Old Trains In The Mist

High up on the plateau in the northern tablelands of Australia is a little town in the clouds called 'Dorrigo.'  On a wonderful road trip, I took a wrong turn and entered Dorrigo from a different direction than the main highway. I am glad I did. This wrong turn lead me past the site of a planned Steam Railway Museum. I did not know this straight away. All I saw looming out of the shrouded mist was a long row of magnificent black oiled trains sitting eerily still on tracks in a paddock surrounded by cows

Along the fence was a small sign stating -

Private property do not enter. If you want more information about this place please take a leaflet from the box below

The Largest In The World

Turns out a not for profit volunteer based organisation has outlaid over seven million dollars to save all manner of railways items from New South Wales (Australia) with the vision to create a large museum. The fifteen locomotives visible from the street are only a few from the seventy five in the collection. 

The collection in the museum includes two hundred and eighty passenger carriages and freight wagons, 19 rail motors, silver city comet set, five breakdown cranes, Sydney suburban and Interurban electric trains plus thousands of smaller items and is the largest in the world. Some of the pieces date back to 1877. The museum owns thirty five kilometres of the Dorrigo Branch line and plans to commence tourist based rides in the future. 

At present the museum is not allowed to open to the public and has a number of costly council approval issues to deal with first. 

I just love what you discover out and about road tripping in Australia. 

Until next time, 

xx Isabella