Interestingly Bombala was originally not the end of the Cooma line, Nimmitabel was and in early 1900s the extension to Bombala was added onto the line to service the community needs.
The Bombala branch line was originally proposed to extend into Victoria and hook up providing another southern route for NSW/VIC rail transport but that was not built as hoped. It is a pity that this was not achieved as it it would enabled the south coast line to have attracted in this modern age more travellers.
The site is now maintained by a local community group and Bombala council working together with open access to the site possible to all visitors.
Some rail lengths have been removed within the yard area, making the line unable to be used at moment or in future pending restoration. A old siding that extended to the fuel depot remains but overgrown.
My photos were shot in a late afternoon sunlight and a approaching thunderstorm, providing a nice scene to capture. Click on the photos for larger detail.
Here we see a overview of the yard.
Bombala's railway infrastructure remains pretty much intact and preserved since the last train ran in 1986.
It has station building/platform, walkway bridge, goods shed, fettler shed, turntable, signal hut, gantry crane, loading bank, toilet building, frames/switches, old locomotive building remains and within the building foundations is seen a inspection pit.
Station building
Bridge/walkway
Goods shed
Signal hut
Toilet block
Fettler shed
Yard detail
Loading bank
Gantry crane
Ground frames/point switches
Bombala turntable
Bombala loco building yard area and foundations. Note the wheel drop it section.
Ash pit is found just south of the loco building foundations
While at loco a nice dual rainbow appeared
After leaving Bombala i headed back up to Cooma and found some wonderful scenic views on the road
These 2 photos show the effect of aperture on the image.. one is long depth of field, the other short depth of field/blur.
Near Cooma were these small culvert bridge sections still intact
Coming in Part 4 will be Cooma Railway station, yard and operations of the Cooma Monaro Railway with its CPH railmotors. Here are some teaser photos showing the yard aspects-
Also to come in future update will be Tumut, Batlow, Gundagai, Yass railway areas which i also covered on the trip.
There is still life left in these railways as many tourists visit them each year - just like myself to marvel at the days gone by and how NSW developed in last 150yrs with the help of the NSWGR.
