Why Am I Still Alive Read online

  WHY AM I STILL ALIVE?

  Brian Hogan

  And Other Railway Short Stories

  To Iris - the love of my life and sustainer of all that is noble

  Copyright Text: Brian Hogan 2018

  Copyright Pictures: Brian Hogan 2018

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written approval of the author

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Introduction​

  List of Photographs

  Section 1 - Why am I still alive?

  Aloft​

  In A Dark Space​

  Mind Who You Trust​

  Where Did That Train Come From?​

  Section 2 – This is the way we did it

  How Did Your Day Go, Dear?​

  The Great Wall​

  I Came, I Saw, I Pinched​

  The Life Of Rabbit​

  A Proud Man​

  Who Is Buried Here?​

  Fire, Fire Everywhere​

  How Do You Manage This One?​

  Not Another Rock Slide​

  Who Does One Employ?​

  Stop That Fire!​

  So Many Broken Rails​

  Phone Calls In The Night​

  Now You See It Now You Don’t​

  Don’t Stop The Train​

  Another Normal Day​

  Visit To Nobility​

  Solve the problem​

  Acknowledgements

  LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS

  1​Brian working on new projects

  2​Stanwell Park Viaduct and freight train

  3​Rehabilitation on the Up side of the Viaduct

  4​Old subgrade material removal works

  5​Span 6 showing the tie bar locations

  6​Viaduct with walkways installed later

  7​Viaduct showing curved track

  8​Coalcliff tunnel prior to electrification works

  9​Coalcliff tunnel post electrification works

  10​Coalcliff tunnel during track upgrade works

  11​Similar track condition being assessed

  12​Far view of track emerging from tunnel

  13​Station showing the brick chimney air vents

  14​Location where passenger train lost power

  15​Rail bridge for Olympic Loop trackwork

  16 ​Site of Olympic Loop track to be constructed

  17​Location of signal post near dive tunnel

  18​Location of Bridge Gang depot at West Ryde

  19​Rabbit in picture hard at work

  20​Clipping machines used for track works

  21​Tracklayer undertaking upgrading works

  22​Tracklayer showing length of train

  23​View of the tracklayer in action

  24​Campsie railway station

  25​Tracklayer working across Woodville Road

  26​Coalcliff Colliery and the Illawarra railway

  27​Removal of the last segments of the boulder

  28​Close up of the boulder being removed

  29​The side of the embankment on fire

  30​Fire taking hold on the embankment

  31​Bomaderry yard showing railway station

  32​Section of rail removed

  33​Broken rail

  34​Another type of broken rail

  35​Broken rail secured with bow plate

  36​Embankment showing long tension crack

  37​Base of the embankment and tension crack

  38​Embankment pier walls installed later

  39​XPT Passenger Train

  40​Approval letter from Premier’s Department

  41​The Spanish Ambassador’s invitation

  42​Using Lilyvale platform as site access road

  43​Showing platform lean to the track

  44​Removal of station platform

  45​Platform almost removed

  Introduction

  When you spend over forty years working in one career but in a lot of different vocations in the rail industry, you will surely face or experience situations as they arise that can be often funny, serious or just plain dangerous!

  I have certainly experienced all three!

  I trust as you read this book, which illustrates some of my real-life experiences, you will enjoy ‘living’ some of my very unusual, hilarious and most amazing adventures in rail. Some of the photographs I have used are somewhat old in age. As such they are a bit faded but the intent is still clear to see.

  I have worked in the rail industry on some of the most complex and challenging projects ever undertaken in New South Wales. These have included in the maintenance as well as the construction arenas on some of the most interesting and challenging rail works at the time. These stories depict the “behind the scenes” perspectives and provide fascinating insights into the unusual and sometimes downright “weird” incidents that have occurred during my work life.

  It has been a true source of joy in observing and understanding more and more of the depth of knowledge and specific technical aspects that goes into running a rail system like the one in New South Wales. It is one that is so complex in nature. It became an awesome journey for experience, knowledge and understanding.

  One that never ends.

  Most of what occurs behind the scenes is totally unknown to the general travelling public and train commuters who tend to take it all for granted until something goes wrong. They expect to be able to turn up at a station, find their train runs to the advertised timetable, catch that train to their destination unhindered and then get on with their business. One that is called an “uneventful journey”.

