I can verify the sacrifice thing down there. We Used to sneak around those tunnels back in the early eighties as a school kid , they were completly accessible to th public back then with no doors or locks at the end of the station. During one of our jaunts , we ( just myself and one other) came accross one of the chambers that had a series of used candles that ran from the entrance(nthn) along floor of both the rihgt and left side walls upto a circle with pentagram at the end. On the right wall about half way down were starter bars sticking out about six inches (looked like a peice of concrete and brick about 2m sq had been smashed off ). Most of the starter bars we'r bent down but the were a few that wernt and they had dried blood on them and on the wall n floor. As you can imagine, with the only light being that of an old school dolphin torch, we promtly shat ourselves and got the puck out of there. We only told our mates at school(we knew we weren't meant to be down there or in that area in school uniform). The ones who went down and found it never went back in those tunnels, just as I have never been back in them since about '84
Platforms 26 and 27 at Central were used for storage back in the day, went down there probably half a dozen times in the early to mid 90's when I was a maintenance electrician for the railway (pre-privatisation).
@@PossumFilms We used to explore it in the late 70's and bats would fly out into the open area above the station, which I believe is now covered. Approach from the North side may avoid CCTV which never existed back then good luck.
Trey Pohe the metro is a narrow gauge line and should never had been built to a narrow gauge which drives a wedge through our network for financial gain to the political powers to be.
@@AustNRail I'm late, but you are partly right! It is a smaller loading guage- a standard train would not fit. Loading guage is how wide the train is. Guage is wheel width. IIRC, the railway was meant for standard trains as the nw rail link- but a contractor built a too-small tunnel, and this came about. Don't quote me on that.
@@briannem.6787 the nwrl was never meant for normal trains past some very early proposals. From the first proper proposals onwards, its been a metro. The tighter gauge and tunnel size was intentional because it's cheaper, and normal trains aren't able to run the line anyway due to the different signalling
They can never repurpose any of Sydney's unused platforms. The last time it occurred was 1979, and theres a reason it hasn't happened since. Modern TBMs would place too much stress on the station structures, which could collapse the stations
Considered connecting the metro line platforms to the existing unused platforms Of Saint James & Central Station ?Along with expansion of Central station
@@gppsoftware simply not true, multiple routes were optioned. None of the routes optioned, including the one selected, prevent the Metro extension from going near St James and Central
I haven't been to Sydney for several decades but at that time I used Wynyard station a lot. My memory is now failing, but I seem to recall that Wynyard station did not have platforms 1 and 2. Would that have been related to the subject of this video?
Correct. 1 & 2 were the original tram terminus at Wynyard. If you go there now, platforms are numbered 3/4 (north shore line) and 5/6 (city circle) only. The upper level is a similar layout to North Sydney station - two island platforms with tracks either side, so two tracks outside and two in the middle. They bricked up the centre and covered it with billboards, but the cavern exists on the other side. Before it was requisitioned for the Menzies Hotel carpark, part of these tunnels were used as the Wynyard Rifle Range!
Mum used to work a phone switch board in the St James tunnel during the 2nd world war in the control room tells a story about being escorted by a warden down a tunnel using a touch Her day job was working the switch board at Marcus Clarks building now the Tafe building right next to the Darling harbour goods line were in came out of the tunnel under Broadway as the troop trains came through the tunnel the train would blow there whistle mum and the other women would run to the windows next to the line and wave to the men that were going off to war
As a direct result of 9/11, a lot of the exploration (especially public expos conducted by the SCC) were sadly lost due to motion detectors/surveillance. No more just casually hoping down into the Tank Stream next to the SSX at 3AM. You could probably still reach the abandoned Bondi Junction tunnel with some effort though.
About a year after this was made (2019) the State Government called for expressions of interest to develop these tunnels but, as far as I know, nothing came of it. The spare platforms at Central are being used now during the construction of the Central Walk pedestrian tunnels under the suburban platforms and will be used to house equipment for the walk. Was any part of The Matrix actually filmed at St James? The subway scenes certainly were not filmed there.
The scenes with the trainman from the third film were filmed there. You can see Morpheus, Trinity and Seraph jumping over the turnstiles on the main station concourse. After that, you can see the trainman jump in front of a train on a CGI version of the platform, which was filmed by putting a green screen up against the wall above the tracks. You can see it here from 1m 30s onwards: ua-cam.com/video/bIl_V7WyA0I/v-deo.html
4:16 Correction: *Not* courtesy "7news" but courtesy *STATION ATN-SYDNEY NEWS!* It's the *STATION* that creates the bulletin! The channel is nothing more than the frequency range(7 Mhz wide) on which the *STATION* transmits its signal!
