JOHN KING - A CAREER IN THE NSWGR AND AT GUNDAGAI RAILWAY STATION
JOINING THE NSWGR
I was only 14 yrs & 10 months when I decided to leave school and join the NSW Government
Railways. In about November 1964 a friend and myself were travelling by train into Sydney to join
the Railways as Trainee Firemen. As we passed the famous Eveleigh Engine Depot (near Redfern)
we looked out over at all the steam engines there and I said to my mate “you know we have to clean
those engines for 2 years before we can go out on the road in the engines on the rail”, as you had to
be 17 to actually go on the steam engines. We thought for a while and by the time we arrived at
Central Station, about 4 minutes later, we had decided to change our minds and join the Traffic
branch instead.
The Traffic Branch in the 1960s was the NSWGR section where Station assistants / Guards /
Shunters/ Signalmen etc were rostered under. I decided that I would join as a Junior Station
Assistant (once called Porters in the earlier days of railway operations). So we went up to the
Employment section at Sydney station, did the entrance exams which consisted of clerical and
english exams which we both passed. We then had to take a medical, which I passed but my friend
failed the part to work on the stations, so he became a call boy in the signal boxes.
I then went into a training school at the Railway Institute which was located in near to Central
Station on the 2 January 1965 for the start of my railway career. Some 4 weeks later I passed with
flying colours and was appointed Junior Station Assistant at North Strathfield.
My railway career was from 2 January 1965 appointed Junior station assistant North Strathfield,
March 1967 appointed 1st Class Senior station assistant Relief staff home station Eastwood,
March 1969 Relief Shunter Balmain Coal wharf, March 1970 4th class Assistant station master
Gundagai.
NORTH STRATHFIELD - JUNIOR STATION ASSISTANT
I arrived at North Strathfield station at 5am the Monday after I finished the Training school. Where
I produced my paper work to the Station Master and went into a further weeks training at the station.
My duties varied from selling and collecting tickets, receiving and sending parcels to cleaning but
most time was taken up selling tickets. On a Monday mornings you could have about 5 / 10 people
at the ticket window while the train was pulling in at the platform to buy weekly tickets…and all
wanted to get the train arriving, so it was a frantic rush. At the end of your shift you had to do your
book work and work out how many and how much tickets sold/cost, There were no computers or
adding machines in those days, had to do it all in your head/manually. If you were short in your
money you had to pay it in out of your own pocket, but if you were over you didn't get it credited to
you. So you had to be very accurate with handling the money.
One good thing working at North Strathfield was the Arnotts Biscuit Factory next to the station and
each month the station staff received a tin of biscuits to take home. (Biscuits were packed in a tin
back then, not many in packets like today and were for a time loaded at the Arnotts biscuit siding
south of the station).
I worked at North Strathfield for 2 years and I recall an incident vividly on one Sunday. The Station
Master was going home on the next train about 1pm and I would have been at the station for 2 hours
by myself until the Assistant Station Master arrived for duty, when a train from Sydney pulled in
and a couple of boys ran from the train to me and said there mate fell of the train up the line. I ran in
told the station master, we grabbed the first aid kit and walked up the line until we found him. Sadly
it was to late, when he fell he hit the signal post and had died almost immediately. This was the days
before the trains had automatic closing doors, The real sad thing about this was it was a week before
Christmas and the boy was only 5 stations from his home and 13 years old. That is something that
will live with me forever.
PROMOTION
At 17 I was promoted to “Class 1, Senior station assistant on the relieving staff, There was 3
grades , 1, 2 and 3 with 1 being the highest. This role meant where ever there was a station in the
Sydney district that had a Senior Station / Assistant on sick or holiday leave, they would call me and
I would go and work at that station, maybe for a day, maybe for several weeks.
(The Sydney district extended from Central station to the west at Emu Plains, south to
Campbelltown, north to Gosford and south coast to Waterfall). In my 2 years in that position I must
have worked at almost every station in that area. In my time as a Station Assistant I saw many
derailments around the Sydney district, but nothing very major.
SHUNTING WORK
I applied for a Relief Shunter position at Balmain/White Bay coal wharf, I received the promotion
and started at the coal wharf shortly after turning 19. This was a very demanding position and
included flagging work around Sydney district when the Fettlers/Gangers were working on the lines
repairing them and for derailments. (A flagmen was like a traffic controller on the road but
controlled the trains, which was a little more demanding and dangerous).
At Balmain//White Bay the coal was emptied from the wagons by private contractors and the more
wagons they emptied during a shift, the more they got paid. This kept us on our toes, as they
emptied the coal from the wagons, we then took over, and climbed on the side of the wagons (while
they were moving) and rode on the side step of them down a hill and then up a steep timber man
made hill. The wagon would then reverse down the hill through a spring loaded set of points to
another track and then we made up ( joined the air hoses and made sure they were coupled correctly
and coupled to the Engine) the train to return to the coal mines for refill.
Overhead where the spring loaded set of points were, was a coal belt taking the coal to the ship and
quite often coal would fall of the belt and lodge in the spring loaded points without our knowledge.
So when we rode the wagon through the points, 1 bogie (the 4 wheels ) would go up 1 line while
the other would go up the track we just came from, hence a derailment would happen. This was a
weekly, some times more often occurrence holding up the loading of the ship by up to 4 hours.
