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The Picton–Mittagong Loop Line is a partly disused railway line between the towns of Picton and
Mittagong Mittagong () is a town located in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, in Wingecarribee Shire. The town acts as the gateway to the Southern Highlands when coming from Sydney. Mittagong is situated at an elevation of . The town ...
in the Southern Highlands of
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
, Australia.


History

The Picton–Mittagong line was opened in February 1867 as part of the
Main South line The Main South Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, is a railway line that runs north and south from Lyttelton in New Zealand through Christchurch and along the east coast of the South Island to Inv ...
. The line ran north-northwest from Picton, over the Picton Viaduct, across the Great South Road before heading northwest. It then headed west-northwest through a 180-metre tunnel in the Redbank Range. Stations were constructed at
Redbank Redbank may refer to: Places ;In Australia *Redbank, Queensland, a suburb in Ipswich *Redbank, Victoria *Redbanks, South Australia ;In the United States *Redbank Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania *Redbank Township, Clarion County, Pennsylv ...
(1885), Couridjah (1867),
Buxton Buxton is a spa town in the High Peak, Derbyshire, Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level.Balmoral (1878),
Hill Top A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit. Terminology The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally considered to be not as ...
(1878), Colo Vale (1883) and
Braemar Braemar is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, around west of Aberdeen in the Highlands. It is the closest significantly-sized settlement to the upper course of the River Dee sitting at an elevation of . The Gaelic ''Bràigh Mhàrr'' pr ...
(1867). There were a number of smaller stops, sidings and passing loops along the line, as well. North of Hill Top, the cutting through Big Hill was for many years the deepest in Australia. The rock-cut inscription dated 1863, commemorating the deaths of two men in an explosion during the excavation of the cutting, north of Hill Top, is considered one of the oldest in Australia. To service the line, Picton became a busy station with a locomotive depot for
bank engine A bank engine (United Kingdom/Australia) (colloquially a banker), banking engine, helper engine or pusher engine (North America) is a railway locomotive that temporarily assists a train that requires additional power or traction to climb a gra ...
s, dormitories for train crews, and goods sidings. The line, while gently curved, had gradients as steep as 1 in 30. It was also a single-track line, and even though deviations were constructed between Hill Top and Colo Vale to ease grades, these factors combined to create a bottleneck, as rail traffic increased. In July 1919 a new double track alignment with ruling 1 in 75 grades between Picton and Mittagong via
Bargo Bargo is a town in the Macarthur Region, New South Wales, Australia, in the Wollondilly Shire. It is approximately 100 km south west of Sydney. It is situated between the township of Tahmoor (north) and the village of Yanderra (south ...
opened. The original proposal was for the line to be shifted considerably further eastwards from
Appin Appin ( gd, An Apainn) is a coastal district of the Scottish West Highlands bounded to the west by Loch Linnhe, to the south by Loch Creran, to the east by the districts of Benderloch and Lorne, and to the north by Loch Leven. It lies northeas ...
to
Bargo Bargo is a town in the Macarthur Region, New South Wales, Australia, in the Wollondilly Shire. It is approximately 100 km south west of Sydney. It is situated between the township of Tahmoor (north) and the village of Yanderra (south ...
avoiding Picton. This was strongly opposed in Parliament by Picton local interests, hence the 180° curve that circumnavigates the town. The old line, now renamed the Loop Line, continued to be served by passenger services until August 1978. Most services were operated by 30 class locomotives and later
CPH railmotor The CPH (or 42 foot) rail motors were introduced by the New South Wales Government Railways in 1923 to provide feeder service on country branch lines. Introduction Often referred to as "Tin Hares", having evolved at the same time as the mechanica ...
s, although there was a Sunday evening service to Sydney hauled by main line locomotives as recently as 1973. From the 1960s the line was popular with steam hauled specials, and was the preferred route for most journeys where they could operate without inhibiting regular services. Following it relocating to
Thirlmere Thirlmere is a reservoir in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria and the English Lake District. The Helvellyn ridge lies to the east of Thirlmere. To the west of Thirlmere are a number of fells; for instance, Armboth Fell and Raven Crag bo ...
, in June 1976 the
New South Wales Rail Transport Museum The NSW Rail Museum is the main railway museum in New South Wales, Australia. A division of Transport Heritage NSW, it was previously known as the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum (NSWRTM), Rail Heritage Centre and Trainworks. Transport He ...
(NSW Rail Museum) commenced operating steam services on the line between Picton and Buxton."Museum on the Move" ''Roundhouse'' July 1976 page 5"The New South Wales Rail Transport Museum The First Thirty Years" ''Roundhouse'' January 1994 page 4 The line remained open throughout, although by the 1980s the Buxton to Braemar section saw little use.
CPH railmotor The CPH (or 42 foot) rail motors were introduced by the New South Wales Government Railways in 1923 to provide feeder service on country branch lines. Introduction Often referred to as "Tin Hares", having evolved at the same time as the mechanica ...
CPH22 ran a trip to Braemar and three shuttles between Braemar and Hilltop on 31 May 1987, before a trestle bridge between Colo Vale and Braemar suffered flood damage, resulting in the line being divided into two separate branches in September 1987. Following the Department for Transport calling for expressions of interest for using a number of disused lines, the
New South Wales Rail Transport Museum The NSW Rail Museum is the main railway museum in New South Wales, Australia. A division of Transport Heritage NSW, it was previously known as the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum (NSWRTM), Rail Heritage Centre and Trainworks. Transport He ...
was granted a lease over the Picton to Buxton section in 1993. The Mittagong Junction to Braemar section remains open to give access to the
Bradken Bradken is a manufacturer and supplier of differentiated consumable and capital products to the mining, transport, general industrial and contract manufacturing markets with operations in Australia, China, Canada, India, Malaysia and the United ...
rolling stock and Rocla concrete sleeper facilities. On 1 March 2019, the NSW Government promised to fund the re-opening of the Picton Loop Line, including the track between Buxton and Colo Vale. The grant will also fund the construction of new platforms at Hill Top and Balmoral.


