Abandoned Railway - Wallerawang Railway Station - Signal Box - Exploration & History

Season 1, Episode 7, Railways Abandoned Spaces. Embark on a journey through time as we walk the rails of history and unveil the abandoned Wallerawang Railway Station, signal box, goods shed and water tank.
Nestled in the Western Tablelands of NSW, this relic of our railway past reveals a captivating tale of a bygone era.
Steeped in history this space, now disused and forgotten sits empty since 1989 when services were collapsed to the west. Opened in 1870 and closed in 1989 under State Rail management the station complex awaits an unknown future as it sits slowly decaying.
We explore the history of the complex and each building in detail from the air and ground.
Join us in this exploration of abandonment, where every cooing pigeon and crumbling structure whispers stories of forgotten railway history.
#abandonedplaces #railwayhistory #trainspotting
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[@johnledingham852]

I enjoyed watching your video on Wallerawang Railway Station very much indeed, and it brought back many happy memories to me. I recall back in the mid 1950's visiting my Uncle there when he was the Station Master. It was then a bustling town, especially on Saturday mornings. As I walked along the main street with him it seemed everyone knew and had respect for him. As you mentioned, the Station Master was an important person back in those railway times. I've subscribed and look forward to many more of your videos.

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

Hi John, thank you so much for sharing this story, these are the reasons for my channel to bring back memories and record history. By any chance was your uncle still using the station masters house at that time? Thanks for watching.

[@andrewr2825]

Wallerawang is a prime candidate for reopening - especially if smaller places such as Rydal and Tarana have reopened. The redevelopment and restoration of the station by railway management and local community groups will lessen the chances of vandalism because it adds value to the community. Great video mate, well presented and researched.

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

Hi Andrew, thanks so much for your kind words. Rydal is well kept and hopefully a historical group can do as good a job with Wallerawang, particularly the signal box as it is showing the most decay. thanks for watching

[@rexdallas5065]

Yes I grew up in Wallerawang and in later years I wrote my gold guitar award winning song OLD WALLERAWANG. I am at present writing another tribute to the miners and the 2 hotels and Old Wang railway station where they had a bar as well. The miners would congregate at the 2 pubs and the little Wang railway bar to wash the coal dust down to keep their lungs and bodies clear they reckoned. I was 10 years old and would go to the Railway Bar with my Dad who was a underground mining man along with my uncles and cousins. I will tell their stories in the song I am now writing. Oh the memories still dwell of those hard old days. Cheers to my old hometown. Rex Dallas.🤩

[@OldFella547]

Hi Rex Good to see you are still active hope to catch up with you again. Cheers to all Brian

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

Hi Rex, have you released the song I'd love to check it out. The place is so full of history I can see why you would get inspired. Thanks for watching.

[@rexdallas5065]

@@trainspottingwithbarrie I will be recording the song early next year Barrie. My song Old Wallerawang is still going strong, so I decided to go with my new writing about the bar etc at Wang Railway Platform after Xmas. Thank you for your enquiry and my kindest Regards. Rex Dallas.

[@davidrayner9832]

A friend of mine was a driver at Lithgow and one day coming in from one of the mines, he lost the air somewhere between Wallerawang and Lithgow so the fireman went back to have a look and found the last car had not only become uncoupled, but the brakes had leaked off and she'd run back down the hill. Many years later I took a job at Rio Tinto at Cape Lambert WA and was training a new driver. He told me he was new to the loco branch and was a signaller in NSW, mainly on the west. He said his home box was Wallerawang and I told him about my mate's runaway coal wagon and just as I got to the part where it'd had gone, he said "Yeah, I heard it coming so I pulled a few levers and sent it on the Mudgee branch as the XPT from Dubbo was on its way over and they would've had a head-on". Small world, eh.

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

Hi David it really is, imagine being able to share that story with someone on the other side of the country. These stories are the memories that I love hearing about, thanks for sharing.

[@DorkBoy77]

Even smaller world. I Think I know the signaller you're talking about. Reason I say that is he moved from rural NSW (Dubbo, Orange) to WA. Surname was Scott.?

