Bonalbo Siding

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Type : Siding
Line : North Coast Line
Distance from Sydney : 803.658km
Location : -28.867710, 153.036526
Opened : (pre-1929; Bonalbo Junction telephone provided 2 December 1929)
Closed : Unknown
Status : Closed
Name meaning :
Notes : Up facing siding on the Down side of the line, start of the partially constructed but never completed Bonalbo branch. Used as a storage siding for many years.

A planned New South Wales government railway line intended to connect Casino to Bonalbo, but construction was halted during the Great Depression and officially abandoned due to World War II before it was ever completed.

Began around the 1920s to early 1930s during the Depression era.

Siding in Use — W.N. 7–1942

Page 268 — Bonalbo Construction Sidings, Casino (North Coast) — No. 1 Bonalbo Construction Siding, situated on the Down side of the Main line at Mileage 499m 76c, between South Casino and Casino, has been brought into use for storage purposes.

All classes of engines may be run on this siding, which must be shunted during daylight only.

The Bonalbo Construction Siding is unique in the entire North Coast collection as the physical remnant of an unbuilt branch line — the only siding formally gazetted in the WN that explicitly retains its construction designation decades after the construction it was built to serve was abandoned.

The mileage discrepancy (499m 76c in 1942–1943 vs 499m 56c in 1946) is another example of a long-time uncorrected error in the WNs.

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Diagram of the location

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The location of the start of the branch line siding can be seen along with earthworks.

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Diagram of the siding in 1983

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# Bonalbo Construction Siding (North Coast Line)
## Entries from NSW Government Railways Weekly Notices, 1929–1946

---

**Type:** Siding (Closed) — Construction/Storage siding 
**Line:** North Coast Line (Leeville–Casino section) 
**Distance from Sydney:** 803.658 km (Mileage **499m 56c** — per 1946 Local Appendix; earlier notices state 499m 76c) 
**Location:** -28.867710, 153.036526 
**Between:** South Casino (south) and Casino (north) 
**Opened:** Unknown (pre-1929; Bonalbo Junction telephone provided 2 December 1929) 
**Closed:** Unknown — no abolition notice found in WN collection to 1980 
**Status:** Closed 
**Type:** Up-facing siding on the **Down side** of the line; used for storage 
**Note:** Represents the start of the planned but never-completed Bonalbo branch — construction halted during the Great Depression and officially abandoned due to World War II 

### Bonalbo Branch History
A planned NSW Government railway line to connect Casino to Bonalbo — construction began in the 1920s to early 1930s during the Depression era as a relief works project. Construction halted during the Depression and officially abandoned during World War II without ever being completed. The Bonalbo Construction Siding (at the Casino end) was the material evidence of this unbuilt line, used for many years thereafter as a storage siding.

### Mileage Note
W.N. 7–1942 and W.N. 15–1943 give Mileage **499m 76c**; the 1946 Local Appendix gives **499m 56c**. The 1946 figure is likely the corrected authoritative mileage.

### Signalling (from 1937/1942/1945/1946)
**Frame G (Bonalbo Construction Siding No. 1):** 
No. 1 lever initially released by Annett lock on No. 26 lever in Casino Signal-box (**Circular No. 431–P1 of 1937**); altered W.N. 49–1945 to key on Miniature ETS for section **Leeville–Casino** 

**Frames H and J:** 
No. 1 levers unlocked by key from Releasing Switch H; Releasing Switch H released electrically from **No. 84 lever** in Casino Signal-box 

**Admitting Up trains to Storage Siding and Nos. 1 and 2 Down Sidings:** 
Shunter at Frame H or J must satisfy himself that the siding is clear and no opposing movement is being made from the station end before allowing a train to proceed 

**Note:** Frames K and L (Simpson's Siding) — No. 1 levers unlocked by key on Miniature ETS Leeville–Casino (same key as Frame G after 1945) 

