There is little else we can do on site until we debate with council the way forward.

The whole precinct is overgrown and in desperate need of attention. The few that are turning up are trying to battle this and some progress is being made.

 I took a full backpack to Glenreagh and Jeff kindly attacked sections of heavy infestation. I spent an hour or two with my line trimmer and from the sound of things so did Kevin.

I also cleared in front of the Donger Hut (the old office). We pulled some of the larger weeds and it will benefit from a mower now that most of the debris is moved.

 Peter Dickson Smith has a fire permit and when he decides to burn off his rubbish from the cottage we should add the old particle board in front of the donger hut to this. All of it is weather affected and of little use now.

We further attempted to clear the area near the little platform.

 The lift trolley should be stored in one of the sheds and the surrounds cleaned up.

David Page is developing a plan of action to reduce the growth around the cottage. Peter Dickson Smith tells me that he has a floor plan of the cottage and some photos of what the cottage looked like in the past.

 These items will become very handy in developing the office / museum section of the plan and will show us what we are aiming for when we can restore the building to its origins as monies and resources become available in the future.

 It was very disappointing to see the very few who turned up today. We need to stimulate activity within the current regulations and put in place structured activities so we can bring back the active members.

 No one is coming because they can’t see or don’t know what can or can’t be done. No one wants to put GMR into strife by doing things add hock. With a structured plan and the relevant paperwork waiting on participants being ready, we may get the few things that need to be done now on the move. I am concerned that because of the long break over Xmas this year along with the restrictions we have had to endure, we are loosing momentum and this is being reflected in the poor turn out of members on work days.

As a board member I am asking that we as a board address these issues as soon as possible or suffer the consequences of having these wonderful assets disappear into the undergrowth.

I will continue to send out reports on what my crew and I are doing each week.

Regards Ron Wells

Cleaning out blocked drain

One of our members busy undertaking repairs to drainage of the track after a year of heavy rainfall.

Temporary repairs to Station Roof

Glenreagh Mountain Railway is seeking urgent assistance from the community to save an important part of the Coffs Coast Railway Heritage. We need $13,000 to undertake urgent repairs to the roof of the heritage listed Lowanna Railway Station, with the total replacement cost of the damaged asbestos tiles in the range of $33,000. The roof has weather damage and we need to repair it to stop the rain undoing all the hard restoration work Glenreagh Mountain Railway has undertaken over the years.

This Station is one of the Coffs Coast’s important railway heritage items in this region and a recently commissioned report stated:

“The Lowanna Railway Station Yard, Lowanna, New South Wales, has local historic, social and aesthetic significance as a small intermediate railway station in its rural setting. The Lowanna Railway Station Yard has local historic significance as part of the Glenreagh to Dorrigo Branch Line, constructed between 1916 and 1924. While never considered a profitable line by NSW Railways, the Line played a critical role in the development of the regional economy, transporting a range of goods, most notably timber, within and out of the area. During the period 1924 to 1957, when the line offered passenger services, it connected the occupants of the small communities of the Dorrigo Plateau to each other and the outside world. The significance of Lowanna Station, as the only staffed intermediate station along the line, is manifest in the presence of a precast concrete Station Building (Type Pc.3), Signal Box and Men’s Toilet Block, constructed c.1924. These buildings have historic and technical significance as part of a larger group of precast concrete station buildings designed by engineers and erected by NSW Railways during the interwar period. The Lowanna Railway Station Building was one of at least eighteen Type Pc.3 station buildings constructed, and is one of at least eight still standing. It is the only concrete station building in the Coffs Harbour Local Government Area. Other structures of significance part of the Yard include a Gang Hut and Yard Crane.”   

Donations can be sent direct to Glenreagh Mountain Railway, PO Box 104, Glenreagh NSW 2450 or dropped in at the Local Member for Coffs Harbour Office, Andrew Fraser MP, 1/9 Park Avenue COFFS HARBOUR NSW 2450

Crossing roads in the early days.

Mole Creek Tank

Looking back to the early days of Glenreagh Mountain Railway, much of the line was hand cleared. The trikes were the backbone of operations and maintaining the line. Where possible these days vegetation is cleared with machine which takes the backbreaking work out of it.

Kevin Anderson: President

Steve Martin: Vice President

Colin Sambrook: Vice President

David Page: Secretary

Helen Bamford: Treasurer

Dawn Gillson: Director

Trevor Kelly: Director

Colin Campbell: Director

Barry Spinks: Director

Valmai Thomson: Director

Ron Paul: Director

Ron Wells: Director

Concrete cancer repairs to Lowanna Railway Station

One of the projects was the restoration of Lowanna Railway Station. Concrete cancer has been a problem but thanks to a heritage grant from Coffs Harbour City Council this work was able to be undertaken.

New path up to the restored Station

To meet the requirements of the Conservation Management Plan for the Lowanna Railway Station all new paths must not be concrete. We are using gravel base paths to allow the grass to cover the path to be in keeping of the site.