The Murwillumbah Line commenced life in 1894 as a completely isolated section of track known as the Far North Coast Line, initially running only between Lismore and Mullumbimby, but extended later the same year to Murwillumbah. The line was further extended at the other extremity from Lismore to Casino (the latter now the true junction point with the North Coast Line) and beyond to Grafton in 1903 and 1905 respectively.
Under the New South Wales Government Railways, the line provided passenger and freight services, the latter including fruit, fly ash, cement, timber, LPG and general freight. Additionally sugar and molasses were transported from the Condong Sugar Mill, located several kilometres to the north of Murwillumbah station. Sadly, with improved road transport, rail business diminished and with NSWGR/Freight Rail withdrawal, freight traffic was lost to road haulage and passenger traffic, like the Murwillumbah Motor Rail hauled by twin mainline diesel electric locomotives, was cut back to a daily Sydney PT Country Link service to Murwillumbah.
However, in the short term it was not all bad news for the Murwillumbah Line. In the late 1990s Northern Rivers Railroad was formed and, with a small fleet of ex-Freight Rail 421 Class locomotives (and a leased Freight Corp 48 Class), it commenced hauling cement and fly ash from Grafton (the interchange point with then Freight Corp) to Casino and Murwillumbah respectively. The service ran on demand, usually twice per week. Additionally, in 1997, NRR commenced running its Ritz Train, a tourist passenger train running a return service from Murwillumbah to Lismore, usually twice weekly, utilising ex-South Australian Railways rolling stock. Sadly NRR ceased all operations on the Murwillumbah Line shortly after it was taken over by Queensland Railways in 2002, and Countrylink was forced to terminate its Murwillumbah service at Casino when a number of bridges on the line were declared too expensive to repair and maintain, the line was declared closed in 2005.
This DVD-R traces the operation of 421 and 48 Class locomotives and XPTs between Murwillumbah and Casino over the picturesque Murwillumbah Line. A 2010 Review, showing the condition of the remaining features of the Murwillumbah Line some 5 years after its formal closure, is included.
Approximate run time: 86 minutes.