Random Bollocks From A Semi-Retired Foamer!

AMPOL - PAGEWOOD

PART 3

OPERATIONS

 While operations in the early days have not been easy to obtain information about, in the 90s it was common for either the Botany shunter to visit the terminal and push the tankers back to the goods yard, or for trains to operate directly out of the terminal to Clyde and beyond.

 A goods train timetable from 1968 suggests that the terminal was regularly shunted by trip trains, presumably those leaving Botany. However, this is not to say that
shunts by the Botany yard shunter did not occur, these would not appear in the timetable.
 Rollingstock on the line was limited mostly to NTAF fuel tankers for the terminal. These would have been separated by a match wagon during the steam era.

  However, on occasion, Kelloggs NGRX rice hoppers have been down there when their plant was shunted at the same time. This would leave the possibility of louver vans also being pushed down there following a Kellogg’s shunt, though we have not yet found any evidence of this.

 Botany had a shunters wagon that, again, could likely have been a regular visitor.
 Locomotives, on the other hand, have been quite varied and this is where the line comes into its own for those who like to collect locomotives more than rollingstock.
 Opening of the line was still well within the steam era and, while I am still far too young to have seen such delights, I have been told by those who were lucky enough that most common would have been standard goods locomotives of the 50 and 53 class, while 59 class would not have been unknown.
 While there has been no actual proof of it, modellers could get away with 30 class tanks, which saw occasional use as Botany shunter, as well as the 36, 38 and 60 class that were all quite common visitors out to Botany.
 The diesel era is a bit easier, with the author noting 442, 45, 48, 49 and 82 class shunting the branch at various times (see separate section for individual locomotive examples) and the reports of others stating that 44 and 73 class have also been seen out there.
 Again, while there is no actual proof of it, it is quite possible that an X200 has shunted the branch while in use as Botany shunter and also the 41 class which regularly made the journey out to Botany. Even the 81 class would be a pretty likely possibility.
 It is interesting to consider what could have been the case should the line remained opened. The 80 class moving on to trip working would have almost certainly seen their presence along the branch and later, even more interestingly, maybe Freight Australia locomotives following their move into NSW fuel train traffic.
 Of course, this is just a possibility had the AMPOL/Caltex merger not occurred, fuel traffic continued on rail and you have all your modelling license fees paid up to date.

Yellow: Former ICI branch which, while closing decades earlier, is still easier to make out when on location.

While the research continues, this three part special is complete.

Below are a few random items found during research into the terminal.
If you have any information/photos of the former AMPOL Terminal at Pagewood, I would very much love to hear from you. Hopefully we can find enough information to continue this series.

AMPOL Pagewood Part 1 - The History
AMPOL Pagewood Part 2 - The Line

Gatehouse on Moore Street.

Vehicle Loading Facility

New concrete bufferstop.

Thanks to David Xuereb, Rob Pane and the Eastgardens Library.

Botany Railway Line SIG