A puzzle for NSW railway mileage enthusiasts if interested; The NSW Government Gazette 18 June 1895 noted sugar cane and timber to be loaded or unloaded at the sidings to be constructed at 103 miles 65 chains, 112 miles 50 chains and 137 miles 15 chains (as shown on the railway working plans) on the Lismore-Tweed Railway Line  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article222225881  

The problem is the above is dated 1895 when the Lismore Murwillumbah plus Condong sugar mill extension railway only existed the 60 or so miles between Lismore and Murwillumbah via Byron Bay and Mullumbimby, so no location to match those 103, 112 and 137 mileages. The Lismore Casino section opened 1903 and it was still only 80 miles 54 chains from Murwillumbah. Maybe someone has access to the NSW railway documents described in that Gov Gazette as railway working plans on the Lismore-Tweed Railway Line.

Of course, my interest is that mention of a sugar cane siding on the Tweed line.

Cheers

Peter Cokley

Thanks Bruce and that was the key I needed!!!

That sent me to my 1918 WTT which used Grafton as zero and gave 103m 78ch Binna Burra which is just west of Bangalow,  114m 25ch Byron Bay Creamery (Grafton end) and 137m 8ch Upper Burringbar. That shows sugar cane was considered west of Bangalow, south of Byron and the Burringbar Stokers Siding regions. I have a Murwillumbah history book describing cane loaded on the NSWGR at Stokers Siding in the early days. The area just north of there, Dunbible, sent cane to Condong by barge.

Thanks!!

Peter Cokley

A week or so ago I was looking for the Lismore Tweed Railway working plans and sections (WP&S) to help locate three sugar cane loading spots on the Murwillumbah line as listed in the 1895 Government Gazette by their WP&S mileages.  

The good news is the Murwillumbah to Condong sugar mill WP&S was emailed from a very kind benefactor and is now available from my Google drive via the following URL. I also included an extract from the 1918 Local appendix to the WTT to show the line as listed in the WTT is about five miles longer than the WP&S mileages. Murwillumbah shown as 141 and a half miles from Grafton on the WP&S and 146 and a half miles from Grafton on the 1918 WTT.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByB-ppGeDyvwLXRFbkxjTTRXbFE/view  

Applying that five mile addition to the distances in the gazette gives the first sugar cane loading point at Talofa between Bangalow and St Helena, the second near the quarry siding north of Byron Bay and the last around Stokers Siding and Dunbible. The gazette that noted the distances as shown on the railway working plans is http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article222225881   

Of course I am not aware if sugar was ever loaded at the first two locations but have a local book noting sugar loaded at Stokers Siding in the early days. We know Crabbes Creek loaded cane onto the government railway for Condong in 1921.

Cheers