Tocumwal Railway Heritage Museum

03/04/2026

🚧 Oh my gosh! Someone stole our fence!

Don’t stress, we're in the process of replacing the fence and sign, which are well & truly showing their age these days!

So apologies to anyone visiting wanting to get some good photos of the station - you'll just have to visit again when the work is finished!

🧡 Come and get your rail fix and discover more about Tocumwal's rail & general history every Saturday, 10:00am to 3:00pm!

31/03/2026

🐰 Coming to Tocumwal this Easter long weekend? The Museum will be open as normal on Saturday for your rail history fix!

📅 Saturdays
🕙10:00am - 3:00pm
🎟️ Adults $5.00, Children free

Thomas & Friends are set up in the middle section of the Museum, so bring the kids for some train action so they can earn their Junior Engineer Certificate!

A reminder that, on the orders of Sir Topham Hatt, children are not to touch the trains, only the switches indicated to control where they go or to halt them. Our train set belongs to one of our volunteers, is over 20 years old, and we'd like to keep the trains running for as long as possible.

27/03/2026

: THE RIVER MURRAY AT TOCUMWAL, 1946 🏞️
This is a splendid shot of the river and old bridge from 1946!

The following piece was written by S.R. Nicholas, Secretary for Railways New South Wales, and was published in the January 1946 issue of Walkabout, along with the photo:
"The Murray runs for hundreds of miles as the southern boundary of New South Wales, and the dividing line between that State and Victoria.

The railway crossing at Albury, which has existed since 1883, and over which millions of travellers have passed into and out of New South Wales, is a familiar enough picture.

That at Tocumwal, created some 30 years later, was a peaceful sport in pre-war days, where the waters from the snows and rains of the far-distant Australian Alps rolled leisurely on to the Southern Ocean, also far, far away.

But during the war thousands of military trains were diverted to that route when the movement of men and materials to and fro overtaxed the main Melbourne-Sydney railway."

📝 Share your Tocumwal Railway history & memories: https://form.jotform.com/260281092751858

🧡 Come and get your rail fix and discover more about Tocumwal's rail & general history every Saturday, 10:00am to 3:00pm! And yes, that includes Easter weekend!

27/03/2026

🌟 Have your say on the future location of The Visitor Information Centre in Tocumwal🌟

The Visitor Information Centre (VIC) in Tocumwal plays a key role in welcoming travellers, supporting local businesses, and helping visitors make the most of their stay. As part of ongoing service planning, Council is reviewing the current VIC location to understand how well it meets visitor needs and whether improvements could be made.

Before any decisions are made, we want to hear from you.

Think about your experiences using Visitor Information Centres in Tocumwal and elsewhere and what travellers typically look for when they stop for information.

📝 Share your thoughts here: www.surveymonkey.com/r/LFGP8YJ

26/03/2026

🚆TOCUMWAL DINING TRAIN - SATURDAY 30 MAY 2026🚆
Spirited Rail Tours & Seymour Railway Heritage Centre (SRHC) are bringing their signature Dinner Train to Tocumwal on SATURDAY 30 MAY 2026 (postponed from 16 May due to track work) - don't miss out on tickets as they can sell out fast!

🚞 EXCURSION: https://events.humanitix.com/tocumwal-excursion-train
🍝 DINNER: https://events.humanitix.com/tocumwal-dining-train

You can board at Seymour, Nagambie, Shepparton or Numurkah.

The train will be arriving in Tocumwal at approximately 6:50pm, and many passengers will be disembarking to enjoy dinner in town, before departing at 8:50pm.

AND of course the Museum will be open as usual for passengers & visitors to peruse!
🕙6:45pm - 9:00pm
🎟️ Adults $5.00, Children free

You will not be able to board the train for a sticky beak - there will be passengers enjoying the dinner train experience while others will be venturing into town for their meal or bringing their own.

❗📸As always, a reminder to trainspotters viewing the train’s journey in & out of Tocumwal: PLEASE be sure to keep your distance from the tracks at ALL TIMES - at least 8-10 metres, unless viewing from the platform!
Also a reminder that you are required to STOP at the level crossings - just because you can’t see a train, or don’t think one is moving, doesn’t mean you can speed through the crossing.

We are looking forward to welcoming passengers, visitors and trainspotters alike to Tocumwal! 😊

24/03/2026

🌊 By March 1915, Tocumwal had only measured a total of 21mm for the year (compared to 96.2mm measured so far this year). And this lack of water in the district was starting to affect the trains.

An illustration of the dry times and consequent water shortage in the Riverina was shown in the fact that the trains from Narrandera to Tocumwal had to carry sufficient water with them to supply the engine until its return to Narrandera - a distance of 360km.

Previously, water was taken in at Morundah, Jerilderie and Finley, but water shortages meant this was not possible.

Occasionally a supply of water was taken from Narrandera to Jerilderie, and pumped up into the railway tank for engine convenience.

📝 Share your Tocumwal Railway history & memories: https://form.jotform.com/260281092751858

🧡 Come and get your rail fix and discover more about Tocumwal's rail & general history every Saturday, 10:00am to 3:00pm!

