Condong Mill

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Type : Mill/other
Line : Murwillumbah Branch
Distance from Sydney : 938.603km
Opened : 6th December 1894 as a loop siding, extended to mill 24th December 1894
Closed : January 1975
Status : closed
Name meaning : Unknown
Notes : Closed due to condemned timber bridge. 938.603 end of Authority line. 938.980 dead end.

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Location of Condong

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The mill at Condong

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243 on Vintage Tour Train, Condong Sugar Mill line (Murwillumbah), 29 Aug 1964. (Lindsay Bridge)

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From a sugar industry information poster showing the now closed Condong Mill extension (NSW) with both NSWGR steamer and 610mm tramway traffic (c 1965-68). Published by ARHS as the front cover for the March 1998 Bulletin and likely also published by LRRSA.  From the Peter Cokley collection.

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Condong mill sugar tramlines (showing the rail extension from the mill to Murwillumbah) (1966, ARHS)

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Condong Mill, 1918

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Crossing loop near Condong Mill, 1999

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4818 on the Condong Mill extension, 16/8/62 (Dale Budd)

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Peter Neve :

In my "Steam on the North Coast in 1969 -2" posted on 30/05 last, I illustrated with scanned colour slides, the exploits of 3326 hauling a tour train to Murwillumbah and Condong. The last part of the trip from Murwillumbah to Condong was made on sunset, so I was not able to take any colour slides. However, in the dying rays of the setting sun, one photo stop was held along the extension, while I was able to grab another on arrival at the Condong terminus before 3326 ran around its train. I've now located those b&w negatives which have been scanned.
From the second of the images posted now, I really under-estimated the growth at the end of the line. I'm sure that no respectable Track Inspector (or Ganger in those days) would have permitted a locomotive to traverse those tracks, but obviously 3326 was about to do so. The run-round loop can just be discerned in the background.
To set the scene, I'll repeat one paragraph from my original post ...
"As with any respectable RTM tour, the train HAS to run to the end of the line, which meant a trip to Condong Mill before dinner! My diary notes advise that the 2 mile extension had not been used since the end of the 1968 cane season in the previous December although a light engine had been sent out the previous week to retrieve some CT four-wheel cane trucks stowed there – otherwise 3326 would not have been able to run around. While the main line to the mill was reasonably clear of growth, such could not be said for the weighbridge (arrival) road which had grass up to the running board. Of course, the run-round loop had recently been resleepered! Whether 3326 had hollow tyres or it was the oily squashed grass on the track, 3326 (now running tender-first) had extreme adhesion difficulties – the first 30-feet of the return journey taking some 12 minutes!"
For about half of the 2km extension, the line ran parallel to what is now called the Tweed Valley Way, but at the time, I think it formed part of the main Pacific Highway to Brisbane. The extension was unfenced. A few words in the captions.
Gasping in horror at the condition of the track!
Enjoy!? 😀😀🧐