Type : Station
Line : North Coast Line
Distance from Sydney : 455.004km
Opened : 12th April 1915
Closed : n/a
Status : In use
Name meaning : After Captain Robert Andrew Wauch, who had a land grant at the site of the town of Wauchope
Notes : Opened with a 485 metre central interlocked crossing loop. The original Up side platform was 91.4 metres long, later increased to 146.3 metres. A goods shed was provided (which still exists). The original timber station exists on a property in the district and has been replaced. 1913 - during construction a coal stage was built along with an 18.2 metre turntable, it is likely that water was sourced from the nearby Hasting River. The police station on the Up side of the yard was converted into the SM's house and opposite in Wallace St a railway boarding house (at 27) and two railway houses (29 & 31) were constructed. 15/6/1919 the coal stage and turntable relocated to Macksville. 1936 - a 5 tonne yard jib crane was installed. 1943 - additional timber loading facilities provided. 1949 - the station was lit by electricity, the yard followed in 1952. At one point the location was the busiest timber loading facility on the network. In the mid 70s a warehouse was built for Arnott's on the Down side goods siding and a cement storage silo still exists and is in use. The location has a 474 metre crossing loop, 300 metrte stock siding and a 275 metre goods siding that serves the cement silos.
George Maurer with his daughter Billie & a friend on the Wauchope railway bridge (undated) (WHS)
Early 1950s - Wauchope yards looking south
1915, cutting the ribbon at the opening of the Wauchope station.
1956, first load of rutile from Port Macquarie being loaded at Wauchope (WHS)
Wauchope, 1924 - one of the locals hard at work mowing 🙂
Rail tractor, wauchope (Corrinne Boon)
The Up or south end of the Wauchope yard. I started work in Wauchope in 1978 and this buffer was like this then. It's has a hard shunt to lay it back like that and snap the rails. (Syd Ramsay)
Wauchope rail, log yard. Jib crane loading log on rail truck. (Forestry Commission of NSW)
Wauchope railway bridge (Craig Williams)
1968 floods, Wauchope (Jeni Ballard)
Wauchope, 1970 (Bill Blannin Collection)
Wauchope, 1982 (Greg Lee)
Wauchope, 1982 (Greg Lee)
Wauchope (undated)
The "White Train" School children queuing to see displays - Wauchope, NSW (SLNSW)
Wauchope station nearing completion prior to opening.
Wauchope yards, the large building behind the cement trucks was the Arnott's depot in the 70s and 80s.
Wauchope, prior to 1920
Wauchope - goods shed
Forestry - Australia's largest logging yard and rail siding - Wauchope, NSW. Carrabean brushwood logs being loaded. This timber is mostly used for mouldings and household fittings [photographic image] / photographer, W Brindle. 1 photographic negative: b&w, acetate
January 18th 2019.
Photo taken by Brian Leedham.
The photo shows the official opening of Wauchope Railway Station on 12th April 1915
Elevated water tank at Wauchope (undated) (SRA)
Wauchope, 1927 (Billy Maurer)
Opening of Wauchope (1915, SLNSW)
Wauchope station - Wauchope is still a major stop on the NCL and once had the largest timber loading setup in the state. Five sidings have been removed (prior to the early 1970s) as has the turntable and tank (both were located in the upper right of the yard). The station opened in 1915.
Undated image of Wauchope station (SLNSW)
Souvenir china, Wauchope Railway Bridge (circa 1916) - housed at Wauchope Museum
Republic truck at Wauchope railway yards unloading wooden grinds - Wauchope, NSW (copyright expired)
This still existed (and was in use) in the yards in the 1970s
X101 at Wauchope, 6 August 1979 - I remember this little beast well (I lived opposite the station) - we had a couple of boarders (young guys in their early 20s) that worked at the Trackfast depot and one of them used to "take it for a spin" most days.