  A small bit of my background. What have I achieved whilst working in the rail environment on the NSW rail system?

  Well it has included the construction of over thirty bridges, the upgrading of seventeen railway stations, construction of major track facilities including the Pt Kembla Coal Loader, the Olympic Loop for the 2000 Olympics and Para-Olympics, major freight facilities, major locomotive facilities, seventeen major Stabling Yards and Junctions, numerous railway workshops as well and tunnel upgrades. I have managed the construction of new major rail infrastructure on the Sydney network and was involved in the major electrification projects connecting Sydney to its outer Regional centres. I managed the construction of the track work for the Y Link and even the ballasted light-rail infrastructure from Darling Harbour to Lilyfield in the heart of Sydney. I was given the rather dubious honour of completely removing five metropolitan stations from the Network! To list just a few of my achievements over that period.

  All this makes me “live and breathe” railways. I am sure it is now in my blood and my bones.

  As I pass the baton on to the next generation I trust I leave the rail system with a legacy of one that is much improved, not only for rail commuters and the freight traffic, but also for those who will maintain this system in the future. They can stand on the shoulders of those that have gone before them and their achievements as they enhance the railways further into the future.

  I also treasure the fond memories of all those I have worked with and alongside over those years. What an amazing group of people. Maintainers, constructors, operators and station staff.

  One vision and one job.

  To ensure the trains run safely and to be on time. The culture of the NSW rail system in the past has been outstanding for its strong sense of teamwork and its commitment to excel. It has always been a delight when I again meet some these people many years later both on and off the job. The yarns and stories we can and do tell. I hope you have as much fun reading this book a
s I had re-living my “awesome” experiences. I also trust that you might have a newfound appreciation for how things were done in the past.

  Photo 1 – Brian working on new projects

  While all these situations I have written here are true I have used fictional names (apart from my own of course) for obvious reasons.

  Enjoy

  Brian

  SECTION 1

  Why am I still alive?

  Aloft

  If you have ever seen the Stanwell Park Viaduct you know it sits majestically spanning Stanwell Park Creek between two railway tunnels on the Illawarra line located on the south coast of New South Wales. It is certainly a magnificent structure.

  Opened in 1920 this eight-span brick arch structure provides the only direct rail transport connection between the cities of Sydney and Wollongong. The Viaduct’s rail level is some 33 metres above the river and is snuggled alongside the Blue Mountains range. From its deck it provides a wonderful vista of both the escarpment and of the Pacific Ocean.

  Train speeds across the viaduct vary from 40km/hour for freight trains and 60km/hour for passenger trains. These speeds are necessitated by the tight 245metre radius (horizontal curve) across the structure. Any speeds above this limit could cause detrimental effects and impacts to the trains, the track and even the structure itself.

  Sitting on a 1 in 80 grade heading towards Wollongong, this viaduct is one of the most impressive bridge structures in Australia. It is historically important being the crowning achievement of the brick arch era of 1910 to 1924. This structure is the highest viaduct in Australia and was constructed in 1920, high above the creek bed, as part of the duplication of the Illawarra railway.

  Photo 2 - Stanwell Park Viaduct and freight train

  By way of history, the original Illawarra railway of the 1880s had a difficult transition going from the high country near the top of the escarpment down to the coastal plain north of Wollongong. It involved steep grades and eight tunnels between Waterfall and Scarborough. The worst was the 'suffocating' Otford Tunnel, the steepest and longest, which emerged into the lower levels of the Stanwell Park amphitheatre measuring 1550 metres in length, longer than the other tunnels in the area.

  Plans began around 1910 to duplicate the line with some deviations included to ease the grades and to bypass old single line tunnels. The section from Waterfall to Helensburgh was completed in 1914, then to Otford in 1915 and on to Coal Cliff in 1920. This last track section was laid much higher up in the Stanwell Park amphitheatre, so it crossed high above Stanwell Creek away from the coastline edge.

  Plans for the tall, double track, brick arch viaduct was ready in 1917. Work began the following year. It was a remarkable achievement to complete this major structure in little over two years.

  Brick arches were the automatic choice because steel was unavailable after World War I and the State Brickworks at Homebush was in full production. It has been estimated that the total number of bricks used in the massive tall piers of the Viaduct (the tallest being 33 metres high) was around the 3 million mark, enough to build about 150 brick houses.

