Driver's view from Lithgow up through the ten tunnels - Quad C class - February 2023

[@cee2615]

Wow, so many tunnels all so close to each other. I didn’t know this existed, thank you for this unique view 😊🎉

[@johnwhatmore163]

Great video of an inaccessible but fascinating part of the system. Thanks, a real treat !

[@bigfella6629]

I've worked in some of these tunnel as a track worker back in the late 80s. Bloody loud when a coal loco is chugging thru hauling 30 odd carriages of coal , when you heard that horn you made a very quick bee line to a recess in the wall and jammed your fingers in your ears .. lol

[@wadestevenson1874]

Great video. Loved the different perspective. Thanks for sharing it with everyone.

[@robertmainerd7145]

Some yearsago I was one of many people at Zig Zag station (seen at 8:35) waiting for our tourist train to bring us back to Central.While we waited a coal train hauled by 4x 86 class locos powered up the hill. The sound, and the power was amazing.That is a serious climb.

[@ralphbyles142]

What a trip down memory lane. From 1957 to 1961 I travelled this route to and from school. Prior to electrification it was No. 9 mixed goods in the morning and the workers special in the afternoon. Thank you for a superb video.

[@Mimosa3163]

Fantastic video. Brings back memories of working out of Lithgow in the 80's driving 46, 85 and 86 class.

[@aussiejohn5835]

This is an amazing and unique view. I was surprised that it seemed like a constant speed was maintained throughout this journey while winding around the mountain and through tunnels whilst climbing the grade. Thanks for sharing this amazing experience with us.

[@EOL76678]

I agree with you John.totally 100 percent.

[@AustralianRailwayVideos]

Awesome video Bevan! Loved the engine sounds of the C’s ascending up the grade, hard workers!

[@Ian-066VLV8]

Being a young NSW Government apprentice in the 70’s I had the opportunity to do the full journey.From riding the Indian Pacific into Lithgow the 46 class would take over I detrained walked to the front asking politely,flashing my apprentice pass was allowed to sit in the inspectors seat a trip I’ll never forget.I recall the driver commenting as he braked into platform 1 “ wow after all those kilometres crossing the continent we’re arriving on time” as a smile ran across his face.

[@aussietrainman613]

Awesome video! Great seeing what this looks like from the drivers perspective. I routinely chase and film the Airly trains between Capertee and Bell. Let me know if you ever want a track-side shot to cut in to one of your cab videos!

[@astapic]

Great video.

[@markharwood]

Great video. You can see how much work has had to go into the drainage in that section.

[@spacemarine88]

C507 managed to be in two places at once, both on the train and parked in the siding at 1:40.

[@bwDVD]

It was C504 on the train.

[@ausmanis4321]

Ah Yes, the memories. I remember these tunnels very well. The "Rat Holes" we used to call them. I was at Lithgow from 1978 to 1986 and went thru them so many times I couldn't even estimate. It's good to see the area again but wow hasn't it changed! No old yard and the top yard used to be full of coalies. It's not even a skeleton now of what it used to be, sad, very sad. I had a lot of great times with a lot of great people in Lithgow and have a lot of great memories. It was a fantastic family atmosphere and attitude and we all looked after and helped each other. It was so good if I had the chance I'd go back and do it all again, even the cold uncomfortable nights on the 46ers up and down the hill, cause I'd know I'd be experiencing the best working, and the times with the best people.

[@magicbrowntrout]

I have seen a few videos, going from the opposite way ( tunnel 1 to tunnel ten). Yours is unique (different) and the locomotive driver has tried to maintain the speed, up the mountain towards Bell. Well done.

[@garryteahan6375]

Thanks for Posting- many good Memories! Sounds just like our old L Class Loco Cabs over here in the West. Do You use much Sand in Winter- Frosty Mornings?

[@bearcatracing007]

This is awesome, thanks

[@collinblack_60103-]

Just imagine what the music would be like in the 1940s when standard goods loco and a 57 class blasting through these tunnels. Thank you for sharing this with us.👌🇦🇺🤠

[@K1W1fly]

That's an impressive climb. The engineer drove it well too, and lots of power at the head end helps!

[@Tom-Lahaye]

That's a spectacular section of line, some rocks had to be moved to build this.

[@MarcelosalivaTRENESArg]

Excellent video awesome very nice my friend fantástic capture Like nuevo Suscriptor from Argentina 🇦🇷

[@yankinga]

Can someone help out this Yank and tell me at which time in the video are we rounding Cape Horn curve? Trying to pick out which one it is using Google maps. Thanks in advance. 1 in 42 is brutal. More so in the days of steam. That is on par with Tehachapi and Donner Pass on the Union Pacific (former Southern Pacific) here in the U.S.. Reading up on these C Class locomotives I discovered that they are an export version of the EMD SD40-2 , built under license by Clyde Engineering. The SD40-2 is my favorite locomotive, as it was first line power during my most active period of railfanning. It was also the last EMD model built mostly before the damned U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandated the use of "Quiet Fans " and exhaust silencers in 1980. They could fill a canyon with sound like nothing on rails today. Whether pulling up grade with their turbocharged V-16 engines screaming or descending the hills with their dynamic brake fans howling, you could hear them coming from a long way off. I remember standing on the Horseshoe Curve in Pennsylvania and hearing a set of four of them plus a two unit helper starting their pull out of Altoona, 5 rail miles away. By contrast, Amtrak's Siemens Chargers make hardly any noise whatsoever (not to mention that they are butt-ugly as well).