### Propelling Restrictions
Vehicles may be propelled from Casino to Nos. 1 and 2 Bonalbo Construction Sidings as required — daylight only (W.N. 7–1942 only); brake-van as leading vehicle; Guard must ride; Driver to sound whistle freely; Westinghouse Air Brake complete and in operation throughout train (from W.N. 15–1943) 

---

## 1929 — Bonalbo Junction Telephone — W.N. 50–1929

### Telephone Provided — W.N. 50–1929
> **Page 304 — Bonalbo Junction (North Coast) — Provision of Telephone in Resident Engineer's Office** — Since **2nd December, 1929**, a telephone, connected to **No. 68 Telephone Circuit (North)**, has been provided in the Resident Engineer's Office at **Bonalbo Junction**, the call being **two (2) long rings**. (29–28,813.) *(W.N. 50–1929)*

*Note: "Bonalbo Junction" in 1929 confirms the planned junction point was formally designated and had a Resident Engineer's office managing construction — at this date the branch was actively under construction.*

---

## 1942 — No. 1 Bonalbo Construction Siding Brought into Use for Storage — W.N. 7–1942

### Siding in Use — W.N. 7–1942
> **Page 268 — Bonalbo Construction Sidings, Casino (North Coast)** — **No. 1 Bonalbo Construction Siding**, situated on the **Down side** of the Main line at Mileage **499m 76c**, between South Casino and Casino, has been brought into use for **storage purposes**.
>
> All classes of engines may be run on this siding, which must be shunted during **daylight only**.
>
> **Propelling** — Vehicles may be propelled from Casino to No. 1 Bonalbo Construction Siding as required. When propelling a brake-van must be provided as the leading vehicle, in which the Guard must ride and give the Driver such hand-signals as may be necessary. Clause (i) of Rule No. 202 must be adhered to.
>
> The Driver must keep a sharp look-out and be prepared to act promptly upon any hand-signal given by the Guard; he must also sound the engine whistle freely where his view of the line is obstructed as a warning of the approach of the train. (A.1–42–35,203.) *(W.N. 7–1942)*

---

## 1943 — Nos. 1 and 2 Bonalbo Construction Sidings; Westinghouse Air Brake Added — W.N. 15–1943

### Sidings Updated — W.N. 15–1943
> **Page 268 — Bonalbo Construction Sidings, Casino (North Coast)** — The following instructions supersede those contained in Weekly Notice No. 7 of 1942: **Nos. 1 and 2 Bonalbo Construction Sidings**, situated on the Down side of the Main line at Mileage **499m 76c**, between South Casino and Casino, have been brought into use for **storage purposes**. All classes of engines may be run on these sidings.
>
> **Propelling** — Vehicles may be propelled from Casino to Nos. 1 and 2 Bonalbo Construction Sidings as required. When propelling a brake-van must be provided as the leading vehicle, in which the Guard must ride and give the Driver such hand-signals as may be necessary. Clause (i) of Rule 202 must be adhered to.
>
> The Driver must keep a sharp look-out and be prepared to act promptly upon any hand-signal given by the Guard; he must also sound the engine whistle freely where his view of the line is obstructed as a warning of the approach of the train. The **Westinghouse Air Brake**, complete, must be in operation and working throughout the train from the engine on each occasion that vehicles are being propelled as indicated. (42–35,203.) *(W.N. 15–1943)*

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## 1945 — Frame G Releasing Altered — W.N. 49–1945

### Frame G Releasing Altered — W.N. 49–1945
> **Bonalbo Construction Siding — Alteration to Releasing of Ground Frame** — No. 1 lever in **Frame G**, at present released by key from the **Annett lock on No. 26 lever** in Casino Signal-box, will be released by **key on Electric Train Staff** for the section **Leeville–Casino**.
>
> Diagram attached to **Circular No. 431–P1 of 1937** to be amended accordingly. (S.&T.E.) *(W.N. 49–1945)*