  In late 1985 some of the brick arches were on the verge of collapse because of ground movements caused by local mining operations. To preserve this viaduct, the only one of its type and scale in Australia, span number six needed to be strengthened. The problem was arrested but unfortunately Span 6 had to be demolished. It was replaced by a “floating” steel girder bridge on moving bearings so allowance could be made for any future ground movement.

  Land subsidence and its subsequent uplift at the bridge site, caused by underground mining, moved the structure’s two abutments towards each other so number six span began to “pop” out upwards. It was literally being squeezed out of the bridge structure!

  Photo 3 – Rehabilitation on the Up side of the Viaduct

  The span number six strengthening works were completed, and the viaduct was then reopened to rail traffic. However, the surrounding land kept moving because of it finding its new equilibrium from the mining operations. Consequently, the structure itself also kept moving with its two abutments continually being squeezed together.

  Further repair works on the Viaduct commenced in 1992. One track was closed. This track had its rail infrastructure and all material on top of the arches removed then replaced by concrete with embedded layers of reinforcing mesh. Tie bars were placed at each of the arch’s the corbel level. The corbel level is that point where the arch terminates at the pier top. The strength of the structure through its contiguous design was then reliant on these tie bars which meant that the arch action was essentially eliminated.

  The track was replaced on a waterproof base and the process repeated for the other track. Work was completed in October 1993 but the steel girder construction in span 6 remained while long-term movement and the associated asset condition monitoring continues.

  That was a bit technical, but it sets the scene for my continual involvement with the Viaduct.

  During the initial period of when the structure started to show signs of distress as a result the ground movement, I was the District Engineer at the time. One of the responsibilities of this role was being accountable for the safety of every civil infrastructure bridge on the Illawarra line rail network.

  Photo 4 – Old sub grade material removal works

  Hence, in this role I was responsible for the successful planning of the reconstruction works that were carried out. Thus, I got to regularly inspect the viaduct. I had to literally inspect every nook and cranny. For someone who hated heights this was often quite scary for me.

  To monitor in real time the rate of degradation of the Viaduct, transducers were installed. These transducers even measured the rate of “tearing” of the bricks themselves as the ground uplift continued.

  Photo 5 – Span 6 showing the tie bar locations

  The bridge had to be safe to carry freight trains of up to 1500 metres with 25 tonne axle loads as well as large numbers of passenger trains over each 24-hour period.

  I remember on one occasion a 30m boom lift was ordered so examination of the arches could be undertaken more closely. It was positioned at ground level near Stanwell Creek southern bank alongside the base of one of the piers where it would be extended to inspect the underside of the brick arches. Some cracking had already been sighted using binoculars. Hence a closer examination was required. The boom lift bucket, positioned on the back of a truck, was hired from a reputable contractor from the Company’s plant hire panel.

  On this occasion, there were to be four of us involved in inspecting the viaduct’s arches. The machine was set up on the southern side Stanwell Park creek, where we were to be lifted to the underside of the Viaduct.

  I remember entering the bucket with trepidation to assist in carrying out the inspection. It seemed so small an apparatus. How it could possibly hold one person, let alone four of us in this bucket, I thought. The bucket appeared to be very rickety and if one moved too much it swayed sideways and shook.

  I had never been in one of these machines before, so it was an exhilarating yet frightening to be in a tiny bucket 30 metres above the ground.

  I hoped that it would not sway too much and that the wind would not pick up when we were so far off the ground.

  But the hire company had only provided safety harnesses for two persons in the bucket having forgotten to bring the extra ones ordered. For the operator to go back to his depot to pick up the extra two harnesses would have taken the best part of half a day.

  It was decided to do the work with the two harnesses as supplied. It was like “Russian roulette” deciding who would get to wear the harnesses and who would just have to “hang on”.

  Photo 6: Viaduct with walkways installed later

  Finally, it was decided the harnesses went to those who would need them to lean over the edge of the bucket for the most detailed examinations.

  I was one of the “lucky” ones without the benefit of a harness. My strategy was to
stay as close as possible to the centre of the bucket as possible, but it was a surprisingly small floor area – not much room for manoeuvring!