james baker Enjoy it whole it lasts, sadly it’ll more than likely be gone one day.

The thing with that idea is, you need a favourable government with a member of their own party there to push the issue. The only drawback is the Omega Tunnels, I haven't heard of any plans of replacing them, we can only run standard containers down there as hicube containers are too high for standard wagons through the tunnels. It would be a good line to duplicate BUT in saying that, it will lose it's single line charm. It did lose some of it's character when they replaced the Electric Staff Working to Rail Vehicle Detection (RVD). We got a staff at Kiama and had to sink it at Berry and pull a new staff at Berry and give it in Bomaderry. same process when in the up direction.

Would you believe that this video is unedited, straight off my phone? I took a transfer out of Sydney and don't do the trains to Bomaderry/Nowra anymore. I work in the Hunter Valley now and I'll start doing some new video's in the near future.

Hi Ian, I'm glad that you liked my video.

You're welcome Pete, hopefully after next month February 2021, some new Hunter Valley content will happen, I'm just recovering from shoulder surgery.

Those EMD 645 prime movers do sound great.

You know, working on the trains here isn't a hard job, some say that it is, but it's not, really. Doing those "mainline" jobs are the cream of the job, funny thing is, one day, you could be shunting Boral at Enfield or Cooks River then do that Manildra train to Bomaderry the next day and on Clyde Local the day after that or running to Botany. Now all I do is coal trains in the Hunter Valley. Different day, different job, I treat them like those Kinder Surprise treats and enjoy everyday.

Exactly

Not always, Jason. I've seen it brown too.

It depends on where in the north you go? If you hug the coast, it's beautiful and my last trips out to Ulan and Gunnedah were great too and they were in March and April 2020.

Cresent head, Hat Head, South West Rocks and so on surely you’re joking 🇦🇺

But they aren't as accessible as the south coast.

the XPT has it also

Hi Gaz, yes it does, it originated at Manildra's flour plant in Manildra near Parkes, heads to Sydney (Clyde Yard) where the locomotives are provisioned and refueled and dispatched after the morning suburban train peak hour right after 9am for the trip to Bomaderry. They used to originate from Gunnedah, but when the train wasn't guaranteed preferential pathing by ARTC between Gunnedah and Newcastle, this running was cancelled.

The railways aren't the fastest when it comes to picking up used rail or fasteners from trackside regardless of the price of scrap steel which right now Jan 2021 is $100 to $300 per tonne. Most of the time they take it to places and have it ultrasound tested for reuse elsewhere.

More like I sat on it mostly, but thank you.

Oh not sure about yourself calling a dickhead. But its nice I damn wish I could live in Kiama.

Poo

Hi Pete, that new bridge (Fern St) was opened in 2015. They call it Omega Bridge because of the location of the old Omega Railway Station as you would know with being a local.

Andrew R Manildra still has their starch and ethanol plant at Bomaderry, soon they will produce alcohol down there as well. Flour trains from the south Cootamundra & Temora, west Manildra and north Gunnedah still run to Bomaderry as well as empty containers 1935 and 1937 run down from Enfield and loaded containers 9134 and 9138 run back to Enfield to run as trip trains to DP World, Patricks & Hutchinson's at Botany.

Thanks Gus👍🏻

Perhaps this is an express train that skips certain stations

Hi Michael, yes it does. They need to do something with Omega Tunnels for the wires to head south to Bomaderry.

Wayne Hampson I was planning on doing the second half, Berry to Bomaderry but I've transferred into the Hunter Valley to run coal trains. Stay tuned cos I'll document most of my day runs on here.

I live in Bomaderry. Not far from the station.

@@B10Mman why the transfer you don't like general Freight.

2 man crew, on PN trains in NSW on the mainline. Could be a combo of driver - second person or driver - driver.

Hi Michael, I'm recovering from shoulder surgery at present, I've given myself 6 months to recover and get fit to pass their fitness assessment.

@@B10Mman when ur up and about n in tip top shape I'll look forward to watching more 81's

No it wasn't.

@@B10Mman Oh ok. Sounded like him. We were regular mates 20 years ago.

Yes, there is. Where the new overhead bridge at Gerringong is, that used to be a level crossing (Fern St). The next is a dirt crossing at Bailey's St Toolijooa, the Sharpes Lane and Harley Hill Road, just before Berry there is Galls Lane and then Prince Alfred St/Wharf Rd that runs from the Princes Hwy (Queen St) to Broughton Creek that turns into Coolangatta Rd to Coolangatta/Shoalhaven Heads.

Robert Chinnock The line used to be electric staff working between Kiama and Bomaderry now its Rail Vehicle Detection (RVD) territory or RVD track block cos 2 trains can't occupy say Kiama to Berry at the same time, the second train has to wait.

TheLone GunMan oh ok.. i see there is no singals after kiama to nowra.. so if u had a freight train leave kiama and then a passager train.. than means the passager teain has to wait half jour or so b4 heading south..... not like heading north on the singals where once a train leaves leaves kiama and it gets to bombo or alitte more north.. than the next train or freight can go thru the fellowing singals if u know what i mean

Normally, if there is a meet, it happens at Berry. Berry has 2 sidings, one was the old loop while the other is where the 2 car Endeavour's get parked up for a meet. Berry does have a landmark then home signal and starting signals in both directions, so that splits the Kiama - Bomaderry block in half. You can have the pass come from either direction with a freight opposing the movement, BUT the pass has to let the freight train take priority to get through Berry. I hope that this explanation sort of makes sense?

Yes I was, or in our terms a locomotive second person or assistant driver, commonly known by older enginemen "the boy"

My mate was driving that day. Besides, we were on that "permanent" 40km/h speed restriction through Omega tunnels. Plus the train was on the limit for the 81 class.

Somehow, I don't think so!

The video was stopped before Berry Station. At the down home signal before the station and level crossing. If memory serves me correct, we crossed the up pass that gets put in the up siding just south of the station to allow us to proceed.