The Graveyard that needed a Railway - Rookwood Cemetery Railway

In today's video, we take a look at the railway in Australia built in a graveyard
Please subscribe for more
This video falls under the fair use act of 1976 This video is available to use under the appropriate Creative Commons Licence.
Any images used that fall under any Creative Commons Licence belong to their respective owners.

[@jogo558]

Honestly yeah. Imagine not encountering a motorcade on a road because they're all on a much denser and rapidly moving train.

[@james.black981]

My family has a connection to this line and it's operations. My great grandfather worked for the New South Wales government railways, and story goes he was a regular for funeral train services from Mortuary Station to Rookwood. However in 1917 the NSWGR was locked down in the Great Strike. He reportedly broke the strike to continue to operate the funeral services out of respect for the deceased. Striking workers then beat him up for breaking the strike. I believe he had a long career on the railways ending as a Electric parcels van driver. Seeing this come up in my subscription feed was an incredible surprise. Thank you so much. 🇦🇺 Your Aussie pronunciations were pretty well on point too, except for Canberra which everyone gets phonetically correct but locally wrong

[@1234mallard]

Mortuary station in regent st still exists to this day, and is used every now and then for heritage trains. Had the chance to visit the station a couple of years back during a heritage event. Well worth a look.

[@firstnamlastnam2141]

I knew about the London Necropolis Railway, but this is the first time hearing about this one. I like how they designed the stations. It makes it feel more 'respectful' than just a normal one.

[@trainmaniac-b5g]

there's a good saying and that is "i am feeling crook as rookwood'' deriving from how depressing the place .

[@iankemp1131]

Curiously there was a very similar line in Britain running to Brookwood! When I first saw the title of the video I wondered if it was a misprint. The British one was opened in 1854, so it preceded the Australian one, and was also called the Necropolis Company. Trains ran from Waterloo. It looks as if the Aussies borrowed not only the idea but most of the name.

[@JohnGeorgeBauerBuis]

That was my thought as well.

[@turbo.panther]

The Aussies used only most of the name because they couldn't afford the whole name.

[@nathanw7114]

Sandgate Cemetery further north in Newcastle also had its own railway, which lasted until the 1980s. Another spur also existed for Woronora Cemetery at Sutherland (south of Sydney), which closed in 1947.

[@thomasnovacek4686]

By the way, in Vienna there was once a tram sidecar with which the corpses were taken from the Lainz hospital to the central cemetery. But there was another strange railway: the Lainz Gereatriezentrum had its own “field railway”, which was used to supply the pavilions with food and other things. Incidentally, in the early years this was also connected to that of the neighboring hospital, and so the deceased from the medical center were first allowed to take the train again to the hospital prosecution before they began their final journey by tram...

[@SteamSuperHEater]

I recall reading about a similar funeral trolley service in San Francisco. I guess using rail vehicles for funerals was a more common idea than you'd think

[@JohnGeorgeBauerBuis]

Both the Chicago, Aurora and Elgin Interurban line and the connected Chicago Rapid Transit company (the latter is now the Chicago Transit Authority) operated funeral cars to major cemeteries along their lines. The CTA are still allowed to operate funeral trains by their charter, although they have not done so yet.

[@MatthewsBranchLine]

Is no one going to talk about the murdered ex joke? That was brilliant.

[@tred6292]

I train station built to look like a church feels oddly fitting for some reason. “I’m a Railway enthusiast. Trains are apart of my religion.”

[@VideoDotGoogleDotCom]

There was a very similar rail service in Helsinki, Finland between 1895-1954. The station and the iron gate for the trains are still there to this day.

[@Ben777Transport]

There was one in Melbourne close to where my grandparents kuve in Springvale. The line has been long clossd now but it saw frequent trafic from the late 1800s to c.1980 when it was closed. The line was also electrified and saw frequent traffic for heritagr tours and funeral trains alike

[@QJ89]

The Springvale Cemetery line opened in 1904 (right across the Princes Highway), was electrified in 1922 along with the main Dandenong line and closed to passengers in 1950. The spur off the main line remained as a siding until Springvale station was rebuilt below street level in 2012. This is not nearly as impressive as a branch line with four small stations, tho. Score one for Sydney!

[@cz.gazz.]

Very nice - I go past Lidcombe and the old mortuary station building on my daily rail commute into work

[@nicolek4076]

Almost identical to the Brookwood Necropolis Railway in Woking, Surrey.

