Tumut and Kunama railway lines

For other uses, see Tumut (disambiguation).

Tumut and Kunama lines
Gundagai station
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Route map
430km
 Main South Line at Cootamundra
440km
 Brawlin
450km
 Muttama
450km
 Bongalong
458km
 Wambidgee
Burra Creek
Muttama Creek
466km
 Coolac
Hume Highway
469km
 Pettitts
Muttama Creek
472km
 Mingay
475km
 Balls Platform
483km
 Gundagai
Morleys Creek
Murrumbidgee River Bridge
485km
 South Gundagai
492km
 Willie Ploma
498km
 Tumblong
Adelong Creek
502km
 Luadra
507km
 Mount Horeb
513km
 Califat
519km
 Reka
522km
 Gadara
528km
 Gilmore Junction
529km
 Gilmore
534km
 Tumut
533km
 Windowie
538km
 Wereboldera
549km
 Shaws
551km
 Wybalena
553km
 Brightside
555km
 Batlow
563km
 Kunama
View map

The Tumut (/ˈtjuːmət/)[1] and Kunama railway lines are disused railway lines in the south of New South Wales, Australia. The Tumut line was a 104 kilometres (65 mi) long branch of the Main South line, branching southwards from it at Cootamundra and heading to the town of Tumut. The line served the towns of Tumut and Gundagai, where the line crosses the Murrumbidgee River with a large iron girder bridge and wooden viaduct. Villages on the line included Brawlin, Muttama, Coolac and Tumblong (previously named Adelong Crossing).

The Kunama railway line[2] was a small 35-kilometre (22 mi) branch of the Tumut line, branching from it at Gilmore, 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) southwest of Tumut, passing through the town of Batlow before ending in Kunama. The branch connection faced towards Tumut.

History

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The first mention of a Cootamundra to Gundagai extension was in a public meeting held 27 May 1874 where Mr E.A. Fitzgerald moved the following resolution, "That this meeting is of the opinion that the residents of Tumut should co-operate with the inhabitants of Gundagai and Adelong, for the purpose of inducing Government to construct a branch line of railway from Cootamundra to Gundagai."[3] At this time, it was cheaper to obtain goods from Melbourne than it was from Sydney but storekeepers in the area, "would be only too happy to establish trade with Sydney."[4]

Plans had been drawn up for the line from Cootamundra to Gundagai but were destroyed in the Garden Palace (Sydney) fire in 1882. [5]

The Department of Public Works, Sydney, published a request for tenders 6 August 1883 for construction of the line from Cootamundra to Gundagai with a closing date of 2 October 1883.[6] Plate-laying of the branch line commenced in early August 1884.[7]

The Tumut line opened as far as Gundagai on 10 November 1885.[8][9] With the passing of Act No. 43 1900 by the New South Wales Government, a budget of £161,181 ($25,323,415 in 2020[10]) was allocated and the line was finally extended 31 miles and 35 chains (50.6km) "subject to such deviations and modifications as may be considered desirable"[11] to Tumut via Gilmore (formerly named "Killarney"[12]) on 12 October 1903.[8][9]

Initially, three return mixed goods trains operated on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The journey time was almost 5 hours when boarding in Cootamundra at 7:00am and arriving in Tumut at 11:55am (15 hours travel time if boarding in Sydney). The return journey was also almost 5 hours leaving Tumut at 2:25pm and arriving in Cootamundra at 7:20pm.[13]

The Gilmore to Batlow Railway Act, 1919, allocated £110,000 ($8,926,014 in 2020[14]), for the construction of 21 miles 75 chains (35.3km) starting 21 chains (422m) on the Sydney-side of Gilmore Station, to Batlow.

The branch to Batlow was officially opened 22 March 1923[15] (however, revenue traffic was running prior to this date[16]), and the extension to Kunama was opened 17 December 1923.[17] Services connected with the Tumut-Cootamundra service at Gilmore on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The service would take two hours departing from Gilmore at 11:40am and arrive in Batlow at 1:45pm. The return journey would be Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays departing Batlow at 11.10am and arriving in Gilmore at 1:16pm.

The steep Kunama line was mainly used for fruit haulage from the orchards surrounding Batlow with no dedicated passenger service provided. However, passengers were permitted to travel in the brake van on the shunting service to Kunama. The line beyond Batlow was formally closed[18] in 1961 and the line has been lifted. Services to Batlow were suspended in 1983.[19]

The Tumut line was suspended after flooding in 1984, and part of the alignment has been destroyed by Hume Highway upgrading works.[20] The substantial Gundagai railway station was restored in the 1990s,[21] and is the longest timber railway station in New South Wales.[22]

Clarrie Chippindale served as station master at Tumut from 1966 to 1979.

The Tumut railway station was used as a model railway display of the Tumut branch line but is now closed.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Macquarie Dictionary. Melbourne: The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd. 2005. ISBN 1-876429-14-3. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  2. ^ Clark, L. A (February 1954). "Gilmore-Batlow-Kunama Branch". Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin: 13–15.
  3. ^ "Railway Extension Meeting". The Gundagai Times. 30 May 1874.
  4. ^ "New South Wales Parliament". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2 February 1874.
  5. ^ "Destruction of the Garden Palace by fire". The Sydney Morning Herald. 23 September 1882.
  6. ^ "Department of Public Works, Sydney, 6th August, 1893. TENDERS FOR PUBLIC WORKS AND SUPPLIES". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 August 1883.
  7. ^ "Gundagai". The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser. 16 August 1884.
  8. ^ a b Scrymgeour, R. (October–December 1991). "The Rise and Fall of the Cootamundra-Tumut Branch Line". Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin: 238–247, 255–261, 294–299.
  9. ^ a b Scrymgeour, R. (January–March 1992). "The Rise and Fall of the Cootamundra-Tumut Branch Line". Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin: 3–19, 42–47, 55–65.
  10. ^ "Pre-decimal Inflation Calculator". Reserve Bank of Australia. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  11. ^ "Gundagai to Tumut Railway Act, 1900". NSW Legislation, 1900.
  12. ^ "Gilmore Progress Committee". The Tumut Advocate and Farmers and Settlers' Adviser. 12 January 1904.
  13. ^ "Timetable for the Gundagai-Tumut Branch Line". The Daily Telegraph. 10 October 1903.
  14. ^ "Pre-decimal Inflation Calculator". Reserve Bank of Australia. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  15. ^ "Batlow Line opened by Governor". The Daily Telegraph. 23 March 1923.
  16. ^ "Fruitgrowing at Batlow". The Sydney Morning Herald. 5 March 1923.
  17. ^ "Gilmore-Batlow Railway". Adelong and Tumut Express. 14 December 1923.
  18. ^ "GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS AND TRANSPORT (AMENDMENT) ACT. Act No. 19, 1961". NSW Legislation. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  19. ^ Henderson, G (April 1994). "Gilmore to Batlow (and Kunama)". Railway Digest. Australian Railway Historical Society.
  20. ^ "Tumut Branch". nswrail.net. Retrieved 26 June 2007.
  21. ^ "Tourism". Gundagai Shire Council. Retrieved 26 June 2007.
  22. ^ Llewellyn, Marc (4 February 2007). "Beyond the tuckerbox". News.com.au. Retrieved 26 June 2007.


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