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32-631: The Illawarra Junction is a major railway junction located near the Eveleigh Railway Workshops , in Eveleigh , in the inner western suburbs of Sydney , New South Wales , Australia. This complex junction joins a number of different lines and yards. There are two pairs of tracks (named Illawarra Main and Illawarra Local) from the Illawarra railway line from the south and three pairs of tracks (named Local, Suburban and Main) from

64-464: A replacement bus service . It is therefore more economically viable to plan such track occupations for periods of reduced usage (e.g. 'off-peak', overnight or holiday times) to minimise the impact on normal services and revenue. Each transport system represents a contribution to a country's infrastructure , and as such must make economic sense or eventually close. From this, each has a particular role or roles. These may change with time but they affect

96-471: A traction maintenance depot , locomotives are cleaned, inspected for wear, repaired, updated, or otherwise improved. Decommissioned locomotives with steam generation capacities were sometimes positioned in semi-permanent locations and their boiler capacity was used to provide steam to heat facilities, power machinery, warm passenger cars, or snow and ice clearing activities such as defrosting railroad switches in cold weather conditions. Railroad equipment that

128-455: A busy commuter railway might have blocks a few hundred metres long. A disadvantage of fixed blocks, is that: the faster trains are permitted to run, the longer the stopping distance, and therefore the longer the blocks need to be. This decreases a line's capacity. With moving block , computers are used to calculate a 'safe zone', behind each moving train, which no other train may enter. The system depends on precise knowledge of where each train

160-417: A circular train depot, known as a roundhouse that surrounded a turntable . The presence of a work train on a given section of track will temporarily decrease the capacity of the route. The normal method in such operations is to cease other traffic altogether during the track 'occupation'. Services may be diverted by an alternative route, if available; alternatively, passenger services may be maintained using

192-412: A freight yard, trains are composed in a classification yard . Switcher or shunter locomotives help the composing. A unit train (also called a block train), which carries a block of cars all of the same origin and destination, does not get sorted in a classification yard, but may stop in a freight yard for inspection, engine servicing and/or crew changes. Combining freight and passenger operations on

224-589: A railway junction as a junction station . In the UK it is customary for the junction (and the related station) to be named after the next station on the branch, e.g. Yeovil Junction is on the mainline railway south of Yeovil , and the next destination on the branch is Yeovil Pen Mill . Frequently, trains are built up and taken apart (separated) at such stations so that the same train can be divided and proceed to multiple destinations. For goods trains (US: freight trains), marshalling yards (US: Classification yards ) serve

256-665: A similar purpose. The capacity of the junctions limits the capacity of a railway network more than the capacity of individual railway lines . This applies more as the network density increases. Measures to improve junctions are often more useful than building new railway lines. The capacity of a railway junction can be increased with improved signaling measures, by building points suitable for higher speeds, or by turning level junctions into flying junctions , where tracks are grade-separated , and so one track passes over or under another. With more complicated junctions such construction can rapidly become very expensive, especially if space

288-415: A simple case where two routes with one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to allow trains to transfer from one route to the other. More complicated junctions are needed to permit trains to travel in either direction after joining the new route – for example by providing a triangular track layout. Rail transport operations refer to stations that lie on or near

320-676: A single entry/exit road. Crossovers allow trains to enter the yard from the Up/Down Local lines and allow trains to exit the yard onto the Up Local or Up Illawarra Local lines. At various stages, especially during the early years of the 20th century, incidents occurred at the Illawarra Junction including the death of fettlers and other railway workers, and derailments . [REDACTED] Media related to Illawarra Junction at Wikimedia Commons Railway junction In

352-485: A single track with passing loops poses operational problems, because of the different demands of freight operators and public transport. In many smaller countries passenger operations are done during the day, while freight trains operate mostly during the night. Dedicated tracks have been assigned to some operations. Inactive locomotives may be housed in a locomotive depot (UK term) or engine house, also known as an engine shed or roundhouse (US). In engine facilities , or