Ah the nation builders- the great leftovers of the Victorian era. Building always with the future in mind & achieving truly remarkable things. Then we come to today. Always building with the present in mind & still achieving truly remarkable things, but things which sadly cost more & more because there is no unified vision.
Stuff the metro. a proper eastern suburbs line should have been completed. Futhermore there were also plans for a northern beaches line to connect to north Sydney
Looks like the planners of yesterday built for tomorrow but
the planners of today build for yesterday.
The automobile unfortunately took resources away from trains.
I can verify the sacrifice thing down there. We Used to sneak around those tunnels back in the early eighties as a school kid , they were completly accessible to th public back then with no doors or locks at the end of the station. During one of our jaunts , we ( just myself and one other) came accross one of the chambers that had a series of used candles that ran from the entrance(nthn) along floor of both the rihgt and left side walls upto a circle with pentagram at the end. On the right wall about half way down were starter bars sticking out about six inches (looked like a peice of concrete and brick about 2m sq had been smashed off ). Most of the starter bars we'r bent down but the were a few that wernt and they had dried blood on them and on the wall n floor. As you can imagine, with the only light being that of an old school dolphin torch, we promtly shat ourselves and got the puck out of there. We only told our mates at school(we knew we weren't meant to be down there or in that area in school uniform). The ones who went down and found it never went back in those tunnels, just as I have never been back in them since about '84
love hearing stories like this... family legend had it my granpa helped build them tunnels :)
I have the same story, but it involves Monsanto in Rozelle.
Sure mate.
Thank you for your service
Platforms 26 and 27 at Central were used for storage back in the day, went down there probably half a dozen times in the early to mid 90's when I was a maintenance electrician for the railway (pre-privatisation).
Nice, im proud to say i have explored both ends of st james, and the ghost platfoms of central back in my cave clan days.
I was friends with the late Michael Carlton, but everyone else called him Predator.
I would love to take a tour down there and hear stories about it.
Matatan ® Ribirin H-S°
Excellent documentary well done like always no doubt with that,
As of Oct 2018, there is now talk on the news of turning them into clubs and tourist attractions
Yeah, I have heard of that. Would be good to see them actually do something with the tunnels.
It's a rare video that has 0 dislikes....
15*
Very interesting. Have a nice day now.
I have been in platform 26#27 last week. Pretty cool
Shan Attanayake how?
Absolutely amazing
North Sydney Station also has an abandoned tunnel on the North West side
I think I heard about it but that's cool to know that there is another abandoned tunnel in North Sydney
@@PossumFilms We used to explore it in the late 70's and bats would fly out into the open area above the station, which I believe is now covered. Approach from the North side may avoid CCTV which never existed back then good luck.
It is off Platform 2 and was originally going to be a part of a northern beaches rail line.
They should probably repurpose those tunnels so the Metro can operate them...
Trey Pohe the metro is a narrow gauge line and should never had been built to a narrow gauge which drives a wedge through our network for financial gain to the political powers to be.
AustNRail it’s not narrow gauge it’s standard gauge like the rest of Sydney
@@AustNRail I'm late, but you are partly right! It is a smaller loading guage- a standard train would not fit.
Loading guage is how wide the train is.
Guage is wheel width.
IIRC, the railway was meant for standard trains as the nw rail link- but a contractor built a too-small tunnel, and this came about. Don't quote me on that.
@@briannem.6787 the nwrl was never meant for normal trains past some very early proposals. From the first proper proposals onwards, its been a metro. The tighter gauge and tunnel size was intentional because it's cheaper, and normal trains aren't able to run the line anyway due to the different signalling
They can never repurpose any of Sydney's unused platforms. The last time it occurred was 1979, and theres a reason it hasn't happened since. Modern TBMs would place too much stress on the station structures, which could collapse the stations
Great Video! Very interesting! I hope the tunnels are revived to good use some time soon! :)
Considered connecting the metro line platforms to the existing unused platforms Of Saint James & Central Station ?Along with expansion of Central station
They can't, due to the stresses building new tunnels would place on the station structures. It could threaten collapse
@@gppsoftware they can change the route that isn't the issue
@@gppsoftware simply not true, multiple routes were optioned. None of the routes optioned, including the one selected, prevent the Metro extension from going near St James and Central
@@gppsoftware oh yeah that sounds real, totally. Care to explain why what he said doesn't match what Government documents say?
Are there unused platforms at Museum as well ?
If the could connect the tunnels to Chatswood the metro can run thru them
I haven't been to Sydney for several decades but at that time I used Wynyard station a lot. My memory is now failing, but I seem to recall that Wynyard station did not have platforms 1 and 2. Would that have been related to the subject of this video?
It would have a little be to do with the subject of the video.
Platforms 1 & 2 are where the trams going across the harbour bridge arrived and departed, before the trams were discontinued.
