| Physical description: | BUILDINGS
Station Building - type 11, island building, brick (1913) (including signal box)
Out of Shed - brick (c.1913)
Lamp Room/Store, brick (c.1940)
STRUCTURES
Platform - brick (1913)
Footbridge - at the station (1916 & 1990s)
Overbridge - Monier brick arch Cowdery Street (1912)
STATION BUILDING (1913)
External: Constructed of face brick with corrugated metal gabled roof extending as awning to both platforms, the Glenbrook Station Building is a type 11 (standard design A8 - A10) island building in standard Federation style design. Distinctive features are light coloured face brickwork with rendered and moulded string courses to both rail elevations, timber framed windows and doors with contrasting decorative rendered trims and sills, standard iron brackets over corbels supporting ample platform awnings, fretted timber work to both ends of awnings, tall corbelled chimneys (terracotta pots appear in the original drawings not extant), roof vents over toilets, timber framed double-hung windows with multi-paned upper sashes, and timber door openings with multi-paned fanlights. The Sydney end of the building is a weatherboard enclosure accommodating the decommissioned signal box levers and features large three to four panelled windows with security grills to its three elevations. The western end of the building is a simply detailed gabled facade with rectangular gable vent and a privacy wall to hide the men's toilet entrance.
Internal: The station building appears to have maintained most of its original detailing and finishes. The original floor layout remains including former signal room, parcels office link to Station Master's office with ticket window looking over the general waiting room, and toilets for ladies and men's respectively. The interiors generally feature custom orb ceilings with ceiling roses, enclosed or adapted fireplaces, later floor tiling or carpet finish, timber flooring to signal room, and timber bead style cornices to ceiling and wall junctions. All toilet and light fittings are relatively new.
OUT OF SHED (c1913)
External: A small square shaped brick shed featuring moulding and rendered string course detailing similar to the main station building. It is located on the west side of the station building towards the end of the platform. The shed features a gabled corrugated metal roof with timber bargeboard and narrow eaves, contrasting rendered moulded trim above a single door on the west side elevation and a string course throughout all elevations. There are no other openings on the building.
Internal: Internal access was not available (2009).
LAMP ROOM / STORE (c1940)
External: A smaller brick shed at the most western end of the platform with a metal door on the western elevation and flat metal roof. There are no other openings on the shed. Its current use is unclear.
Internal: No internal access was available (2009).
PLATFORMS 1 & 2 (1913)
Glenbrook Station has an island platform in an elliptical shape, curved in accordance with the deviation of the line. The platform is brick faced with concrete deck and asphalt finish. A number of designated and stone edged garden beds with plantings and trees are scattered along the centre line of the platform and the rail elevations of the Station Buildings, reflecting the original trademark floral garden of Glenbrook Station. Modern light fittings, signage, water fountain, timber bench seating and aluminium palisade fencing at both ends are other features along the platform.
FOOTBRIDGE (1916 & 1990s)
A standard steel beam bridge supported on steel trestle with bracing extending from the street ramp over the Up main tracks with stairs to the island platform. With the exception of the original steel structure, all components of the bridge have been replaced since the 1990s. It appears that the new concrete top has been put over the timber board deck of the bridge.
OVERBRIDGE (1912)
As part of the deviation and nature of the railway construction through the Blue Mountains a number of culverts and overbridges had to be constructed. The Cowdery Street overbridge is a concrete and brick Monier arch bridge supported on rock abutments, which is clearly visible from the western end of the platform.
MOVABLE
All station signage
Waiting room: two single timber rollover indicator boards with clock faces, blackboards and foot pedals, cast iron grate in fireplace (hearth and surround removed)
Out of shed: collection of timber framed poster cases, white timber framed poster case with early station garden prizes in side, ticket office/waiting room sign in steel frame / stand,
Signal box: 20 lever ground frame (decommissioned), several cast iron points clips (incomplete list).
Staff offices: timber-framed mirror with etched “NSW Railways”, early cast iron network telephone, collection of early station books and ledgers, guards flags and wall-mounted rack, first aid stretcher in orange vinyl zip bag, 1985 SRA Rail Centenary historic photo of the Zig Zag in white frame, fitted timber bench, wall-mounted board with 10 station bells, white metal first aid box, red and white “Emergency Response” box with contents list, two orange “NSWTD lamps, timber framed poste case painted red, timber Station Master's desk in the ticket office, Glenbrook credit card swipe machine, set of office stamps, Milners patent fire resisting safe in the ticket office including two original steel coin boxes inside, collection of framed historic photos and awards from the Railway Station Garden Competition dating from the 1950s to the 1990s, several canvas bag (“Emergency”, “Glenbrook to Trackfast Chullora” “Glenbrook”.
LANDSCAPE FEATURES
The setting of the station within the rock escarpment is typical of the natural settings of the Blue Mountains stations. The station, although not in its original or early configuration, still features garden beds with plantings on the platform, including ferns and shrubs.
POTENTIAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL FEATURES
There are no known potential archaeological elements on the station, however remnants of former station yard sidings and decommissioned electric wiring towers/poles indicate possible archaeological findings outside the station. The siding was removed in 2013 to make way for a car park, following archaeological monitoring.
Former inventory forms for Glenbrook Station note a number of culverts or overbridges other than Cowdery Street overbridge however these could not be seen and may have been obscured behind the plantings of the rocky escarpments. |