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384-896: Is actually bi-directional, due to the crossover at the other end onto the Up Illawarra Dive. Trains from Sydney Yard can enter/exit through the Engine Dive, which passes from the Down Main, under Redfern station, to the yard. Trains to/from the City Circle can enter through the Arrival/Departure Road, which joins the Up/Down Illawarra Main. The Macdonaldtown Carriage Sheds lie between the Main Suburban and Illawarra lines. It has

416-592: Is and how fast it is moving. With moving block, lineside signals are not provided, and instructions are passed directly to the trains. It has the advantage of increasing track capacity by allowing trains to run much closer together. The system is only used on very few independent networks such as underground lines. Most rail systems serve a number of functions on the same track, carrying local, long-distance and commuter passenger trains, and freight trains. The emphasis on each varies by country. Some urban rail transit , rapid transit and light rail systems are isolated from

448-431: Is considered obsolete by being outdated or inefficient when compared to newer equipment, or by being worn to a point that is un-repairable, may be taken out of railroad service. These pieces of equipment may have usable parts removed by the railroad company for reuse on other machines, or may be sold as complete units for reconditioning and reuse by another user. If the equipment is considered completely un-serviceable, and it

480-584: Is financially unwise to attempt to make it so, the entire machine may be declared scrap and is usually sold to be taken away and dismantled for recycling of the raw materials. If the process of salvage or scrapping is financially unrecoverable, the equipment may be left in place until it becomes possible to do so. In some cases a significant or desirable piece of equipment will be purchased for preservation. There units may be placed in railway museums or may be purchased by railway preservation groups or private collectors. Steam locomotives were frequently housed in

512-448: Is restricted by tunnels , bridges or inner-city tracks. The installation of junctions into a rail system poses many challenges, including increased maintenance costs, and problems in on-time performance. Metro rail systems have a rail network design where the number of junctions is minimized. Passengers, and not trains, move from one train station to another. Rail transport operations Rail transport operations are

544-697: Is the Illawara Dive, where trains from the Illawarra line can crossover to the Main without obstructing any of the other tracks. This dive is mostly used by South Coast Line trains terminating at Sydney Terminal , services on the Southern Highlands Line and NSW TrainLink Southern regional services. East of Redfern station there are no further crossovers with the lines continuing toward the flying junctions at Central. On either side of

576-672: The City Circle and North Shore line respectively. Eveleigh Maintenance Centre lies to the south of all the surface tracks and on top of the Eastern Suburbs line tunnels. There are several crossovers providing access to the yard. There is a crossover in the south-west corner, allowing trains from the Up & Down Illawarra Main to access the yard. Another crossover allows trains to access the Down Illawarra Dive, which

608-488: The Main Suburban railway line from the west. It is likely that the junction opened on 15 October 1884, when the line to Hurstville was opened. The line was duplicated in 1895, and quadruplicated in 1912, through St Peters and Erskineville stations. The quadruplication involved the relocation of the junction and the construction of a new signal box positioned above the tracks towards Macdonaldtown station , that

640-524: The Illawarra Main, there are connections (with no track) to the disused platforms 13–14 at Redfern. In the north-west corner, just north of Macdonaldtown station , there are a number of crossovers allowing trains to switch between the Local, Suburban and Main lines. These crossovers are seldom used. Just past the end of the entry/exit track for Macdonaldtown Carriage Sheds are two crossovers between

672-563: The Local and Illawarra Local tracks, allowing trains from the Illawarra Local to access Sydney Terminal. There is also a tunnel from the Eveleigh Railway Workshops connecting to the Up Main just beyond Redfern station. East of Redfern station is where the Main Suburban line ends. There are a complex set of flat junctions allowing trains on all three pairs of tracks to enter Sydney Terminal. The local and suburban tracks also continue on

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704-431: The day-to-day operations of a railway. A railway has two major components: the infrastructure (the permanent way , tracks, stations, freight facilities, viaducts, tunnels, etc.) and the rolling stock (the passenger coaches , locomotives, freight cars , etc.) Ownership and operation of these two components varies by location. In some places (notably, most of North America) private railway companies own and operate both

