Rail Removal on the Tumbarumba Rail Trail

Published on 08 August 2018

Approximately 200m of rail and sleepers were recently removed from a section of the Tumbarumba to Rosewood rail trail as part of a trial run for future work.

Snowy Valleys Council’s Director Assets and Infrastructure Matt Christensen said the aim of the exercise was see what removal processes were practical and efficient.

“The trial allowed our teams to better estimate what resources and associated costs will be required to build the whole trail,” Mr Christensen said.

The section of track selected for the trial was adjacent to Hyne Timber’s north boundary, with only a few small trees requiring removal and no stock issues.

The team successfully trialed using an air-compressor driven rattle gun to remove about a dozen nuts and bolts holding the lines together, some of which were heavily rusted and corroded.

A method of removing the rail using an excavator with grab attachment was also trialed successfully.

“We are now confident that this method will be a satisfactory way to disassemble the whole line without damaging the rail or connector plates,” Mr Christensen said.

A mud bucket was used to strip the top soil and the rotten and heavily weathered sleepers which were then used as mulch over the receding slopes forming a subgrade surface ready for compacting and placing the pavement layer.

The rescued rail and connector plates will be sold with proceeds invested back into the project.

Approximately 22km in length, the Tumbarumba to Rosewood rail trail will run through a non-operational railway corridor between Albury Street, Tumbarumba and McEachern Lane, Rosewood.

Council is currently considering tender applications for cadastral and design components including a detailed survey and the pegging of the full corridor boundary, and expects the survey works to be underway by late August.