22/03/2026

❗️POSTPONED❗️
Please note that the Spirited Rail Tours Tocumwal Dinner Train for Saturday, 16 May 2026 has been POSTPONED due to planned track work. A new date is TBC.

Watch this space!

20/03/2026

: J515 AT TOCUMWAL, 1989 🚂
Here's a little snippet of J515 crossing the bridge during 1989's Easter Festival!

Over the weekend of 25 & 26 of March 1989, the River Murray Heritage Centre held an fun-filled Easter Festival, and one of the features was a steam train - Seymour Railway Heritage Centre (SRHC)'s J515 to be precise!

Visitors could enjoy steam train rides between Tocumwal and Strathmerton throughout the day, with many people missing out due to there being so much demand for a ride.

Meanwhile at the Heritage Centre, visitors were entertained with: sheep shearing demonstrations, blacksmith demonstrations, entertainment by 'Prickle Farmer' and 'The Two of Uzz', working draught horse demonstrations, art exhibition, hole-in-one competition, hot air balloon rides, horse & buggy rides, and memorabilia displays.

Shuttling people from the railway station and the Heritage Centre was the 1928 rail motor DERM58.

📹 Watch the full 20-minute video of the event at the Museum

Here's hoping we can see this same view in the near future as SRHC continue to restore J515!

📝 Share your Tocumwal Railway history & memories: https://form.jotform.com/260281092751858

🧡 Come and get your rail fix and discover more about Tocumwal's rail & general history every Saturday, 10:00am to 3:00pm!

19/03/2026

17/03/2026

🛤️ Almost immediately after the Tocumwal Bridge Station was open for rail traffic in February 1905, the Strathmerton-Tocumwal Railway League was pushing for the continuation of the line into Tocumwal.

Naturally, it was state rivalries that were causing the most of the problems.

The Tocumwal Guardian of 3 March 1905 reported:
"The Victorian Government are quite prepared to go on with their part of the work, and our own Government must now be stirred up to give the people in this part their rights.

Why should we suffer because we are a border town, if any money is wanted to be spent about Sydney it is easily found? We have to put up with all sorts of disadvantages and pay our full taxes, and when we want anything done for our benefit are outvoted by our Sydney friends.

I see by the papers that the officers appointed to apportion the different sections have finished their work, so that it only rests with the Government to get the machinery into working order."

Of course, the NSW Government didn't want NSW produce to head into the Victorian market… even though Melbourne is almost three times closer to Tocumwal than Sydney is.

Although…if they were truly concerned with losing trade, they would have extended the line from Finley to Tocumwal a lot sooner than they did…

After much agitation, and work to strengthen the bridge for rail traffic, the broad gauge railway of Victoria finally extended into Tocumwal and was open for business in 1908. It wouldn't join up with the standard gauge of NSW until 1914.

📝 Share your Tocumwal Railway history & memories: https://form.jotform.com/260281092751858

🧡 Come and get your rail fix and discover more about Tocumwal's rail & general history every Saturday, 10:00am to 3:00pm!

13/03/2026

: WHEAT AT TOCUMWAL BRIDGE SIDING, 1906 🌾
As we mentioned back in February, before the railway came into Tocumwal, the Victorian line originally terminated at the bridge on the Victorian side of the river, called Tocumwal Bridge Station or Siding.

During the 1905/06 harvest season the siding saw a large delivery of wheat, ready to be hauled south. By mid-January 1906, around 5000 bags of wheat had already been sent to Melbourne that season, and there was another 5000 bags in trucks and stacked at the platform.

This amazing photo from March 1906 shows the wheat wagons and stacks at the siding - it is one of two images in existence, that we know of, that shows Tocumwal Bridge Siding.

🧡 Come and get your rail fix and discover more about Tocumwal's rail & general history every Saturday, 10:00am to 3:00pm!

12/03/2026

🚊🌉 YOU could be enjoying this view on Saturday 16 May 2026!

Spirited Rail Tours & Seymour Railway Heritage Centre (SRHC) are bringing their signature Dinner Train back to town - don't miss out on tickets as they can sell out fast!

🚞 EXCURSION: https://events.humanitix.com/tocumwal-excursion-train
🍝 DINNER: https://events.humanitix.com/tocumwal-dining-train

You can board at Seymour, Nagambie, Shepparton or Numurkah.

The train will be arriving in Tocumwal at approximately 6:50pm, and many passengers will be disembarking to enjoy dinner in town, before departing at 8:50pm.

AND of course the Museum will be open as usual for passengers & visitors to peruse!
🕙6:45pm - 9:00pm
🎟️ Adults $5.00, Children free

You will not be able to board the train for a sticky beak - there will be passengers enjoying the dinner train experience while others will be venturing into town for their meal or bringing their own.

❗📸As always, a reminder to trainspotters viewing the train’s journey in & out of Tocumwal: PLEASE be sure to keep your distance from the tracks at ALL TIMES - at least 8-10 metres, unless viewing from the platform!
Also a reminder that you are required to STOP at the level crossings - just because you can’t see a train, or don’t think one is moving, doesn’t mean you can speed through the crossing.

We are looking forward to welcoming passengers, visitors and trainspotters alike to Tocumwal! 😊

Tocumwal Accredited Visitor Information Centre