ABOUT US
A History of the
Nimmitabel Mens Shed
We are building the Mens Shed form in the old Nimmitabel Railway Station
HISTORY OF NIMMITABEL RAILWAY STATION
The railway line to Nimmitabel once brought many travellers to the region and business. Nimmitabel was once known as the highest operational government railway station in the southern area of NSW ( besides the higher Snowy Mountain Ski Tube operations which isnt classified as NSW Government).
OPERATIONAL HISTORY
As the southern branch line to Cooma was slowly extended further south towards Bombala, the Nimmitabel extension was completed in the first stage. The station opened as ‘Nimmitybelle’ on 20 April 1912 with the name changing to ‘Nimmitabel’ on 27 October 1912.
Infrastructure originally built at Nimmitabel include:
- Type 7 timber building (1912) on the Down side of the main line situated on a 76 metre long timber faced platform
- corrugated iron clad 60″ x 16′ goods shed with side platform (1912)
- loading ramp opposite the station
- stock races/stockyard on the Up sid
- lamp room and toilet (1912)
- gantry crane
- turntable
A further extension of the line from Nimmitabel to Bombala was authorised in 1912 with work commencing in 1913. The line from Nimmitabel to Bombala was opened for goods train traffic on 1 November 1920.
Over the next 77years Nimmitabel station had many additions, changes and removals – there was once a water tank located south of the platform, the turntable has been demolished as has numerous smaller buildings located to the north of the fettler shed.
1920’s History
Nimmitabel station then and now
Left – 1920s maybe in the old photo | Right 2015 modern photo.
The Bombala branch line saw passenger and goods traffic frequently in its early yeas but the lines economic use over time dropped off and by the 1970s traffic was becoming very limited except for a few goods trains each week, as cars and trucks displaced the railway operations.
Passenger railbus which stopped at Nimmitabel station in 1972.These types of services were used when passengers numbers were less than a normal steam/diesel hauled train / 600 series railmotor carriage or a CPH railmotor.
PASSENGER AND GOODS TRAINS – LAST TRIPS
The last government run passenger services to Nimmitabel ceased in the mid 1970s according to records.Nimmitabel was closed as a staffed station on 19 April 1977. This meant train crews operated the station as they passed through the location. (Note: The last steam train tour to run over the branchline was a special tour in 1985. Diesel passenger railmotors and diesel hauled passenger trains still tho ran to Cooma until the line closed in 1989).
Below these 3 photos show the last heritage steam train movement at Nimmitabel and Cooma in early 1980s it is believed.
The last ever passenger non government train to Bombala passing Nimmitabel was a CPH railmotor tour in 1986. The last ever train was a goods train traversing the branch in 1986.
The Bombala railway branch line closed in 1989 and this saw the Nimmitabel station no longer required
A then and now view of Nimmitabel – left side B/w Greg Finster 1970, right side colour 2015 by Peter Watters.
STATION CLOSES AND DAMAGE INFLICTED
The station soon fell into decay after closure and was damaged over time by vandals. Local businesses took over the lease of the railway site and one used the goods shed for storing manure. In late 2011 an attempt to try and obtain a lease and restore the station was started but not enough interest was forthcoming at that time.
NEW ERA FOR THE STATION – NIMMITABEL MENS SHED PLANS DEVELOP TO REUSE AND ONGOING PRESERVATION
In 2014-15 a group of local men formed a Mens Shed organisation and started a plan to acquire lease of the Nimmitabel station and yard. A lease was successful obtained in August 2015 and worked started soon after in tidying up the station grounds.
The preservation of the Nimmitabel station and yard is significant as a small but evocative early 20th century railway precinct located within an attractive rural setting, which includes several extant items dating from the station’s inception in 1912. The timber platform face and gantry crane are notable as relatively rare structures.In the present day, extant items include the type 7 timber station building (1912),), corrugated iron per way shed, timber platform face, corrugated iron clad 60″ x 16′ goods shed with side platform (1912), gantry crane, loading bank, and relics of the turntable pit. Much of the original station arrangement remains intact but most of the additions to the yard made after 1912 were later removed. These include the turntable which was transferred to Queanbeyan in 1928, a 90kl water tank on a steel stand (later sold and removed in July 1965), and barracks (sold and removed in 1986).