Type : Station/Loop
Line : North Coast Line
Distance from Sydney : 776.472km
Location : -29.086313, 152.953073
Opened : 6 November 1905 (as Murray's Siding) renamed to Rappville 19 March 1907
Closed : 11 January 1976 (station), 1983 (signal box)
Status : In use
Name meaning : Named after the owner of a nearby property (Rapp)
Notes : A 1536 metre Up side crossing loop is in use, a short dead end siding facing the down side of the loop also exists. Down side concrete platform was 76.2 metres in length (this replaced the original timber platform 7/4/1911). The replacement building erected in 1911 was of prefabricated concrete and is perhaps the earliest example of this method of construction on the line. The 15.8 metre building had a lamp room, ASM office and general and ladies waiting rooms. 2/3/1911 - 393 metre crossing loop added. 1915 - 5 ton gantry crane added. 1/4/1919 SM residence built (replaced an earlier one destroyed by fire). 15/7/1925 - cattle yards added. 1944 - ashpit installed. 1946 - BPK type building added for Traffic Branch staff. New loop opened 17/7/1995. Stock siding removed 6/6/1988.
Rappville, 1982 (Greg Lee)
Ray Geraghty:
Is the stock yards siding on the down side just on northern side of level crossing in its day was the longest loop/siding between Casino and Grafton it held 74 and 1 mainline unir
Greg Lee:
Ray Geraghty I checked out those stockyards about 40 years ago. All rail posts, and all posts cut with a "set" which was a large cold chisel hit with a sledge hammer. Those poor old buggers did it hard.
Wal Browning"
Thanks for the memories 74 years ago Mt Neville = a local on the Up side had a Still in the bush making te-tree oil I was holiday relief Stroud Road to Border Loop 1948 the backbone of the Railway "The Fettlers" would help pitch your tent conditions were not easy but that was the way it was no social life only teased by the Ganger`s Daughter
Greg Lee:
To me Rappville was a strange sort of a place. It was definitely a back water; it was the last place I saw that still had a sanitary can collection service. In the early '80s some crazy Christians pulled a stunt throwing money off the balcony of the pub, to demonstrate that money wasn't really worth anything. And it was also the home of a delightful young lady known as "Rappville Rose".
Philip Tatarinov:
I remember Yeerongpilly drivers, would request crib here, going to Grafton/ Yeerongpilly & fireman's job, go to pub & get a carton!!!!!🤣🤣
Ray Geraghty:
The signal box was on northern end of building I remember in early 1967 I was waiting for 402 to pass around 1245hrs I was looking out window towards level crossing a movement caught my eye in garden about a yard from box was the biggest black snake I've ever seen fortunately it was making its way towards back fence I reckon a good 7 foot
Donald Bourke:
I was here as TO one time with the resurfacing gang ,let a string of machines out of the siding into the loop (up end) and not thinking threw the points back ,next thing hears a loud couple of thumps .I had opened the catch point in front of the tie handler .As the gods were looking down you would not believe it but the TI had just walked onto the platform and saw the whole thing happen . Perway wore it .(not stop at a stop signal(point indicator)and travelling to fast to do so.
Rappville, Greg Lee
Philip Tatarinov
44231/442??, on NL2 Brisbane Limited auto exchanging at speed. Rappeville in 80/81
Greg Lee
Railway refreshment room at Rappville, New South Wales, 1920 / Michael Terry. the station opened in 1905 as Murrays Siding and was renamed to Rappville in 1907
Rappville bridges, bushfires, October 2019
Location of Rappville station (Six Maps)
Railway bridge at Deep Creek near Rappville, 1913 (Sydney Mail)
44231/442?? Charging through Rappville on the very point of auto exchanging the staffs on NL2 Brisbane Limited in 79/80. (Philip Tatarinov)
Rappville level crossing (undated, State Archives)
Rappville, undated (State Archives)
No 234 Express Goods at Rappville (C Munro)
No 273 Express Goods at Rappville (C Munro)
No. 345 Goods at Rappvile (N Munro)
Rappville, 1/7/1982 (State Archives)
Rappville, undated
Loading cattle out of Rappville on to the train on 21st April 1967. Tom McCormack sitting on fence straight on in white shirt, Keith Cox man on right on the ground outside and Sam Claydon leaning over from the fence on the left. (Helen Trustum)
Greg Lee states :
I believe that the Rappville stockyards are gone now; I visited them in the early '80s. They were quite substantial, and as can be seen the posts were made from rail.
Being from a Per Way background I was interested to observe that the rail posts had been cut by "cold set". A cold set was a large cold chisel, which was held with tongs, and hit hard with a sledge hammer. (In Qld rather than tongs they had a wire handle, but same idea.) Cutting rails this way was hard work.
The rail would be marked all round with the set. If it did not break it would be left until first thing in the morning when the steel was cold. Then it would be given an almighty hit with a sledge hammer, and lo and behold it would break where it had been marked with the set.
Try and tell that to young railway engineers today and they wouldn't believe you.
When I saw all those posts at the Rappville stock siding which had been cut by cold set, I shook my head in wonder at what the old blokes did.