[@gold4leaf]

interesting fact, the church in Canberra was flipped from the original cemetery station building, the tower is on the left at the cemetery 2:00 and on the right in Canberra 3:50

[@bostonrailfan2427]

not flipped, the line ran directly through it so there is no front of it

[@gold4leaf]

@@bostonrailfan2427 yes the railway did go thru the building but the "front" of the church is the tower end of the building and there is only one tower on the building not two

[@bostonrailfan2427]

@@gold4leaf there is no actual front though, you assume it’s the front because of where the photographer was standing. unless you show the actual blueprints stating that the tower was the “front” it’s just on side

[@gold4leaf]

@@bostonrailfan2427 have you actually been to the church in Canberra and spoken to the lovely people there, and hear the story of how the building was moved from Sydney block by block and rebuilt in Canberra.?

[@bostonrailfan2427]

@@gold4leaf i give jp, you’re being stupid

[@mbbb9244]

I walk past Station #1 (All Saints Church” every time I go to the shops to buy groceries or have a coffee!! There’s a big sign outside near the footpath which describes the history. EVERY brick was numbered, dismantled, moved 275km and then re-assembled on site. It was a way of bringing a bit of extra heritage down to Canberra, which was a fully planned town but had a shortage of certain community facilities at the time due to very rapid growth. Not sure if the Anglican Church paid for the move, or the Govt. Will check and edit tomorrow.

[@Trombone_crochet9021]

If I had a nickel for every railway that ran cemetery train, I would have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, just an oddly high amount

[@JohnDavies-cn3ro]

You'd have a lot more than two nickels. They were very common, but now forgotten.

[@johnathanedwards9054]

If memory serves, you may have as much as $4 in nickels with the amount of cemetery trains that ran in the late 19th and early 20th centuries

[@JohnGeorgeBauerBuis]

There were a lot of instances of funeral trains, but I can only think of two (this one, and the one outside London, England) where significant branch lines were constructed for dedicated, scheduled funeral train services. The London Necropolis Railway was the name of the other, by the way.

[@tomrogers9467]

It does look like the rail line came to a “Dead End”. How appropriate. 😂

[@therealsammyvee888]

They also had a line in Melbourne called the Springvale Cemetery line which branched off around Springvale station to the nearby cemetery. Perhaps something to look into. I have seen a good video talking about it from a KZbinr called The Train Man, who talks about Melbourne's railways. This line sounds a lot more prominent though and possibly could have been an inspiration if I had to guess.

[@Kevin-go2dw]

Trains in Melbourne would also run north to Fawkner and the Fawkner cemetery. The Victorian Railways constructed a couple of wagons to transport caskets from Princess Bridge where the coroners office was to either Fawkner or Springvale for burial. In 2023, the Springvale Cemetery line is no more, but there are frequent services to Fawkner, which is adjacent to the Memorial Gardens on the Upfield line, and to Springvale and Sandown on the Dandenong line but both of these are a distance from the cemetry.

[@therealsammyvee888]

@@Kevin-go2dw Oh yeah I forgot about the Fawkner cemetery services. Thanks.

[@PennsyPappas]

Departed souls on a departing train. Not a bad way to take your last ride.

[@TetanusSnowfall]

Surprisingly elegant and respectful solution

[@SynchroScore]

Both interurban and elevated railways in the Chicago area ran funeral specials, with the deceased transported in the baggage compartment. I don't know if they ran funeral streetcars, but that would also be interesting. Certainly they took people to the larger cemeteries by electric traction.

[@JohnDavies-cn3ro]

Special funeral streetcars did exist, but I can't name the lines. A number of British mainline railways had special 'corpse vans', the Ffestiniog, Midland, LSWR and North British to name but four. The North British one was 'strange' - essentially a wooden hutch on a small flat truck. Fortunately the passenger was beyond feelings........

[@JohnDavies-cn3ro]

PS - the Midland and LSWR vehicles were much more respectable in appearance - they were similar to express fruit vans to look at, with a lot more pairs of doors.

[@SynchroScore]

@@JohnDavies-cn3ro I've read of the freight wagon that was used to transport Edith Cavell and the Unknown Warrior, now preserved at a museum.

[@herbgarratt]

Most of the Western World (including Sydney) had funeral trains, and/or streetcars. Sydney had both. The use of these predated the advent of the motor hearse (and 'mourning cars'). Once they were established, funeral trains and trams/trolleys, were steadily rendered superseded. In NSW, there were 3 short branches for funeral trains: Woronora, Rookwood, and Sandgate (Newcastle).

