Hope you enjoyed the video! As usual, all photographs and footage used in this production are my own (except the Google Maps imagery), captured over numerous visits to this area between 2010 and 2024. If you'd like to directly support the channel, consider joining me on Patreon (for the price of 1 coffee a month) where you can get early access and some behind the scenes insights into these videos: www.patreon.com/Taitset NSW Transport information: transportnsw.info/ Info on the Great North Walk: www.thegreatnorthwalk.com/ Some stuff about Golden Orb Weavers: australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/golden-orb-weaving-spiders/ If you'd like to see more of the hiking tracks in the area, check out this video by Corey, who, after watching *this* video, went and did a three day walk from Wondabyne to Tascott: ruclips.net/video/Zb-62zGZBxM/видео.htmlsi=rIIJDaapP0BpDEwd And thanks the fish of Mullet Creek - your acting was second to none.
Thank you for a most interesting view of this stop. I have often felt that it would be interesting to stop there on those occasions when I travel past this area... but there never seemed to be enough in the area to occupy me until the next train arrived. Now I will need to reconsider that opinion. 😁
Came to comments straight after seeing that. It's not some local-custom, but internationally the norm to let people off before hopping on. Taitset was too kind to not barge straight through that rude person.
What I'd love to see is the line to Bright reopened with a possible extension down to Harrietville. It might be a bit hard to squeeze a train line into some of the narrower sections of the valley approaching Harrietville and a lot of it is developed farmland that would need to be acquired but it'd reintroduce trains to the tourist town of Bright and give better access to Mt Buffalo and the areas around Mt Hotham and Mt Feathertop. Once the restoration of the Mt Buffalo Chalet is done hopefully later this year, you could even run buses up there again like the VR days. The VLine coach to Bright and the Alps Link bus from Bright to Omeo do a decent job, I did a 3 day walk around Feathertop using PT just the other month, but it'd be so much nicer taking a train up the Ovens. I've also got the Healesville, Warburton, Walhalla and Noojee lines on my wishlist to be reopened but I can really only imagine the first two ever being reopened to public service again
As a Woy Woy local I applaud this excellent commentary by a Vicwegian from South of the Border. I, in turn, am fascinated by V-Line idiosyncrasies and have covered most of Victoria. Would have loved to have been behind that N Class heading up to Mildura on 'the Guage'.
In Japan, there's a station called Seiryu Miharashi-eki which literally translates to "Clear Stream Viewing Platform Station" and it opened in 2019 in Yamaguchi Prefecture on the Nishikigawa Seiryū Line. As its name implies, its only purpose is as a viewing platform facing the Nishiki River so people can step off and admire the wonderful views of the river and the surrounding forest. Not every train on the Nishikigawa Seiryū Line stops there as it's only special trains that do. Amtrak's Empire Builder provides amazing views of Glacier National Park, and those who want to visit the park can get off at East Glacier Park or Browning depending on the season. The East Side Shuttle runs from Glacier Park Lodge to St. Mary where you can connect to the National Park Service shuttle system. On Amtrak, Thurmond station in West Virginia on their Cardinal service serves the NPS's New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Thurmond used to be a prosperous coal mining town, but today it is owned by the National Park Service. Glacier National Park was established in 1910. Soon after the establishment of the park, the Great Northern Railway helped popularize it as a number of hotels and chalets were constructed by the Great Northern Railway. Like how the Canadian Pacific Railway built hotels and lobbied the Canadian government to create the iconic Banff National Park. The symbol of Glacier National Park (and the former Great Northern Railway) is the mountain goat, which are incredible creatures! Besides Glacier National Park, they're mostly found in British Columbia but are also native to Yukon and Alaska, and were introduced to Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and South Dakota. Despite their name mountain goat, they're not in the Capra genus, which is the genus that contains all true goats. Instead, they're in the genus Oreamnos (which they're the only living member of) and they're more closely related to the takin and chamois. In the high-altitude environments, sometimes above 13,000 ft, they are the largest mammal! Mountain goats are powerful but nimble and can jump nearly 12 feet in a single bound, and weigh between 150 and 220 pounds. Their coats help them to withstand winter temperatures as low as −46 C and winds of up to 160 kilometers per hour! They can be quite aggressive towards each other. When they're grouped together, they display, charge, and engage in mini-duels four or five times per hour.
I've flagged the train down at Wondabyne, it feels powerful, especially after cowering well back from the track from the prior freight train. The Blue Mountains line provides a great service for hikers, a good number of station to station hikes possible there.
I'm definitely going to plan a trip to Wondabyne next time I'm in Sydney! I'd love to see more videos about interesting and unique stations like this one :)
On the Metro-North Railroad in New York, the system has three stations dedicated for hikers! Manitou and Breakneck Ridge on the Hudson Line, and Appalachian Trail on the Harlem Line! Manitou and Breakneck Ridge serve the Hudson Highlands, with Manitou serving the nearby Bear Mountain State Park and Anthony's Nose while Breakneck Ridge serves its namesake. Similarly to how Wondabyne station is by the Mullet Creek tributary of the Hawkesbury River, both Manitou and Breakneck Ridge are along the Hudson River, as are most of the stations on the Hudson Line, hence the name! Appalachian Trail on the Harlem Line on the other hand, is notable for being the only rail station directly on the entire Appalachian Trail! The Hudson Line is an incredible line, as not only does it have spectacular views of the Hudson Palisades and Hudson Highlands, but it's 118.3 km between Grand Central and Poughkeepsie, it's electrified by third-rail between GCT and Croton-Harmon for 53.4 km, most of the electrified zone has four tracks (usually two express and local tracks in each direction), it's shared as part of Amtrak's Empire Corridor (Amtrak shares certain stops with the Hudson Line like Yonkers, Poughkeepsie, and Croton-Harmon), there's connecting peak ferry service at Ossining and Beacon to go across the Hudson to Haverstraw and Newburgh respectively, you can take it for Yankees games at Yankees-East 153rd St, and the suburbs along the Hudson Line like Yonkers and Tarrytown are walkable! On Amtrak, the California Zephyr provides some insane views of the upper Colorado River valley in the Rocky Mountains, the canyons of Utah, and the Sierra Nevada. During the winter, Amtrak provides service to the Winter Park Ski Resort outside Denver on the Winter Park Express from Denver Union Station! Not only do you get to beat the Denver traffic to the slopes, but it also leaves you closer to the slopes than parking, it's a win-win! The Winter Park Express uses the same tracks as the California Zephyr and crosses the historic 10 km Moffat Tunnel under the Continental Divide to reach the resort. This tunnel helped Denver become the economic engine that it is today through connecting it to the West Coast with a link. David Moffat was unable to raise sufficient funds to build the tunnel before he died in 1911, but the fight for the tunnel continued in his honor! In 1920, a bill was passed by the state legislature to build new tunnels, but other regions blocked it because they didn't want Denver to gain an advantage in commerce. Blocking this would backfire big time when Pueblo was devastated by a flood in 1922 and Denver took this opportunity to say they'll vote for emergency funding for Pueblo in return for bonds for the tunnel. Eight hundred men ended up working round the clock for three and a half years, moving 1.5 million tons of rock!
