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Trackside Videos

TRV53

Trackside Videos - TRV53 - Main South Line Pt.3 - Cootamundra to Junee (DVD)

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This presentation, Main South Line Pt 3, continues on from where Main South Line Pt 2 concluded, and covers passenger and freight train operation on both the ‘down’ and the ‘up’ as we move this time from Cootamundra to Junee.

As detailed in Pts 1 and 2, the Main South Line had opened down to Moss Vale by 1867, to Goulburn by 1869 and to Cootamundra by 1877. Some 8 months later, on the 6th July 1878, the 56 kilometre section from Cootamundra to Junee was officially opened. Later on when duplication of the track occurred, two difficult steep sections of track, at Frampton and Bethungra, resulted in significant deviations to ease the grade in the ‘up’ direction, the ‘up’ tracks being 1.7 and 2.8 kilometres longer than the ‘down’ respectively, and the latter featuring a spiral. In this presentation we take a cab ride up the Bethungra Spiral.

A branch line from Cootamundra Junction to Gundagai was completed in 1886 and later extended to Tumut, with a subsequent sub-branch from Gilmore Junction to Kunama, in 1903 and 1923 respectively. Unfortunately severe flooding in 1984 extensively damaged the track between Cootamundra and Gundagai and the entire branch was declared closed that year. A group named Mountain High Railway operated on the tracks around Gilmore in 1998 but ceased around 1990. The other branch line added was from Junee Junction to Narrandera and Hay in 1881 and 1882 respectively. The latter section was closed beyond Willbriggie in 1985.

Locomotive classes seen in this presentation include EL, G, GL, L, NR, X, T, 422, 44, 442/JL, 47, 48/830, 80 and 81 in the liveries of ATN Access, Australian National, Austrac, CFCLA, Freight Australia, Freight Corp, Interail, LVRF, National Rail, Pacific National and RTS (Rail Technical Support) while passenger equipment includes XPTs and Explorers of CountryLink.

Approximate run time: 97 minutes.