Because of the speed you had to go while shunting the coal wagons you had to take short cuts that
weren't really safe. Many times I almost got hit by the wagons but I guess that was part of the job.
Many times while working as a shunter, I would be sent out to flag (which was a method to control
the movement of trains with flags instead of the signals that may be turned off) after a derailment or
fettlers were working on the lines.
All this time I was at Balmain/White Bay still studying for further promotion, I decided that I
wanted to progress through the Station Master grades. So just before I turned 20, I went into a
training school course to learn the skills needed for the position of Assistant Station Master. The
course was long but I already had several qualifications, so only had to do 3 weeks.
At the completion of the course I was promoted to 4th Class Assistant Station Master (ASM) We
had to list 10 station’s we would go to, out of all the vacancies available then Traffic Branch
management would decide where we would be stationed. I was allocated to Gundagai which was
5hrs/378km south of Sydney. I was happy with my destination as it was my mother’s home town.
and I had visited there when I was young several times, my last visit there before moving there, was
in 1968/9. The Gundagai station master surname I recall was Goldsmith around that time and
possible stayed there until the station master that was there when I arrived to work, who was Harry
Chant. Also around that time my brother who was in Gundagai said a few goods wagons on the
siding behind the goods shed derailed while all loaded with fruit and they had to bring in motor
trucks to get the fruit to market in time, as it took quite some time to put all the wagons back on the
line. I had already a family connection to Gundgai beside my mother, at station also as I had 3 of
my cousins working from 1961/62 who were Jeff, Ian and Carl Sheather. They were the station
assistants in the goods shed and the station.
TRANSFER TO GUNDAGAI RAILWAY STATION
I took up my position there around March/April 1970 at the age of 20. Upon arriving there I was
given another week of training on the job to learn the roles. My main duties as the ASM was 2nd in
charge of the station and I would be in charge when the Station Master was absent. Additional
duties also saw that I was to be in charge of all the in and outward bound Goods and the accounts
involved with that section. Other duties included the operation of the safe working in the signal box/
yard when on duty. I would also help out at the station when the passenger trains were in and
sometimes sell passenger tickets. I was also assigned to work in the parcel office and help in
shunting of trains when needed.
STATION WORK AND OTHER STAFF
When I took up duties at the station, my work office was in the small room which is attached to the
goods shed. I stayed in this office for several months learning the role. I only had to be in the good
shed to check all the inwards goods of and write out any damage reports for inwards goods. These
came from each wagon received that was on Monday, Wednesday and Friday movements.
As the shed was unpowered nor toilet it was rather primitive office. It was really noted on cloudy
days how hard the goods shed office was to work in, as it was very hard to see my book work with
no lights. After a while of this I talked to the Station Manager and organised to move all my books
and desk/table up into the station masters office on the platform. I shared the main ticket office
room and shared it with him. This move also made my entire job a lot easier to do as I wasn’t
running back and forward from the goods shed to the station.
There was very few other modern amenities at the station or goods shed in those days – no
calculators or adding machines or computers. The NSWGR used a internal communication method
and this resulted in a analog phone system. The station’s railway phone was a shared line phone that
you had to wind the handle on the side and use morse code (example …- …. ) to call another station.
You would have to listen out for your specific ring tone when it someone else was contacting or
ringing your station. The external or public phone at the station was a more modern dial type such
as found in the goods shed or station office.
I worked alongside other staff at the station which included a Junior Station Assistant (JSA) who
was working mainly in the parcel office. Operations at the goods shed saw 2 station assistants with
1 of them also helping at the station when the passenger train was in.
An overview of how a railway station worked was that a Station Master was the SM grades ran
from grade 6 to grade 1 then special class. The grades for Assistant Station Master run from grade 4
to grade 1 then special class., with a 2nd class ASM equal to a grade 6 SM, grade 1 ASM equal to
grade 4 SM and so on.
A lot of the smaller stations worked with a lesser level of seniority required so only grade 4 or 3
assistant station masters were in charge. For example at Coolac and Mt Horeb stations nearby, grade
3 ASM were in charge and they were the only staff at those stations. I recall Tumblong had a grade
4 ASM in charge before it closed as a attended station.
Also at Gundagai there were several Fettlers and a Bridge Ganger, with their shed/ depot being
located near the goods shed. It was a tin shed where they kept all there tools and a couple of trikes/
At the front of the shed was a floor of sleepers out to the rail line to make it easier to push the trikes
out to the siding where they would then be placed onto the railway track. The station was well
maintained , this was done by the building crew ,who would travel from Cootamundra by truck, the
lines by the gangers and the signals by the signal branch also from Cootamundra
MY WORKING SCHEDULE / HOURS
The work was a lot different there but that was because I was the ASM and not just a Station
assistant or shunter. Plus my hours of duty were spread over every day of the week except Sunday
as the station was closed. I had to work a total of approx 83 hours per fortnight, so this meant I had
to work 11 days to make my hours for the fortnight. I remember Monday, Wednesday and Friday
were 10.45 am to 1pm, a lunch break then 2pm till 5.45 pm, then dinner and then 8.45 pm till 9.45
pm.
On Tuesday my hours were 8.45 am till 1 pm then lunch break, then 2 pm till 6.15pm then dinner.
On Thursday 9.30am till 1pm then lunch then 2pm till 7pm.
