Ladysmith Station marks 100 years of Wagga to Tumbarumba Railway line

Sections of the railway are technically still in operation, having never been decommissioned by an act of Parliament, but the line has not seen passenger services since the 1970s or grain freight since the 1980s.

The Ladysmith Tourist Railway group hosted a market , sausage sizzle and historic engine and car rally at the station on Saturday.

Peter Neve from Pete's Hobby Railway at Junee gave a speech about the railway's history and Ladysmith's station, which was one of the few remaining examples of its type.

"Because of its relative intactness, the station building and the precinct generally is of a high heritage value, and needs anything it can to keep it preserved," he said.

"Ladysmith and the station precinct capture part of our history that has all but disappeared."

Wagga mayor Greg Conkey thanked the "hardworking" Ladysmith Tourist Railway committee members for their many years of restoring and maintaining the "wonderful" station.

Cr Conkey said the railway was a "very important link for its communities" and the agriculture industry.

Wagga MP Joe McGirr said it was important to remember the history around the railway and how it shaped the community.

"The people who were our forebears had the right intentions, they wanted to make their community better, and that's exactly what the Ladysmith Tourist Railway folk are doing right now," he said.

Wagga-based MLC Wes Fang said the late former Nationals leader Tim Fischer was a "well-renowned train tragic" and often talked to him about trains when visiting the area.

"I think I have him on my shoulder today as I say how wonderful it is that the community is able to get together to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the Wagga to Tumbarumba railway line," Mr Fang said.

Mr Neve said the Ladysmith and Tumbarumba line was one of the first railways in NSW to receive a railmotor service in 1927, which used combustion engines rather than steam.

"The railmotors were known as 'tin hares'. They ran five miles per hour faster than the steam train could but the real time saving was they didn't have to shunt at every crossing like the mixed train did," he said.

"Instead of taking 56 minutes to reach Ladysmith from Wagga, the railmotor took 28 minutes, while the trip through to Tumbarumba was reduced from seven hours and ten minutes to three hours and 20 minutes.

"They became known as tim hares from the recently introduced greyhound racing. Remember, there were no tar-sealed roads in those days."

Mr Neve said the railway was hit by a "major washaway" at Tarcutta in 1974 that closed the line past Ladysmith, reducing its operations to just clearing the grain silos and the station was closed in 1975.

"Although I didn't know it at the time, I ended up riding on the last train from Wagga to Ladysmith that returned on Sunday the 15^th of March, 1987," he said.

Ladysmith Tourist Railway group will continue to host its community event at the station on Sunday, featuring historic engines, blacksmith, wood worker, classic cars, sausage sizzle and a Light Horse display from 9am to 3pm.

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