[@garykuipers2696]

Fantastic, just like being in the cab of the lead locomotive.

[@LeoStarrenburg]

Great video, I wonder how many tons of dynamite were used to blast this line out of the rocks ! Has anyone any details of the Garrett etc. at 8:05 ?

[@LeoStarrenburg]

Found it: ZigZag station.

[@livinlifetothefullest2750]

its in one of the recent ARHS "Australia Railways History" magazine, not the dynamite but some fantastic photo's and info

[@sapper82]

I noted a pair of transponders in the fourfoot at 4m51s as the train passed the speed limit markers. What cab signalling systems and Driver's Vigilance systems do American trains have? I'm a retired Railwayman in the UK by the way.

[@sapper82]

@@anthonyj7989 Ah! I was wondering why the trains were on the left of the track.

[@vikingyaffa8346]

I can only speak for Passenger trains which was adopted from freight after the waterfall derailment. Vigo consists of 60 seconds from no action (Power application, Brake application, sounding your whistle or flashing your headlights) Once 60 seconds passes you get a warning light either white or blue depending on what light you want the warning light lasts for 15 seconds, after 15 seconds of the warning light a warning bell will sound in the cab along with the warning light then 15 seconds after that the penalty phase kicks in and emergency brakes are applied. As for in cab signalling we dont have any as of yet. An Automatic train protection system (ATP) has slowly been rolled out. All 4th generation passanger trains have been equipped with the computers for it. However really only the Intercity lines up north and down south have it active. Suburbans lines havent been activated yet i suspect due to more works need to be done and suburbans trains need it equipped as well as drivers being trained on it. All in all they are planning on in cab signalling but its far into the future and will be when ATP is fully rolled out which i suspect could be another 10 years at least.

[@SMILEVIDEOTRAINS]

WOW AND WOW AGAIN

[@shinkicker404]

Was it Lithgow where the… uh… was it called the switchback railway(?) zig zag railway(?) is? Something I have memory visiting when I was extremely young with the grand parents. I remember it being very step, very cold and pretty wet. Cool video though! Haven’t seen to many rail videos like this down here, usually other countries.

[@tombarnes7196]

Clearances seem to be very tight!

[@leea1988]

A really beautiful part of NSW

[@peterbranch2913]

Good stuff

[@railpast]

Nice but where is Lithgow? Also a shot of the train set the scene. What are those passenger cars on the right about half way through? Must have been tough building a railway there. What is the coal used for?

[@wavecentral]

Lithgow is a town about 100klm west of Sydney. The line is electrified from Sydney through to Lithgow for inter-urban passenger services but is shared with freight services like the one in the video. The trains on the right and left at 3:00 are actually brand new EMUs to be used on this service and will replace the much older set seen passing in the opposite direction at 3:07. As for the coal, my guess would be either to be used in power stations (there are a few to the north of Sydney) or for export.

[@railpast]

@@wavecentral Thank you.

[@shanequinn8356]

This is great if you are local but where is the train going please?

[@daveg2104]

For export coal, Port Kembla (Wollongong) or Newcastle. I know Airly (Centenial) were exporting from Port Kembla in the past, probably still are.

[@bretthood1757]

Did I just miss the passing traffic in the other, direction or is there no passenger services on this line or were they just cut out?? Great scenary but a bit lonely

[@pgchase4578043026]

There's an Intercity going by at 3:09.

[@staryoshi06]

passenger service is only hourly this far out.

[@ThePaulv12]

It's nice that you get to thrash our good Victorian broad gauge locomotives.

[@carlosricardoruiz159]

Excelente vídeo, hermoso país.. Los trenes que se ven en el minuto 8 aproximadamente a los costados...Son trenes que no circulan mas???.saludos desde Argentina.

[@poppins2325]

Train No. VP08 ? great footage though

[@rickfleckner2088]

Good viseo, but for my comfort, it would have been better if the camera was mounted centrally.

[@vasilicastoica1413]

Salutări din România👋👋

[@richardburdick9430]

Viewer from USA...... A couple of Questions. 1) What country is this in? I am guessing New Zealand? 2) What is the elevation change from your starting to end point? The engineering that went into the line is quite impressive.

[@bwDVD]

This is in Australia. Just search for Lithgow in Google maps and then you should be able to answer most of your questions.