Every 2nd Saturday I used to work 8.30am till 12.30 pm then lunch, then 1 .30 pm to 5pm.
INSIGHT TO A TYPICAL DAY WORK SHIFT
I would sign on for duty on Tuesday at 8.45 am and then would go to the signal box and clear the
down home signal for the mixed train from Cootamundra, which would be due to arrive at the
station soon after. I would make a phone call to Coolac to see if the train was on time or delayed
possibly. While waiting for the train to enter the yard, I would collect the staff for the Gundagai to
Tumblong section (which was kept in the signal box in a special box) and once the train arrived, I
would then go over to the driver of the train and hand him the staff.
This handover have him permission to go to the next track section which ended at Tumblong station.
It also let him know that no other trains will be heading in his direction. I would at the same time
take the Coolac to Gundagai section staff from him and place it in the signal box and return the
down home signal back to stop.
Upon arrival of the train at the station I would supervise the unloading of parcels. I would then
assist in the process of detaching the wagons to be left at Gundagai from the rest of the train. This
required that these wagons would always be next to the engine and I would help shunt the trains and
required wagons into the yard by working the required points to place the wagons where required in
the yard. I would then detach them from the engine and tell the drive which wagons to pick up that
may of needed to go Tumut way. We would then return the wagons to the rest of the train that was
sitting at the platform and couple them up and connect the air hoses. This process would take about
15 minutes all up. The train would then depart for Tumut via Tumblong.
I would then go to the goods shed and check on the workings there to make sure everything was
running smoothly. I would then take the card that is attached to the wagons just dropped of and read
it. It would tell me where they are from and what was in them and the weight and who the goods or
items were for. I would normally have an invoice already for the wagons to match up the dropped
off goods. If they couldn't get there that day, I would instruct the station assistants in the goods shed
to empty the wagons and place the goods in the shed, waiting collection. Once this had been done I
would then enter the goods into a inwards goods book, with who they are for, whether they have to
be paid for or if they have to be paid by them. Also if any damages had been incurred in transit I
would have to fill out the damage report and forward it to Traffic Inspector at Cootamundra. This
would usually take me through to midday. At midday I would take over from the Station Master in
the office so he could go to lunch for a hour. When he returned I would then go for a hour lunch
break.
After my lunch I would do a fair bit of book work and make phone calls to find out when the people
come to the station and collect their goods/items and empty the wagon or whatever was for them.
Also if any goods were to be sent out I would have to work out the cost and probably order the
required wagon to suit the goods to be sent.
About 3.30 pm the Station Master would finish work and leave me incharge of the station. As it
would be getting close for the evening mixed train to Cootamundra with connection to Sydney via
the South Mail, I would have to clear the up home signal to allow the train to enter the station area.
while waiting I might have to sell some tickets and also receive some parcels to be sent away.
When the train came into the platform I would take the Staff for the Tumblong- Gundagai section
and give him the Gundagai-Coolac staff. I would the proceed to detach the engine from the train
and shunt it into the yard and to pick up any wagons there were needing to go elsewhere in the rail
system and then couple them back onto the train at the station. I would again hook the air hoses up ,
then jump back up onto the platform and make sure all passengers were on the train,
I would then give the guard the green flag for the train to depart for Coolac.
After this had departed I would then have to write up the running book (the book with the train
times in and out of Gundagai for the next day are kept) down trains on one side of the book and up
trains on the other side. And any instructions for the guard of any trains that might come in while
the station is unattended. I would then make sure everything is locked up advice Cootmundra Signal
Box of the departure time of the mixed train, then I would be finished for the day. work finish time
down I think it was 6.15 pm
RAIL SERVICES
DAILY RAILMOTORS AND MIXED GOODS
Rail services to Tumut via Gundagai were served by a daily schedule which saw a few services each
way on most days of the week in the morning and evening. In Sydney there was routinely almost
every 30 minutes at least a train each way and every 5-10 minutes in the peak hour. Compared with
between 2 to 4 trains at stopping at Gundagai each day. So the pace was a lot slower and quieter
when I went to Gundagai but was certainly more relaxed and not in such a rush as was the norm in
Sydney
MORNING RAILMOTORS
There was a 2 car diesel railmotor 600/700 class (non air conditioned) train (which were manned by
a Driver and a Guard and would be carrying about 80 passengers in the 2 carriages) which would
arrive from Cootamundra on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday arriving about 7.58 am and
staying for 5 minutes to unload parcels and for passengers to alight and then headed to either Tumut.
This railmotor connected with the “South Mail,” which originated from Sydney. The same train
returned about 11.10 am stayed about 4 minutes then heading to Cootamundra for a connection to
Sydney via the” Riverina Daylight Express”.