[@davidrayner9832]

@@DorkBoy77 Geoff Graves. He died a few years ago.

[@douglachman7330]

I worked out of Lithgow on relief staff on all these lines and left in the late eighties. I also worked traffic control, pilot vehicles at Rio Tintos Cape Lambert. The best fifo camp in WA.

[@davidrayner9832]

@@douglachman7330 Birra Bira or Julathandu Maya?

[@douglachman7330]

When freight trains had vans on the rezr i used to use this rail junction often. I quit when the closures announced. Its a shame that the Mudgee line closed down as rail motor passenger services servicing the line from Mudgee to Lithgow to Cowra or Orange on alternate days. There is potential for Wallerawang in tourism and a great place to base steam trains, but not in heatwave conditions. Tourism to Mudgee and Gulgong or to Bathurst, Blayney, Cowra and return would be awesome, be it steam and or railmotor. Brings back great memories.

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

Hi Doug. I agree completely. Thanks for watching and sharing.

[@romemancer7905]

Love to see this Aussie history saved ...Beautiful old buildings and town...Cheers !

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

I agree, thanks so much for watching.

[@geoffreymoore1510]

Thanks, Barry for the wonderful history tour of Wallerawang Station. Pretty sure we roared through there in he old days.

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

Thanks Geoff, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@robt2151]

Excellent report. Looks like it would make a good location for a model railway project.

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

Thanks very much. Yeah it really would be, especially if you set it circa 1900s. Hopefully this video might help someone model it. Thanks for watching

[@bridgewater112]

Great video Barrie, very informative thanks for uploading all your videos im a huge fan of your work

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

Thank you so much for your support and kind words. It really helps motivate me.

[@flamingfrancis]

Like your comment re the history of the area. One wonders what might have been if the Lithgow based Hoskins Family Steelworks had not moved to Port Kembla (Australian Iron and Steel) in the 1920's. That decision was made because PK offered a big oportunity to develop a large deep water harbour

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

I'm sure Wallerawang would have been a lot bigger if they hadn't moved, possibly still maybe an active hub. Thanks for your supportive comments.

[@DorkBoy77]

Worked that box. Nearly every lever was white. Great video.

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

East or West box? The levers are white with pigeon poo now😂 thanks for watching

[@DorkBoy77]

@@trainspottingwithbarrie I did one shift around 1989. No levers were in use. All I had to do was hold a white flag out the window and write in the train register book.

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

The register books are still everywhere on the ground. It would be funny if one of those has your entries in it.

[@DorkBoy77]

@@trainspottingwithbarrie One would of thought the train register books would of been removed when the box closed then sent to railway archives. Obviously the vandals broke in and chucked them first. :(

[@Australianfarmer]

GREAT AUSSIE TOWN, KEEP OUR HERITAGE.

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

Absolutely 💪🏻 too much history disappears easily. Thanks for watching

[@SamuelAdkins-j1h]

Are there any plans to reopen the railway line?

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

Hi Samuel, thanks for reaching out. The line itself is active as it is the main Western line but no services have stopped there since 1989, all passenger services were replaced with buses during the State Rail wind down of the west to save $$$. Thanks for watching.

[@douglachman7330]

Take a look at Ben Bullen station but dont expect any trains. Mount Piper power station is just around the rail network.

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

I will check this out, it might be worth a video. 😃👍

[@MrAnsairDude]

For the sets that will be doing transport expo events will I be able to change carriages to film while the event is going on?

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

If it's F1 or W3 you can move between cars but as far as the steam shuttles I'm not sure 👍

[@MrAnsairDude]

@@trainspottingwithbarrie for s28 can you ?

[@MrAnsairDude]

Also thank you for that info

[@pacnbeans]

BRING BACK AUSTRALIAN RAIL !!

[@robertcoleman4861]

👍👍👍👍🍺

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

Hi Robert. Thanks a lot.

