The Slow Tumut Railway

23 August 1904 The Gundagai Times and Tumut, Adelong and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser

The Tumut 'Times' on a modern railway:-

To give an idea of the pace our train travels, Mr. C. Shelley, who returned here on Saturday last on a visit to his relatives and friends, journeyed from Grenfell to Cootamundra on his bicycle, then, fearing rain, he came from there to Gundagai by train.

After his long bike journey be started about level with the train for Tumut, beating it by an hour; he travelled 32 miles over a very hilly road, and the train came 32 miles.

It would have been better, after all, to have waited until the Commissioners favored the construction of the railway than, by inciting their wrath, put up with such a service as we have, with freights in many cases much above what they were by the old team system.

[Over bad roads, a country lad, from Cooma, recently rode from Goulburn to Sydney in less than eight hours.

The Gandagai-Tumut train does not travel much faster than a traction engine. The service is a satire for all who use it, and is certainly not what was bargained for.- Ed.]