Cougal Spiral facts for kids
The Cougal Spiral is a special railway tunnel and a unique part of the North Coast railway line in Australia. It helps trains travel between New South Wales and Queensland through a place called Richmond Gap. It was built in 1930 and is also known by names like the Border Loop railway formation and landscape and Cougal To Border Loop. This important site was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999.
Trains need to climb a steady slope from Kyogle to reach the highest point, which is a tunnel right at the border between the two states. This border is also where the land divides, sending water in different directions. The Cougal Spiral and its related parts are located about 871 to 876 kilometers (around 541 to 544 miles) from Sydney Central railway station.
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| The Brisbane Mail crossing over No.1 Spiral Tunnel in 1940 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Line | North Coast railway line |
| Location | Richmond Gap connecting New South Wales and Queensland, Australia |
| Coordinates | 28°21′16″S 152°57′51″E / 28.354390°S 152.964038°E |
| Operation | |
| Owner | Transport Asset Holding Entity |
| Operator | Australian Rail Track Corporation |
| Technical | |
| Length | A series of three tunnels:
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| Gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Grade | 1.5% |
| Route map | |
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How the Cougal Spiral Works
The railway line climbs almost constantly at a steep slope of 1.5%. It also has many curves with a radius of 240 meters (about 787 feet). Near Cougal, the valley runs out, and there's no more space for the line to continue climbing forward.
Luckily, there's a hill that allows the railway line to loop back over itself. This helps the train climb 30 meters (about 98 feet) higher without moving much further ahead. Soon after this spiral, the Border Tunnel is reached, and the line then goes downhill on the other side. The spiral includes two short tunnels. One is where the track passes under itself, and another goes through a small part of the hillside.
The main tunnel at the border is about 1600 meters (about 5249 feet) long. It's actually made up of three separate tunnels. Building a shorter tunnel at a lower point might have been possible without the spiral. However, this would have meant a much longer and more expensive main tunnel. It also could have caused problems with fumes from the original steam locomotives and later diesel engines.
You can easily see the Cougal Spiral from parts of the Lions Road. This structure is considered historically important because of its unique design and engineering. It opened on August 29, 1930. It was part of the extension of the North Coast line from Kyogle to South Brisbane.
The Cougal Railway Spiral and Landscape includes several key parts:
- An underbridge made of five 20.12-meter (about 66-foot) steel sections on concrete supports.
- A 192-meter (about 630-foot) concrete tunnel.
- Another 177-meter (about 581-foot) concrete tunnel.
- The Border Loop crossing, which is no longer there.
- A long 1160-meter (about 3806-foot) tunnel right on the border with Queensland.
The entire section of the railway line from Cougal to the Border Loop forms the spiral.
History of the Border Loop
The Border Loop officially opened on August 29, 1930. This event was very important because it finally connected New South Wales and Queensland by rail through Richmond Gap.
Why the Cougal Spiral is Special
As of July 2013, the Cougal to Border Loop section of the North Coast Line was recognized as a remarkable engineering achievement. It shows how engineers in the 20th century found a clever way to build a railway through the very steep mountains at the border between New South Wales and Queensland.
The Border Loop railway formation and landscape was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999, because it met important criteria.
It shows an important part of New South Wales' history. Finishing the Cougal to Border Loop section of the North Coast Railway was a huge engineering success in the first half of the 20th century. It was one of several big projects in New South Wales that allowed trains to travel continuously between Sydney and Brisbane.
It shows great creative and technical skill in New South Wales. The way the tunnels, crossings, underbridge, and spiral are combined makes this a very important example of a smart and successful railway engineering solution.
It is a rare and special part of New South Wales' history. The railway spiral at Border Loop is one of only two railway spirals in all of New South Wales, making it quite unique.
