The forgotten Fassifern Toronto Railway

[@davidrayner9832]

Retired driver from Eveleigh here. I recall seeing the 620s sitting at Fassifern but never worked over or rode on the Toronto Line. Moved to the Newcastle area in 2017 and walked the pathway from Toronto to Fassifern in 2018. Took several photos. Caught a bus from Fassifern to Toronto and I was the only passenger. As much as I hate to see railways close, we all have to admit that to run a bus with a crew of one over a road that everyone pays for with the only expense to use it being rego would cost way less than running a train with a crew of two over a track that the railway pays 100% to maintain. I've ridden my bicycle over part of the Belmont Line and would like to explore more of the Cessnock Line.

[@robertcameron2808]

When I drove the flyer we stopped at fassi there was a rail motor on the branch what a stupid idea to stop the rail service as well as the train to redhead

[@robmyers985]

The old yo yo brings back memories. Can't believe our old house is still standing right alongside Blackalls shops, thought it would have been swallowed up by development of the shopping centre years ago.

[@TrainBloke38]

Nice video on the Toronto line. Also their was proposal to reopen the line as heritage railway at one point.

[@tonymccarthy6713]

I traveled on that line back in the mid fifties.

[@MicahTrainVlogs]

They should bring a 620/720 railmoter and clear up a tiny bit of the line at Toronto and make it a heritage museum of the line. The train could do shuttles between Blackalls Park and Toronto and if popular they could extend to fassifern.

[@flamingfrancis]

Lots of Bellbirds calling, the right terrain for them. Brings to mind the famous Henry Kendall poem from schooldays. Good memories here. My Dad was a regular ASM at Fassifern and we would jump on train from Wyong and visit him sometimes on weekend shifts. Small trunk lines like this were the lifeblood of the country in old times. Should bring some back with popultion requiring decentralisation.

[@ClamTram96]

Shame the line closed, would be of great benefit

[@australiasindustrialage689]

Yes I hate seeing lines closed, It could be expanded into light rail line from Fassifern to Charlestown via Warners Bay for example, glad you enjoyed video

[@griffinrails]

This channel is fascinating!

[@australiasindustrialage689]

Thank you, I really appreciate that!

[@Mediawatcher2023]

the closure had the same impact of the Newcastle line as both were classed as *redundant*

[@graemedurie9094]

Thank you - I had never caught the Toronto train, so this is new territory for me. Plenty of times stopping at Fassifern though, so that passengers could change from or into Newcastle or Sydney services. I recall a Toronto Express and gather that trains would run that short extra distance on the down line, then reverse onto the branch line.

[@noddy8607]

Toronto express?

[@graemedurie9094]

@@noddy8607 Yes - thinking back to the 50's and 60's, I have a recollection of a train from Sydney to Toronto so that passengers did not have to change at Fassifern. Down in the morning, back up in the afternoon. hen you think of it, that's back-to-front - there'd be more people wanting to go to Sydney and back in a day trip than the other way around.

[@noddy8607]

@@graemedurie9094 I was not aware of that. Thanks Graeme.

[@graemedurie9094]

@@noddy8607 That's ok - one of the advantages of increasing age is the memories that others don't have, such as steam in regular use. In the 60's, I made quite a few trips to Newcastle. The fastest was on the down lunchtime Flyer with a class 46 to Gosford and then a 38 to Newcastle. It took little more than 2 hours

[@brucie-of-bangor528]

Reminiscent of so many abandoned lines around Newcastle - Belmont branch, Morpeth branch, Cessnock branch and, most criminal, the Newcastle line from Wickham to Newcastle itself. It's a sad incitement on NSW that so much Newcastle history has been destroyed.

[@australiasindustrialage689]

Yes it is a pity, thanks for comment

[@WecardoTransportFilms]

Would be nicer if the Toronto Railway Line was used as a Heritage Line

[@williamperring9195]

What was the reasoning in stopping the train service to Toronto and leaving the old rail corridor in place to become overrun with grass and bushes. Why would the Lake Macquarie Council, run a concrete pathway beside the old rail line, instead of converting the perfectly good rail corridor which was and still is already in place.

[@travelingman6511]

@william same as the newcastle line cutting back both were branch lines

[@australiasindustrialage689]

The cost of electrifying the line wasn't justified, besides the railways were losing $1million dollars per day, tragically they had to cut costs somewhere

[@davidrayner9832]

@@travelingman6511 Cutting the Newcastle Line was ridiculous but you're right, it was a branch line wich begs the question; why would the second largest city in NSW be on a branch line? Also, can you name another country that's national capital is on a spur that runs off a branch line? I can't think of one.

[@billfaulkner548]

Bring it back, with direct train to Newcastle

[@dannygayler3164]

In my early teens I had a cab ride in a 2 car diesel from Newcastle to Toronto ( the Belmont line had been closed some time before ) , a very memorable day for ,me I hope one day the line will be reopened ? Theses rail closures were the result of the State Government's , "MIcro economic reforms", and many other lines were closed never to reopen ever again , another perfect example was the , Northern Tablelands line from Guyra to Tenterfield backward steps in my opinion !

[@australiasindustrialage689]

Yes it is a pity, I hope to cover the line to Tenterfield one day

[@neilforbes416]

Actually it was 620/720-class rail motors. The 620's had the engine with the 720's being trailers with a driver's cabin. They were always paired together, 621/721, 622/722 etc. 621/721 is now with the Rail Motor Society Museum at Paterson, which also has 629/729 which may have been the set that operated this old branch line.

[@neilforbes416]

@@travelingman6511 Stay with the subject, will you. I made *NO MENTION* of electrification. I was explaining the 620/720-class rail motors.

[@travelingman6511]

@@neilforbes416 i have removed my last comment my apologies if i went off the topic

[@neilforbes416]

@@travelingman6511 Yeah, okay. But if I was talking about rail motors that served this old line, I'm certainly not talking about electrification.

[@travelingman6511]

@@neilforbes416 oh well that's life no one can't be 100%

[@travelingman6511]

@@neilforbes416 all I did was I added more information to the subject that you didnt know