[@lukechristmas3951]

0:10 Columbo! I am reminded of the video you did on the London Necropolis Railway a couple years ago by this. Very fascinating and I think I just found a new place to add to my bucket list!

[@davidcoggins6284]

Apparently the mortuary trains were often used to carry a load of "refreshments" to the cemetery with the mourners. After a good wetting of the dear departed's head, the empties were added to the grave and the well lubricated mourners staggered back to the train.

[@Lucius_Chiaraviglio]

Very sage advice at the end.

[@Arkay315]

That thing about the cheating girlfriend is oddly specific.

[@AussiePom]

Although one of the stations in Rookwood cemetery was repurposed as a church the other main station the Mortuary Station on Regent street is still there to this day now being a listed building.

[@godmc_hk8965]

There was also a cemetery railway in Hong Kong called the Wo Hop Shek Branch, unfortunately it was pulled up because they have to expand the cemetery

[@dukenukem5768]

I am amazed there was no mention of Brookwood Cemetery, about 25 miles out of London beside the south-western main line. This also had its own branch line into the grounds, and a special terminal station in London adjacent to Waterloo Station. The Australian Rookwood came a few years after Brookwood, and I guess it (and even the name) was inspired by the UK version.

[@joshuanishanthchristian5217]

Have you made a video on a cemetary railway before? I disctinctly remember one being the first video of yours I watched!

[@420sakura1]

It way for London

[@bostonrailfan2427]

it’s about the London one, the one he ignored mentioning as it predated this one and gave the inspiration for construction

[@TobyStewart-dy4qq]

I live in Sydney and have seen the mortuary station often!

[@CroissantConsumer]

Imagine you are going to the graveyard and when you get there, you are hoisted out of the train and buried alive

[@luiztosk]

Hey man, great video as always. Btw in Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, Chapter 4 he briefly mentions a night train on the streetcar tracks carrying vegetables to the markets, on the Boulevard St. Michel, in Paris. Just reading the book and decided to leave this here if you find it interesting. Cheers.

[@skovner]

In Massachusetts (US), there is a streetcar line that goes through a graveyard. Took it many times.

[@fredblonder7850]

Loudon Park Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland, had its own electric streetcar line from 1905 to 1931.

[@Joey15811]

I think the line and stations should have been preserved as a whole because of its uniqueness

[@TankEngineMedia]

For being the last thing the the dead sees it is a fitting way to end their journey

[@theromanorder]

please do a video on the porters steam loco the Japanese class d5, how do gear trains work something on saddle bolier and side tanks (like the big water boxes) tank engines double ended diesel trains what to do if the train stalls one talking about the different types of steam funnles and there uses, a video on steam locomotive combination breaks (steam and vacuum brakes) a short video on how a Armstrong turn table works what did train flagman do what did trains (mostly steam) do when going in tunnels, ive heard of gas masks or just useing a wet cloth, or did they bring in other engines like later on they used electric trains, or were there no bigv tunnels. evaluation of electric trains why are some trains wagion tops (the stream lining thing to boilers) railway terms abd slang one on the meaning of flag and lantern colors like green on rear engine means theres another one coming soon, different train pilots on the front (and on back ive seen some) the different types of cut offs/reversers/Johnson bar some are a big lever, some are a big valve wheel, and ive also seen some that are like rods, one exsample is train sim world 3 and im not sure where to find the other reverser and how much water do steam trains take usually, and how much would the crew drink

[@JohnDavies-cn3ro]

I thought for a moment you'd made a typo in the title. Brookwood Necropolis in Surrey, GB also had a station of its own within the grounds. There was a corresponding station at the London end, part of the LSWR Waterloo complex, with dedicated 'merry go round' or 'trip' workings on a regular daily basis, which were referred to as 'the Necropolis Express'. The Great Orme Tramway at Llandudno also had a 'corpse van' (which doubled as a coal truck when needed) as did a number of urban tramways in several countries.

[@JohnDavies-cn3ro]

Nice to learn that the principal station took on a new lease of 'after'life, as a genuine church. Creative recycling at its very best.

[@bigblue6917]

You knew you may have a problem when you didn't have a return ticket.

[@Straswa]

Nice work ToT, creepy stuff.

