Type : Loop
Line : North Coast Line
Distance from Sydney : 520.562km
Opened : 1 March 1934, signal box added 1935
Closed : n/a
Status : In use, signal box removed 1983
Name meaning : Corruption of the Parish name of Tanban, the local school used the same name 34 years prior to the railway being built.
Notes : Opened with a central interlocked loop 404 metres long on the Up side. The location is some 10km from the location to the north and initially no passenger services were provided, however in August 1935 a 6.09 metre sleeper platform with a waiting shed was constructed for passengers on the Down side of the line opposite the signal box that was built at the same time.
Tamban signal box (David McGrath)
Tamban (1991, David Johnson)
The points looking south (6/9/2014). The new sleepers can be seen at left. There was a signal box in the early days. (Ian Douglas)
Tamban (1982, Greg Lee)
Tamban (Greg Lee)
Tamban, looking South. The light is fading on a Winter's afternoon, which is sort of appropriate, as the lights were soon to go out forever in Tamban signal box.
(Greg Lee)
Interior of the signal box (Greg Lee)
Interior (Greg Lee)
3531 crosses 4003 on the North Coast Daylight at Tamban (John Shields, undated)
Location of Tamban Loop
Tamban box, undated, uncredited
Fettlers at Tamban (undated, Barry Allan)
Tamban, undated
Tamban Loop, 1/7/1982 (State Archives)
Peter Neve :
A CROSS AT TAMBAN
Steam returned to the North Coast in December 1967 for a tour to Grafton and Dorrigo organised by the NSW Rail Transport Museum, with 3531 performing the honours on the main line from Taree. (Earlier, 3801 became the first of its class since 1948 to return to the North Coast, having hauled the train overnight to Taree.)
This scene could be anywhere, however you will need to take my word (for what little it is worth!) that the location is Tamban crossing loop, just north of Kempsey. N51 tour special is in the refuge for the cross with No. 26 up North coast Daylight Express, a truncated RUB.143 set, on this occasion hauled by 4003. At this time, the use of 40 class on the Daylight was a regular occurrence.
Memories rekindled. 🧐