EVENING RAILMOTORS
In the late afternoon at 4.45pm a 600/700 diesel railmotor would arrive from Cootamundra after
connecting with the “Riverina Daylight Express” from Sydney and stay 4 minutes to drop of
passengers and any parcels then head to Tumut. This same train would return from Tumut arriving
at 9.04 pm and stay 4 minutes to load parcels and passengers,
MIXED GOODS DIESEL SERVICE
On Tuesday and Thursday mornings about 9.05 am a Mixed train (normally a diesel locomotive
typically at this time a 48 class Goodwin Alco locomotive (on rare occasions it was a 44 class
diesel which was not normally seen on the branch line) and the train hauled a consist of mixed
goods with a passenger carriage at the rear attached or sometimes a guard van which had passenger
accommodation if not needing many seats) arrived and stayed about 10/15 minutes to drop of goods
wagons and any parcels and passengers. Part of my job was to help shunt the train to drop of the
goods wagons in the yard at the desired point to unload or load if they were empty. Just before
coming around the bend to the station was the railway stock yards, the mixed train would leave or
pick up any stock wagons there before coming to the station, the Guard would shunt the stock yards
by himself. When a train had to shunt the stock yards that was in the section to Coolac the time it
was tabled to shunt the stockyards had to be added to the travelling time to Coolac also.
There was also a fuel siding at South Gundagai shunted by the train crews.
On Tuesday / Thursday evenings the Mixed train would arrive from Tumut about 5.50/ 6.00 pm and
stay 15 minutes giving it time to pick up any goods wagons in the yard to go to send on to another
destination. There was no lights in the yard when dark we had to shunt with no lights other than the
shunters torch, some times the engine wood turn his head light on, but this could also be blinding.
On many days around 7/8 pm an express goods would come through with chip board from Tumut
heading to Cootamundra/Sydney. The Guard on these services would also work the signals for that
train as the station was unattended at this time.
I also recall that on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in the early hours of the morning a goods train
would arrive from Cootamundra and leave a “MLV” wagon. This stopping train would see only the
train crew operating the movement, as all station staff had finished their work duty at this time of
their passing through. The train would head towards Tumut and drop of wagons at stations/sidings
as required . In the “MLV” wagon would be various goods for the businesses in Gundagai and other
customers.. This train would arrive back about 7pm and pick up the “MLV” wagon and any others
to go to other stations across the rail network in NSW. These MLV vans were a bogie wagon having
4 wheels on each end and the wagon top side frame was closed in.
When shunting I would run around along the ground, next to the train/wagons and across the lines
and give hand signals to the driver of the engine. I would also make sure the wagons were coupled
the correct way, uncouple the wagons when they had to be left at the yard and hook and unhook the
air hoses on each wagon. Then the wagons were coupled together again. I would then operate the
points to change the train onto another track for departure time.
I recall several times that goods wagons were derailed in the goods sidings/yard by the night mixed
train. In keeping operations working, the train crew would try to get the engine around the
derailment and then attach to the remainder of the train that was safe to move and head of on their
journey. They would then leave us with the derailment crew who had to come from Cootamundra
by truck with all the equipment to put the wagon back onto the track This rerailing of the wagons
could take up to 4-6 hours depending how bad the derailment was. This operation would some
times hold the whole train up if it was stuck behind the derailment.
HERITAGE TRAIN ARRIVAL AT GUNDAGAI
A NSWGR special heritage steam train came to the station in the early 70’s when I was on duty.
This train was a special painted set of steam locmootives 1273 and 1255 hauling 2-5 carriages
across NSW to help towns and locations celebrate rail heritage.
I had the pleasure of working the signals and changing the staff with the heritage engine driver and
also shunting the engine to the opposite end of the train, as it terminated at Gundagai and had to be
returned to Cootamundra. I recall the carriages were very old as they had the platform entrance at
each end and had only the hook type couplings. This coupling style meant you had to stand between
the carriage and the oncoming engine to lift the hook coupling onto the carriage hook and then
couple the air hoses together. More modern design carriages and wagons had Westinghouse air
brakes fitted to them, so if the air hose came apart while the train was moving, the train would stop,
which was another form of safe working practises.
STAFF PAY BY RAILBUS
Back in my days on the railways, the station staff and line staff were paid by a rail deprartmental
manned rail pay bus that travelled to most stations each fortnight. When it arrived at Gundagai you
lined up at the window of the rail bus, told them your name and were paid after you signed for your
pay. Back in those days even as recent as the 1970s, no formal ID was required to get your pay
packet. After all the staff were paid the rail pay bus would move onto the next destination such as
Tumblong, Mt Horeb etc.
STATION OPERATIONS
STATION SAFE WORKING / YARD OPERATIONS
The NSWGR used a variety of safe working procedures/systems which included,’ Staff and Ticket’
for single lower traffic lines, ‘Electric Staff’ for busy single lines, ‘Track Block Automatic’ for
double lines and ‘Single line track block Automatic’ for mainly extra busy single lines (mainly in
Sydney) and “ Shunting” for Shunting trains. Signals that are in Stations / Signal Boxes that are
unattended are operated by the Guard of the train. These days only a driver or the fireman do the
safe working, as no guards used anymore. To operate signal boxes and do any form of safe working
you had to be qualified in the system of Safe working for that area and be over 19 years of age.
The Tumut branch line used this Staff and Ticket type of safe working system as the single line was
not that busy. The “Staff” (made out of steel, essentially an oversize key that would unlock the
points in that section) were given to the driver by the station staff/signal staff at each station or
depending on operations the staff could be picked up/dropped off by the driver in the sections.
Gundagai was one station on the Cootamundra to Tumut branch line. A staff was mostly used for
safe working between Coolac/Gundagai and Gundagai/Tymbalong stations. Other stations with
their specific staff were Cootamundra to Muttama, Muttama to Coolac, Tumblong to Mt Horeb, Mt
Horeb to Gilmore, Gilmore to Tumut. For the Batlow line it was a Gilmore to Batlow section.