[@michaelharvey7793]

"Happy Mothers day mum! I've got a special trip planned!" "Ooh where are you taking me?" "To the cemetery"

[@Nubfist]

I like the idea of going to a funeral just to go trainspotting

[@AdamHinckley]

there is one in london got a old line taking the dead out of the city

[@enisra_bowman]

remotly related Funfact: one of the Largest Cemetarys, Hamburg Ohlsdorf even has two Buslines, not to get there, for the cemetary alone. Maybe a Thing one could bring up at a Council meeting when they try to cheap out and claim that there aren't living enough people in the city to warrent public transport

[@David_Mattox]

Is anyone else weirded out that Sam’s coffin wagons could very well existed in this scenario? 😨

[@TheDemocrab]

We actually did have coffin wagons on another cemetary line in Melbourne, one got preserved even and you can find pictures/info on Google by searching "Fawkner Coffin Carrier 7 J"

[@JohnDavies-cn3ro]

I've commented to Sam that his creation does have a resemblance to a North British Railway 'corpse truck', as described below - a small hutch on a short flat truck. Hooked to the back of an express, it would waggle like nobody's business - so it was a good job the passenger was now beyond feelings.

[@nathanw7114]

NSWGR did have some bespoke twin axle hearse wagons (coded BK) for this exact purpose. Later these were superseded and standard luggage vans were used instead.

[@ConstantlyDamaged]

Got most of the names right, except "can-berra." It's normally pronounced "CAN-bra."

[@timacosta7015]

Yes! First view, comment and like! Keep up the good work man. Love your channel.

[@stevebarnes2]

So?

[@stephenrichmond917]

This doesn't surprise me. Many years ago, trolley cars (trams) delivered caskets to graveyards in and around Philadelphia.

[@jirodraws2475]

First. And nice video as always! Love the spooky ones, they give chills.

[@microbusss]

I know a few USA trolley systems used a funeral trolley to take the dead to graveyards

[@HanhiEmo]

Thats the way to go...

[@brenlc1412]

Man locked in a casket: Wait a minute, I’m on the wrong train!

[@robinforrest7680]

This is just crying out as a model railway project. Melbourne also had one.

[@Vomahanew]

Have you heard of the London Necropolis Railway?

[@cliffwoodbury5319]

it would have been cool if they built an entire cathedral (with a railways station) and not just a station

[@nottelling8129]

Just one more thing, Mr. Train Of Thought. Part of that intro was oddly specific. Is there something you aren’t telling us?

[@VideoDotGoogleDotCom]

I didn't see anything.

[@jodypitt3629]

Room for one more inside, horizontally so.

[@johnhooper7040]

Odd isn't it that the equivalent railway served cemetery in London was called Brookwood, coincidence?

[@tebz3002]

PIZZA TOWER REFERENCE NICE

[@teaoftraffic]

pizza tower fans when they hear the word graveyard:

[@Nastyswimmer]

The train for Brookwood has departed ...

[@garryferrington811]

According to the comments, there were a number of these railways.

[@shymike1196]

I do not want to be that guy, but is that Tombstone Arizona from Pizza tower playing in the background?

[@JohnJCB]

Imagine if they didn't just move the station and even took the rails

[@ImmortalAbsol]

Happy spooky month.

[@Wheeljack214]

Didn't we cover this with the London Necropolis Railway? This just proves that Australians are just British people who have gone much further into their skill trees.

[@godfreypoon5148]

There was one big crash, all the passengers were dead.

[@joshuaW5621]

Who knew they would even transport the dead by rail.

[@Bragbigfoot_2]

Bro used a pizza tower song for this video, and my only question is, why does it fit so well

[@shymike1196]

well it *is* the song that plays in the graveyard level

[@matcole1975]

They should never had knocked down this railway station

[@Empireofignorance7817]

Great vid but uh that joke about the dead girlfriend in a car... It sounds like your speaking from personal experience

[@danielmarr290]

That cheating ex wife joke at the beginning was hilarious!

[@John-yf8qh]

New lease OF* life. You're kot an American so you don't have to mess this up.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

…not mentioned: the actual idea came from LONDON who did exactly the same thing several years before 🙄

[@sebastianthomsen2225]

💀🚂🚃👍

[@BotherRed]

Nun Locomotive Nun Locomotive

[@kommandantgalileo]

When you do *WHAT* to an Ex!?

[@malifebliketokyo9653]

Anybody like this? Anybody lol😂