by Brian Hogan
For me though, the highlight of the bid proposal works was dinner at the Spanish Ambassador’s residence. It will be remembered as a ‘once in a life time’ event.
Solve the Problem
It was full steam ahead with the construction associated with the widening of the rail embankments and cuttings associated with the electrification of the rail corridor from Waterfall to Wollongong.
As the Earthworks project Manager, I had construction teams at numerous locations along the rail corridor where major earth machinery was engaged in this work. The section between Waterfall and Stanwell Park was an especially interesting section to work within as it traversed the Royal National Park, was close to the Pacific Ocean and its rivers were classified as “P” by the Department of Environment which meant that they were to be kept pure and free from sedimentation.
Access along the rail corridor was very restricted as having large plant and six-wheeler trucks moving down fire trails destroying the natural vegetation was just not on. Further the haul roads had to be kept on the rail corridor and fill removed from one site had to be, as much as possible, used on the rail corridor.
Photo 42 - Using Lilyvale platform as site access road
Some of the rail cuttings were very high and primarily of sandstone consistency so excess fill had to be used where you could on site where embankments were required to be widened.
Photo 43 - Showing platform lean to the track
I managed all this work from the construction office located at Thirroul on the south coast, just north of Wollongong. Here design, geotechnical investigations, community consultation and environmental management was centralised for these works.
The result was to allow for the overhead wire construction teams to follow through and construct the OHW masts and substations for the electrification. Further the widened embankments and cuttings would also allow for better maintenance access to locations that were currently inaccessible.
One of my work teams was working at a location just south of the existing but disused Lilyvale Station. This station which opened in 1915 when the line was duplicated, existed now of only the platform on each side of the track but had no commuters as trains had not had a timetable stop since 1983.
It was decided to use the platform on the coastal side as the main access route to the cuttings just south of the station as no other access routes were readily available. Geotechnical results showed that the platform could sustain the loaded six-wheeler trucks along the platform as long as they did not get too close to the platform edge.
Heavy plant moved into the area and the six-wheeler tip trucks traversed into and out of the site by way of the platform itself.
There was a temporary speed on through this site because of these works. This meant that trains were on reduced speed whist the works were occurring.
The intent was to remove the disused platform once works were completed as part of the cutting widening process as they moved away from the site.
After work had been going on for about two weeks I received a telephone call one Saturday morning from Operations control. An interurban passenger train traversing through the site had struck the platform edge as it moved through the station
Photo 44 - Removal of the station platform
It appeared that over the previous two weeks with heavy road traffic moving across the platform, the platform edge had moved out at one location and was now inside the kinematic envelope causing it to be now foul of structure gauge. The kinematic envelope was that design portion around the rail that allowed for the profile of the train to pass through without obstruction.
I rang up and spoke to the site foreman who advised he was aware of the incident and urgent work was now in hand to rectify the situation.
Photo 45 - Platform almost removed
The train was examined when it arrived at Wollongong and found that minimal damage had occurred. Just a few scratches down the side of some carriages with no injuries to its passengers. The driver had remarked that he had heard a loud squeal as he went through the station platform.
The platform now had heavy plant working to remove the platform coping or edge from the location where it was foul. Works were completed prior to allowing the next train through this section.
As a result of this incident I directed the work team to then fully remove the platform in its entirety, so this would not occur again. The access to the worksite for the heavy machinery was now at rail level rather than at platform height level.
Lilyvale station now was removed in its entirety and as such all signs that it ever existed at all. That was a close call.
Another station has now been lost to posterity.
Acknowledgements
The writing of this book would not have occurred if it was not for the support of the those who have been involved in Railway Historical Societies and who have provided some of the background historical data.