Griffith Xplorer Wkend - 7 (Bethungra Spiral)

An unedited view from the driver's cab of a trip Up the Bethungra Spiral on the Main South railway line in southern NSW, Australia.

This two-car, CountryLink Xplorer diesel rail-car set is returning from Griffith.

The footage starts just as the train approaches the site of the former station at Bethungra. The old goods platform can be seen on the right (00:08).

The two tracks begin to separate in elevation (01:00) before the Up line heads off to the left (01:22). The rocky embankment of Down line comes into view on the right (from 02:11 to 02:28). The Up line then continues its spiral journey by taking a right-hand curve and piercing the ridge (and travelling underneath the Down track) via a tunnel (03:02). The train then bursts into a short, deep cutting before entering another tunnel (03:10) and travelling underneath the Up line (a location where the train itself will be in a few minutes).

Continuing its long, clockwise route around the hill, both the Down line (closest) and the lower part of the Up line (furthest), come into view on the left side of the train (03:58). Later, the two lower tracks can just be seen, closer this time, in the one frame(04:20).

Further on, from atop the second tunnel, the camera swings to the right to look down (05:00) at the Up line it has taken a few minutes before.

A short time later, the train passes over a short steel bridge spanning the Down line (05:53) and that track can be seen for a few seconds more through the bush. The tracks then run more or less parallel, mostly on different elevations, until finally they arrive at the same level once more (07:02).

Having completed the climb of the Spiral, the train quickly accelerates to maximum permissable track speed (07:50) as the buffeting and wind-noise attest.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Bethungra
• Spiral
• Griffith
• Xplorer
• Junee
• Cootamundra
• CountryLink
• Explorer
• drivers
• eye
• view

[gavinfalconer]

is that a old train line on the right(1:32)

[NoseconeOz]

I think you're talking about the dirt track. No, the old railway line is today's Dn track which travels, more or less, straight down the hill.

[fordlandau]

well shot and described ..thank!

[NoseconeOz]

Thank you. Check out 'Griffith Xplorer Wkend - 8 (Frampton Deviation)' as well - not as interesting but that stretch is the other important part of the Up line's grade relief.

[perthite621]

great to see this video, I was an ASM at Bethungra for some years

[trainfanNL]

This is a beautiful piece of engineering. strange that these two lines are not neatly next to each other but this piece of line around. you do not see often.

[NipkowDisk]

This is really nice to watch. Thank you for posting this great clip! Fordlandau is spot-on, a truly outstanding description of the included video.

[FJSawyer]

Cool! I never seen (or been along) Bethungra Sprial. Thanks for sharing :-)