Oberon Tarana Heritage Railway | |
---|---|
OTHR Inc | |
Locale | NSW AU |
Terminus | Oberon |
Coordinates | 33°42′00″S 149°51′14″E / 33.7001°S 149.8539°E |
Commercial operations | |
Built by | New South Wales Government Railways |
Original gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
Preserved operations | |
Owned by | Transport Asset Holding Entity |
Stations | 4 |
Length | 24 km (15 mi) |
Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
Website | |
www.othr.com.au |
The Oberon Tarana Heritage Railway inc (OTHR) is a volunteer association aiming to reopen the Oberon to Tarana railway line in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, and run heritage trains.[1]
The Line
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/Arhs_oberon.jpg/220px-Arhs_oberon.jpg)
The Oberon railway line is a 24-kilometre disused branch railway, which junctions with the Main Western line at Tarana and heads in a southerly direction to the town of Oberon. Opened on 3 October 1923,[2] the line was lightly constructed, and included steep grades (1 in 25 or 4 %) and tight curves. It was operated by lightweight locomotives, mainly 19 class steam locomotives, and then 49 class diesels.[3] It transported local seasonal vegetables, timber and livestock. Passenger services ceased in 1971, and freight services in 1979, with the line effectively closing then.
Rolling stock
[edit]In May 2010, end platform carriages CBA850 and HLF854 were acquired on loan from the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum,[4] as well as railmotor CPH13 from the Canberra Railway Museum.[5] In May 2010, locomotives 7307 and 7321 were purchased from Patrick Portlink.[6]
Goals
[edit]- to ensure the preservation of the existing rail infrastructure between & including both the junction station at Tarana and the terminus at Oberon
- to operate in consultation and co-operation with the local Councils, local landholders and the broader Oberon / Tarana community
- to progressively rebuild the line in stages to accommodate light traffic such as Railmotors (possibly a CPH rail motor or others) or by means of a light locomotive and carriages.
- in the first stages of development, utilise OTHR volunteers and donated machinery to facilitate reconstruction
- to initially focus on the reconstruction of the line and associated infrastructure
- to encourage the resumption of commercial use of the line
The restoration of the line is being undertaken in three stages.
References
[edit]- ^ Homepage Archived 9 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine Orana Tarana Heritage Railway
- ^ Bozier, Rolfe. "Oberon Line". NSWrail.net. Archived from the original on 7 February 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2007.
- ^ Vergison, P (2002). "The Branch Line Goods". Railway Digest (February).
- ^ Carriages Archived 10 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine Oberon Tarana Heritage Railway
- ^ Rail Motor Archived 10 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine Oberon Tarana Heritage Railway
- ^ Locomotives Archived 10 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine Orana Tarana Heritage Railway
- "Tarana to Oberon Railway Act, Act No. 8, 1919" (PDF). austlii.edu.au. Retrieved 26 August 2014.