Coach route

NSW TrainLink NSW TrainLink is a train and coach operator in Australia, providing services throughout New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, along with limited interstate services into Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. Its primary inter ...
operates buses in lieu of the former rail service. Six services are provided under contract by Berrima Buslines from Bowral and seven from Picton on weekdays only with stops at: * Picton station *Barbour Road,
Thirlmere Thirlmere is a reservoir in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria and the English Lake District. The Helvellyn ridge lies to the east of Thirlmere. To the west of Thirlmere are a number of fells; for instance, Armboth Fell and Raven Crag bo ...
*West Parade, Couridjah *West Parade,
Buxton Buxton is a spa town in the High Peak, Derbyshire, Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level.Balmoral *Wilson Drive,
Hill Top A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit. Terminology The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally considered to be not as ...
*Wilson Drive & Church Avenue, Colo Vale *
Mittagong station Mittagong Station is a pastoral lease A pastoral lease, sometimes called a pastoral run, is an arrangement used in both Australia and New Zealand where government-owned Crown land is leased out to graziers for the purpose of livestock graz ...
* Bowral station


Gallery

File:Picton Loop Line Turnout.jpg, Approach to Picton station with loop line on the left File:Picton Viaduct 2010.jpg, Viaduct over Stonequarry Creek, Picton File:Picton NSW Tollgate Lodge.jpg, Gatekeeper's cottage, Picton File:Picton Mushroom Tunnel.jpg, Tunnel through Redbank Range File:Picton Loop and Main Lines.jpg, Looking north with Loop Line on left 1919 deviation on right File:Picton Mittagong Loop Line.jpg, Redbank, between Picton and Thirlmere File:Thirlmere Culvert Near Redb.jpg, Culvert near Redbank File:Thirlmere NSW Railway Station.jpg, Thirlmere station File:Couridjah_station_NSW.jpg, Couridjah station File:Pumphouse Thirlmere Lakes NSW.jpg, Former pumphouse near Couridjah station File:Standpipes Couridjah Station.jpg, Standpipes near Couridjah station File:Buxton Railway Station.jpg, Buxton station File:Buxton Station Locomotive.jpg, NSWRTM's 2705 at Buxton station File:Balmoral Abandoned Railway.jpg, Balmoral station File:Loop Line Big Hill Cutting.jpg, Big Hill cutting north of Hill Top File:Hill Top Big Hill Monument.jpg, Monument to Human Endeavour near Big Hill cutting File:Survey Peg Loop Line.jpg, Survey peg, in Big Hill cutting File:Loop Line Explosion Memorial.jpg, Inscription commemorating deaths of workers from explosion, 1863 File: Hill Top Station Platform.jpg, Hill Top station File:Loop Line Colo Vale Turnout.jpg, Passing loop points, Colo Vale station File:Colo Vale Railway Station.jpg, Colo Vale station File:Colo Vale Bridge Over Loop Line.jpg, Colo Vale Road underbridge File:Braemar Yards Loop Line.jpg, Braemar industrial area sidings File:Loop Line Mittagong.jpg, North of Mittagong looking south with 1919 deviation on left, Loop Line on right


References


External links


Return of steam trains on reclaimed rail trail
2021 ABC News article about proposed combined rail trail and steam train operations. {{DEFAULTSORT:Picton-Mittagong Loop Railway Line, New South Wales Regional railway lines in New South Wales Standard gauge railways in Australia Railway lines opened in 1867 Mittagong, New South Wales