Historical Signal Room

The historic Signal Room for the old Chatswood Station has been carefully reconstructed to its original form in the new bus interchange on the east side of Chatswood Station. The room provides an insight to rail history showing the levers, equipment, network diagrams that were once used to operate the station.  

The North Shore rail line and Chatswood Station was originally opened on 1 January 1890 as a single track line. It soon became apparent that duplication of the line was necessary and in 1900-1901 the station platform at Chatswood was extended and widened to operate as an island platform with a footbridge also being constructed over the rail lines to the platform as part of the upgrade for duplication in 1901.  The original timber shelters on the platform were replaced with the brick station buildings and the signals, points and safe-working equipment was relocated onto the platform at the northern end of the station building.  The Signal Room being located on the platform was unusual in the rail network. At most stations a Signal Box is separate to the station platform.  

Being able to observe the operation of the signals at Chatswood Station was of interest to many passengers over the years until the manual system of levers was decommissioned with technology upgrades of rail operations.  Nevertheless the Signal Room remained in place on Chatswood Station until the demolition of the station and its preservation and reconstruction adjacent to the station is an informative relic of Chatswood’s past that can be enjoyed by the community into the future.

Location

Chatswood Interchange - Bus station, Chatswood 2067  View Map