@officialmcdeath If your talking about the NYC subway' Redbirds...Than..No, I think most of the trains.dropped into the ocean got rusted to nothing in afew decades..Because surpise, surpise. Water rusts metal.
09:35 yes a water taxi is used to Hawkesbury River, you call up on the commuter phones for it and then bus either way from there to Woy Woy or Cowan (and so forth)..
Fantastic video as always mate!! I didn't know the Wondabyne quarry is still operating. Not gonna lie, free Wi-Fi at Wondabyne is crazy 😂😂 9:33 correct, when there's trackwork TfNSW is obliged to order you a water taxi to get to Wondabyne. Apparently you ask station staff at Hawkesbury River (Brooklyn) to do it for you. TfNSW does not advertise this as you'd only need to pay the equivalent Opal fare so they don't want too many finding out about it!
Thanks for this video, this brought back some great memories as Wondabyne was one of my favourite spots to visit growing up an hour down the line in Eastwood. An interesting fact (albeit sans an official source) - I have heard that the houses across the water will not be there forever. Apparently leases were granted for properties on the national park land many decades ago, a decision which the National Parks and Wildlife Service regrets and has been trying to undo for a long time. The plan is to not allow the property leases to be handed down outside of direct family members, so when and if there are no next of kin for a house, the lease will terminate and NPWS will remove it and remediate the site back to a bushland state.
Love this. I've only passed this station a few times in my life but I'm fascinated. I love that the station is fully kitted out. Such a stunning little part of the world. Such a treat getting the train along the water to Woy Woy. Great vid.
With the NIF, an agreement was reached with the last Enterprise Agreement. Basically guards will stay, door controls moved, CCTV screens moved, Traction interlock removed from crew cab doors and the driver will once again be off the platform. Currently 2 sets have been modified.
Im about to catch the train from roma st to sydney. I can guarantee i wouldve been blissfully unaware to keep an eye out for this. Thanks for the heads up man
Another brilliant offering from you, Martin. Wondabyne is indeed a fascinating place to visit, for railfanning (alone or with a friend or two, but not the motor mouth rabble), taking in nature, boating, fishing (where permitted, as some restrictions apply here - there used to be oyster farms in the area but I believe they may have been moved on now ) or simply quiet time in a beautiful setting (between trains, that is). I've encountered some of the wildlife here and in other places around the Central Coast, but fortunately not the long bitey ones (had to do a quick Irish Jig to avoid one at Bullocks Flat in the Snowy though). I loved your brief excursion into the bush and your notes on the history of the quarry. Good to see Alex quietly observing in several shots, also his demonstration on how to alert the approaching train driver of the intention to board the train. A well prepared commentary, your usual brand of humour and the quirky introduction and conclusion with the fish makes this one of your best offerings. Thanks for reawakening some fond memories. Must go to Wondabyne again sometime when I can get away and can get a local friend to accompany me. Cheers from Michael.🙂🙂🙂
Love this video, thank you! The Scots have a station in the middle of Rannoch Moor. We have this on the way to Woy Woy - I’m going to have to mix it with the mullets and take a trip to Wondabyne next time I make it up to Sydney.
Recently travelled from Sydney to Brisbane via this stretch. Spectacular scenery and viewing from the train and also witnessed Wombabyne Station .Thanks for the details plus noticed a short disused rail tunnel along side the main line ..A great story on this area .
Great video. My Dad always likes to point out the absence of road access to Wondabyne. Perhaps the former Lilyvale station (south of Waterfall) which served a very similar purpose to Wondabyne should be reinstated.
Geoff Marshall would love it there, really. One question: how does the guard operate the doors at Wondabyne? Do the trains have Selective Door Opening or is more like a Queensland Rail procedure at Traveston in which the emergency door release is used? Beautiful video, Martin.
Glad you enjoyed it! Yes they have selective door opening, I'm not exactly sure how it works but I think they have a few buttons for different length short platforms.
@@Taitset On the Hsets the doors that open at each station are preprogrammed. In the case of Wondabyne its the last door. However if the guard forgets to change the settings at Woy Woy or Hawkesbury River they need to close the doors and reopen all doors. Not sure how it works with the V sets but I think if one stops there you can open an odd platform door from what I last heard.
Yeah @@doctorderailer the v sets are very rudimentary like that, there is literally a 'open left' and 'open right' and 'close left' close right' set of buttons in the cabs if I remember correctly.
