Our Dream: to rebuild the Richmond Kurrajong Railway
New South Wales, Australia

Plans to build a railway to Kurrajong had been considered since 1859, although approval for a line wasn't granted until 1919.

In the early days it was envisaged that the line would extend beyond Kurrajong, by ascending the range and following Bell's Line of Road to Mount Wilson. The plan never got off the ground because of the high costs involved.

When approval was finally given to extend the railway from Richmond to Kurrajong, it was thought that the train would carry citrus produce as well as passengers. Unfortunately this never really eventuated because road transport had been doing the job effectively before the line opened.

The line finally opened in November 1926 and served the area for 26 years. The Richmond-Kurrajong railway also featured a branch line to Yarramundi Falls, which served a sand and gravel quarry.

The railway was popular amongst locals and tourists as it offered a frequent service and provided spectacular views. However, with construction costs surpassing £100,000, this was not enough for the line to pay its way.

The railway itself continued from Richmond Station through Richmond Park, along Kurrajong Road, using one side of the Hawkesbury Bridge to cross the Hawkesbury River. It cut diagonally across Bells Line of Road at North Richmond before crossing and following Redbank Creek, then veering off with a steep climb to Kurrajong.

Parts of the railway were amongst the steepest climbs in NSW, reaching grades of 1 in 30. The railway also had very tight curves and in places made use of a third rail guard.

Heavy rain in June and July of 1952 caused land subsidence in the cuttings near Kurrajong. The rains had extensively damaged the tracks, buckling the railway, and had also caused land slips.

Though there was much protest, the then Commissioner of Railways, Reg Winsor, notified the State Member for Hawkesbury in September that the line would not reopen. He cited the high costs involved in reopening it for such low returns as the reason for closure.

Railway tracks were removed and until today the line has been nothing more than a distant memory of a bygone era.

To the casual observer not much exists of the former railway, although a closer examination suggests otherwise.
 

Much of the formation from North Richmond to Kurrajong still exists and still passes through farming lands. There is a substantial bridge in good order that crosses Redbank Creek (photo), while historic features such as Kemsley's platform and the Kurrajong goods shed still exist (although the latter is now located in the Pioneer Village at Wilberforce). Kurrajong even has a town square - Pansy Junction - named after the steam engine that worked the line.

To reopen the line as a tourist steam railway poses many challenges, from negotiating access to existing formations, crossing the Hawkesbury River, to acquiring and restoring engines and rolling stock.

However, with the resurgence of steam tourist railways internationally, the Kurrajong Railway offers the area a unique heritage and tourist opportunity that is close to Sydney.

For a detailed history see "Pansy: A History of the Richmond to Kurrajong Railway", available from TRAK.