Westby railway line

Former railway line in New South Wales

Westby Line

The remains of Westby railway station in March 2009

Overview
Other name(s)| Westby Branch
Status| Closed
Owner| Department of Railways
Termini|

* The Rock
* Westby

Stations| 6
Service
Type| Regional rail
Operator(s)| Department of Railways
History
Opened| 5 August 1925
Closed| 24 January 1952 (Mangoplah to Westby)
10 July 1956 (The Rock to Mangoplah)
Technical
Line length| 40 km (25 mi)
Number of tracks| 1
Track gauge| 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)

Route map

Map

Legend

|  |  |

km to
Central

|
|
|
|

|  |

|  |
|  |

|  |

| Main Southern line

to The Rock

|  |

558.93

| Birdlip
|  |

567.72

| Mangoplah
|  |

579.81

| Burrandana
|  |

585.10

| Pulletop
|  |

591.62

| Westby
|  |  |  |  |  |

This diagram:

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The Westby railway line was a railway line in New South Wales, Australia.[1] The line opened on 5 August 1925 as a branch off the Main South line at The Rock to the small community of Westby, a distance of approximately 40 km.[2]

## Construction

[edit]

Agitation for the construction of the railway goes back to 1911 when the Pulletop Railway League advocated a line from The Rock to Pulletop. Subsequently, the League, when waiting upon the Minister for Lands, sought the line to run as far as Jingellic. Finally, in 1919, The Rock to Pulletop Railway Act was passed.

However, construction did not commence until February, 1923. Whilst the Act had sanctioned the construction only as far as Pulletop, it was continued for a further 5 kilometers to a terminus at Westby.[2]

## Operations

[edit]

Mixed trains were limited to 500 tons and subject to a maximum equivalent length of 45 4-wheeled wagons and goods trains to 900 tons and an equivalent length of 70.

The Down Mixed train, which, in 1949, ran Wednesdays only, connected with the Down Albury Mail and the Up Riverina Express, whilst the Up Mixed connected with the Up Albury Mail and the Down Riverina Express.

Services came to an abrupt halt in January, 1952, when a bushfire destroyed nearly 4,000 sleepers and a timber waterway. The last train to Westby ran on 16 January 1952.

Goods train services were resumed the following wheat season to serve the silo at Mangoplah. Once the wheat was cleared, they ran on an "as required" basis.

The disused Mangoplah platform in November, 1969

Wheat was again transported by rail from the Mangoplah silo the following three seasons.[2]

## Closure

[edit]

It was formally closed from 10 July 1956, however the Act of Parliament enabling the closure was not passed until 1961, the date being retrospective.[2] The track has been lifted for the entire length of the route.[1] A motel was built on the site of the formation at The Rock.

## See also

[edit]

* Rail transport in New South Wales

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Bozier, Rolfe; et al. "Westby Line". NSWrail.net. Retrieved 18 September 2007.
2. ^ a b c d A Short History of The Rock to Westby Branch Line Willson, Ross Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, July, 1980 pp152-159

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Railway lines in New South Wales

Main lines

* Broken Hill
* South Coast (Illawarra)
* Main North
* Main Southern
* Main Western
* North Coast

Country branch lines

| Operational|

* Berrima
* Binnaway-Werris Creek
* Blayney-Demondrille
* Boggabilla
* Bombala
* Canberra
* Cobar
* Coonamble
* Grenfell
* Gwabegar
* Hay
* Lake Cargelligo
* Medway Quarry
* Mungindi
* Naradhan
* Newcastle
* Oaklands
* Parkes to Narromine
* Picton-Mittagong loop
* Pokataroo
* Sandy Hollow-Gulgong
* South Maitland Railway
* Stockinbingal-Parkes
* Temora-Roto
* Tottenham
* Troy Junction-Merrygoen
* Unanderra-Moss Vale
* Walgett
* Warren
* Yanco-Griffith

|

Closed|

* Ballina
* Barraba
* Belmont
* Boorowa
* Brewarrina
* Burcher
* Cadia Mine
* Captains Flat
* Coolah
* Corowa
* Crookwell
* Dorrigo
* Eugowra
* Holbrook
* Inverell
* Kunama
* Kywong
* Merriwa
* Molong-Dubbo
* Morpeth
* Mount Hope
* Murwillumbah
* Newnes
* Oberon
* Rand
* Rankins Springs
* Richmond Vale Railway
* Taralga
* Tocumwal
* Toronto
* Tumbarumba
* Tumut
* Wallsend
* Westby

Sydney lines

| Commuter rail|

* Airport
* Bankstown
* City Circle
* Cronulla
* Eastern Suburbs
* East Hills
* Main Suburban
* North Shore
* Olympic Park
* Richmond
* South West

|

Goods lines|

* Sydney Freight Network
* Southern Sydney Freight

Rapid transit|

* Sydney Metro
* North West & Bankstown

Converted lines|

* Epping to Chatswood

Closed|

* Camden
* Carlingford
* Holsworthy
* Kurrajong
* Rogans Hill
* Rookwood Cemetery
* Ropes Creek
* Royal National Park
* Sandown

Proposed or under construction

* Sydney Metro
* Western Sydney Airport
* West
* Inland Rail
* Maldon–Dombarton
* Western Sydney Freight Line

Tourist & heritage railways

* Byron Bay Railroad Company
* Glenreagh Mountain Railway
* Lachlan Valley Railway
* NSW Rail Museum
* Oberon Tarana Heritage Railway
* Richmond Vale Railway
* Skitube
* Zig Zag Railway

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