This is my favorite station to train spot and bush walk I've visited it many times it's my favourite station I get excited when the opportunity comes up to go there I see people working there
I noticed that very short platform on my way by train (XPT?) from Sydney to Tamworth but it went by so fast I did not get a photo despite having my camera at the ready. Thanks for going there and sending us all a great video! I truly appreciated the excellent bad jokes ("plenty of mullets on the train") and the info about the quarry. Cheers!
Woy Woy local here, I love Wondabyne, great place to get away from it all. Apparently the quarry is kept operating so that they can match the Hawkesbury sandstone in important historic buildings, when repairs are needed. And yes, there definitely are mullet in Mullet Creek (although the fish you caught on camera were bream 😉).
Great video! Great info about this station and surrounding area - I learnt plenty. I did the Wondayne to Woy Woy walk a few moths ago, with my teenage son - surely one of Australia’s great day walks.
A water taxi is provided when the line is down due to track work. The same water taxi is used to get rail workers around the river part of the corridor during the possession.
Interesting video with excellent continuity and narration, Thanks! I went through there in 2009, rode the train from Sydney to Woy Woy and return, visiting from USA. I'm a trains and scenery fan myself. Next time I'll stop off at Wondabyne for a hike and train-watching ...
Here in the Northeastern US, there are some similar stations on Metro North that serve the parks and trails of upstate New York, namely Breakneck Ridge, Appalachian trail, and Manitou stations. Unfortunately, they only get limited service, just a couple trains a day.
That's the difference I think - the line itself is actually pretty busy as mentioned - with variety of sets using the line for both passenger & goods. But from the sounds of it the ones you mentioned are simply limited services only?
Once you climb the steep section of track near the station the path widens to be able to fit a car through, so it is technically possible to drive a car approximately 500 (very steep) meters from the station, although actually getting to that point requires going through a shooting range and multiple locked gates, plus the "road" is only suited for 4WD so I guess its only be used by people that work for the national parks. Also you can see Wondabyne station from the top of Mount Wondabyne. Great video, it's given me a gentle reminder to go back to Wondabyne (most likely when daylight saving is back)
the nif has a guard again thankfully :) there should be one operating on the north around september! classes for drivers are starting soonish. (if everything goes to plan that is)
Went there last year and the wifi didn't work and no signal on the station but go up the hill and wifi is fantastic sow as able to play youtube vids on top and alone in nature 💚
I've heard of Wondabyne many times, first time I've ever seen what's there. I can't see myself making the effort to get there considering there is no cake shop.
Thanks for this well researched and interesting video :) I believe I would have been past this station when catching the long-distance train from Sydney to Casino, without stopping of course!
This a magic location. I highly recommend catching the early morning train to Gosford and Newcastle. As you skirt the misty waters and forest you would swear you have stepped back in time with a chance of spotting a dinosaur or two. There are many such lines and locations in Sydney. The Blue Mountains line, Wollongong line, Epping to Gosford, even the patch of wild jungle at Telopea in Sydney's Inner South.
Am I glad these great videos of yours exist. I have such a mixed relationship with Australia. On one hand, the transport and cities and (floral) nature all look very appealing to me, but I just can't get over the animals. I would be constantly panicking about having dangerous critters around me. When you live somewhere that has basically nothing at all similar to what Australia has, the difference is just too great.
If it helps, having lived here all my life, I only know one person that's ever been bitten by a snake (he was fine), and I don't know anyone that's had a serious spider bite.
I hope to see the newly subscribed Spider commenting here😜FINALLY.... a video about Wondabyne that actually has some real substance and perspective about the station and its existence, and not some clickbaity gunzel video nonsense about Australia's most isolated non-road accessed station! Additionally, I believe during periods of trackwork, a water taxi is supplied from nearby Hawkesbury River station.... or at least they use to! That in itself would make an interesting video!
Haha thankyou! Yes I was thinking that, it would be a rare case that I would intentionally go somewhere during trackwork, but it would be fun to take the rail-replacing-bus-replacing-boat!
@@ToothlessTransport Just Google Wondabyne, or search Google Earth/Maps. It's on Mullet Creek, a tributary of the Hawkesbury River, just north of Sydney.
Went to Wondabyne a few years ago. It's a delightful spot to go for a short walk up the (very) steep hill or just sit on the dock. Wonder if you could get kayak on the train? That would be perfect!
I worked for the railways. Only been to wondabyne by boat because we were doing track work. Another awesome station is the Hawkesbury river bridge station not for public and the old tunnel, now a mushroom tunnel
The Mariyung D-sets have been confirmed by the RTBU that it'll be converted to Driver-Guard operations as the sets are being modified to have Guard controls and workstations. However I'm personally not sure on what the Guard's location will be or when the trains will enter service. I'm gonna assume that due to the fitment of CCTVs, Guards will operate the train like a Waratah A/B set and be positioned at the last carriage.
Used to go past Wondabyne regularly commuting to Cardiff to Hornsby each day in the mid 90s. Always a pretty spot - couldn't get closer to the water if you tried. The other train line with a nice view (of the ocean and Norfolk Island pines) but seen mostly from a distance is the Illawarra line before you get to Wollongong. Although when you get off at Circular Quay it's pretty spectacular if you disembark facing the harbour. Even more impressive when you've just spent the last new minutes underground in the dark. Feels like coming up for fresh air. Wondabyne is tiny in terms of size - although there are plenty of smaller platforms on the Hunter Line (all of them up past Maitland) many are single track, non-electrified and in the middle of nowhere. There is only a sign, timetable and a seat.
Anyone else notice the older Wondabyne video Taitset made while he was telling us about how no one had made a video of Wondabyne? Anyone who wants to go there, it's a great peaceful station to visit. Thankfully I haven't met any long bitey boys there. Wouldn't mind a video explaining the Hunter Line which is my local line and how there are massive 1.5km long coal trains at about 15 minute frequencies or so.
Very good spotting, I was wondering if anyone would notice that! I haven't been up beyond Newcastle by rail yet, would certainly like to do it at some point.
