Highlighting History of Tumut’s Railway Precinct

By Ellen McGruer

6 November 2015 Tumut & Adelong Times

The Tumut Railway Precinct will undergo new developments, with a grant being secured to create interpretive signage highlighting the significant history of the area.

The Grant was provided by the Office of Environment and Heritage NSW, and was in the amount of $40,000.

The grant was provided under a 50/50 arrangement, meaning the amount needed to be matched in order to proceed. Tumut Shire Council provided $10,000 and the John Holland Group footed $30,000 to bring the amount to an even $40,000.

Already a chunk of the money has been spent on the recent track restoration leading up to the Butter Factory area, with the remainder being allocated to the signage.

Brad Beed, Tumut Shire Council Acting Manager of Assets & Design says they are pleased that the rich history of the area can now be showcased.

"The signs will encompass fascinating historical aspects of the railway precinct," Mr Beed said.

"We've employed Samantha Lee from NGH Environmental to draft up some designs for the signs.

It would be good to have four signs, but we'll see how far the money stretches," said Mr Beed.

The Tumut Railway Precinct is steeped in history having begun operations on October 12, 1903 and ceased in January 16, 1984 due to flooding and track damage.

A number of signatures of people who worked on the railway, as well as people that have passed through over the years, are written on the inside of the large goods shed located near the station.

These days, the Tumut Potters Club meets in the shed.

Prior to the Tumut Railway being built, the people of Gundagai were pushing for a railway line even before the railway had reached Cootamundra back in 1877.

A fire at the Grand Palace in Sydney in 1882 caused a delay in the construction of the Gundagai station, as it was the building that housed all the plans, reference material and other documents destroyed in the fire, and consequently a new survey had to be completed.

Start of construction for the Gundagai line is not documented, but it is known that the Government took over the line to Gundagai on I June 1886.

However, contractor's trains were operating for some time before that date taking passengers, goods and mail. The fares on opening day for Gundagai to Cootamundra were 65 cents for first class and 42 cents for second class.

In 1884, a report was produced for provision of a line from Gundagai to Tumut at an estimated cost of $800,000.

It was some 15 years later in 1899 that the extension to Tumut came before the Government. Four years later, it was up and running.

The opening of the Tumut Railway station was a matter of real celebration for the local community.

The line to Tumut branched off at Gilmore around 6km away, which then connected to the Cootamundra line and was also the junction for the branch line to Batlow. Gilmore had multiple tracks and platforms for the train movements.

Tumut was designated as a terminus station for the branch line, as was Batlow so it had a small locomotive siding built to the west of the station. This siding was used to replenish the steam locomotives with coal, water and provide crews with a rest/barrack building.

The station also comprised a platform, a 60-foot by 17-foot goods shed, loading bank and engine shed, coal stage, water tank and a 50-foot turntable.

Cattle and sheep races were also added.

Sidings were for BP (COR), Tumut Co-op Dairy Co. and the Freezing Works.

The Batlow line opened on May 10, 1922.

Until the end of steam in the 1960's, train services were handled by a single class of locomotive, the 1877 vintage 19 class 060, specially fitted to enable the use of the 60-foot turntables. The trains were short, and limited to 100 tonnes due to steep gradients and sharp curves.

Before the end of steam, services ran four times a week as mixed goods trains, also transporting passengers.