Werris Creek Parts 1 & 2 covered action on the Main North Line between Muswellbrook and Werris Creek and around the immediate Werris Creek area. Werris Creek Part 3 looks at operation on the tracks beyond Werris Creek, including those to Moree, Armidale, Walgett, Merrywinebone, Weemelah and a look at what remains of the Dumaresq to Wallangarra line, progressively closed from 1988. Also covered is the new coal operations on The Gap - Werris Creek South section of the old Binnaway Line.
After reaching Werris Creek/West Tamworth in 1882, the Main Northern Line was rapidly extended to Glen Inned in 1884 and on to Wallangarra, on the Queensland border, in 1888. Wallangarra became a small ‘Albury of the North’ with extensive standard/narrow gauge interchange yards on the NSW side of the border for freight and passengers to/from Queensland. Its significance rapidly declined with the extension of the standard gauge North Coast Line from Kyogle to Brisbane in 1930.
As well as moving to the north, lines to the west of Werris Creek were added, to Gunnedah/Narrabri in 1882 extending ultimately to Moore in 1887 and Walgett by 1908. Much later the Binnaway line (via Werris Creek South and The Gap) was opened in 1923, affording connection via Merrygoen to the Main West Line at Dubbo. Numerous other wheat branch lines beyond Werris Creek followed.
Werris Creek Part 3 covers firstly the new ‘push-pull’ coal operation on the old The Gap-Werris Creek South section of the Binnaway line (once used to store withdrawn locomotives and rolling stock), then follows operation on the line from Werris Creek yard to Walgett, Moree and the branch lines beyond, and finally it moves north to Wallangarra, looking at the disused track of the Main North Line between Wallangarra and Dumaresq and then rail operations between Armidale and Werris Creek.
Approximate run time: 90 minutes.