Screenshots
Up mixed goods train ready to depart from Camden. A load of milk wagons from the local Dairy Farmers depot has been add to the load for consumption by the residents of Sydney. A student pilot from the local Camden aerodrome flies overhead.
Up mixed goods train eases out of Camden past the Dairy Farmers milk depot and will run beside the Hume Highway for next little while. The railway was in close proximity to the road in a number of locations.
2006 on 'Pansy - the Camden Tram' glides to a stop at Elderslie. Due to the extreme gradients the loads on the 20 Class "trams" were limited to 85 tons for all trains between Campbelltown and Narellan, whilst from Narellan to Camden goods trains could haul 170 tons and passenger trains 90 tons.
2006 brings the lone CCA car across the Nepean River on its last leg of its journey to Camden. The bridge across the river was shared with the busy Hume Highway, which was the main route between Sydney and Melbourne.
After several attempts, 2011 failed to get out of Narellan with the overloaded 'coalie', the foreman of the Coal Laoder is definitely going to get a 'bung' now - 2029 had to come from Campbelltown to assist, and they run down the easier grade near Currans Hill - at least now they have a better chance of getting it over the in-famously steep 1 in 19 Kenny Hill.
3034 on the morning commuter train gets ready to depart from Grahams Hill on the western edge of Narellan - the ready availability of cheap land has already started to bring the outer 'dormitory' suburbs to the Camden District - a harbinger of future things to come, with the wide-ranging outer suburbia of today's world covering much of the District.
It is the morning peak, and an extra FO has been added to 'Pansy' at Camden to cater for the increasing number of Sydney commuters, 3034 rolls to a stop at Kirkham, to pick up the sole businessman waiting at the small lineside halt. Unfortunately, even the modest increase in the commuter traffic in the morning and afternoon peaks aren't enough to save the line from its pending closure ! A local grower has a good crop of Sunflowers for Sydney Markets next weekend.
The rain has set in today, making the rails slippery and the wet coal load even heavier still - 2011 waits in the Coal Siding for an extra pair of assistant 20 class locos to come from Campbelltown to push from the rear, otherwise they won't get over Kenny Hill. Even then the train may have to be split and carried 'over the top' in two sections.
On a better day, 2011 complete with cowcatcher struggles up the short grade out of Narellan coal loader and crosses the busy Hume Highway with its distinctive 'Wig-Wag' rotating warning signals. A common scene then, but now only a distant memory. Even the Hume Highway has moved away from this location to a fast motorway bypassing Narellan altogether.
The foreman at the coal loader will probably get a 'bung' for overloading, yet again ! - 2011 has stalled on the Hume Highway - it will have to back up to Narellan yard and try to assault the short grade a second time, adding to the frustration of the ever-increasing line of motorists on the Hume Highway.
All the hard work has been done - the empty coalie headed for Narellan made it over the top of Kenny Hill without stalling - the hard-working firemen of the two 20 class tanks will be taking a well earned rest - the rest of the trip to Narellan will be easy now!
The empty coal train for Narellan gingerly picks its way down the steep western slope of Kenny Hill to avoid running away. The line here passes over the Sydney Metropolitan Water Supply Canal - this was a remarkable feat of engineering, the canal ran for 38 miles from the pumping stations at Cataract, Cordeaux and Avon Dams to the main Sydney Reservoir at Prospect - what made this so unique, was the canal was carefully graded over its entire length to allow the water to flow this considerable distance entirely by natural gravity. In some places tunnels and aqueducts were necessary, otherwise it was an open canal for most of its route.
During the last few years of the line's existence the 41 class diesels were authorised over the line between Campbelltown and Narellan only, to improve the running of the coal trains, a single 41 replacing a pair of 20 class tanks. This morning a loaded coalie hauled by a 41 claws it way uphill past the pretty lineside halt of Kenny Hill. The western side of Kenny Hill at 1 in 19 was the steepest adhesion worked rail incline in NSW. In the distance is the top of the grade where the line sweeps through a cutting in the hillside and drops down to Campbelltown. On the road ahead a delivery truck is just about to cross above the Sydney Metropolitan Water Supply Canal.
