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IBIG RAILWAY WORK.
-I
GLENBEOOK DEVIATION.
OPEN TO TRAFFIC.
PARTICULARS OF THE WORK.
Tho railway Uno which is used by trains
travelling up the Blue Mountains Is the
"down" line according to railway parlance,
and, similarly, tho train returns to Sydney on
the "up" line, according to railway termino
"logy. Passengers travelling to the mountains
now travel portion of the journey over a new
route. They will use tho Glenbrook deviation,
which possesses many advantages over the old
route, though it is two miles M chains longer
than the existing road, and measures alto-
gether 7 miles C6 chains. But tllo gradi- on
the new route is 1 in 60 throughout, with the
exception of a short length near Glenbrook
station, where it is 1 in 100. The grado on
tho route previously used up Lapstono Hill
was 1 In 30 for a length of about two miles.
Ono engine will do thq work on tho deviation
routo that it needed two to do on tho old
route, and there will bo no suffocation In the
Glenbrook tunnel.
Tho now routo la picturesque; in fact, rail-
way officers Bay it is one of the most beauti-
ful scenic Journeys on the railways of this
State. Tho dreaded Glenbrook tunnel will be
avoided on tho trip to tho mountains, though
it will bo used on tho journey back. Then the
engino will not be puffing and tolling up a
Btifl grade, but instead will be running down
by gravitation, so that passengers will be in-
convenienced but little. The new journey has
a tunnel, but It is only 11 chains long, and
ÍTHB EIGHT-AECH LVIADIÍCT OVER KNAPSACK GULLY. Help
ÍTHB EIGHT-AECH LVIADIÍCT OVER KNAPSACK GULLY.
is on a grade of 1 in 60. Along -what is called«
tho cliff soction on tho slope of Glenbrook
Creek heavy earthworks had to bo carried out.
Tho height of tho cliffs varied from 240ft to
270ft. Along their edgo tho trains aro now
running, and the routo gives tourlstB and
others a series of boautlful views of scenery
of creek and river, mountain and plain, and
hill and valley, that was not before possible.
The deviation commencos at Emu Plains,
3G miles 52 chains from Sydney, and branches
away in a northerly direction for about a milo
and a quarter. It crosses the existing Uno
again at about 37 milos 30 chains. Thence it
travels along tho slope between the existing
Uno and the Nepean River, crossing Knapsack
Gully over a double line brick viaduct, built
on eight arches. Travelling along tire edge of
tho cliffs 400ft above Glonbrook Crook, the
passenger can obtain splendid views of tho
Nepean River. The tunnel is at the southern
end of tho spur on which Glenbrook village
is situated. Travelling north-westerly, the
routo runs on to the site of the new Glenbrook
station, which is about a quarter of a mile
south of the old site. Tho doviation continues
in a north-westerly route, and passes under
the old line at about 41 miles, and then in a
westerly direction to Blaxland station, joining
the old Uno at 41 miles 64 chains.
Tho work was commenced in March, 1311, and
on Sunday last what is known to railway men
as tho "down" road was opened to traffic, the
trains travelling up to tho mountain resorts
by the new route. The formation has boen
taken out for a double line, and tho second
road will bo ready tor traffic about the end
of June. The existing line is to bo rotainod
as a relief road, but it will only be used for
trains journeying to Sydney, and not on their
journey to tho mountains. The now road will
make little or no différence in tho time taksn,
but, besides relieving congestion, it will avoid
tho Glenbrook Tunnol, and give an castor
grado and a moro picturesque route. Tho
work has boen carried out on the day-labour
system by the department of the Engineer-in
Chlef for Existing Lines.
Railway officers are very proud of their
achievement. The greatest number of men
employed at any one time was 1400, and at
that timo their fortnightly pay averaged
about £6000. Ever}' advantage was taken of
modern appliances in carrying out the work.
A powor-Tiouso capable of generating a 2200
volt current, erected at Glenbrook, carried
electricity over the works to the faces of the
cliffs, and so supplied power for working the
compressod-air drills, -which auger-like bored
the way through tho mountain. Portion of the
Zig-zag waB used for running materials along;
in other places temporary, but sturdy, lines
had to bo erected. At tho Bluff, whore tho
tunnel was cut, tho work was carried out from
a shelf cut Into a wall of the roclc To get
tho material down, what was known as a
funicular railway had to bo built. Part of it
had a drop of 1 in 12, while for the rest the
journey down was 1 in 3. The. tunnol itself
was lit up .by electricity, and fans kept tho
air pure.
On this doviation the steam navvy was first
tried on Stato railway works, and proved a
great success. Its great scoop or shovel
soized earth and rock, and tossed them aside,
accounting for about 23 tons at each ponder-
ous movement. Steam derrick locomotive
cranes tossed huge bouldors about with caso;
olsowhoro steam travelling gantries did their
Herculean work with equal facility.
A year ago an estlmato of tho probable cost
of tho deviation was given at £200,000. Par-
ticulars of tho actual cost aro not yet avail-
able. Much of tho plant purchased for the
work will bo transferred to other works, and
so adjustments must bo made. When the pro-
posal was first submitted to the Public Wortes
Committee it provided for a singlo track, but
in view of the heavy nature of tho work, and
the difficulty that would havo followed the
building of a double track later, it was decided
to make tho lino a double one at once. This,
of coursoe added greatly to the cost Then
again the increases granted tho mon em-
ployed, and tho oxtra prico of materials,
brought tho cost of tho work to a mach higher
figure than was at first contomplatod.