Скачать или смотреть Bogan Gate North NSW track destroyed by rain flood. Sun 13th Nov 2022

The Tottenham branch line in NSW did not escape damage from recent rains, with the start of the branch line, which commences at Bogan Gate NSW, severely damaged after a storm on Sunday night 13th of November 2022 dumped around 80-100mm of rain in just four hours. The video is a "Down Main" direction walk, a "Up Main" direction walk will be published later.

A torrent of water rushed from the town side of the line through the rail corridor carrying away ballast and underlying earth leaving the railway line suspended in air in places. The water continued on through the neighbouring farmers paddock to Gunningbland Creek which is just beyond the trees.

Railway history was revealed, due to the wash away, with mounds of coal cinder, from steam engines, clearly seen. The coal cinder was used as base packing (mixed with gravel) when the line was constructed in 1906. Coal cinder was also used as a base foundation for the concrete silos in Bogan Gate constructed by hand in 1918/19.

The video was recorded from the border of the Bogan Gate Yard Limits into the Bogan Gate North sector not far from town. On the main western line a similar wash away occurred at Parkes Racecourse, Koroo, Carlachy West, Monomie and Derriwong.

Damage has been so severe in places that the section from Condobolin West to Euabalong West (the main Sydney NSW to Perth WA corridor) is not expected to be repaired and open for rail traffic until mid or late January 2023.

The Tottenham branch is a non priority branch line and it will not be undertaken until the main western line has been fully repaired and opened for rail traffic. It's a "Pioneer" class five branch line using light weight 60lb track. The manufacturer of this line, B. V Steel of of Middlesborough, England's stamp on each 30 foot section can still be seen clearly, some sections are dated 1902 and others 1901.

The majority of the track joints were actually made in the USA by Carnegie Limited (Carnegie Steel Co) of Braddock, Pennsylvannia USA. The company was founded by a Scottish who immigrated to America named Andrew Carnegie who established the company in 1892 and was renown for the mass production of railway steel.

It's interesting to note that there are two timber sleepers at every 30 foot rail join along the section. Steel sleepers were only introduced in recent times. In March 2004 RIC (Rail Infrastructure Corporation) was awarded $5.3 million to re-sleeper at least 94% of the line and upgrade bridges against flooding. However, the money fell short of the task at hand.

John Holland CRN installed 36,000 steel sleepers between 2013/14 and a further 41,500 more steel sleepers were added in 2015 with the 112 kilometre line to Tottenham 100% steel sleepers except for the rail joint sections which retain timber sleepers.

Did you know? The last recorded major flooding took place on the 24th of February 1955 disrupting the line at six points where scours varied from two to three feet in height. Repairs were completed between Bogan Gate and Tullamore by the 26th of February 1955. Back then, the line rated high on the importance scale than it does today!

1300hrs on Wednesday 23rd of November 2022.