PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 15 



merits were carried out on the Southern and Western lines. 

 The duplication of the line between Biackheath and Mount 

 Victoria was completed in 1898, and that between Glen- 

 brook and Katoomba, with important curve improvements, 

 involving practically the remodelling of the whole of the 

 station buildings in that section in 1902. 



On the Western line, from Sydney to Mount Victoria, 

 there remained a gap of a single line between Penrith and 

 Olenbrook, the crossing of the Nepean River at Emu Plains 

 being over a single line bridge. To provide for the future 

 linking up of the double roads, a new steel truss bridge was 

 erected, comprising four spans of 200 feet, and one of 125 

 feet. The superstructure, weighing 1,300 tons, is supported 

 on brick piers and abutments, a feature in the erection 

 being the absence of false work owing to flood risk. Erec- 

 tion was commenced at the Penrith end, and the girders 

 built out over the piers on the cantilever principle, tem- 

 porary links being provided to take up the tension between 

 the ends of girders. This bridge and the duplication 

 between Penrith and Emu Plains were opened in 1907. 



The opening of the new Sydney Railway Station in 1906 

 necessitated the complete remodelling of the whole yard, 

 and the cutting out of the old station building, and bring- 

 ing into use the new, with its various requirements ; the 

 entire alteration of the signalling arrangements in the yard 

 was a necessary consequence, the whole of the work being 

 earried out so as to interfere as little as possible with the 

 running traffic. At this time the coal business at New- 

 castle required facilities to meet the increasing traffic, 

 sorting sidings were provided at Port Waratah to accom- 

 modate 5,000 waggons and an up-to-date Round House, 

 with coaling and watering arrangements, sufficient to deal 

 with forty engines was provided. To expedite the shipping 

 of coal a McMyler hoist was erected at the top end of the 



