Blayney–Demondrille railway line
The Blayney–Demondrille railway line is a railway line in New South Wales, Australia. The line is used mainly for grain haulage and is owned by the Transport Asset Holding Entity, a government department of Transport for NSW. However, in 2004 ...
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New South Wales
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, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
, Australia.
It was always an "a" stop in the public timetables, meaning that passenger trains only stopped if passengers wished to join or alight. No passenger train was scheduled to stop.
Construction
The line between
Young
Young may refer to:
* Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents
* Youth, the time of life when one is young, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood
Music
* The Young, an American roc ...
and
Cowra
Cowra is a small town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest population centre and the council seat for the Cowra Shire, with a population of 9,863.
Cowra is located approximately above sea level, on the ...
was opened in 1886, but Crowther station was not opened until 1888 and, initially, no platform was provided. The facilities at the station at the time of opening are unknown, however a platform 45 feet (13.7 m) long was completed on 1 December 1889.
Water tank
Crowther was located at the foot of a 5-mile (8 km) steep gradient. In the 1890s, freight trains stopped at the station to split their loads into two sections. This practice ceased about 1900 when more powerful locomotives were introduced.
Crowther Creek, situated 1 mile 17 chains (1.95 km) south of the station, was the location for the supply of water for steam locomotives. In 1888, a well was built in the creek bed and a pump, powered by a steam boiler, raised water to a 20,000 gallon (75686 litre) water tank to which was attached an 8-inch (20 cm) jib. The tank was placed out of service in 1905 following the establishment of a permanent water supply at
Koorawatha
Koorawatha is a town in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia, on the Olympic Highway between Cowra and Young. It was once a large and thriving centre of activity but now has only a hotel and a cafe.
The Koorawatha Hotel h ...
.
Traffic at the station
Crowther was the quintessential small, rural Australia station. Its primary purpose was to convey rural products from the area to Sydney. The main products loaded were bagged wheat, wool and livestock. The platform and freight facilities were placed on the western side of the line to provide the most convenient access for the local landholder(s). Stockyards were provided until 1970 and the goods siding closed about 1980.
Closure
The passenger station closed on 6 April 1975 and it was demolished 10 years later.
Further reading
''A Brief History of Crowther Station'' Sharp, Stuart