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Operational Information

Below are a number of operational documents which were published by the New South Wales Government Railways Department (NSWGR - now RailCorp). These documents were issued to railway staff and were to provide information on the many different aspects of operating and running a railway. These documents are copyrighted by the Rail Corporation New South Wales.

Special thanks to the Australian Railway Historical Society - NSW Division for assistance afforded in scanning these documents.

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If you need to download and install Acrobat Reader, click here.

Learn the Route - Sydney to Lidcome (Transcript)

This document is a transcript of the document that was prepared for the NSW Railways Institute by officers of the Mechanical Branch, and was made available to train drivers with the object of assisting them to acquire knowledge of the roads (or learn the route) over which they are called upon to run. It has information about signals, sidings and suggestions as to when to apply steam or the brakes. Based on the description of the line this document was probably published in the early 1950s.

Learn the Route - Sydney to Lidcombe - 0.06 MB

命ailCorp circa 1955

Learn the Route - Strathfield to Newcastle (Transcript)

This document is a transcript of the document that was prepared for the NSW Railways Institute by officers of the Mechanical Branch, and was made available to train drivers with the object of assisting them to acquire knowledge of the roads (or learn the route) over which they are called upon to run. It has information about signals, sidings and suggestions as to when to apply steam or the brakes. Based on the description of the line this document was probably published in the early 1950s.

Learn the Route - Sydney to Strathfield - 0.73 MB

命ailCorp circa 1955

Train Compositions - 1958

This document advised staff on the typical composition of passenger trains operating on the northern lines, north of Sydney.

Train Compositions - 1958 - 2.41 MB

命ailCorp 1958

Carrying Capacity of Wagons, etc - 1963

This document advised staff on the typical carrying capacity of different freight wagons in use by the railways.

Wagon Capacities - 1963 - 0.64 MB

命ailCorp 1963

Working Timetable - North - 1958

This document is the Working Timetable for the northern division of NSW. It was prepared by the New South Wales, Department of Railways and issued on October 26, 1958. It provides information on the working of trains on the northern division lines.

Working Timetable, Northern Division - 1958 - 22.67 MB

命ailCorp 1958

Working Timetable - Metropolitian - 1958 (Partial)

This document is a part of the Working Timetable for the Metropolitian division (Sydney) of NSW. This partial document provides details on the Cowan - North Sydney - Strathfield - Cowan line. It was prepared by the New South Wales, Department of Railways and issued on October 26, 1958.

Working Timetable, Metropolitian Division - 1958 - 7.87 MB

命ailCorp 1958

Local Appendix - 1961

This document is the Local Appendix for the Working Timetable and covers the Northern Division. It was prepared by the New South Wales, Department of Railways and issued on June 1, 1961. It provides information to train crews, etc on the working of trains on the northern lines and branches.

Northern Local Appendix - 1961 - 17.6 MB

命ailCorp 1961

Newcastle Coal Traffic Coal Appendix - 1951

This document is the Local Appendix for the Working Timetable and covers the Newcastle District Coal Lines. It was prepared by the New South Wales, Department of Railways and issued on June 1, 1951. It provides information to train crews, etc on the working of trains on the coal branches.

Newcastle Coal Traffic Appendix - 1951 - 9.52 MB

命ailCorp 1951

Coaching and Goods Instructions - 1964

This document is the Coaching and Goods Instrcution book for the NSWGR. It was prepared by the New South Wales, Department of Railways and issued on April 26, 1964. It provides information to train crews, etc on the loading and carriage of freight and passengers in trains.

Coaching and Goods Instruction Book - 1964 - 37.5 MB

命ailCorp 1964

Operation of Steam Locomotives Part 1 - 1963

This document was issued to firemen and drivers as part of their training and gives them the principles of how a steam engine works, how to fire it and other sundry tasks. It was prepared by the New South Wales, Department of Railways Mechanical Branch and issued in 1963.

Operation of Steam Locomotives - Part 1 - 1963 - 6.08 MB

命ailCorp 1963

Operation of Steam Locomotives Part 2 - 1963

This document was issued to firemen and drivers as part of their training and gives them instructions on how to drive a steam engine (as weel as a small section on driving diesels). It was prepared by the New South Wales, Department of Railways Mechanical Branch and issued in 1963.

Operation of Steam Locomotives - Part 2 - 1963 - 11.35 MB

命ailCorp 1963

Enfield Marshalling Yards - Working and Composition of Trains - circa 1969

This document was issued to railway employees working in the Enfield Marshalling yards in the late 60s as steam dissappeared from the system. It was prepared by the New South Wales, Department of Railways. It provide some general staff information as well as information on train compositions.

Enfield Marshalling Yards - Working and Composition of Trains - circa 1969 - 0.44 MB

命ailCorp circa 1969

Sydney Yard Working - 1960

This document was issued to railway employees working in the Sydney Station yards in the early 1960s. It was prepared by the New South Wales, Department of Railways. It provide information on train movements into and out of the Sydney Station.

Sydney Yard Working - 1960 - 0.03 MB

命ailCorp circa 1960

Signals

If you want more information on reading signals go to one of the links below

Running Signals
Shunting Signals
Indicators and signs

The links will take you to the RIC site which has a lot of information about current operations of the railways.