I came here in April - was only going to stick around for a short time to take a few pics and video. That short period lasted no less than 3hr. However things got a bit tedious when nature called......
not to be that person, but sydney trains vlogs has uploaded a few videos from wondabyne before, some dating back a few years :( still, an excellent video! because I live in western australia and i've always been envious of the intercity train networks in the eastern states, let alone a service that offers direct access to a national park
This video inspired me to visit! I uploaded a video hiking in the area. I didnt capture it on video but the quarry was moving heavy machinery on a ferry as I caught the train out
Great stuff! Very good to see more of those tracks, I keep meaning to go all the way to Pindar cave but haven't managed it yet. I'll add a link to your video in the pinned comment.
Sydney metro has australia's first driverless passenger carrying trains. However the Mariyung sets are australia's first passengerless driver carrying trains.
so interesting! My dad grew up during the Depression, catching the train on weekends from Central (Sydney) to the now vanished Lilyvale station in the Royal National Park. Lilyvale was the closest entry point for bushwalkers wanting to visit the coast, at a time when few people had cars, and the road through the park was too steep and rough in sections for many vehicles. Lilyvale too was effectively No Road Access. Dad said that as darkness fell on any Sunday evening at Lilyvale station, as you got closer walking in from the coast, you could hear the sound of harmonicas being played, as groups of weekend bushwalkers sat on the ground, whiling away the time till the train to Central arrived. The station was still a stopping point, on request to the driver, in the 1970s; but then they pulled it down, including the platforms , once demand fell off and people were driving in to their bushwalking destinations; so now, you have to know where to look to spot Lilyvale's former location as your train whizzes past. I believe there may have been just one building there (which is also gone now). The Lilyvale track (which hikers took from the station to the main Coastal Track) is still shown on maps, but I dont know if it is still passable. With Lilyvale gone, bushwalkers and campers who dont want to drive into the Park these days have to train to Otford -- or Helensburgh -- which are both a longer (and tougher) walk to the coast than the Lilyvale track was. The Otford train frequency is not great either - on average, every 2 hours out side of peak times -- so if you mistime your hike to the platform and miss your connection, it's a long wait,(as I have learned through experience). BTW, there are leeches on the Royal tracks as well as on the Central Coast. Once, I found a leech unexpectedly on my boot while I was already in the train heading back into town. I flicked it away without thinking, but then, I couldn't find it anywhere! I fear some poor rail passenger must have been shocked and puzzled as to how they unexpectedly came to "pick up" a leech without actually setting foot in the bush...
Hope you enjoyed the video! As usual, all photographs and footage used in this production are my own (except the Google Maps imagery), captured over numerous visits to this area between 2010 and 2024. If you'd like to directly support the channel, consider joining me on Patreon (for the price of 1 coffee a month) where you can get early access and some behind the scenes insights into these videos: www.patreon.com/Taitset
NSW Transport information: transportnsw.info/
Info on the Great North Walk: www.thegreatnorthwalk.com/
Some stuff about Golden Orb Weavers: australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/golden-orb-weaving-spiders/
If you'd like to see more of the hiking tracks in the area, check out this video by Corey, who, after watching *this* video, went and did a three day walk from Wondabyne to Tascott: ruclips.net/video/Zb-62zGZBxM/видео.htmlsi=rIIJDaapP0BpDEwd
And thanks the fish of Mullet Creek - your acting was second to none.
How is this comment from 2 days ago when the video isnt 😂
@@the_idiot_destroyer The comment you have commented on, contains the answer to your comment. ;)
@@Taitset Ohhhhh mb, im bad at reading lol
@@the_idiot_destroyer Haha all good
Thank you for a most interesting view of this stop.
I have often felt that it would be interesting to stop there on those occasions when I travel past this area... but there never seemed to be enough in the area to occupy me until the next train arrived. Now I will need to reconsider that opinion. 😁
Love how when you arrived at the station and the doors opened that bloke just pushed his way on, didn't bother to let you hop off first.
my pet peeve
Came to comments straight after seeing that. It's not some local-custom, but internationally the norm to let people off before hopping on. Taitset was too kind to not barge straight through that rude person.
Unfortunately, these people are everywhere. Even Wondabyne apparently.
i hate that! it’s so rude and disrespectful.
Surprised that a stint outdoors hasn't chilled that person out, not even a fraction \m/
My dad has fond memories of request stopping at Hattah-Kulkyne National Park when the Mildura line was still open.
I would have loved to have done that, I've stood on the platform at Hattah a few times and imagined it!
We need this in Victoria. Stops in the middle of nowhere that have no houses or roads. Just spectacular bushland views.
Where here would be worth a station though? None of our railways go through area like up North. Unless you want to stop in a flat field lol
Tbh I think Sydney’s intercity network is trash. But what ever u say!
@@joshanderson9391 sheep like receiving visitors too
I'd love to be able to say hi to sheep when I get off a train.@@supidosan
What I'd love to see is the line to Bright reopened with a possible extension down to Harrietville. It might be a bit hard to squeeze a train line into some of the narrower sections of the valley approaching Harrietville and a lot of it is developed farmland that would need to be acquired but it'd reintroduce trains to the tourist town of Bright and give better access to Mt Buffalo and the areas around Mt Hotham and Mt Feathertop. Once the restoration of the Mt Buffalo Chalet is done hopefully later this year, you could even run buses up there again like the VR days. The VLine coach to Bright and the Alps Link bus from Bright to Omeo do a decent job, I did a 3 day walk around Feathertop using PT just the other month, but it'd be so much nicer taking a train up the Ovens.
I've also got the Healesville, Warburton, Walhalla and Noojee lines on my wishlist to be reopened but I can really only imagine the first two ever being reopened to public service again
As a Woy Woy local I applaud this excellent commentary by a Vicwegian from South of the Border. I, in turn, am fascinated by V-Line idiosyncrasies and have covered most of Victoria. Would have loved to have been behind that N Class heading up to Mildura on 'the Guage'.
