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Illawarra 100 Years Soft Cover by Estell, Howarth & Mosman 1988 108 pages
Illawarra 100 Years Soft Cover by Estell, Howarth & Mosman 1988 108 pages
In railway terms, the Illawarra is the narrow coastal plain stretching from Stanwell Park in the north as far south as the Shoalhaven River. This region is about 110km long and always less that 16km wide.
Before the opening of the railway line the Illawarra residents had three choices if they wished to travel to Sydney. Fastest was the coastal shipping service offered by the Illawarra Steam Navigation Co. For those who suffered from sea-sickness, there was the jolting of the horse drawn coach instead of the rolling of the sea, to either Campbelltown or Waterfall and connecting with trains to Sydney.
The Illawarra line was built in five sections. C & E Millar were to build the first 37km but the contract was terminated at Como and the line opened to Hurstville in 1884. Smith & Rowe took on the Como to Coal Cliff section, which was opened to Sutherland in 1885, Waterfall in 1886, and Coal Cliff in December 1887.
Mr. John Whitton, Engineer-in-Chief of the N.S.W. Railways, seems to have convinced the government of the day to allow him to build the earthworks and tunnels for the Newcastle line for double track even though only a single line was laid. However he did not have the same success with the Illawarra Line.
The short-sightedness of the politicians is shown when it is realized that the line had to be duplicated to Waterfall within five years of opening. The cost of duplicating the crossing of the Georges River at Como was constantly postponed and the new bridge was not opened until the 1970's. Until that time a gauntlet track arrangement was used on the bridge and the sharp curve leading off the bridge for southbound trains prevented a good run being made at the almost 5km of 1 in 42/44 uphill gradient to Sutherland.
In the reverse direction the problem was one of preventing the train running out of control down the hill and for this reason it was common in steam days for goods trains to stop in a special refuge siding at Sutherland to allow some of the hand brakes to be applied.
Proudfoot & Logan built the next section from Coal Cliff to Macquarie Rivulet. Coal Cliff tunnel however was not opened until October 1888 leaving the isolated section to be opened on 21 June 1887 from Clifton (near present day Scarborough) to Wollongong.
Moonie & Co. built the Albion Park to Kiama (now Bombo) section and thus allowed the extension of the isolated line in November 1887. The through working from Sydney began on the 3rd October 1888.
The final section from Bombo to Bomaderry was let to Pritchard & Co. The question of extending to the town of Nowra and beyond was deferred (forever!). This section was opened on the 2nd June 1893.
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