736-463: The infrastructure and rolling stock (for example, Union Pacific ). In the United Kingdom, the infrastructure is owned and maintained by Network Rail while rolling stock is largely owned and operated by private railway companies. In countries with nationalized rail systems such as China and France , both the infrastructure and rolling stock are owned and operated directly or indirectly by

768-411: The intrinsic nature of the system. The slope at which trains run must also be calculated correctly. In this stage, it is decided where tunnels pass. Rail transport systems affect the human geography. Large cities (such as Nairobi ) may be founded by a railroad passing through. Historically, when a station has been built outside the town or city it is intended to serve, that town has expanded to include

800-781: The national government. The operation of the railway is through a system of control, originally by mechanical means, but nowadays more usually electronic and computerized . Signalling systems used to control the movement of traffic may be either of fixed block or moving block variety. Most blocks are 'fixed' blocks, i.e. they delineate a section of track between two defined points. On timetable, train order, and token-based systems, blocks usually start and end at selected stations. On signalling-based systems, blocks usually start and end at signals . Alternatively, cab signalling may be in use. The lengths of blocks are designed to allow trains to operate as frequently as necessary. A lightly used branch line might have blocks many kilometres long, whilst

832-399: The national system in the cities they serve. Some freight lines serving mines are also isolated, and these are usually owned by the mine company. An industrial railway is a specialized rail system used inside factories or mines. Steep grade railways are usually isolated, with special safety systems. The permanent way trails through the physical geography. The tracks' geometry is limited by

864-498: The passenger cars. Most public transport passenger operations happen in the train station and in the passenger car . The passenger buys a ticket , either in the station, or on the train (sometimes at a higher fare ). There are generally speaking two ways of validating a ticket: Some passenger cars, especially in long-distance high-speed trains, have a restaurant or bar. These need to be catered. In recent times, train catering has been diminished somewhat by vending machines in

896-588: The physical geography. Trains are pushed/pulled by one or more locomotive units. Two or more locomotives coupled in multiple traction are frequently used in freight trains. Railroad cars or rolling stock consist of passenger cars , freight cars , maintenance cars and in America cabooses . Modern passenger trains sometimes are pushed/pulled by a tail and head unit (see top and tail ), of which not both need to be motorised or running. Many passenger trains consist of multiple units with motors mounted beneath

928-496: The specifications of each particular system. Rail transport systems are built into the landscape , including both the physical geography (hills, valleys, etc.) and the human geography (location of settlements). The rail transport system may in turn feedback into the human geography. The permanent way of a system must pass through the geography and geology of its region. This may be flat or mountainous, may include obstacles such as water and mountains. These determine, in part,

960-661: The station, or buildings (especially Inns ) sprung up near the station. The existence of a station may increase the number of commuters who live in a town or village and so cause it to become a dormitory town . The transcontinental railroad was a large factor in American colonization of the Western frontier . China's railroad expansion into Tibet may have similar consequences. Rail transport systems are often used for purposes they were not designed for, but have evolved into due to changes in human geography. Politics can play

992-633: The train station or on the train. When not in use, passenger cars are stored, maintained and repaired in coach yards . Freight or cargo trains are loaded and unloaded in intermodal terminals (also called container freight stations or freight terminals), and at customer locations (e.g. mines , grain elevators , factories ). Intermodal freight transport uses standardized containers , which are handled by cranes . Along their routes, freight trains are routed through rail yards to sort cars and assemble trains for their final destinations, as well as for equipment maintenance, refueling, and crew changes. Within

Illawarra Junction - Misplaced Pages Continue

1024-539: Was opened in 1916. In 1927, the junction was expanded to accommodate the current ten-track configuration. The signal box was closed in 1979, was replaced by the Sydney signal box, and the former signal box subsequently removed. The first set of junctions is in the south-west corner, just north of Erskineville station, where trains coming from the Illawarra line can dive into the Eastern Suburbs line . Further north

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