If the staff was at the wrong end of the section say the Coolac/Gundagai section was mistakenly
carried onto Tumblong section by an error/due to a mix up with the trains this would cause delays
as it took the staff a while to be returned to the home station. This only happened once while I was
there due to an extra train running without us knowing.
HOME AND YARD SIGNAL PROCEDURES
Located up the line at a specified distance at each end of Gundagai yard, was a fixed distance signal
(which was a yellow triangle on a post) in each direction. This was used to warn the driver that a
Home yard signal is coming up and could be coming to a stop, in the near distance. They would
then need to proceed at a slower speed towards this Home Signal. Once they came into view of the
Home Signal this meant the train would have the required permission to proceed into the Gundagai
station/yard area. Sometimes the trains would hold at signal and blow the whistle to alert us to clear
the signal to proceed. Other times when we knew they were coming we could clear the signal before
they came to the Home signal so they could enter yard straight away saving time and resources. In
the signal box were a set of levers for the Home signals and these were red levers.
On departure of any train when the train was set to leave the station, the Station Master or I would
hold up high a bright green flag. This advised the train’s guard he could now leave and he would in
return, hold up a green flag to the driver letting him know he can depart the station.
SIGNAL BOX
The signal box located on the platform controlled the main yard signals. All of the main signals
were attached by wire running from the signal box location towards each signal post but held off the
ground by smaller posts. At Gundagai the signals were lower quadrant types and the wire running
from the signal box was quite a distance and could stretch, some had a wheel in the wire to take up
the slack when they stretched as seen opposite the station platform. Although it never happened at
Gundagai, if the wire broke to the lower quadrant signal it would drop into the clear position. This
could be quite dangerous, so the wire had to be checked on a regular basis. Whereas the upper
quadrant signal type went to stop if the wire broke. This signal box also interacted with the ground
lever frames across the yard. The signal box was called “A“ frame, as this was the main signal point
in the entire yard. In the signal box I can remember there was 2 red levers and 3 blue locking levers
and a white lever. The white lever was just a spare lever not hooked up to anything.
GROUND FRAMES
Gundagai had all of its main yard points (B-F frames) in the station and yard area operated
manually by the local ground frame. The line out from the platform line was the “through line” but
the platform track was always set to open via the ground frame B and E, this was so all trains could
move through the station. If there was a train at the platform then they would have to then use the
main line between ground frame B and E and proceed up to the other end of the yard as required.
All the yard frames at Gundagai had only 2 levers, a Blue locking and a Black points lever In the
signal box blue levers are signal/ground frames interlock functions and they also had a key in them
to operate the points in the yard. These keys were removed from the frames in the Signal box frame
and then I had to walk to which ever frame in yard and place in the points they key to unlock the
frame and this allow the point in the yard to release/move. There was also about several sets of
”throw over points” in the yard, which are seen as white ground frames. These are not locked and
have a lever, which I either lifted over or I had to hold them until the train passed. These points
switches were needing to be either held down or thrown over as they were set in the one direction at
all times to facililiate travel and operations. They were never used on main or through lines but only
in shunting sidings or station yards. All of the yards points had to be cleaned and grease put on
them weekly for free movement.
OPERATING THE YARD WITH TRAINS
An example of how this safe working system operated could be if you had say 3 trains going 1
direction, say Coolac to Gundagai - the first 2 trains would be issued with a ticket giving them
permission to travel in that track section. It would also be stating that the Staff would be locked in
the signal box and would follow on the last train going the same way. If one of the trains with a
ticket had to shunt a siding on the way they would be issued with a small key to unlock the points
into the siding. This key meant that a train cannot travel in the opposite direction (Gundagai to
Coolac) until the staff was taken to the other end of the section eg Gundagai. The driver and guard
would also know that there will be no trains coming towards them and hence a safe travel from
Coolac to Gundagai. It was also viewed as a form of “block track possession” for the trains meaning
they had control of the section. Once the staff is taken to the other end of the section by the last train
then, and only then can a train travel the opposite direction, which would acquire the staff when
handed over at the station.
Shortly before reaching the Gundagai yard from either end, was located a fixed Distant signal in the
shape of a yellow triangle on a high post. This signal was to let the train driver know he was
approaching a yard / station and to proceed at caution, as the next signal was a” Home signal”
protecting a station/yard and could be at stop. Most main line and busy branch lines had a Distance
signal which was an upper or lower Quadrant signal. These are moving signals and with a fishtail
end, similar to a Home signal. Once the driver had passed the distance signal at Gundagai at a slow
pace, the next signal was the Home , this was a lower Quadrant signal. It had a long arm type and
was red in colour with a white stripe near the end on a high post. The home signal also had a red
and green single light this was powered by kerosene fuel and had to be filled weekly.
When it was determined it was safe for the train to proceed into the yard, the station staff member
being the ASM as I was, would set the signal to be cleared. This meant the ASM or SM would in
the signal box pull the red lever over which was marked “down or up home” and this movement of
the controls would set lower the home signal to allow the train to proceed into the yard.
Before pulling the red lever over I had to pull a blue lever over. This was a locking lever that locked
the red one from being accidently pulled over by mistake. Located in the bottom part of the blue
lever was located a black box with 1 to 2 keys in it. When required to move the points in the yard I
took a key out of the blue lever and this would straight away lock the red lever which had to be at
stop position - home signal at stop - so as to prevent a train entering the yard station while there was
shunting going on.