Wauchope - loading logs (undated, Forestry Commission)
Unloading at the Wauchope Railway Sheds. (undated, Port News)
Wauchope, late 1970s (Tony McLaughlin
Wauchope, 1965 (Chris Sim)
Wauchope, 1985 (Gary Nicolle)
Wauchope station (1980s) (Port Macquarie News)
Original Wauchope station being removed to Rolands Plains in 1990 - the building remains in use as a house. (Port Macquarie News)
Demolition of Wauchope station in 1989
Circa 1946 - Wauchope crossing gates and gatekeeper (Peter Graham)
Wauchope railway bridge - 1940s (uncredited)
Forestry siding at Wauchope station, 1944 (Forestry NSW)
Opening of the Wauchope railway bridge (SLNSW)
December 1943. A bullock team in the Wauchope yards (SLNSW)
Wauchope, undated (State Archives)
1960, old railway dam at Wauchope. The area today is the southern end of Andrews park, the vacant lot with the trees is the location of the Catholic Church
Wauchope (undated, State Archives)
Southern end of Wauchope yards, 1916 (ARHS)
December 1943. A bullock team in the Wauchope Rail Yard (Mitchell Library)
Southern end of Wauchope yards, 1916 (ARHS)
October 1953. The North Coast Daylight Express at Wauchope. (ARHS)
NT41, Wauchope, 15/11/1984 (Munro)
NL26 at Wauchope, 15/11/1984 (Munro)
Goods trains at Wauchope, 12/8/82 (Buckland)
X101 shunting at Wauchope, 1/11/1976 (Munro)
Wauchope yards, 1959 (C Winney)
NT4 at Wauchope, 15/11/1984 (Neil Munro)
9/12/1967 - X102 in Wauchope
Wauchope (20/2/2023) (Lance Lyon)
Remains of the Wauchope railway dam (in what is now Andrews Park). This photo was taken in 1960. The dam was (as far as I'm aware) never actually used and was pretty much a dumping ground for the nearby timber mill. It was completely removed in 1971 with the construction of the park (State Archives of NSW)
Noel Smith, gatekeeper at Wauchope between 1946 and 1950 (Jenny Hollis photo)
12/8/1982 a Down stock train waits in the loop at Wauchope as am Up goods passes on the main line. To the right can be seen the (now vanished) #1 Timber Siding which once upon a time was the access siding for the car shed (later extended). (Buckland Collection)
Wauchope - 12/6/23 (Lance Lyon)
Wauchope, 11/6/23 (Lance Lyon)
Wauchope's standing water pipe - 11/6/23 (Lance Lyon)
Wauchope rail bridge, undated, but likely not long after completion.
Vintage train at Wauchope, 25/9/1965 (State Archives)
Original Wauchope station being removed to Rollands Plains, early 1990s
Wauchope 30/9 (Lance Lyon)
Wauchope, 1950s, courtesy Ted Adams
X102 at Gosford on 5th October 1966. Transfer to Wauchope.
4856 stands @ Wauchope with 17 wagons for 750 tonnes on 6122, the loco was sent south from Grafton solo due to the complete failure of a 82 class & is waiting for the down pick up to arrive where a 82 class will be detached & attached to the front of the train for the remainder of the journey south 22.01.2000
Greg Riddel
Wauchope Station notes:
44210 hauls a very late running NT4 (due to total failure of XP 2000) on Monday 15-11-1993, the house to the right of the train is Wauchope's first Police Station/Court House later used as the Station Masters residence.
Photo by Terry Williams
Greg Riddel.
Wauchope railway bridge, 18/3/2023 (Craig Williams Photography)
This wagon (photographed at Wauchope) is in part of the consist of 6124F above.
Photo Phil Collins.
8181 stands @ Wauchope station with the Commissioner's-Executive train waiting to cross a down freight led by 8135.
Photo Terry Williams.
8181 stands @ Wauchope platform with the commission's-Executive train, to the right on the other side of the platform timber siding no 3 can be seen along with timber sleepers stacked ready for loading into rail wagons which are yet to arrive, the loading crane can be seen in the background.
Track machine's are in the transit siding whilst X104 (which is a story within itself) is in the goods siding.
The crossover in the foreground has since been removed.
Photo Terry Williams.
8135 takes the loop @ Wauchope with a down freight crossing the Commissioner's-Executive train coincidentally 8135 is the first 81 class on the North Coast with 4506 & DMC 1902 on Tuesday the 2/08/1988 with 6319 27 for 1807 tonnes, the 45 was manned & for assistance purposes only if required.
Photo Terry Williams.
PHA 2395 power van which consists of 3 sections including a large luggage space, a kitchenette/sitting room for the guard & a generator room with 3 large generators producing 125kW.
Photo Terry Williams.
AAH9 Commissioner's Carriage (new version)
Photo Terry Williams.
AAH 7 Attendant's carriage.
Photo Terry Williams.
AAH8 Officers inspection carriage.
Photo Terry Williams.
AAH19 formerly AAH9 Commissioner's carriage (old version)
Photo Terry Williams.
There once was a time when even rail used rail to transport everything required for track maintenance including major bridge components all jewellery & turnout rails with scrap being sent back in open wagons.
Bridge components at Wauchope in the early 90's ready for weekend upgrading works between Telegraph Point & Kempsey (replacing old timber trestle approaches to steel truss bridges) in preparation for the regular running of the heavier 81 class locomotives which at this stage have only been on the Coast for trail purposes.
Greg Riddel.
Disused X 200 rail tractor X 104 hard up against the buffer stop at Wauchope.
