Kiama Tunnel to Berry on 8938

A view of the South Coast Line south of Wollongong from the cab of locomotive 8182 on train 8938 originating in Clyde Yard in Suburban Sydney. Seen along the way is Kiama Station, Omega Tunnels 1 - 4, Gerringong Station, Berry down landmark (yellow triangle) and Berry home signal.

[@jamesbaker9677]

The farmland and scenery here is breathtaking. Australia is so beautiful. This is just out of Sydney. Amazing!

[@15sixmedia]

james baker Enjoy it whole it lasts, sadly it’ll more than likely be gone one day.

[@B10Mman]

The thing with that idea is, you need a favourable government with a member of their own party there to push the issue. The only drawback is the Omega Tunnels, I haven't heard of any plans of replacing them, we can only run standard containers down there as hicube containers are too high for standard wagons through the tunnels. It would be a good line to duplicate BUT in saying that, it will lose it's single line charm. It did lose some of it's character when they replaced the Electric Staff Working to Rail Vehicle Detection (RVD). We got a staff at Kiama and had to sink it at Berry and pull a new staff at Berry and give it in Bomaderry. same process when in the up direction.

[@RGC198]

Excellent video. Than ks for sharing. Prior to 1981, I lived in Sydney and traveled on several occasions over the years from Sydney to Wollongong and Kiama on day train trips. Some of the scenery is absolutely spectacular on that line.

[@michaelsnedden6758]

Great video. My whole family worked on the railways in new South Wales. From my grand father to my dad working at Auburn station. I love the 81's they are a great sounding locomotive. Brute strength also. I was having a cab ride from Campbelltown to Yass we were on a Steel train with a 81 n 422. Well the 422 failed but the 81 was crawling around 5kph lifting the dead 422 n the 30 wagons of steel. The driver was told to continue on to the next loop if he can. We did but took two hour's. Proud of the 81 to 81's

[@davidlang1125]

Gorgeous! Thanks for posting uncut!

[@sirpeabody6217]

Thankyou..!!! Its nice to finally see a train cab video in the country (regional) areas of Australia instead of the just suburban trains. Any chance of more, and maybe longer videos...? (UN-CUT/REAL-TIME LIKE THIS ONE) I've searched through hundreds of train videos for many years, and this one is the best by far. Hope to see more :-)

[@B10Mman]

Would you believe that this video is unedited, straight off my phone? I took a transfer out of Sydney and don't do the trains to Bomaderry/Nowra anymore. I work in the Hunter Valley now and I'll start doing some new video's in the near future.

[@sinkers]

Loved this for all the reasons given above. I relax each day with drivers cabin videos from Manchester and surrounds and out of Bergen. The Swiss and French do it with innovations too. Brilliant to see NSW regional glimpses from the driver. IS

[@B10Mman]

Hi Ian, I'm glad that you liked my video.

[@julianbristow4793]

Hey, mate! Riding down under and out back! It was a wonderful and adventurous journey!👍🏻

[@B10Mman]

You know, working on the trains here isn't a hard job, some say that it is, but it's not, really. Doing those "mainline" jobs are the cream of the job, funny thing is, one day, you could be shunting Boral at Enfield or Cooks River then do that Manildra train to Bomaderry the next day and on Clyde Local the day after that or running to Botany. Now all I do is coal trains in the Hunter Valley. Different day, different job, I treat them like those Kinder Surprise treats and enjoy everyday.

[@jamesfrench7299]

Single tracks are beautiful. The tunnels are just wow!! The scenery in the south coast does NSW proud. Much nicer than the north.

[@B10Mman]

It depends on where in the north you go? If you hug the coast, it's beautiful and my last trips out to Ulan and Gunnedah were great too and they were in March and April 2020.

[@anthonyloft3277]

Cresent head, Hat Head, South West Rocks and so on surely you’re joking 🇦🇺

[@jamesfrench7299]

But they aren't as accessible as the south coast.

[@tonymccarthy6713]

The scenery is very lush near the coast in this area. What a stark contrast to the west coast from Perth to Geralton in WA.