An Easter Friday 'Via Crusis' special has just arrived at Maryfields - it has two 20 class tanks at the front and another 20 class push-up at the rear. In a moment the excited throng will pour off the train and amble their way down the long gravel driveway to the monastery on the top of the hill. Once all passengers have disembarked, the train will carefully back its way down to Campbelltown for another load of pilgrims.
It's just a normal day today, no public activities at the monastery - a pair of 20 class tanks slowly slog their way up the 1 in 20 eastern flank of Kenny Hill, through the special platform at Maryfields, with an empty coalie headed for the coal loader at Narellan - at least the crews will start breathing a sigh of relief, the crest of the steep grade is visible only a short distance ahead !
No 11 Mixed to Camden prepares to leave the back platform of Campbelltown station. The connecting train has just arrived from Sydney. The Mixed has the normal passenger accomodation of a CCA car and some goods traffic destined for Camden. The train today is doubled headed by two 20 Class locomotives, as one has been assigned to banking duties from Narellan. In the foreground a number of passenger cars have been stored for the evening peak return service to Sydney.
No 54 Goods prepares to leave the coal loader at Narellan. Typically this service was banked to 36m 20c on the Camden branch (crest of Kenny Hill). The maximum load fro Narellan to 36m 20c was 90 tons for a single 20 or 30 class, or alternatively 180 tons if banked.
No 54 Goods is travelling between Narellan and Kenny Hill. The maximum speed on the branch was 30 mph, however as there were some sharp curves along the branch, these curves could restrict the speed of the train to 15 mph. This could result in the train travelling slower then the cars on the adjoining road. The line was unfenced for for a large part and drivers were expected to keep a sharp look-out for vehicular, pedestrian and stock traffic and be prepared to reduce speed, or stop, if necessary.
No 54 Goods has stopped at 36m 20c (summit of Kenny Hill to detach the bank engine). The bank engine will return to Narellan to assist a number of other services from Narellan. The train crew were also expected to apply handbrakes on some of the wagons to further assist the crew in keeping the train under control as it descended Kenny Hill. A further stop was allowed at 35m 20c to release the handbrkaes.
From 1937 to the close of the Camden Tramway, special trains were run to the Franciscan Novitiate (monastry) at Maryfields on Good Friday to take pilgrims to the "via Crocis" (Way of the Cross). This was quite a busy day for the railways and often two or more trains were run. These trains often had eight or nine passenger cars in them which caused the railways headaches as Maryfields was located after a 1 in 20 gradient on the Camden Branch. Often double or triple headed locos were required to take the train from Campbelltown to Maryfields. These trains would commence at Sydney Terminal station and run through to Campbelltown, where additional locos were added. Once at Maryfields the train would propell backwards to Campbelltown to await the return trip to Sydney in the afternoon.
The Via Crucis crosses Bowing Ck as it commences its climb to Maryfields station.
No 16 Mixed Goods from Camden has stalled on Kenny's Hill. This was a reasonably frequent occurence. The driver will need to now reverse down the hill and have another go at getting "over the top". Alternatively he can leave the CCA car at the Kenny Hill platform and take the two milk wagons to Campbelltown. He will then need to return to pick up the passengers and the CCA car. The passengers will miss their connection to Sydney, no wonder the passengers thought that the bus was a better way to travel.
In 1943 four Diesels were imported by the Department of Supply (US Army) for use at the Dunheved munitions factory. The units were taken over by the NSWGR, and were used as shunters at Sydney's Central station and Eveleigh Carriage Workshops. Two of the units (7921 and 7922) were transferred for use at Woomera Rocket Range. In 1945 a trial was run to see whether the 79 Class could be used on the Narellan Coal traffic. 7923 is seen in the Down Dock of the Campbelltown station picking up some empties in preparation to running out to Narellan. The trial was not deemed to be successful and thus the 79 class reverted to shunting duties @ Sydney.
In 1960 a special train was run by the Camden Historical Society. The train was hauled by the 'vintage' locomotive 1243. It is believed that this was the only time that a tender locomotive was used on the branch and required special approval by the authorities. Despite the day being wet and miserable, a large crowd follwoed the train throughout its journey. 1243 is seen shunting in the Camden Yard near the Dairy Farmers factory, before the return journey.