] A JOURNEY TO NATIONAL PARK BEFORE THE TRAMS.

Really appreciate the postings of Noel's ea rly photos . May they continue,
please!

A small correction, though, to the caption for image 604-4.

The scene is approaching Loftus station, not Jannali. Noel's train would
have been delayed waiting for an opposing train included in his photo from
The (Royal, if taken after 1955) National Park to clear the branch junction.

Just visible on the left hand side is the r gate-keeper' ;s timber-built
residence, later destroyed by fire. The gate-keeper looked after the
manually operated level crossing at the Sydney end of Loftus platform.

The down platform shows a small timber waiting shed, which was still there
in the 1960s. This was a 1916 designed "Unattended platform waiting shed",
a couple of which still remain around the System today - one, in a slightly
modified form being located on the down platform at Exeter in the NSW
Southern Highlands. I am currently having a waiting shed to this design
being built for placement on my Loftus platform, part of my Pete's Hobby
Railway, located on my small acreage at Junee in the NSW Riverina. (
http://www.peteshobbyrailway.club www.peteshobbyrailway.club for further
particulars.)

Hunslet

From: mailto:TramsDownUnder@yahoogroups.com TramsDownUnder@... [ mailto:TramsDownUnder@yahoogroups.com
mailto:TramsDownUnder@yahoogroups.com ]
Sent: Wednesday, 15 November 2017 9:30 PM
To: mailto:TramsDownUnder@yahoogroups.comTramsDownUnder@...;
Adam Greaves < mailto:adamg@y7mail.comadamg@...>; Terry Boardman <
mailto:terry.boa@bigpond.comterry.boa@...>; Howard Clark
hclark@...>; Mal Rowe mal.rowe@...>; filanddavid183@...; Ian Saxon ian_saxon@...>; 'Danny
Adamopoulos' <danny.adamopoulos@gmail. com
mailto:danny.adamopoulos@gmail.%20com >; Greg Sutherland
gregsutherland@...>
Subject: [TramsDownUnder] A JOURNEY TO NATIONAL PARK BEFORE THE TRAMS. [7
Attachments]

Here are several of my pictures taken on the way from Como to the National
Park line before it became a tramway.

Noel Reed.

_____


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661 - 4 view from front of train near Loftus NFR  |  1950W x 1300H  | 973.36 KB |  Photo details