In Japan, there's a station called Seiryu Miharashi-eki which literally translates to "Clear Stream Viewing Platform Station" and it opened in 2019 in Yamaguchi Prefecture on the Nishikigawa Seiryū Line. As its name implies, its only purpose is as a viewing platform facing the Nishiki River so people can step off and admire the wonderful views of the river and the surrounding forest. Not every train on the Nishikigawa Seiryū Line stops there as it's only special trains that do. Amtrak's Empire Builder provides amazing views of Glacier National Park, and those who want to visit the park can get off at East Glacier Park or Browning depending on the season. The East Side Shuttle runs from Glacier Park Lodge to St. Mary where you can connect to the National Park Service shuttle system. On Amtrak, Thurmond station in West Virginia on their Cardinal service serves the NPS's New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Thurmond used to be a prosperous coal mining town, but today it is owned by the National Park Service.
Glacier National Park was established in 1910. Soon after the establishment of the park, the Great Northern Railway helped popularize it as a number of hotels and chalets were constructed by the Great Northern Railway. Like how the Canadian Pacific Railway built hotels and lobbied the Canadian government to create the iconic Banff National Park. The symbol of Glacier National Park (and the former Great Northern Railway) is the mountain goat, which are incredible creatures! Besides Glacier National Park, they're mostly found in British Columbia but are also native to Yukon and Alaska, and were introduced to Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and South Dakota. Despite their name mountain goat, they're not in the Capra genus, which is the genus that contains all true goats. Instead, they're in the genus Oreamnos (which they're the only living member of) and they're more closely related to the takin and chamois. In the high-altitude environments, sometimes above 13,000 ft, they are the largest mammal! Mountain goats are powerful but nimble and can jump nearly 12 feet in a single bound, and weigh between 150 and 220 pounds. Their coats help them to withstand winter temperatures as low as −46 C and winds of up to 160 kilometers per hour! They can be quite aggressive towards each other. When they're grouped together, they display, charge, and engage in mini-duels four or five times per hour.
I've flagged the train down at Wondabyne, it feels powerful, especially after cowering well back from the track from the prior freight train.
The Blue Mountains line provides a great service for hikers, a good number of station to station hikes possible there.
I'm definitely going to plan a trip to Wondabyne next time I'm in Sydney!
I'd love to see more videos about interesting and unique stations like this one :)
Always wonder(byne)ed why this station existed. Thanks for the great video as always!
Just watching your Upfield explainer while on an Upfield train... looks like I'll be watching this after 😂
On the Metro-North Railroad in New York, the system has three stations dedicated for hikers! Manitou and Breakneck Ridge on the Hudson Line, and Appalachian Trail on the Harlem Line! Manitou and Breakneck Ridge serve the Hudson Highlands, with Manitou serving the nearby Bear Mountain State Park and Anthony's Nose while Breakneck Ridge serves its namesake. Similarly to how Wondabyne station is by the Mullet Creek tributary of the Hawkesbury River, both Manitou and Breakneck Ridge are along the Hudson River, as are most of the stations on the Hudson Line, hence the name! Appalachian Trail on the Harlem Line on the other hand, is notable for being the only rail station directly on the entire Appalachian Trail! The Hudson Line is an incredible line, as not only does it have spectacular views of the Hudson Palisades and Hudson Highlands, but it's 118.3 km between Grand Central and Poughkeepsie, it's electrified by third-rail between GCT and Croton-Harmon for 53.4 km, most of the electrified zone has four tracks (usually two express and local tracks in each direction), it's shared as part of Amtrak's Empire Corridor (Amtrak shares certain stops with the Hudson Line like Yonkers, Poughkeepsie, and Croton-Harmon), there's connecting peak ferry service at Ossining and Beacon to go across the Hudson to Haverstraw and Newburgh respectively, you can take it for Yankees games at Yankees-East 153rd St, and the suburbs along the Hudson Line like Yonkers and Tarrytown are walkable!
On Amtrak, the California Zephyr provides some insane views of the upper Colorado River valley in the Rocky Mountains, the canyons of Utah, and the Sierra Nevada. During the winter, Amtrak provides service to the Winter Park Ski Resort outside Denver on the Winter Park Express from Denver Union Station! Not only do you get to beat the Denver traffic to the slopes, but it also leaves you closer to the slopes than parking, it's a win-win! The Winter Park Express uses the same tracks as the California Zephyr and crosses the historic 10 km Moffat Tunnel under the Continental Divide to reach the resort. This tunnel helped Denver become the economic engine that it is today through connecting it to the West Coast with a link. David Moffat was unable to raise sufficient funds to build the tunnel before he died in 1911, but the fight for the tunnel continued in his honor! In 1920, a bill was passed by the state legislature to build new tunnels, but other regions blocked it because they didn't want Denver to gain an advantage in commerce. Blocking this would backfire big time when Pueblo was devastated by a flood in 1922 and Denver took this opportunity to say they'll vote for emergency funding for Pueblo in return for bonds for the tunnel. Eight hundred men ended up working round the clock for three and a half years, moving 1.5 million tons of rock!
I generally thought Taitsets and being dropped in the ocean didn’t go well……And here we are.
@@SleepyAdrian works for Redbirds though \m/
…
@officialmcdeath If your talking about the NYC subway' Redbirds...Than..No, I think most of the trains.dropped into the ocean got rusted to nothing in afew decades..Because surpise, surpise. Water rusts metal.
09:35 yes a water taxi is used to Hawkesbury River, you call up on the commuter phones for it and then bus either way from there to Woy Woy or Cowan (and so forth)..
