Since today is Anzac Day, I will share some military photos that were taken at, or near, the railway station during the war years.

 I dint realise it has been 2 years since my last post.

Since then, I covered the roof of the roundhouse, with styrene sheet. Unfortunately, the heat in the shed, caused the sheet to warp. It took me approx 6 weeks of cutting and gluing to the 42 road roundhouse. I was not happy, and very delusioned.

Then, the bushfires occurred, near my farm. I have never been in that predicament before. I quickly gathered as many precious items as possible, and returned them home to my other residence, closer to Sydney. 

Luckily, the fires only came within 2 kilometres of the farm.

Then, the virus hit, and I was forced to run the company payroll, from home.

During that time, I spent a lot of time, constructing buildings, for the layout, and a diorama.

Then, when things were improving, my company decided not to extend my contract, and I became unemployed. I have a disdain for young workers. They lack experience and knowledge but young managers prefer them over older workers nowadays.

I am still constructing buildings. I prefer to have these in situ, before laying the track. Hopefully, I can show you more on my next update.

Well it has been over 12 months since my last my post.

In that period of time, I have received my 42 road roundhouse and coal stage that I will placing on the layout. This will represent the mini-Enfield side of the layout. Thank you Kevin Rasmussen.

In the last week, I started construction on the model railway, starting on the mini-Enfield side, as this will be built on flat baseboards. Nice and easy. I will then start on construction of the Liverpool side and then build the curves at each end. I will upload some pictures soon on the progress. Exciting times ahead!

New Photos of Liverpool Signal Box

I would like to thank Alex Nadalini for allowing me to post these photos of the signal box.

Well it has been sometime but there has been movement in the camp, so to speak.

I have been able to secure an area at my farm to build a replica of Liverpool.

The total size will be 20m x 10 m.

My aim is to have all the points in Liverpool Yard inter-locked, for simplicity, with all signals connected to the frame, on one side of the layout, and then a staging yard and loco depot, on the other side, maybe a scaled down Enfield with one of the round-houses. The layout will be DCC only.

The next stage is to decide on how the layout will be built. Will I use L girder, a flat baseboard, or something else?

I am sure this weekend's model railway exhibition at Liverpool will give me inspiration.

After this weekend, I intend to commence the design phase and use SCARM to design the layout. I will be using Peco Code 75 track, except for one point in the yard, which was a unique 3 -way point. This will be hand-built. Using code 75 allows me for faster trackwork construction.

Development of Track Plans (courtesy of ARHS)

 

When the line was opened in 1856, it was single line from Dog Trap Road and unfortunately, no plans exist.

The earliest plan that does exists dates from 1888,

When duplication reached Liverpool, another platform was added and it became Platforms 2/3.

 You will note that the signal box was located on Platform 1.

 The next major development was the construction of the Holdsworthy Line. To provide better viewing of the new line, the signal box was relocated to the northern end of Platforms 2/3.

In 1924, the yard was modified again.

In 1929, electrification reached Liverpool and the signaling in the yard was modified,

In 1943, the yard was modified again, and it basically remained in this condition until 1956, when the Collingwood Woollen Siding was disconnected from the Down Siding, and then in 1968 when electrification was extended to Campbelltown. This plan shows Liverpool at its peak and this is the trackplan that I will be modelling on my next layout,

Well my talks at the MRNSW went very well. At first I was nervous, which was expected, and then after 3 talks on the day, I was exhausted.

I was then asked to present a talk at Liverpool Genealogical Society which was done. And now I have been asked to do another talk at the City of Liverpool and District Historical Society. I think I should charge a fee and become a full-time speaker.

Anyway, I have some great news. My local council has approved the construction of my shed at my property in the Picton/Thirlmere area.

I intend to build a shed 25m x 10m of which the majority of the room will be devoted to a model of Liverpool. It will be set in the years 1955-early 1957; as in early 1957 the Challenge Woollen Mills siding were removed from the railway system. It will be based on the track plan of 1943.

I will keep you posted on developments.

Modelling the Railways of NSW (MRNSW)

On 16th May 2015, I will be hosting a talk on the history of Liverpool Railway Station, at the MRNSW at Loftus TAFE . It will go for approx 1 hr. It will cover topics like the station buildings, the goods shed, ticket office, electrification, accidents, and the Moorebank/Anzac Rifle Range Line.

If you have registered at their website, http://www.mrnsw.org.au/, to attend the Convention and nominated my talk as one of your classes, I look forward to seeing you there.

Well it has been over 12 months since I last posted and in that period of time I have continued my research into the station. I have measured the goods shed and am in the middle of preparing HO scale drawings so that I can prepare an article for AMRM and hopefully a model. I am also researching military movements along the Holsworthy/Moorebank Branch during the period I am modelling, 1948 to 1968. As you can imagine this is a slow process as it requires sifting through STN's at the State Records at Kingswood and each year is the equivalent of 4 phone books.

I have also been successful in gaining some photos of Liverpool from ebay. I hope you enjoy them.

The suburb of Ashcroft was named after EJ Ashcroft

An early photo of Scott Street

It looks like a carnival scene in the early 1900's

Georges River Bridge under flood and under normal conditions

This is my favourite as it shows Georges River Bridge prior to the construction of the Holsworthy Branch

Inside Collingwood Woollen Mills

My mate, Bob Winch, has kindly lent me some photos he took in the 1960's along the Moorebank Branch as well as recent photos in 1998 on Churches Lane, Moorebank.

Well it has been sometime since my last post.

I have been concentrating on finishing my current layout before anything else.

However, I have been slowly purchasing new models that fit into the era that I intend to replicate on the new Liverpool layout. Thats the long term goal anyway.

In the meantime, I have been fortunate in having a model made of the signal box. This was done by Models 'N More, http://modelsnmore.com.au/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=137&category_id=10&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=66

In addition, I have also been fortunate in having a scale replica built of the timber road bridge that existed across the Georges River from 1894 to 1958. It is made of hardwood and balsa and measures 1.7 m long. I look foward to the day that I can place it on the layout.

Well I thought it would be a good time to present some new information.

When I intend to build this layout, I am going to re-create the 5-span McDonald Truss road bridge that existed over the Georges River. It was constructed in approx 1894 and demolished approx 1958, to make way for the New Bridge, which they renamed the road Newbridge Road, from Terminus Street Liverpool to Henry Lawson Drive Moorebank.

Here are a sample of some of the plans of the McDonald Truss Road Bridge, that I have been able to obtain from the RTA today,

It is similar in style to the bridges at Galston, Junction and McKanes, that still exist.

Here are some early photos of the bridge,

and the bridge overlooking Liverpool Railway Station,

The road bridge over the Georges River had to be replaced as it restricted traffic movement (it only allowed one way traffic) and posed a safety risk (during a flood in the 1950s it shifted).

In 1958, at Terminus Street, they demolished some houses for the New Bridge,

Here are some early photos of Terminus Street and Speed Street,

and started construction,

The New Bridge was opened on Saturday 15th March 1958 at 2.30 pm by the then Premier J Cahill,

The old bridge was then demolished and then the area reverted back to the railways. Recently, 2011/2012, it was resumed for the extension of the Southern Sydney Freight Line, http://www.ssfl.artc.com.au/

The only remnant of the old bridge was the brick abutment and that lasted until early January 2012,

If you are interested in Timber Road Bridges, the RTA, now RMS (Roads and Maritime Service), have undertaken a Timber Conservation Plan, http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadprojects/projects/maintenance/documents/timber_truss_bridges/rta_timber_bridges_cu.pdf

Now is the time to take photos before your favourite bridge disappears.