Glenreagh Mountain Railway

Glenreagh Mountain Railway
Ulong railway station
Coordinates30°03′09″S 152°58′18″E / 30.052461°S 152.971712°E / -30.052461; 152.971712
Commercial operations
Original gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preserved operations
Preserved gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Website
Glenreagh Mountain website

Glenreagh Mountain Railway, known as the GMR, was established in 1989 as a heritage tourist railway at Glenreagh, near Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia. GMR's objective is to restore and operate a heritage tourist railway on the Glenreagh to Ulong section of the Glenreagh to Dorrigo railway line.

GMR is a non-profit, community-based organisation run entirely by volunteers, and has an authority to raise funds under the Charitable Collections Act.

The GMR acquired the 35-kilometre section from Glenreagh to Ulong in 1999 from the State Rail Authority for $1 and began restoring this section of line as well as rolling stock, to enable the heritage tourist railway to operate.[1]

Tourist trains for the public were operated in 2004.[2]

GMR's current rolling stock includes steam locomotive Z19 class 1919, 4-wheel watergin L568, TAM sleeping car, two heritage end-platform cars, S type carriages, ex-U set interurban carriages, and numerous trikes and track maintenance vehicles.

As of December 2005, GMR had completed trackwork to safe working standards for train operation from Glenreagh West Depot 3.5 km west to Tallawudjah Creek.[3] Steam train operations were scheduled one weekend a month subject to fire bans.

In February 2008 operations ceased while GMR worked to fulfill its obligations under the Rail Safety Act.[4][5]

  1. ^ Here & There Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 738 April 1999 page 160
  2. ^ "Glenreagh rail lines up tourism potential". Daily Examiner. 6 October 2004. Archived from the original on 27 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  3. ^ Scott, Belinda (3 February 2006). "Full steam ahead for Glenreagh Mountain Railway". Daily Examiner. Archived from the original on 27 July 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  4. ^ Terry Deefholts (8 September 2009). "$1m battle for Mountain Rail". Daily Examiner. Archived from the original on 27 July 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  5. ^ Belinda Scott (15 September 2009). "Battle for Glenreagh Mountain Rail". Coffs Coast Advocate. Archived from the original on 28 July 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.