Sometimes there would be 2 trains crossing at Gundagai and this would mean each train going in
the opposite direction to each other. So 1 train would enter the yard while the other would stop at
the home signal. Once the home signal was at stop for the 1st train to enter the yard I would put that
signal at stop, take the key out of the blue lever walk to the required ground frame in the yard,
place the key in the blue ground frame lever, I would then pull it over and then pull the black lever
over. This would allow the black lever to operate the points, thus moving of the railway track to
allow the train to go onto its assigned section. Once this 1st train would be in its loop/ siding
required, I would have to reverse the process and pull the black lever back over, put the blue lever
back, remove the key walk back to the signal box put the blue key back into the blue lever, return it
back over, then pull the other home signal lever over to allow the 2nd train to enter the station /
yard. As 2 trains are at the station / yard/ siding they both would have to have brought their required
section staff key with them. I would then take the staffs from both drivers and either issue the staff
or a ticket for the section they are about to enter. A ticket would be issued only if another train was
going in the same direction as them before another was going in the opposite direction.
Although a train can be despatched in the same direction if the time allowed for that train to its
destination had passed, I then would have to issue a ‘Notice Of Train Ahead‘ to the next train crew.
This notice advised the driver that there could be a train in the same direction/section as he is
travelling and he would be required to proceed at a slower pace so as to be able to stop quickly if
they came into visual view of the other train. The staff had to be kept secure at the station he just
left.
If a train with a ticket was to shunt the stock yards at Gundagai, then a small key - not the main one
- would be given with the ticket to the driver to allow them to open the points at the stock yards.
Another train would not be allowed into the same direction unless the guard or ASM at Coolac or
Guard at Tumblong (as this station was unattended) would call to say the train had arrived safely
there.
TICKET SELLING
The tickets were in stock in the ticket rack located at the ticket window in the station masters office.
The tickets were made of thin cardboard and various colours for regions and types. The ticket sales
what I can remember was around $500 per month. I certainly noticed the difference between working in Sydney to that of Gundagai. In Sydney you sold many more tickets each week than what we
sold in 1 month at Gundagai. As a station worker you got to know the customers as you saw them
quite often, when compared to Sydney you may only see them once and they were mostly always in
a hurry. Most tickets sold at Gundagai were to destinations such as Sydney stations ,Cootamundra,
Junee ,Wagga, Goulburn, Moss Vale. Strathfield, Sydney, Mt Horeb, Tumut, Batlow, Coolac etc.
Some times tickets were sold for Melbourne, Perth and a few other stations around NSW. These
rarely used tickets meant I had to write out the details in a blank green ticket book, and I had to
show where from Gundagai - date of travel, where to via what route, whether single, return, pensioner, adult or child and the price. When I sold tickets for the “Daylight” trains they always had to
have a booked seat, so this meant the station master or myself calling the Cootamundra booking
clerk by phone and making the booking for the passenger. Also if they travelled on the Mail train
and wanted a sleeping berth this also had to be booked for 30c and a fee paid around $2.00 for the
sleeping berth. To get a sleeping berth in NSW you had to have a 1st class passenger ticket, unlike
some other states where you could get a sleeping berth in either 2nd or 1st class.
PARCEL SORTING
On the morning train from Cootamundra on Monday to Friday and quite a few on Saturday morning
train which would have had a connection off the “South Mail” train, there would be about 30 to 50
or sometimes even more parcels to sort out at Gundagai. On the evening train from Cootamundra
there would only be a few parcels arrive. The parcels would include spare parts for cars , trucks and
farm machinery , personal items for private customers and goods for the local shops, but mainly
urgent things and small in size or they would be sent through the goods system if to large. When the
trains arrived at he platform, the parcels which be unloaded by the Guard who passed them on to the
JSA who then had to be sort out all the mail for the different customers. The JSA booked them into
the parcels books. We use to have 1 book for the paid parcels, 1 book for the freight to pay and 1 for
the C.O.D / cash on delivery parcels and stored them the parcel office awaiting pick up. If the parcel
had a stamp on it, the freight was paid at the sending station. The COD parcels would have the
freight cost plus the cost of the item collected by the Railways and sent to the sender. The customers
were then called to come to the station and when they were picked up, the customer or carrier had to
pay for the item as required and sign the book to get the parcel. If the parcels were not collected
straight away usually by a carrier, they would be placed in the parcel office on a shelf if not to large
awaiting collection.
GOODS SHED OPERATIONS
The goods shed was located to north of the station and was in the northern section of the yard.
When not required or open the yard was locked each night and all weekend. Before going to
Gundagai I had never done Goods accounts before only Parcels and selling passenger tickets, but
took to the work very quickly. The accounts for Gundagai were in area of several thousands of
dollars per month. The goods department was the major income for the station.
When the “MLV” wagons of goods arrived I could be spending up to 2 days just catching up with
the book work generated from this. At the end of each month was very busy as all the accounts had
to be balanced and various returns filled out and sent to Head Office.