[@johnlishman4946]

its hard to think how they get all 2 or 3 loco to be pulling at exactly the same pace/timing or sequence on each loco /engine can't think of the word i mean ? great video 10/10 i am an electrician from UK

[@daveg2104]

Good question. I'm not an expert, but seeing as they often use different locomotives (with different horsepower/tractive effort) on trains, this isn't really a thing. Even locos of the same type won't be perfectly matched for power. The locos are coupled together, so they essentially operate as one unit - multiple-unit train control (MU). When the driver throttles up or down, the multiple units all throttle up or down the same.

[@DKS225]

Up through The Ten Tunnels which drivers of steam dubbed "The Rat Holes". A Fantastic clip you uploaded Bevan. It's a shame when the V Sets will be withdrawn when those Maryung NIF's end up being put into service. Lithgow yards was crawling with them.

[@peejay1981]

Nice video! If you have a spare GoPro wrap it in a pillow case and use it to capture the sound.

[@IIGrayfoxII]

8:36 Thats a station platform? It is so tiny. How is it even legal being so narrow and short?

[@peterelvery]

"Zig Zag has two side platforms, sized at 7 m each. It is serviced by NSW TrainLink Blue Mountains Line services travelling from Sydney Central to Lithgow. It is a request stop with passengers required to notify the guard if they wish to alight and signal the driver if they want to board." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zig_Zag_railway_station

[@aussietrainman613]

I filmed this same train consist coming through Zig Zag platform a few weeks ago. Safe to say I have one hand on the railing at all times. I don't want to make the drivers nervous either.

[@chrisstaylor8377]

Are those parked commuter trains at the beginning of the film

[@bennoakes2477]

brand new and parked up being wasted

[@vikingyaffa8346]

@@bennoakes2477 Thats what you get for not consulting with works on their futures.

[@PeerWorker]

Victoria is demanding the return of the C class locomotive 🚂

[@kencoates276]

Bad luck. We have them now and we are keeping them. And how about five of them (half the fleet) at the one location. C507 in one of the sidings along with the four on this train.👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏

[@ensign_Zadov]

Interesting. How much work to carve such deep canyons in the rocks. Couldn't they have made a tunnel?

[@Gaz3801]

This route originally had 11 tunnels all up, but one collapsed, creating on of the deepest cuttings on the line.

[@danielmargrie3084]

scary railway tunnels 😅

[@livinlifetothefullest2750]

at 1:33 is that an AN class, be buggered if i can find photo's of it cos google's search buries the entire class except for Wikipedia's page of the class, i'm probably wrong as i'm trying to match the portholes but i think the rise before the top is not right

[@bradsmckay]

That's either S class or GM class, AN have a sloped nose and also SSR don't operate AN's

[@livinlifetothefullest2750]

@bradsmckay yeah I'd say one of the S class as the 1st and 4th portholes especially the 4ths half cut one threw me a bit even on the laptop screen.

[@denelson83]

I take it this is in 🇦🇺?

[@Gaz3801]

Sure is, the train is heading towards Sydney from Lithgow. Lithgow is located approximately 100km west, on the other side of the Blue Mountains. At 5.10, you get a glimpse of the old viaduct which made up part of the Great Zig Zag Railway, the first line across the mountains.

[@xr6lad]

Good video BUT tbh, you need to actually add where your passing through or some details. I mean there’s a closed station early on; what was it? Unless you’re from Lithgow no one knows what they are looking at. No history of the tunnels. Take your cues from other global cab views that do so. Don Coffey is the best of these.

[@garygraham8373]

and not wishing to be too pedantic; there is quite a difference in viewer experience between a camera positioned quite precisely in the center of the driver's cab as opposed to considerably to one side as in this video.

[@bennoakes2477]

Lithgow....then Google. Don't be lazy.

[@claymack1109]

Hey there's this thing called Google you know how to use Google right

[@AustralianRailwayVideos]

The station isn’t only known to Lithgow locals, and if you bothered looking at a map or googling “abandoned station in Lithgow” then you’d be bound to find it. If you’re too lazy to perform the steps I advised you, the station is called Eskbank.

[@stuboyd1194]

Where is this?

[@leea1988]

Lithgow, New South Wales

[@wezza60]

Unreal video through the"Rat holes"

[@kensutherland414]

Thanks that was interesting. A lot of degenerative braking by the look.

[@nicholasroberts6954]

Oh, the irony. Nice clean electricity powering a dirty old coal train.

[@MikeysRetired]

It appears to be a diesel electric locomotive.

[@tonydoggett7627]

The original concept of the electrification of the blue mountains line was as one goods train descended the regeneration helped power another goods train climbing. But at some point in time they decided to just continued the journey to the Sydney ports with the diesel locomotives.

[@rodneyjeffery9726]

Cool

[@jimpikoulis6726]

Dear Diary!!!

[@scotabot7826]

Is this Aussie land, who knows???

[@bwDVD]

It is in Australia. Use Google maps to find Lithgow .

[@billsmith305]

boring