Tocumwal railway station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tocumwal
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Station platform from the eastern (disused standard gauge) side
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| Coordinates | 35°48′28″S 145°33′27″E / 35.8077°S 145.5575°E | |||||||||||||||
| Line(s) | Tocumwal (VR) Tocumwal (NSWGR) |
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| Platforms | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| Tracks | 1 | |||||||||||||||
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| History | ||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1908 | |||||||||||||||
| Closed | 1983 | |||||||||||||||
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| NSW Services - Break of Gauge at Tocumwal | ||||||||||||||||
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Tocumwal railway station is a special old train station in Tocumwal, New South Wales, Australia. It's listed as a heritage site, which means it's important to history. This station used to be a "break-of-gauge" point. This means trains from Victoria, which used a wider track (broad gauge), met trains from New South Wales, which used a standard track (standard gauge). Today, only the railway line coming from Victoria is still open.
Contents
History of Tocumwal Station
Building the Railway Line
People in Tocumwal wanted a railway line as early as 1899. A group visited Melbourne to ask for it, and the Minister for Railways supported the idea. The railway line from Strathmerton in Victoria reached the south bank of the Murray River at Tocumwal on 28 February 1905.
However, the railway wasn't extended into Tocumwal itself until 1908. This was because the governments of Victoria and New South Wales couldn't agree on the plans. Later, more broad gauge lines from Victoria were built into New South Wales under a special law called the 1922 Border Railways Act.
Joining the States by Rail
In April 1906, the leaders of both states agreed on a plan. Victoria would build the railway line. The road bridge over the Murray River would be rebuilt to carry trains too. New South Wales would get the land needed for the railway extension. Both states would share the cost of the work.
Construction on the short extension began in 1907. The very first train ran on 8 July 1908. The station had important features like a weighbridge (to weigh train cars), a 53-foot (16 m) long turntable (to turn locomotives around), and platforms for passengers and goods. It also had a goods shed for storing items.
Different Track Sizes Meet
New South Wales extended its standard gauge line from Finley south to Tocumwal in 1914. This meant there were separate facilities on the eastern side of the station yard for NSW trains. At the time, there was a big discussion about whether to use broad or standard gauge tracks for this extension. People living north of Tocumwal wanted the "break of gauge" to be in their towns instead.
In 1915, Tocumwal was used for early tests of "third-rail" devices. These devices were designed to let both standard gauge and broad gauge trains use the same tracks. While the track worked, it was too complicated to use widely. However, other similar systems have been developed since then.
Changes Over Time
In 1941, the New South Wales station platform was removed. This was done to make space for large cranes used to move heavy items. The platform was then moved to the east side of the Victorian station building. It stayed there until the station closed.
Control of the entire Tocumwal station was given to the New South Wales Railway department in 1942. Before this, it had been managed by Victoria.
End of Passenger Services
Victorian passenger trains stopped running to Tocumwal on 8 November 1975. The last train was pulled by a T class diesel locomotive. Before this, a smaller railmotor connected passengers from the main line to Tocumwal. After 1975, a bus service replaced the train for the Tocumwal branch. By 1977, a VicRail station wagon, driven by the Cobram station master, was used for the service.
The last regular passenger train on the New South Wales line ran three days a week. It was a small railcar shuttle from Narrandera and stopped in November 1983. The last goods train ran in June 1986, and the line was officially closed in December 1987.
Reopening and New Uses
The Victorian line closed in January 1990 because bushfires damaged its wooden bridges. It didn't reopen until February 1995. In the same year, a new container terminal called Gray's opened at the station yard. Regular trains started running from there to Melbourne, carrying goods in large containers. The line has also become a popular spot for special heritage passenger trains, run by groups like the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre.
In 1996, the Berrigan Shire Council took over the station building. They received a grant of $10,000 to help restore it. Today, the station is home to a small railway museum. It shows the history of the local area and its connection to the railway.
Why Tocumwal Station is Special
Tocumwal railway station was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. This means it's a very important historical site. The station building is rare in New South Wales. It shows how the railway systems of New South Wales and Victoria connected. It also highlights the disagreements, especially about track sizes, that happened over the years.
The station's main importance comes from its location on a railway line that was mostly connected to the Victorian system. This connection was made possible by a special bridge that carried both roads and trains. This bridge is considered very important because of its clever design and its role in the history of transport. It also reminds us of the friendly competition between the states.
Gallery
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The bridge from the NSW bank
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Local residents farewell a centenary train from the Victorian platform in July 2008