Fantastic video as always mate!! I didn't know the Wondabyne quarry is still operating. Not gonna lie, free Wi-Fi at Wondabyne is crazy 😂😂
9:33 correct, when there's trackwork TfNSW is obliged to order you a water taxi to get to Wondabyne. Apparently you ask station staff at Hawkesbury River (Brooklyn) to do it for you. TfNSW does not advertise this as you'd only need to pay the equivalent Opal fare so they don't want too many finding out about it!
How do you get from Wondabyne back to Hawkesbury River?
@@niftynathan7 This is what I'm interested to know too
@@benjaminmcintosh857 there is an emergency help button, which I presume connects you to an operator who will then send a water taxi to you?
Alternate title: wondabyne, the video we've all been waiting for
Thanks for this video, this brought back some great memories as Wondabyne was one of my favourite spots to visit growing up an hour down the line in Eastwood.
An interesting fact (albeit sans an official source) - I have heard that the houses across the water will not be there forever. Apparently leases were granted for properties on the national park land many decades ago, a decision which the National Parks and Wildlife Service regrets and has been trying to undo for a long time. The plan is to not allow the property leases to be handed down outside of direct family members, so when and if there are no next of kin for a house, the lease will terminate and NPWS will remove it and remediate the site back to a bushland state.
Awesome video mate. The views from that train would be amazing!
@ComengProductions I can vouch that it is the best part of taking the train to Gosford or Newcastle from Sydney.
@@BryanLikesCandy Yeah, it looks awesome!
Love this. I've only passed this station a few times in my life but I'm fascinated. I love that the station is fully kitted out. Such a stunning little part of the world. Such a treat getting the train along the water to Woy Woy. Great vid.
With the NIF, an agreement was reached with the last Enterprise Agreement. Basically guards will stay, door controls moved, CCTV screens moved, Traction interlock removed from crew cab doors and the driver will once again be off the platform. Currently 2 sets have been modified.
Ah good to know!
Im about to catch the train from roma st to sydney. I can guarantee i wouldve been blissfully unaware to keep an eye out for this. Thanks for the heads up man
Absolutely! Hope you have a good trip.
This dude is the best!
Another brilliant offering from you, Martin. Wondabyne is indeed a fascinating place to visit, for railfanning (alone or with a friend or two, but not the motor mouth rabble), taking in nature, boating, fishing (where permitted, as some restrictions apply here - there used to be oyster farms in the area but I believe they may have been moved on now ) or simply quiet time in a beautiful setting (between trains, that is).
I've encountered some of the wildlife here and in other places around the Central Coast, but fortunately not the long bitey ones (had to do a quick Irish Jig to avoid one at Bullocks Flat in the Snowy though). I loved your brief excursion into the bush and your notes on the history of the quarry.
Good to see Alex quietly observing in several shots, also his demonstration on how to alert the approaching train driver of the intention to board the train. A well prepared commentary, your usual brand of humour and the quirky introduction and conclusion with the fish makes this one of your best offerings. Thanks for reawakening some fond memories. Must go to Wondabyne again sometime when I can get away and can get a local friend to accompany me. Cheers from Michael.🙂🙂🙂
great job Martin. Thanks for the hard work
Perfect to watch on the train from Bainsdale to Melbourne
Love this video, thank you! The Scots have a station in the middle of Rannoch Moor. We have this on the way to Woy Woy - I’m going to have to mix it with the mullets and take a trip to Wondabyne next time I make it up to Sydney.
Recently travelled from Sydney to Brisbane via this stretch. Spectacular scenery and viewing from the train and also witnessed Wombabyne Station .Thanks for the details plus noticed a short disused rail tunnel along side the main line ..A great story on this area .
A really nice video!
Ive watched many videos on Wondabyne, but none as good as this. I love your work, Martin!
Great video. My Dad always likes to point out the absence of road access to Wondabyne.
Perhaps the former Lilyvale station (south of Waterfall) which served a very similar purpose to Wondabyne should be reinstated.
Wonderful!
Geoff Marshall would love it there, really.
One question: how does the guard operate the doors at Wondabyne? Do the trains have Selective Door Opening or is more like a Queensland Rail procedure at Traveston in which the emergency door release is used?
Beautiful video, Martin.
Glad you enjoyed it! Yes they have selective door opening, I'm not exactly sure how it works but I think they have a few buttons for different length short platforms.
@@Taitset On the Hsets the doors that open at each station are preprogrammed. In the case of Wondabyne its the last door. However if the guard forgets to change the settings at Woy Woy or Hawkesbury River they need to close the doors and reopen all doors. Not sure how it works with the V sets but I think if one stops there you can open an odd platform door from what I last heard.
@@triplehdrive yep, all doors on the side that guard unlocks are essentially well, unlocked on V sets.
Yeah @@doctorderailer the v sets are very rudimentary like that, there is literally a 'open left' and 'open right' and 'close left' close right' set of buttons in the cabs if I remember correctly.
Absolutely stunning scenery. If love to go there one of these days.
I've gone past that station several times and always wondered who stops there, finally my questions are answered!
Always wondered about this station but didn't know how it worked.
I think I'll check it out this spring!
This is my favorite station to train spot and bush walk I've visited it many times it's my favourite station I get excited when the opportunity comes up to go there I see people working there
Amazing video, was planning on stopping by wondabyne on my trip down a few months ago, but never managed to, however I'm happy im able to see it here.
I noticed that very short platform on my way by train (XPT?) from Sydney to Tamworth but it went by so fast I did not get a photo despite having my camera at the ready. Thanks for going there and sending us all a great video! I truly appreciated the excellent bad jokes ("plenty of mullets on the train") and the info about the quarry. Cheers!
Woy Woy local here, I love Wondabyne, great place to get away from it all. Apparently the quarry is kept operating so that they can match the Hawkesbury sandstone in important historic buildings, when repairs are needed. And yes, there definitely are mullet in Mullet Creek (although the fish you caught on camera were bream 😉).
Thankyou, good to know!
What a great place to live this would be.
Always a pleasure to see new content here, again, a video well worth watching and was both informative and enjoyable.
