The Glenbrook deviation was a section of track on the Main Western line from the first Knapsack Viaduct to old Glenbrook station in the Blue Mountains of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , 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. The approximately deviation was constructed from 1891 to 1892 and replaced the

Lapstone Zig Zag The Lapstone Zig Zag was a Zig Zag (railway), zig zag railway built between and stations on the Main Western railway line, New South Wales, Main Western line of New South Wales in Australia. Constructed between 1863 and 1865 to overcome an othe ...

. The deviation was closed in 1913 when it was replaced by the second Glenbrook deviation and the second Glenbrook Tunnel, that continues to carry the Main Western line today.

History

In 1890 it was proposed to bypass the troublesome Lapstone Zig Zag by using a

tunnel A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube cons ...

. This proposal was approved and in March 1891 tenders were called for its construction. The line left Bottom Points and continued into a gully before entering the tunnel, on a continuous 1-in-33 gradient. After emerging just below the original alignment, the line curved to the left and ascended slightly before rejoining the original line at Glenbrook. The site of the original Glenbrook Station now lies to the right of the

Great Western Highway Great Western Highway (also known as Broadway from to , Parramatta Road from Chippendale to , and Church Street through Parramatta) is a state highway in New South Wales, Australia. From east to west, the highway links Sydney with Bathurst, ...

, near the skate park. However, the deviation soon proved to be somewhat of a disaster. Even if it did eliminate the Zig Zag which restricted train length, the problem was the design of the tunnel. The first problem was the climb, the tunnel being on a steep, continuous 1-in-33 gradient. The second and main problem was ventilation. The tunnel was single-track, which made the dimensions tight, and towards one end was a curve, which made the ventilation even worse. Passengers found themselves fighting off smoke and fumes from the locomotive. Trains would begin slipping halfway through the tunnel, forcing engine crews to retreat for air. In one incident of 1908, a retreating train met with another down goods train in a collision at the tunnel mouth. In 1910, work started on a new deviation when the Main Western Line over the Blue Mountains was being duplicated at the time. The second Glenbrook deviation replaced the 1-in-33 deviation with a more gentle 1-in-60 ruling grade across Glenbrook Gorge. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the tunnel was used to store bombs and ammunition. After the war however, the tunnel found a useful purpose as a mushroom farm, which continued up until 2016. The upper area has been cleared, though the years of detritus has been left to rot in the tunnel making it unsafe for healthy exploration. The lower area has benefited from the years of mushroom farming by being fed the run-off and is difficult to access.

References

External links

* {{Blue Mountains topics, state=collapsed Closed regional railway lines in New South Wales Railway lines opened in 1892 Railway lines closed in 1913 History of the Blue Mountains (New South Wales) Main Western railway line, New South Wales Glenbrook, New South Wales New South Wales Heritage Database 1892 establishments in Australia 1913 disestablishments in Australia

History

See also

References

Further reading

External links