@@geoffreythurtell8761 The trams ran along the east side of the bridge similar to how the train operates on the west.
not sure if you assuaged your interest, 1 and 2 ended up being part of the pay car park .. not all of it , just the usable bits.
Correct. 1 & 2 were the original tram terminus at Wynyard. If you go there now, platforms are numbered 3/4 (north shore line) and 5/6 (city circle) only. The upper level is a similar layout to North Sydney station - two island platforms with tracks either side, so two tracks outside and two in the middle. They bricked up the centre and covered it with billboards, but the cavern exists on the other side.
Before it was requisitioned for the Menzies Hotel carpark, part of these tunnels were used as the Wynyard Rifle Range!
There’s a movie made about these tunnels that film crew that snuck in there and got attacked
I have that movie on DVD. It took me almost a year to find it. It was Sanity, it had to be ordered and took nearly a month to arrive.
its a hollywood film.... the had permission and it was dramatised.
thumbnut it’s called “the tunnel”
thumbnut ua-cam.com/video/t1TjRUrf9R4/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/f4Fk-CkEOiE/v-deo.html - here is a trailer I found
A travesty that the northern beaches line was never built !
I paddled across this lake in an inflatable boat from Rebel Sports. Very easy to access, just need to jump off the back of a moving train :)
Use the platforms & lines for The reintroduced lightrail tram lines or new metro lines
An interesting idea.
While saving on money upgrading Central station anyway for future extra capacity with the metro-line.
Perhaps theylle do something with them like transform them somewhat similar to say the old tramsheds out at Jubilee park glebe
6:38 Have a good WHAT???!!!
He's talking about having good fun
@@PossumFilms I assumed that's what he said but boy does it sound like he's saying something else
@@MrThedwp Fair enough
I heard that too. Tunnels would be good for that as well.
Mum used to work a phone switch board in the St James tunnel during the 2nd world war in the control room tells a story about being escorted by a warden down a tunnel using a touch Her day job was working the switch board at Marcus Clarks building now the Tafe building right next to the Darling harbour goods line were in came out of the tunnel under Broadway as the troop trains came through the tunnel the train would blow there whistle mum and the other women would run to the windows next to the line and wave to the men that were going off to war
Does anybody know what's going on underneath Melbourne? If you do, I've heard they're might be something similar happening in Sydney too.
A Thing of Beauty
As a direct result of 9/11, a lot of the exploration (especially public expos conducted by the SCC) were sadly lost due to motion detectors/surveillance. No more just casually hoping down into the Tank Stream next to the SSX at 3AM. You could probably still reach the abandoned Bondi Junction tunnel with some effort though.
About a year after this was made (2019) the State Government called for expressions of interest to develop these tunnels but, as far as I know, nothing came of it.
The spare platforms at Central are being used now during the construction of the Central Walk pedestrian tunnels under the suburban platforms and will be used to house equipment for the walk.
Was any part of The Matrix actually filmed at St James? The subway scenes certainly were not filmed there.
The scenes with the trainman from the third film were filmed there. You can see Morpheus, Trinity and Seraph jumping over the turnstiles on the main station concourse. After that, you can see the trainman jump in front of a train on a CGI version of the platform, which was filmed by putting a green screen up against the wall above the tracks. You can see it here from 1m 30s onwards: ua-cam.com/video/bIl_V7WyA0I/v-deo.html
I just subscribed to your channel.
its amazing they new used them for metro googus.
4:16 Correction: *Not* courtesy "7news" but courtesy *STATION ATN-SYDNEY NEWS!* It's the *STATION* that creates the bulletin! The channel is nothing more than the frequency range(7 Mhz wide) on which the *STATION* transmits its signal!
I have been there protect it and make sure big gates r closed
Can you gp down there?
Ah the nation builders- the great leftovers of the Victorian era. Building always with the future in mind & achieving truly remarkable things. Then we come to today. Always building with the present in mind & still achieving truly remarkable things, but things which sadly cost more & more because there is no unified vision.
Stuff the metro. a proper eastern suburbs line should have been completed. Futhermore there were also plans for a northern beaches line to connect to north Sydney
Problem is the various politicians of all persuasions in this country try to copy what is done in Europe.
Why the ominous music?
I live in sydney
I think we need to tap the town planner on the shoulder and ask that person ...but it's too late now.
Fascinating history oration , another waste of money it would seem though worthy of keeping intact
Which tunnel goes to Mobil Avenue? lol
for me the volume is much too low
💯💯💯
What’s with the sinister horror music?
Great video, music is ridiculous.
yeah well derr. redfern was the original station prior to central lol. no wonder the society had a building there
🚉 😨
Full volume on tablet and still couldn't hear the full story,better luck next time,would have been good to tell what he was talking about.
maybe it's just your tablet. Volume is fine for him.