[@jasonfelix7438]

Never realised this part of Australia was so green and lush!

[@NextbotExpert]

Exactly

[@B10Mman]

Not always, Jason. I've seen it brown too.

[@paulmontagner6360]

I remember working on the track between the to short tunnels had to drive a huge wheel loader through the southern tunnel to get where the track needed replacing removed alot of the balast for the new sleepers then a train load of balast was brought in from the Kiama direction you can see the newer balast in this video ! Used to travel on this line when living in Nowra 4 years ago moved to highlands now

[@rodruskin3651]

Great scenery and video, like the sound when you power up.

[@B10Mman]

Those EMD 645 prime movers do sound great.

[@B10Mman]

The ticking in the back noise is the Hasler speedo. The 81 class have an EMD 645 2 stroke prime mover.

[@youtubeviewer7030]

the XPT has it also

[@Gaz3801]

Great video. The South Coast scenery has to be the best in NSW, especially when viewed from an 81 Class. I'm guessing that this is the train that runs down to the Manildra plant on Bolong Road...??

[@B10Mman]

Hi Gaz, yes it does, it originated at Manildra's flour plant in Manildra near Parkes, heads to Sydney (Clyde Yard) where the locomotives are provisioned and refueled and dispatched after the morning suburban train peak hour right after 9am for the trip to Bomaderry. They used to originate from Gunnedah, but when the train wasn't guaranteed preferential pathing by ARTC between Gunnedah and Newcastle, this running was cancelled.

[@CalaisRider]

Awesome, thanks for posting

[@B10Mman]

You're welcome Pete, hopefully after next month February 2021, some new Hunter Valley content will happen, I'm just recovering from shoulder surgery.

[@gregb3674]

Thanks for the great video. I have caught the pax service to/from Bomaderry on many occasions. Can you tell me.... what do they do with Manildra's flour once arriving Bomaderry. You mentioned in an earlier post, there is a starch and ethanol plant down there. Whats happens and where does that stuff go to after that? And what other goods are rail freighted to/from Bomaderry. Thanks mate

[@Rosshenderson]

Love to see one going down into manildra to the old milk factory end of the line

[@siwi666]

oh now I am connected.

[@torpaninternational8351]

Very picturesque , however , as always I note the discarded rail beside the track. If one could pick up all this discarded rail for recycling one would be very financially secure.

[@B10Mman]

The railways aren't the fastest when it comes to picking up used rail or fasteners from trackside regardless of the price of scrap steel which right now Jan 2021 is $100 to $300 per tonne. Most of the time they take it to places and have it ultrasound tested for reuse elsewhere.

[@nathanpike3718]

Sounds like an 81 class loco.

[@peterbrown1968]

kiama is my old hometown. im a dick head me moved to Lithgow New South Wales we will be moving back there one day soon. at Gerringong I see a new bridge when did they build that looks good

[@NextbotExpert]

Oh not sure about yourself calling a dickhead. But its nice I damn wish I could live in Kiama.

[@NextbotExpert]

Poo

[@B10Mman]

Hi Pete, that new bridge (Fern St) was opened in 2015. They call it Omega Bridge because of the location of the old Omega Railway Station as you would know with being a local.

[@michaelclement1337]

Does the electrification still end at Kiama?

[@B10Mman]

Hi Michael, yes it does. They need to do something with Omega Tunnels for the wires to head south to Bomaderry.

[@lorrainehodder8913]

You forgot to stop at Werri and Gerringong stations !!!

[@planetX15]

Perhaps this is an express train that skips certain stations

[@michaelsnedden6758]

Was it just the single 81 on this day or a pair

[@NextbotExpert]

You kicked some ass you really did.

[@B10Mman]

More like I sat on it mostly, but thank you.

[@michaelsnedden6758]

Can you do Ulan line please. I was hoping someone would do the dunedoo line but all good

[@B10Mman]

Hi Michael, I'm recovering from shoulder surgery at present, I've given myself 6 months to recover and get fit to pass their fitness assessment.

