Special Feature-A railway Man's Story.
Good Afternoon,
Today is Saturday the 16th of November, 2019.
Here is an interesting story to read,
Above is a Photo of the 1919 Broken Hill Railway Station, close to Iodide street.
This is a story from Railway Man, Peter Hunt, a resident of Broken Hill.
"My time working at the 1919 Railway Station"
By Peter Hunt.
I commenced work at the 1919 Broken hill Railway Station, in January 1955, as a Junior Station Assistant, in the Parcels Office accepting small freight including foods, milk and bread for all the Pastoral properties as far East as Roto and Euabalong West.
Also receiving freight 3 days a week on the usual Silver City Comet run to and from Broken hill.
Inward freight included the city's supply of bananas, Coinage in strong wooden boxes for the Commonwealth bank, ammunition for local hardware stores, cigarettes, and ordinary parcels for private people.
Another duty when required was to sign on at 3.30 am, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays to help other staff to clean the Silver City Comet at it's overnight shed, about 250 metres East of the station for it's departure time of 8.00 am on those days.
At the time all signals and point indicators were illuminated by kerosene Lamps, that had to be refueled, cleaned and replaced weekly.
I was issued with and shown how to operate a three wheeled trike, fitted with a box at the rear that would hold 6 lamps.
Ittook quite a while to master trimming the wicks in the lamps, too high and the lamp would blacken all the glass reflectors making the Red or green impossible to see.
many calls to the stationmaster's office for re-education and a telling off because an overnight freight train could not pass a certain signal
From memory i think there would have been 15 signals and point indicators to service weekly.
Because of the break of gauge for the rail service from Sydney and adelaide, I had to walk Dogs from my Station to the Sulphide Street Station for their departure the same night of the Adelaide Train.
in 1957 the station was closed and everything was transferred to the new Station fronting Crystal Street.
The safeworking staff moved first and I transferred the next day, making me the last person to operate at the station as a Station.
Ways and Works later occupied the Station with an office and storeroom in the Parcels office.
After 39 years with different versions of the NSWGR, State Rail and Trackfast my days at the 1919 Station were the happiest days of my life.
Peter sent me another email with more information,
"After my time at the new station Parcels Office, I qualified to enter the Clerical Ranks, and, over the next 35 years I gained quite a few more promotions & Retired as Officer in Charge of the Trackfastfreight centre here in Broken Hill"
What a great story.
Have a great day everybody.
Today is Saturday the 16th of November, 2019.
Here is an interesting story to read,
Above is a Photo of the 1919 Broken Hill Railway Station, close to Iodide street.
This is a story from Railway Man, Peter Hunt, a resident of Broken Hill.
"My time working at the 1919 Railway Station"
By Peter Hunt.
I commenced work at the 1919 Broken hill Railway Station, in January 1955, as a Junior Station Assistant, in the Parcels Office accepting small freight including foods, milk and bread for all the Pastoral properties as far East as Roto and Euabalong West.
Also receiving freight 3 days a week on the usual Silver City Comet run to and from Broken hill.
Inward freight included the city's supply of bananas, Coinage in strong wooden boxes for the Commonwealth bank, ammunition for local hardware stores, cigarettes, and ordinary parcels for private people.
Another duty when required was to sign on at 3.30 am, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays to help other staff to clean the Silver City Comet at it's overnight shed, about 250 metres East of the station for it's departure time of 8.00 am on those days.
At the time all signals and point indicators were illuminated by kerosene Lamps, that had to be refueled, cleaned and replaced weekly.
I was issued with and shown how to operate a three wheeled trike, fitted with a box at the rear that would hold 6 lamps.
Ittook quite a while to master trimming the wicks in the lamps, too high and the lamp would blacken all the glass reflectors making the Red or green impossible to see.
many calls to the stationmaster's office for re-education and a telling off because an overnight freight train could not pass a certain signal
From memory i think there would have been 15 signals and point indicators to service weekly.
Because of the break of gauge for the rail service from Sydney and adelaide, I had to walk Dogs from my Station to the Sulphide Street Station for their departure the same night of the Adelaide Train.
in 1957 the station was closed and everything was transferred to the new Station fronting Crystal Street.
The safeworking staff moved first and I transferred the next day, making me the last person to operate at the station as a Station.
Ways and Works later occupied the Station with an office and storeroom in the Parcels office.
After 39 years with different versions of the NSWGR, State Rail and Trackfast my days at the 1919 Station were the happiest days of my life.
Peter sent me another email with more information,
"After my time at the new station Parcels Office, I qualified to enter the Clerical Ranks, and, over the next 35 years I gained quite a few more promotions & Retired as Officer in Charge of the Trackfastfreight centre here in Broken Hill"
What a great story.
Have a great day everybody.
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