---

## 1946 — Full Local Appendix Entry; Mileage Corrected to 499m 56c

### Local Appendix — 1946
> **Casino (North Coast) — Frame G (Bonalbo Construction Siding)** — No. 1 lever is unlocked by key on the Miniature Electric Train Staff for the section **Leeville–Casino**.
>
> **Nos. 1 and 2 Bonalbo Construction Sidings**, situated on the Down side of the Main line at Mileage **499m 56c**, between South Casino and Casino, are used for storage purposes. All classes of engines may be run on these sidings.
>
> **Propelling** — Vehicles may be propelled from Casino to Nos. 1 and 2 Bonalbo Construction Sidings as required. When propelling a brake-van must be provided as the leading vehicle; Guard must ride; Clause (i) of Rule 202; Driver to keep sharp look-out and sound whistle freely; **Westinghouse Air Brake** complete and in operation throughout.
>
> **Frames H and J** — No. 1 levers are unlocked by key from **Releasing Switch H**, which is released electrically from **No. 84 lever** in the Signal-box.
>
> **Admitting Up Trains to Storage Siding and Nos. 1 and 2 Down Sidings** — Before allowing an Up train to proceed from the Main line into the Storage Siding or Nos. 1 or 2 Down Sidings, the Shunter in charge at Frame H or J must satisfy himself that the siding to which the train is to proceed is **clear** and that **no opposing movement** is being made into the siding from the station end.
>
> **Frames K and L (Simpson's Siding)** — No. 1 levers are unlocked by key on the Miniature Electric Train Staff for the section Leeville–Casino. *(Source: 1946 Weekly Notices — Local Appendix Northern Division)*

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## Summary of Key Events

| Date | Event |
|------|-------|
| 1920s–early 1930s | **Bonalbo branch construction commences** — Depression-era relief works project; Casino to Bonalbo |
| **2 December 1929** | **Bonalbo Junction telephone** — No. 68 North Circuit; Resident Engineer's Office at Bonalbo Junction; call two long rings (W.N. 50–1929; ref. 29–28,813) |
| Depression/WWII | Construction halted; branch officially abandoned |
| **W.N. 7–1942** | **No. 1 Bonalbo Construction Siding** brought into use for storage at Mileage 499m 76c; daylight shunting only; propelling from Casino with brake-van (ref. A.1–42–35,203) |
| **W.N. 15–1943** | **Nos. 1 and 2 Bonalbo Construction Sidings** — supersedes W.N. 7–1942; Westinghouse Air Brake added to propelling requirements; same mileage 499m 76c |
| **W.N. 49–1945** | **Frame G releasing altered** — from Annett lock No. 26 Casino Signal-box to Leeville–Casino ETS key; Circular No. 431–P1 of 1937 amended |
| **1946** | **Mileage corrected to 499m 56c**; Frames H and J (Releasing Switch H, No. 84 Casino); Frames K and L (Simpson's Siding, ETS key); Up trains admittance instructions |
| **Unknown** | Siding closed — no abolition notice found in WN collection to 1980 |

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*Extracted from NSW Government Railways Weekly Notices, 1929–1946.* 
*Note: The Bonalbo Construction Siding is unique in the entire North Coast collection as the physical remnant of an unbuilt branch line — the only siding formally gazetted in the WN that explicitly retains its construction designation decades after the construction it was built to serve was abandoned. The "Bonalbo Junction" designation in the 1929 telephone notice confirms the planned junction had a Resident Engineer's office and formal communications infrastructure by December 1929 — placing active construction work at Casino in the late 1920s. The mileage discrepancy (499m 76c in 1942–1943 vs 499m 56c in 1946) suggests the sidings were extended or their connection points shifted during wartime storage use. The 1945 Frame G releasing change (from Casino Signal-box Annett lock to Leeville–Casino ETS key) reflects the wartime rationalisation of Casino yard working, reducing the signal-box lever requirement for what had become a routine storage siding movement.*