Steam on Cowan Bank in 1958. Rare colour footage.

The famous Cowan Bank was (and is) the ruling grade on the line north from Sydney, with grades as steep as 1 in 37. In 1958, Arthur Birch and friends spent a day with a movie camera trackside and riding trains up the "River bank". Garratts, 36s, 38s, 35s, 50, 53 and a new 46 class electric on banker training duties.

[@tracynation239]

A superb video. Hello from the Tracy Mountain Railway in Colorado. ♡ T.E.N.

[@andrewr2825]

Thanks Belbin Video for these rare glimpses of history on cine film, now on KZbin. A different age it was then .....

[@amishpatel1137]

Such a great footage, to see steam and electric together was a treat

[@collinblack8474]

Thank you to the Belbin family for all of the steam that your filmed. Very much appreciated.

[@bobbythorman7421]

Wonderful vision,thanks so much.

[@esosthompe]

Simply superb

[@simonf8902]

Steam plus electric. Amazing.

[@alanread5578]

My father, Jack Read was involved in a little known and wrongly reported incident at Cowan involving a 'banker' locomotive. He had just completed his last run for the night and was preparing to head back to the depot at Hornsby. He had uncoupled from the train and went down the siding to allow the main ttain to 'proceed down the main line'. He reversed onto the main line and, having been given the all clear, opened her up. When he felt the loco lurch he realieed that, while he'd been given the green signal, the Signalman had not swktched the points. He slammed on the brakes, but because it was raining and the rails were wet, he had virtua,ly no stopping power. The loco careered through the buffer stop and luckily for him, became bogged to its axles, preventing it from careering dow the steep slope possibly ending up in Jerusalem Bay. For many years after this he was known as 'Dead-end Ready' He later became known as 'Mow 'em down Ready' but that's another, much sadder story and one which he never fully recovered..

[@AustralianRailwayVideos]

Amazing... how you see all of these beautiful locomotives doing their daily jobs. Sad to see that alot of them are now scrapped

[@australiasindustrialage689]

Absolutely superb footage, I find archival footage of the 38's whistle to be rather interesting. It sounds like more of a squark, compared to 38s in real life. I though the scene of the wiring train was fascinating also.

[@collinblack8474]

As they said in the The Rocky Horror Picture Show, "Let's do the Time walk again". Thank you Greame and family.

[@38013813]

Now they were PROPER 38 chimes!!

[@warrendibb394]

Nicely done Graeme!

[@dannygayler3164]

Wow , L:ifting safeties under load , the mark of a good fireman !

[@chiefchook]

Extraordinary footage; two black streamed 38s and a 46+Garratt. Amazing, great quality, too. Thanks for posting, fellas.

[@markaylott1780]

The 38's weren't black, well not painted anyway, just filthy. Towards the end of steam, loco's weren't looked after as much, especially broadmeadow loco's.🙂

[@tobys_transport_videos]

@@markaylott1780 Most 38 class were painted black. 3801, 3802, 3803, 3804, 3810, 3820, 3824, 3827, virtually all except 3813 wore black at some point in their lives, and most died in black. There are plenty of good quality colour photos and film showing this.

[@nigelmitchell351]

Wow! Electric piloting steam, how rare is footage of that scenario.! Superb, thanks for sharing. I need to find out more about the electrification now, looks like DC.? Anyone know where and who built the locos, they look French.?

[@localcarthief]

@Aussie Pom thanks for the info! Love ur content

[@InevitableMe]

1.5 kv DC, and the locomotives were built in Britain by Metropolitan Vickers.

[@InevitableMe]

The class 46 is my favourite locomotive class.

[@nigelmitchell351]

@@InevitableMe Thanks for that. Manchester built then probably or Stockton on tees.,.,

[@struck2soon]

Great video and sound. What is the gradient on this line?

[@BelbinVideo]

Thanks. I believe the steepest section is 1 in 37.

[@struck2soon]

Thanks. That is certainly steep enough to get a loco grunting.

[@tobys_transport_videos]

@@struck2soon The grade for the most part is listed as 1 in 40, but as BelbinVideo says, the steepest part is 1 in 37, which from memory is just on the Sydney side of #3 tunnel.

[@SpottoBotto]

Rare footage of 3805

[@sewaplainrose]

1958?? The line was electrified in 1960.

[@BelbinVideo]

The line was, finally, electrified in 1960. The wiring took several years, hence the presence of the wiring train in the video. It was officially opened to Gosford on 23rd January, 1960. The film is marked 1958.

[@markaylott1780]

Sewaplainrose, it was electtified to hawksburry river in '57, gosford '60 🙂

[@BelbinVideo]

Thanks, Mark.

[@flamingfrancis]

If you look carefully you can note one or two of the video segments show the gantries but no insulators or overhead cables. Also the 46 class was sidelined at Hawkesbury in readiness to be put up front of a loaded set such as the one being hauled by the Garrett. 1960 was the year the final section was switched on through to Gosford.

[@michaelnaisbitt1639]

A different age. When drugs were what you got from a doctor. Not to give you a thrill and lifetime addition When kids could walk to the corner shop without the risk of being taken by some crazy person. Ah how we have PROGRESSED???? Sorry about the soapbox.