Glenbrook Deviation (1913) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Glenbrook Deviation (1913) |
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|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Owner | Transport Asset Holding Entity |
| Locale | Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia |
| Termini | Emu Plains station 33°44′44″S 150°40′19″E / 33.7456°S 150.6719°E Blaxland station 33°44′37″S 150°36′35″E / 33.7436°S 150.6096°E |
| Service | |
| Type |
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| System | Main Western line |
| Services | NSW Trains |
| History | |
| Opened | 11 April 1913 |
| Technical | |
| Track length | approx. 7 miles (11 km) |
| Number of tracks | Double |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
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Invalid designation
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| Official name | Glenbrook Railway Deviation |
| Type | Local government heritage (built) |
| Designated | 27 December 1991 |
| Reference no. | s.170 |
| Type | Railway line |
| Category | Other - Transport - Rail |
| Builders | Department of Railways |
The Glenbrook deviation is a special part of the Main Western Line in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the beautiful Blue Mountains, connecting Emu Plains to Blaxland. This section of railway track is about seven-mile-long (eleven-kilometre) long. It has two tracks, meaning trains can travel in both directions at the same time.
This railway section was built between 1911 and 1913. It replaced an older, single-track railway path and a tunnel from 1892.
Contents
Building the Railway
The First Tunnel
Back in 1890, engineers wanted to find a better way for trains to cross the Blue Mountains. The old path, called the Lapstone Zig Zag, was tricky for trains. So, they decided to build a tunnel. Work on this first tunnel began in 1891.
The railway line went into a long tunnel, about 2,165-foot-long (660 m). It had a steep slope of 1 in 33, meaning for every 33 metres forward, it went up 1 metre. After the tunnel, the line rejoined the original railway at Glenbrook. The old Glenbrook Station was near where the skate park is today, next to the Great Western Highway.
Problems with the First Tunnel
However, this first tunnel caused many problems. Even though it removed the difficult Zig Zag, the tunnel's design was not good.
First, the steep slope made it hard for trains to climb. Second, and most importantly, there was a big problem with air flow. The tunnel only had one track, making it very narrow. Also, it had a curve inside, which made the air even worse.
Passengers often struggled with smoke and fumes from the train engines. Sometimes, trains would even slip on the tracks halfway through the tunnel. This forced the engine crews to go back out for fresh air. In 1908, a train backing out of the tunnel crashed into another train waiting at the entrance.
The New and Improved Deviation
Because of these issues, a new railway path was planned. In 1910, work started on what we now call the Glenbrook deviation. At this time, the entire Main Western Line over the Blue Mountains was being upgraded to have two tracks.
The new Glenbrook deviation replaced the problematic 1-in-33 slope with a much gentler 1-in-60 slope. This new railway section crosses the Glenbrook Gorge and is still used by trains today.