9-10-1998. (Greg Riddel)
NRNX formerly NRY/NRNY at Arnott's Biscuits 🍪 Wauchope distribution centre in 1988. (Greg Riddlel)
Shunting at Wauchope, 1950s (Ted Adams)
Late 80's before the goods shed has been modified for Trackfast use, and also timber sidings no 1 & no 2 are still in place as well as timber siding no 3 out of view at the southern platform end all on the up side.
Wauchope goods shed, Platt's transport shed is to the left & Perway plates are in the 200l drums, Arnott's Biscuits 🍪 warehouse is still in use & also present is X200 class "X104".
Greg Riddel.
60 series NQIX ex louvre van under-frame with 2 large milk pots 🥛awaiting positioning for loading by X200 class rail tractor (siding to the left) at Hastings Dairy.
8019 & a 45 class lead 6280 The TNT 🧨 train thru Wauchope at 100kph early one Saturday morning in the late 80's, Arnott's Biscuits 🍪 warehouse is still in operation & X102 is in the Timber siding with milk pots 🥛 also stowed in the siding is a SKB mail van.
Greg Riddel (Greg Riddel)
Special Train Notice:
NL 81 has terminated at Wauchope & 4490 run around to form NL 82 which has been stowed in the Timber siding Wauchope on Saturday 6-04-1996, this train being a RTM special to Timbertown museum, with the driver on this occasion being the late Ross Blanch.
Greg Riddel
Freightrail era:
Track evaluation car ML 039
stowed in the number 3 timber siding at Wauchope.
This car preceded AK 812 before being replaced by the current (ex FAM sleeping carriages) AK cars.
Circa mid 90's.
Photo John Barrett
Wauchope flooding, 1968 (Mid North Coast Libraries)
Wauchope swimming baths and railway bridge. Circa 1938.
Photo credit: Wauchope District Historical Society.
Site of former weigh bridge leading to Wauchope goods shed.
17-09-2024 (Greg Riddel)
EVC 1511 & EVA 1503 in the no 3 timber siding Wauchope.
Circa 1988
(Greg Riddel)
Local Control Panel Wauchope (27)
Panel disconnected & traffic room/office now being used as a storage room (hence the angle of the photo)
No 1 2 & 3 timber sidings as well as the crossover from the loop to main have been blanked out with black tape after their removal in the mid to later 2000's.
This panel would be switched into local to allow station staff to shunt the yard when there was way more traffic on offer than just cement.
9-03-24
Greg Riddel
X 102 with shunters float.
Wauchope
Circa 1980's (Greg Riddel)
X 102 unmodified goods shed & old timber edge platform facing.
Circa 1980's (Greg Riddel)
Wauchope Goods shed down side looking North East.
Circa 1980's (Greg Riddel)
X 200 class X 104.
Circa later 90's (Greg Riddel)
X 200 class - X 104 looking a little worse for wear as there is only the cement traffic left to shunt.
Circa early 2000's (Greg Riddel)
Sydney Mail, 23/12/1931
6590 enters the loop at Wauchope to avoid the station platform.
14-4-96 (Greg Riddel)
The museum train is stowed in the timber siding, 6382 is holding the main line while 4468 on & a down goods passes via the loop, the trolley shed is still intact as are the stock yards & wagons other than cement are in the sidings.
Circa 1988
(Greg Riddel)
Wauchope goods yard: of note 📝 the sidings are well used being shunted virtually every day such was the amount of intrastate traffic, milk 🥛 is attached on Sundays to 6116 as there is no regular pick up.
Circa 1988
(Greg Riddel)
6369 is leaving Wauchope with all traffic north of the NGGF sugar wagon (left hand side) being handed to road transport on a silver plater.
Milk 🥛 pots are in the timber siding.
Circa 1988
(Greg Riddel)
Economic Rationalisation at work
Razor gang aboard AAH 19 who's job it is to cut train crews, perway staff, rationalise goods rolling stock & shed most intrastate freight at the direction of the Government.
Contrary to popular belief road transport did not take the remaining freight from rail, it was gifted to them by the rail authorities.
The manager at Hastings Milk 🥛 was furious but I'll cover that in another post.
Circa 1993
Photo Terry Williams
NT32 arriving at Wauchope, 30/12/2024 (Lance Lyon)
Wauchope, 30/12/2024 (Lance Lyon)
Wauchope, 29/12/2024 (Lance Lyon)
Aresco truck placer:
Currently used at Wauchope for shunting cement wagons, formerly used at Macksville by station staff for shunting wagons involved in the containerised Wirrimbi meat works meat meal traffic, transferred to Wauchope after the cessation of this traffic.
Greg Riddel
Wauchope, steam era (undated) (Ted Adams)
X102 shunts a rake of milk tankers Wauchope 1988 (Kim Armstrong)