Dorrigo Branch

The Dorrigo branch lies on the north coast of NSW. It branches off the North Coast Line at Glenreagh, and climbs up to the Dorrigo Plateau.

The Dorrigo area was settled in the early 1900s by pastoralists and tree fellers. Due to the steep terrain, it was decided to build a railway to allow products to be brought to nearby port towns. Several routes were surveyed, with the route from Glenreagh eventually chosen. The line climbs 664m over a length of 69km.

The steep terrain and high rainfall made construction and maintenance of this line quite difficult. Due to the tight curves, a check rail was employed in numerous places. Two tunnels and numerous bridges were required.

Apart from the end points of Dorrigo and Glenreagh, the station on this line were very small, often consisting of a short platform with a small shelter. The major traffic on this line was timber.

For much of its lifetime, the line was not profitable and when several washaways occurred in 1972, it was decided to suspend services rather than repair the damage.

Due to the line's scenic value, two preservation groups have taken over the line. The Glenreagh Mountain Railway have taken over the lower section, from Glenreagh to Ulong. They are currently restoring the infrastructure and resleepering the line with the aim of introducing tourist services using rail trikes and their steam locomotive, 1919.

The upper half of the line, from Ulong to Dorrigo is being managed by the Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum. This group is primarily a museum, but also plan to run services on the top half of the line.

Links

• Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum
• Glenreagh Mountain Railway