[@michaelsnedden6758]

@@B10Mman when ur up and about n in tip top shape I'll look forward to watching more 81's

[@Mattb81]

Was that the voice of Greg H on approach to Berry?

[@B10Mman]

No it wasn't.

[@Mattb81]

@@B10Mman Oh ok. Sounded like him. We were regular mates 20 years ago.

[@EoL66879]

How many drivers get to be rostered on the 81's.

[@B10Mman]

2 man crew, on PN trains in NSW on the mainline. Could be a combo of driver - second person or driver - driver.

[@andrewr2825]

Agree. Good to see non-suburban! What sort of freight goes to Berry and Bomaderry nowadays?

[@B10Mman]

Andrew R Manildra still has their starch and ethanol plant at Bomaderry, soon they will produce alcohol down there as well. Flour trains from the south Cootamundra & Temora, west Manildra and north Gunnedah still run to Bomaderry as well as empty containers 1935 and 1937 run down from Enfield and loaded containers 9134 and 9138 run back to Enfield to run as trip trains to DP World, Patricks & Hutchinson's at Botany.

[@andrewr2825]

Thanks Gus👍🏻

[@waynehampson9569]

It's a shame you didn't go all the way to Bomaderry.

[@B10Mman]

Wayne Hampson I was planning on doing the second half, Berry to Bomaderry but I've transferred into the Hunter Valley to run coal trains. Stay tuned cos I'll document most of my day runs on here.

[@waynehampson9569]

I live in Bomaderry. Not far from the station.

[@michaelsnedden6758]

@@B10Mman why the transfer you don't like general Freight.

[@NextbotExpert]

So are you are the conductor?

[@B10Mman]

Yes I was, or in our terms a locomotive second person or assistant driver, commonly known by older enginemen "the boy"

[@NextbotExpert]

Any railway crossings?

[@B10Mman]

Yes, there is. Where the new overhead bridge at Gerringong is, that used to be a level crossing (Fern St). The next is a dirt crossing at Bailey's St Toolijooa, the Sharpes Lane and Harley Hill Road, just before Berry there is Galls Lane and then Prince Alfred St/Wharf Rd that runs from the Princes Hwy (Queen St) to Broughton Creek that turns into Coolangatta Rd to Coolangatta/Shoalhaven Heads.

[@lyleelliott3720]

0:40 if you see this at night. You're fucked

[@robertchinnock8017]

Im surpised there was no electric signals after kiama

[@B10Mman]

Robert Chinnock The line used to be electric staff working between Kiama and Bomaderry now its Rail Vehicle Detection (RVD) territory or RVD track block cos 2 trains can't occupy say Kiama to Berry at the same time, the second train has to wait.

[@robertchinnock8017]

TheLone GunMan oh ok.. i see there is no singals after kiama to nowra.. so if u had a freight train leave kiama and then a passager train.. than means the passager teain has to wait half jour or so b4 heading south..... not like heading north on the singals where once a train leaves leaves kiama and it gets to bombo or alitte more north.. than the next train or freight can go thru the fellowing singals if u know what i mean

[@B10Mman]

Normally, if there is a meet, it happens at Berry. Berry has 2 sidings, one was the old loop while the other is where the 2 car Endeavour's get parked up for a meet. Berry does have a landmark then home signal and starting signals in both directions, so that splits the Kiama - Bomaderry block in half. You can have the pass come from either direction with a freight opposing the movement, BUT the pass has to let the freight train take priority to get through Berry. I hope that this explanation sort of makes sense?

[@NextbotExpert]

Oh spooky

[@jeffkitney39]

That's not berry station

[@B10Mman]

The video was stopped before Berry Station. At the down home signal before the station and level crossing. If memory serves me correct, we crossed the up pass that gets put in the up siding just south of the station to allow us to proceed.

[@davidjohnston7512]

Why so slow?

[@B10Mman]

My mate was driving that day. Besides, we were on that "permanent" 40km/h speed restriction through Omega tunnels. Plus the train was on the limit for the 81 class.

[@nrlsparkle9097]

i drive this train

[@B10Mman]

Somehow, I don't think so!