[@johnmorgan4313]

Three part pronunciation.........wall era wang....... 😮😅😅.

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

Hi John, yeah my Wiradjuri aboriginal isn't so good, apparently it's 'Waller-owang' but I'm no expert. Hopefully you still enjoyed the video despite my poor pronunciation.

[@johnmorgan4313]

Yes, good video. Last went thru on train in 1985 behind 5910, 5917 & 3001. 1917 declared defective & cut out of consist, celebration of Cowra railway centenary.

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

What a great sounding trip. Double 59 class sounds impressive.

[@kevinthompson4494]

It will be good to see it reopen again,and have services running from Wallerawang heading to Lithgow/Mudgee and Lithgow/Bathurst.

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

It sure would, I have no doubt the question is when. There were tenders doing quotes there on the day this was filmed. Thanks for watching

[@andrewtailby4364]

It was promised to be in use by now but again nothing more then a election stunt

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking as well.

[@dieseldavetrains8988]

Local member announced in 2024 that the funds have been set aside to reopen the station and the Bathurst Bullet will stop there in both directions. The Goods Shed was to have been restored a few years back for local community use but nothing ever happened. The original steam era line branches off between Cox's River and Wallerawang, the small tunnels and bridges are still there today, a couple are on the "Good Earth Gardening Centre" site at Lidsdale and well worth checking out. Also the original single line tunnel still survives at the top of the ridge, I walked through it about five or six years ago with permission of the landowner. Many coal mines operated around Wallerawang and provided employment to the town. Good video Barrie.

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

Hi Dave, yeah the area certainly deserves more investigation, I was only there a short time and rushed from spot to spot on the complex. Tenders were there quoting whilst I was there. Thanks for commenting as always. Btw where will the pigeons move too once it's fixed up 😂

[@dieseldavetrains8988]

@@trainspottingwithbarrie Nearby Portland is interesting Barrie, the old line to the cement works and the siding down where the station was, plenty to find if you dig about...

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

Well that might be my next trip.

[@mt-mg7tt]

I could see there was some kind of line there as a couple of the little bridges and an embankment are easily visible from Castlereagh Highway as you descend from the GWH junction. They should definitely re-open Wang station..

[@patrickbryant5224]

Excellent video and narration. Much appreciated. Do heritage trains stop here at all during excursions? Looks like a beautiful station going to waste.

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

Hi Patrick, not to my knowledge as it doesn't meet safety requirements at the moment. Thanks so much for the supportive comments.

[@dja69]

I'm a fan of the regional railway stations, as they all should be restored and preserved. Hoping this station gets the restoration it deserves and regain services to the community after 35 years. Great video as I enjoyed it very much. Thank you sir.

[@DeniZen28]

Great video, thanks Barrie. Fascinating stuff, would love to see it refurbished.

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

Hi Den. Yeah it would be great if they fixed it up and kept its historic feel. thanks for watching

[@fyiaustralia9686]

Wallerawang has reasonably presentable old buildings that you can see from the outside. There isn't really much history that you could create a museum out of it. There are other railway towns more worthy - such as Binnaway.

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

Thanks for the great tip and watching. I do hope that a historical society takes over the signal boxes and goods shed to protect them from the decay they are suffering.

[@darylcheshire1618]

As a Victorian, I used to trip over the name, mangling the sylables.

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

Hi Daryl, I think I had about 4 different takes recording the narration for this video because I kept stuffing up "Wallerawang" I said it so many times it stopped sounding like a word anymore. thanks for watching

[@shanehumphries2392]

I lived up there in 86- 87 work at wang power station use to get the western mail home from the gong PS and a bottle of green ginger wine made the trip better, good times !

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

See it's stories like that I love to hear. Makes sharing these videos so worth it. Thanks for watching.

[@preston963]

Has the RSL club survived ?... I wouldn't think so but I las saw it just over 3 decades ago but would love to know mate.

[@trainspottingwithbarrie]

Hi, from what I can tell just the bowling club, I didn't stay long enough to get a huge look around outside of the station area though so I may be wrong.