All goods were moved by goods wagons on the mixed goods train movements. Most of Gundagai’s
goods traffic was of a inwards bound pattern. In the goods shed the goods stored or prepared
included beer kegs, cartons of beer / spirits, farm machinery, spare parts for the local garages, weed
spray, sheep / cattle dip for farmers, cartons of food plus other various goods. Most the beer kegs
and carton beer would be in the wagon designated for all the Hotels and Clubs in Gundagai.
Also goods for many other businesses in Gundagai was shipped in by trains.
A sender who needed to send goods in a wagon would call me at the station, tell me what they
wanted to send, the approx. weight, when, then I would have to order the right wagon for the goods.
The wagon would be dropped of by the goods / mixed train on the day or day before it was
required. It would then be loaded up and sent on the train that night to its final destination.
Outwards goods saw items such as hay usually sent by rail usually in, “S” trucks. The hay, wool and
empty beer kegs was usually loaded into the wagons in the dock, which is found at the Coolac end
of the platform. The main goods outwards products sent from Gundagai was wool in either “S”
trucks (a 4 wheel open wagon as in the yard here) or in “K” trucks (open wagon with 8 wheels, 2
bogies). Due to the amount of work sometimes the processing of the goods work saw account
paperwork take 3 days to do.
WEIGHBRIDGE
Everything that was needing to be loaded into a wagon had to be weighed. The weigh bridge
worked with the goods shed at Gundagai, as it was used to weigh local carriers who brought goods
to the yard for loading. The truck would move onto the weighbridge, then get weighed, empty their
load of goods into the wagon allocated, then the truck would be weighed again empty. The full
weight of the goods being despatched would have the empty weight deducted from original weight
and that was the weight of the goods sent. From this I would work out the freight charges to charge
the sender or the receiver. Although the current weigh bridge is not the original weighbridge at
Gundagai, it is in the same place as the original but there was no road through the yard past the
weighbridge. The original weighbridge building also had an awning out the back.
GUNDAGAI YARD AND DEPOT MEMORIES
There was a raised water tank at Gundagai for the watering of the steam locomotives when they
were used but the tank was removed in the early 1970’s. (This space remained empty until GHBI
acquired another tank as a replacement in the 1990s). There was a turntable located in the locomotive depot section for turning the steam locomotives when they used to terminate mainly before
1903 at Gundagai and had to return to Cootamundra, however this was out of action when I was
there and could not be used. I believe this was sold of in the 1990’s.
There was a concrete ash pit next to the water tank for emptying the ash from the steam locomotive
which was located between the 2 tracks and was a V shaped. The ash pit was filled in when I was
there. There was no advertising opposite the station in my time but it existed in the 1960s I am told.
No foot warmers were kept at Gundagai only Cootamundra. Tumut tho had a foot warmer due to it
been colder there and the terminus.
RAILWAY REFRESHMENT ROOM (RRR)
The “Railway Refreshment Room” (RRR) was operating when I started at Gundagai although it
was privately run at this stage, as it had been for many a year. From around 1962 my Aunty had the
lease on the RRR for about 5/6 years. The RRR had 2 doors into it from the platform and inside the
long room was a bench counter the full length of the room and located up against the back wall was
shelves. At one end the wine and glasses were displayed, a pie warmer was on the shelves, chips
and lollies on the back shelves. Under the counter was a fridge for the soft drinks and also sold was
tea / coffee. Sandwiches was made to order. There were 2 small tables and chairs in the RRR for
people to use. I recall the RRR didnt open for the late train on Saturday night to Cootamundra/Sydney but most other trains it was open for. I remember quite often while working at night
waiting for the train to Cootamundra and I would be ducking in and buying a hot pie or drink. Besides me and the gangers there wasn’t many customers at Gundagai for the RRR in the later years
by the 1970s, so sadly the closure was the only option left. The RRR was closed about late 1970 or
early 1971, as they were being slowly closed down mainly on all the branch lines .Other than
Gundagai there was not many small station or rural branch line RRR left in the state after that
timeframe. Only the main line stations had them afterwards.
Attached to the RRR was a 2 room flat with bathroom where the person running the RRR lived so
they could be opened when all the trains came in to the station, The room had a old wood chip
heater out the back on the road side of building to boil the hot water and no wash basin. This heater
was under a tin wall / partly under the awning, that stretched out to the footpath the length of the 2
rooms, this has since been removed.
BRANCH LINE OPERATIONS
I recall that Coolac / Mt Horeb only had a 3rd class Assistant Station Master working there. There
was no need for any other staff at these stations. This person did everything that was required at the
station. I recall Tumblong was unattended in my time but I believe it did have a 4th class Assistant
Station Master before it became unattended. The trains did stop there, it was mainly for changing
the signals and the staff for safe working. I recall Tumut was a busier station than Gundagai but only because the town was bigger. Up the line from Tumut in the hills, Batlow was mainly a fruit
sending town, and the station was mainly only a goods train with passenger accommodation provided in the guards van or sometime with carriages when demand exceeded the van. Although Gilmore was a key junction station for the Gundagai, Batlow and Tumut lines sections, it
also was unattended in my time.
A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AVOIDED
I recall a time when I was down the yard shunting the train and while running past the Gangers shed
(this was located on the Coolac side of the goods shed near the bend) there was frost/ice on the
sleepers outside the gangers shed. I slipped over and slid along and stopped about a foot from the
train wheels which was moving…. It was only due to the observant and watchful guard had seen
what happened and stopped the train. I came very close to having a serious or near fatal injury. I
was very very lucky and only got some skin off my self rather than my head.
