- Track Restoration | Yard Update
The equipment was putting up a fight this week but the first section of track restoration from the loco shed has been completed with the track re-gauged and new sleepers screwed into place. Work is now progressing south towards the turntable where old sleepers (or the hint of where sleepers might have been) have been … - ANNOUNCEMENT | Restoration of Railway Institute Building and Tennis Courts
This week, we were privileged to host Nichole Overall MP at Cooma Railway Station to help us announce $310,000 in funding for the restoration of the Railway Institute Building and Tennis Courts. We also had the opportunity to show Nichole some of the amazing work that has already been completed. Built in 1928, the Tennis … - Project Update – Cooma Yard Track Restoration
The next stage of track restoration within Cooma yard has now commenced between the loco shed and the station platform. Sleepers will be replaced on both southern loco shed roads on to the through road and back up the platform road to the platform. That’s almost 1km of track. This work will allow not only … - New Arrivals | MB Timber Box Van
Our rolling stock collection continues to grow with the delivery this week of a Steel Framed MB Timber Box Van (MB 22493) from the NSW State Collection. This will be restored for static display and will eventually move into our Rolling Stock Display Shed. We’re starting to develop quite an interesting heritage goods consist in … - Arson Attack at Cooma Railway
Normally we like to share positive stories about the exciting progress being made by our volunteers but unfortunately today, our update is not a positive one. Shortly after midday today, volunteers working at Cooma Railway Station noticed smoke coming from the cutting on the northern approach to Cooma yard. Upon closer investigation, an individual was … - Project Update | Clearing the mess
It’s not pretty work but it’s important work and another important step toward bringing the precinct back to life. This week we’ve had two teams working on clean-up projects within the precinct. As we’ve been clearing the yard and railway corridor, we’ve accumulated a large collection of scrap steal and rubbish which we’ve now been … - Project Update | There Is Track Out There
How good does that look? Our team of volunteers have continued their hard work clearing the railway corridor with another important section completed. It’s been hidden for a while but the line has now been cleared from the northern end of the yard, through to the Yareen Road crossing where the team have recently cleared … - Project Update | Getting Back on Track
Operating a heritage railway is no simple task and a huge amount of work has been taking place behind the scenes to get trains back on rails in the Monaro but equally as important (and exciting) is the infrastructure that we’ll be running on. Over the past few weeks, our team of volunteers, assisted by … - Award Winning Roses
AWARD WINNING ROSESYou may have seen the beautiful rose gardens that we’ve been cultivating over the last couple of years across the Cooma Railway precinct. We think they are amazing and this weekend, the judges agreed! CMR entered some of our roses in the 2022 Cooma Show and we’ve won two second place awards for: … - Project Update | Signals & Interlocking System
During February, we welcomed back our friends from the CMR Signals Branch who travelled from the far corners of the state to continue the restoration work on the Signals and Interlocking System in the Cooma Station precinct. The primary focus for this trip was the replacement of a number of structural timbers that support the … - New Arrivals | 🚃 S-Trucks 🚃
It’s always exciting when we get new arrivals in the yard and this month we’ve continued to grow our rolling stock collection with the addition of two more S-Trucks. S-Trucks were a staple on the railway’s of NSW, carrying almost any type of freight. They were also a common site on goods trains in Cooma, … - Community | Working Together
The events of the last two years have taken a huge toll on our local community, particularly our regional towns and the community organisations that support them. For many organisations, it’s been impossible to operate with any kind of normality in recent times which has set them back many years. Cooma Monaro Railway is no … - Project Update | 🌳 Landscaping and Gardens
Work on landscaping and gardens across the Cooma Railway Precinct has continued through February as we work toward bringing our museum concept plan to life. Thanks to the generous support of Transport for NSW and Transport Heritage NSW, we received the first 50 of 100 Ornamental Pear Trees that will be planted around the perimeter … - Rails and Trails
Over the past few weeks, many of you have been asking what our position is on the proposed development of a Rail Trail through the Queanbeyan to Bombala rail corridor. As a Heritage Railway that has been a part of the Monaro region for over 30 years, we have always worked hard to support the … - A Total Railway Experience
While the pandemic has disrupted the plans of many organisations across the country, including CMR, our dedicated team have continued to work tirelessly on restoration projects and capital works within the railway precinct but equally as important, we’ve also been putting a lot of energy into planning for the future of the museum. The goal … - Sleepers for a greener future
Restoring and maintaining railway infrastructure is a huge task, especially for an entirely volunteer-based workforce. With an average life-span of 10-15 years, the ongoing maintenance of track infrastructure using timber sleepers becomes even more difficult the further down the line you go. By the time you install new sleepers for a whole section, it’s time … - Getting Back on the Rails
It’s been a long journey and almost a decade since trains last graced the rails in the Monaro but we’re definitely on the home stretch. While we are still working through our re-accreditation, our volunteers are starting to prepare for the day that trains will roll once more. Track from the loco shed is being … - Project Update | Signals & Interlocking System
Did you know that the Cooma Railway Precinct will have the only original, fully operational Signal and Interlocking system remaining in NSW? Thanks to our friends from the CMR Signals Branch, we are well on our way to restoring this amazing piece of engineering back to its former glory. For those who aren’t familiar with … - New Arrivals
The last few weeks of 2021 were exciting for CMR as we took delivery of more rolling stock from the NSW State Collection. This included two items that will play a pivotal role in the restoration and maintenance of our track infrastructure: 🔹 40ft Bogie Flat Wagon🔹 MHG Guards Van While both items will be … - Project Update | Powder Van Restoration
With a reprieve from the recent inclement weather, the team were able to make a start on the restoration of the PV 22318 Powder Van. Arriving in 2011 after initial restoration by the RailCorp apprentices, the Powder Van has taken pride of place on the on the platform at Cooma Railway Station with its internal … - Treasure Transoms
A vital element in bolstering CMR’s return to the rails arrived in the Cooma railway freight yard today. A heavy haulage trio of trucks has delivered 320 bridge transoms that have been recycled from the Sydney Harbour Bridge, courtesy of the NSW Government, Transport for NSW (TfNSW) and Sydney Trains. The transoms became available as … - Quads, Sheds and Coffee
A Wheel Blast: This week we look at why the track quad vehicle has shiny rims, we move beyond the rafters to the battens at the loco shed, the sleepers continue to multiply under the track in the yard, and the best coffee is keeping our volunteers braced against the Cooma winter! The track maintenance …
NSW's Alpine Heritage Railway Museum