Great video. Impressively comprehensive!
Great video! Great info about this station and surrounding area - I learnt plenty.
I did the Wondayne to Woy Woy walk a few moths ago, with my teenage son - surely one of Australia’s great day walks.
A water taxi is provided when the line is down due to track work. The same water taxi is used to get rail workers around the river part of the corridor during the possession.
Signal engineers/electricians have their own boat.
Interesting video with excellent continuity and narration, Thanks! I went through there in 2009, rode the train from Sydney to Woy Woy and return, visiting from USA. I'm a trains and scenery fan myself. Next time I'll stop off at Wondabyne for a hike and train-watching ...
Oh man, I always love going past Wondabyne
Though when I saw it last, it had naught but a fenceless, shelterless three metre slab
@@anarchopupgirl See at 1:30 in the video. Each platform has a small shelter to provide rudimentary coverage for the seat and not much else.
Great vid mate!
One of my favourite stations not only because of the trains and the uniquely short platform but also for the peace! Haha :)
the D sets can wait as long as they need, nothing beats the comfort of the V-Line seats
@@BasicStealthcamping screw the NIF's keep the V sets
Screw the NIF's keep the V sets
Brilliantly researched, filmed, and edited. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
great video. This has been on y list to visit for a long time.
Hi Martin, great video it is great to see NSW also have quiet carriages on their intercity trains! (see the window at 9:57)
Here in the Northeastern US, there are some similar stations on Metro North that serve the parks and trails of upstate New York, namely Breakneck Ridge, Appalachian trail, and Manitou stations. Unfortunately, they only get limited service, just a couple trains a day.
That's the difference I think - the line itself is actually pretty busy as mentioned - with variety of sets using the line for both passenger & goods. But from the sounds of it the ones you mentioned are simply limited services only?
3:40 Classic train passenger, barging on, and not waiting for people to disembark
Great video thanks, Peter.
We got a 4k tait video going right here! don't think we didn't notice. that mic is sounding crisp too
Great video!
Good camio of Jeff Pages getting on at 3:40
Wondabyne is one of my favourite stations, it had wifi but its now gone after the trial has ended, great video
Really interesting video 👍 another place to add to my bucket list 😎
Additionally you can also visit Brooklyn while you're at Wondabyne which i believe is still stuck in 1889..
Once you climb the steep section of track near the station the path widens to be able to fit a car through, so it is technically possible to drive a car approximately 500 (very steep) meters from the station, although actually getting to that point requires going through a shooting range and multiple locked gates, plus the "road" is only suited for 4WD so I guess its only be used by people that work for the national parks. Also you can see Wondabyne station from the top of Mount Wondabyne.
Great video, it's given me a gentle reminder to go back to Wondabyne (most likely when daylight saving is back)
the nif has a guard again thankfully :) there should be one operating on the north around september! classes for drivers are starting soonish. (if everything goes to plan that is)
The jokes in this one were Top Tier. I cackled my way through this video. Loved it!
Went there last year and the wifi didn't work and no signal on the station but go up the hill and wifi is fantastic sow as able to play youtube vids on top and alone in nature 💚
nice video mate!
A lovely little station in some lovely scenery.
I believe for trackwork weekends you do need to get a water taxi to Wondabyne.
Great shot of the bridge at 4:48!
woah, hey Jeff!
Genuinely loving these river shots 😎
Keep them coming please ❤
Please do a video about nice nature day trips via rail in Victoria. It would be quite useful
Better watch out for long bitey boys!
Can’t wait for you to get a RUclips play button your almost half way there
I've heard of Wondabyne many times, first time I've ever seen what's there. I can't see myself making the effort to get there considering there is no cake shop.
Lack of cake shop is a desperately needed facility unfortunately 😢
Thanks for this well researched and interesting video :) I believe I would have been past this station when catching the long-distance train from Sydney to Casino, without stopping of course!
Great. Next stop: Cook?
Good to see my former local station receiving some love. Woy Woy for the win
This a magic location. I highly recommend catching the early morning train to Gosford and Newcastle.
As you skirt the misty waters and forest you would swear you have stepped back in time with a chance of spotting a dinosaur or two.
There are many such lines and locations in Sydney. The Blue Mountains line, Wollongong line, Epping to Gosford, even the patch of wild jungle at Telopea in Sydney's Inner South.
Am I glad these great videos of yours exist. I have such a mixed relationship with Australia. On one hand, the transport and cities and (floral) nature all look very appealing to me, but I just can't get over the animals. I would be constantly panicking about having dangerous critters around me. When you live somewhere that has basically nothing at all similar to what Australia has, the difference is just too great.
If it helps, having lived here all my life, I only know one person that's ever been bitten by a snake (he was fine), and I don't know anyone that's had a serious spider bite.
Had the same reaction. I was thinking "oh this looks nice to hike, wait OH what's that about animals now"
As for during trackwork, Transport NSW will charter a water taxi on request to wondabyne to allow access to the wharf.
I hope to see the newly subscribed Spider commenting here😜FINALLY.... a video about Wondabyne that actually has some real substance and perspective about the station and its existence, and not some clickbaity gunzel video nonsense about Australia's most isolated non-road accessed station!
Additionally, I believe during periods of trackwork, a water taxi is supplied from nearby Hawkesbury River station.... or at least they use to! That in itself would make an interesting video!
Haha thankyou! Yes I was thinking that, it would be a rare case that I would intentionally go somewhere during trackwork, but it would be fun to take the rail-replacing-bus-replacing-boat!
@@Taitset You'd definitely be up there with the Tim Traveller and his Rail Replacement Helicopter!
@Rheilffordd Yes true!
@@Taitsetwhere was this recorded
@@ToothlessTransport Just Google Wondabyne, or search Google Earth/Maps. It's on Mullet Creek, a tributary of the Hawkesbury River, just north of Sydney.