THEF OF MONEY FROM STATION
One evening when a goods train was at the station on the way to Cootamundra and the station was
unattended, I was on my dinner break and I was in my Flat on the station next to the Old
Refreshment Room) on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday night. The next train had arrived and the
Guard came around and tapped on my kitchen window and said did I know that the Parcel Office
window was broken? I said no, so I went around to have a look, and observed a small pain of glass
next to the parcel office door was broken. It turned out the person who did the robbery broke the
little window next to the door handle and gained access that way and shut the door on way out. I
heard no sound, as my flat was a little way from the Parcels Office and I also had my TV going.
Upon unlocking the parcel office room door I noticed on the counter where there was about 15/20
mail bags heading to various destinations around the state and that at least 3 of them were cut open.
I rung the Police and the Railway Traffic Inspector to advise them what I found. They arrived some
time later and started their investigation. I was at the Station that night until 2 am the next morning
when the last Police Officer left the station The Banks were sending excess and mutilated notes (to
be destroyed) to the Reserve Bank through the mail bags and that there was about $30,000 in cash
in the bags. What happened was the mail bags were picked up from the Post Office by taxi then
delivered to the station where we always placed them on the parcels office counter ready for when
the Diesel Train came in that night to Cootamundra. Neither the Station Master, myself or the Taxi
driver knew there was money in the mail bags as we were never told.
The funny thing about all this I joked the next day to another station member “wouldn’t it be funny
if the money was hid in the bush across the line there (opposite the station)
The Police compiled a list of every one who had worked for the banks, post office and the at the
railway station. The next day the Police told me I was number 96 on the suspect list but I was to far
down the list not to worry about it, the only reason I was interviewed was because I was incharge of
the station that night. I believe the Bank Manager and Post Master was very high up the list as it
was thought very few new about the money being sent in the mail bags. Well so they thought, as
when the Police caught the person who did the robbery a couple days later by after being
interviewed for a different thing altogether. It was found out that he had worked for the banks, post
office and the railway and wasn’t on the suspect list at all. The Police came to the station with the
suspect and walked across the line into the bush and recovered most of the money. I believe some of
the money that was to be destroyed was thrown in the Murrumbidgee river.
LIVING AT TMBLONG STATION HOUSE - COMMUTE TO GUNDAGAI STATION
After the robbery I was asked if I wanted to move into a the old railway house used by station
masters at Tumblong as they wanted a Ganger to move into the Gundagai station flat so he could be
on the job for any track emergencies. Station Masters and Assistant Station Master’s had first
choice on railway housing, so it was up to me if I wanted to move. After a few days I decided I
would move as it was a house and not a small flat. The railway house at Tumblong was unusual as
you had to walk out the back door to go into the kitchen and also the bathroom was out back and the
toilet was a thunder box up the back yard. Despite this unusual setup I enjoyed living there. One
evening while sitting at the table inside the back door I just happened to look up and there was a
Fox looking at me. Being a ex city boy I wasn’t sure what the fox would do, so I slowly put my
hand on the chair next to me , picked it up a little way and slammed it onto the floor. To my relief
the fox took off and left me alone. One time while living at Tumblong my car broke down when I
wanted to go to home from work as it was around a 10-15 minute drive home, so the Local Ganger
asked if I wanted to drive the motor trike home instead. It was some 15km by rail.
I was a little worried about that as when I finished work I had 45 minutes to get home before the
Express goods left Tumblong. So after a 5 minute driving lesson on the trike in the yard, at 6.15pm
So off I headed down the track towards Tumblong. It was in winter and unfortunately the head light
wouldn’t work, so it ended up being quite scary riding along in the dark first time on a trike!. I also
had to travel over the Murrumbidgee river bridge (and I hate heights ). To make it worse just after
south Gundagai a cow just happened to be on the line and I only just slowed down in time after
spotting it at the last minute. Anyway I got home in about 35 minutes, took the trike off the rail line
at Tumblong yard with just with about 5 minutes to spare. Next day I drove the trike back to
Gundagai in the daylight. This was much more relaxing and no incidents. That was my first and last
experience on a railway trike. After this incident I was glad that I had my car fixed that same day.
END OF MY TIME AT GUNDAGAI
I resigned from the NSW Government Railways in May 1972 after I decided I wanted a change in
my life and went to New Zealand for a while. I ended up joining the Railways there. While working
in New Zealand I received an extra $500 per year because of my NSW railway service experience. I
was employed as a Clerk in the goods office in Wellington for the shipping of goods to the south
Island by there own Rail Ferries and there own aircraft that the railways owned. This setup of trains,
ferries and planes in a railway organisation was quite unique I thought and wondered why it had not
been done in Australia as well. After 6 months in that position, I was offered a Purser’s position on
their ships. A purser is classed as a Ships Officer and his main role on board is to control the passengers and car / booking and all the accounts to do with the ship including the crews pays.
The total crew I worked for was around 60/70 people. The ships carried cars, trucks and passengers
between the 2 Islands. I stayed in NZ for a couple years then returned to NSW and interestingly I re
–joined the now renamed NSWGR which was known as the Public Transport Commission as a
trainee Fireman on the Engines, in 1978 but after about 6 months I decided to move on into another
job elsewhere with another government department.