Tumut to Cooma Railway

By "Spinifex."

Adelong and Tumut Express and Tumbarumba Post

12 January 1917

Killarney — Tumut — Weraboldarie Hills — West Blowering — Yellowin — Jouamama — Jouanama River— Mt. Talbingo— Yarrangobilly — Great Southern Gross Pass— Bullook Hill — Six-mile Hill — Temperance Racecourse — Chinese Gully— Wild Horse Plain— Wallero Sheep Yards— Broadhead's Sawmills — Providence Plain — Denison — Cubmurra — Adaminaby — Cooma — Nimitybelle — Eden.

Line explained: -

The flat portion of land between Tumut and Killarney to be used for a series of lines for shunting and repairing purposes.

The whole of Telegraph Hill at the end of Wynyard-St. to be out away and the soil placed across the Gilmore or above the Old Cemetery, till water backs up to present line at Gilmore Railway Station.

The place to be given its old name of Killarney. The line, after leaving Tumut, will swing right round the Common and pass through Werebolderrie Hills at Springfield, and strike the Tumut River a quarter of a mile above Mr. T. Quilty's. A bridge will carry it from there to Woonoona. West Blowering, the next station, to be the principal one for the district.

A bridge, via Mr. H. Naughton's, to connect the Blowering and Wermatong traffic. The line, on running to Yellowin, would pass within a few miles of Batlow.

It would cross the main road at the 21 ½ mile peg and follow the course of the Jouanama till opposite the 31½ mile peg on the top of Mt. Talbingo, when it would swing in to that point. The main road would then be followed till the Great Southern Cross Pass was reached.

The Pass is at Rules Point and a couple of miles from the Caves and half a mile from the big bend of the Murrumbidgee.

The pass would consist of the cutting away of the small earth ridge that here forms the summit of the Great Divide and the stepping stone on to the Great Plain, the future sanitorium of the Commonwealth of Australia.

It is spread out in its alpine grandeur for 25 miles, and through it flows a multitude of mountain streams.

From 4200 to 4700ft above the level of the sea, it possesses the finest summer climate beneath the Southern Cross.

The Caves would be reached by tram and the present obsolete system abolished.

Thousands from the drought-stricken west and the scorched plains of Riverina would yearly rush to its invigorating atmosphere. The line would pass, as described, to Eucumbene, a new town at the head-waters of the river.

A small embankment at Kiandra would throw the waters back to the town and form & huge mountain lake.

The closest point the railway would be near Kiandra on the run from Eucumbi Providence Plain would be 3½ miles. [The names given date back to the early days of the Kiandra gold fields, and are used to assist the surveyors] .

Providence is a beautiful mountain. Denison and Cubmurra are turning points, Adaminaby to Cooma, across the Monaro, and are well-known.

Now, the point in the whole thing is this: A line to connect Riverina with a seaport has been often asked for.

The bulk of the wheat would then pass through Tumut, to say nothing of the vast tourist traffic.

It would become the pivot for collecting and distributing.

Part of the present line would be pulled up, and the new station cause development far out from Newtown.

It is worth taking up by the local bodies and if strenuously advocated should be obtained. The cutting of Telegraph Hill is necessary to turn the train.