Went to Wondabyne a few years ago. It's a delightful spot to go for a short walk up the (very) steep hill or just sit on the dock. Wonder if you could get kayak on the train? That would be perfect!
I worked for the railways. Only been to wondabyne by boat because we were doing track work. Another awesome station is the Hawkesbury river bridge station not for public and the old tunnel, now a mushroom tunnel
Where is that station ? on Long Island?
@@timor64 correct
The Mariyung D-sets have been confirmed by the RTBU that it'll be converted to Driver-Guard operations as the sets are being modified to have Guard controls and workstations. However I'm personally not sure on what the Guard's location will be or when the trains will enter service. I'm gonna assume that due to the fitment of CCTVs, Guards will operate the train like a Waratah A/B set and be positioned at the last carriage.
Used to go past Wondabyne regularly commuting to Cardiff to Hornsby each day in the mid 90s. Always a pretty spot - couldn't get closer to the water if you tried. The other train line with a nice view (of the ocean and Norfolk Island pines) but seen mostly from a distance is the Illawarra line before you get to Wollongong. Although when you get off at Circular Quay it's pretty spectacular if you disembark facing the harbour. Even more impressive when you've just spent the last new minutes underground in the dark. Feels like coming up for fresh air.
Wondabyne is tiny in terms of size - although there are plenty of smaller platforms on the Hunter Line (all of them up past Maitland) many are single track, non-electrified and in the middle of nowhere. There is only a sign, timetable and a seat.
Anyone else notice the older Wondabyne video Taitset made while he was telling us about how no one had made a video of Wondabyne? Anyone who wants to go there, it's a great peaceful station to visit. Thankfully I haven't met any long bitey boys there. Wouldn't mind a video explaining the Hunter Line which is my local line and how there are massive 1.5km long coal trains at about 15 minute frequencies or so.
Very good spotting, I was wondering if anyone would notice that!
I haven't been up beyond Newcastle by rail yet, would certainly like to do it at some point.
@@Taitset I can't wait. BTW, I'm always amazed at how good you are at replying to comments just a few minutes after they are posted.
I live not far from that station, gone past it millions of times, never knew what it was until now
Building Beautifully has a video on Wondabyne!
He sure does, and it makes a very quick cameo appearance in this video!
Wow, the things we don't know till some one shows us we don't know them. Cheers.
Every half an hour service is so good lol
Its only once per hour except for 2 hours down in the morning and 2 hours up in the afternoon
wondabyne... finally, a neighborhood with my ideal population density
Geoff marshall would *love* this stop! (and video)
I came here in April - was only going to stick around for a short time to take a few pics and video. That short period lasted no less than 3hr. However things got a bit tedious when nature called......
not to be that person, but sydney trains vlogs has uploaded a few videos from wondabyne before, some dating back a few years :(
still, an excellent video! because I live in western australia and i've always been envious of the intercity train networks in the eastern states, let alone a service that offers direct access to a national park
Respect to bro for swimming in the Mullet Creek in the first shot...
I'm pretty sure he would've used a GoPro or sone kind of underwater camera in that shot...
@@soggywateredits9864 Its a joke but its a pretty mid one I know
For the quiz at 2:44 I could only guess the country: Switzerland maybe?
Correct!
@@Taitset yay!! I now have 20 points combined with guessing the other dirt road location in the Hurstbridge video :D
@@oxthcar Haha excellent
@@Taitset Also congrats on 35k!! 👏👏
This was a very interesting video.
Also if you didn’t already know, Tom Scott mentioned you in his most recent newsletter.
This video inspired me to visit! I uploaded a video hiking in the area. I didnt capture it on video but the quarry was moving heavy machinery on a ferry as I caught the train out
Great stuff! Very good to see more of those tracks, I keep meaning to go all the way to Pindar cave but haven't managed it yet. I'll add a link to your video in the pinned comment.
@Taitset thank you very much for the kind words! I'd highly recommend the hike I think the cave is especially worth it if spending the night there!
Sydney metro has australia's first driverless passenger carrying trains. However the Mariyung sets are australia's first passengerless driver carrying trains.
They carry "passengers" aka all the staff that sit on them during the test runs
so interesting! My dad grew up during the Depression, catching the train on weekends from Central (Sydney) to the now vanished Lilyvale station in the Royal National Park. Lilyvale was the closest entry point for bushwalkers wanting to visit the coast, at a time when few people had cars, and the road through the park was too steep and rough in sections for many vehicles. Lilyvale too was effectively No Road Access.
Dad said that as darkness fell on any Sunday evening at Lilyvale station, as you got closer walking in from the coast, you could hear the sound of harmonicas being played, as groups of weekend bushwalkers sat on the ground, whiling away the time till the train to Central arrived.
The station was still a stopping point, on request to the driver, in the 1970s; but then they pulled it down, including the platforms , once demand fell off and people were driving in to their bushwalking destinations; so now, you have to know where to look to spot Lilyvale's former location as your train whizzes past. I believe there may have been just one building there (which is also gone now). The Lilyvale track (which hikers took from the station to the main Coastal Track) is still shown on maps, but I dont know if it is still passable.
With Lilyvale gone, bushwalkers and campers who dont want to drive into the Park these days have to train to Otford -- or Helensburgh -- which are both a longer (and tougher) walk to the coast than the Lilyvale track was. The Otford train frequency is not great either - on average, every 2 hours out side of peak times -- so if you mistime your hike to the platform and miss your connection, it's a long wait,(as I have learned through experience).
BTW, there are leeches on the Royal tracks as well as on the Central Coast. Once, I found a leech unexpectedly on my boot while I was already in the train heading back into town. I flicked it away without thinking, but then, I couldn't find it anywhere! I fear some poor rail passenger must have been shocked and puzzled as to how they unexpectedly came to "pick up" a leech without actually setting foot in the bush...
1:31 I'm officially famous! MY THUMBNAIL IS IN THERE!