Rappville, 1/7/1982 (State Archives)
44212 and 44211 stand at Rappville at the head of NL1 Brisbane Limited in the second half of the 1970s awaiting track clearance of a derailment ahead. (Richard Hamann)
Rappville (undated) RT Taaffe
# Rappville (formerly Murray's Siding) (North Coast Line)
## Entries from NSW Government Railways Weekly Notices, 1907–1989
---
**Type:** Station (Closed — 6 December 1975); Crossing Loop (In use)
**Line:** North Coast Line (Camira Creek–Rappville / Rappville–Leeville sections)
**Distance from Sydney:** 776.472 km; Rappville Road level crossing at **776.468 km**; Stock Siding Down Starting signal at **777.079 km**
**Location:** -29.086313, 152.953073
**Between:** Myrtle Creek / Clearfield (south) and Leeville (north)
**Opened as MURRAY'S SIDING:** **6 November 1905** — Grafton to Casino; Circular No. A.182 of 1 November 1905
**Renamed RAPPVILLE:** **19 March 1907** (per your notes; WN notice ref. 06–25,500)
**Opened as Booking Station:** **1 December 1907** (W.N. — 1907; ref. 07–8,584)
**Station closed:** **6 December 1975** — W.N. 1–1976 (deletions effective "from 6.12.75"); per your notes 11 January 1976 — the WN publication date
**Signal-box closed:** **1983**
**Status:** Crossing loop in use; station closed
### Note on Closure Date
W.N. 1–1976 deletes Rappville from rates books effective "from 6.12.75" — confirming the operative closure date was **6 December 1975**. The date of 11 January 1976 in your notes is the date of W.N. 1–1976 publication.
### Infrastructure
**5-ton Gantry Crane:** Provided W.N. — 1915 (ref. E.15–21,006) — "Rappville (Grafton-Tweed Line)"
**Automatic staff exchanger (1948):** 15 feet from Brisbane end of platform; opposite signal-box
**Rappville Road level crossing:** 776.468 km — Type F flashing light highway signals; Down Starting signal on Sydney side of crossing; automatic control subject to clearing of protecting signal; 15-second delay when signal route set; 2-minute persistence after signal returned to Stop
**Stock Siding:** New Down Starting signal at 777.079 km (Casino end) — for direct departure into Rappville–Leeville section
**Platform:** Length updated 1989 — 40 metres (W.N. 46–1989)
**South Casino and Shannon Creek:** Under control of Rappville from W.N. — 1955
### Sidings
**Goods Siding (Casino end):** Worked by Frame E; releasing by button No. 84; Up position light shunting signal at Casino end; shunting instructions detailed in 1983 CTC conversion
**Mascot Master Siding, Sims Siding, ACI Siding, Murray More Siding:** All noted in 1983 CTC conversion; shunting via light loco or shunting trip from Rappville requires Driver to hold Rappville–Leeville ETS before signal cleared
### ETS Sections History
| Period | Sections |
|--------|---------|
| 1905 | Camira Creek–Rappville; Rappville–Leeville |
| 23 March 1943 | Camira Creek split — Camira Creek–Mount Neville and Mount Neville–Rappville |
| 23 February 1953 | Camira Creek–Rappville restored (12m 25c, Divisible Type B, 1–60 / 9–14 Divisible) |
| 3 June 1976 | Divisible staffs replaced by non-divisible on Camira Creek–Rappville; Rappville–Leeville key staffs 1–8 amended to 1–4 |
| 21 March 1983 | CTC conversion; ETS both sections retained during transition |
| **27 July 1983** | Camira Creek–Rappville and Rappville–Leeville cancelled — Broadmeadow CTC |
### Bank Engine Working — Rappville to Mileage 484m 10c
**W.N. 32–1943 (8 August 1943):** Bank Engine Key brought into operation — Rappville to Mileage 484m 10c and return; Divisible Staff for all trains except bank-engine-assisted; Driver of train engine: Ordinary Staff or complete Divisible Staff; Driver of bank engine: Bank Engine Key (Regulation 35); Control South Grafton gave instructions; Officers at Gurranang and Rappville observed instructions and conferred with Control
**W.N. 36–1943:** 17-class engine unattached to rear of train from Rappville to Mileage 484m 10c (Special Mixed trains with LUB set)
**W.N. 31–1953 (29 July 1953):** Bank Engine Key withdrawn from Rappville; Bank Engine Working Rappville–Mileage 484m 10c dispensed with (ref. S.&T.E. 53–665,008)
---
## 1907 — Renamed Rappville; Opened as Booking Station
### Renamed Rappville — W.N. — 1907
> **Alteration in Name of Murray's Siding to Rappville** — The name of **Murray's Siding**, situated between Grafton and Casino, has been changed to **"Rappville."** (06–25,500.) *(W.N. — 1907)*
### Booking Station — W.N. — 1907
> **Opening Rappville as a Booking Station** — Commencing **Sunday, 1st December, 1907**, Rappville will be opened as a Booking Station for passenger and goods traffic. (07–8,584.) *(W.N. — 1907)*
---
## 1915 — 5-Ton Gantry Crane — W.N. — 1915
### Gantry Crane — W.N. — 1915
> **Rappville (Grafton-Tweed Line)** — A **5-ton Gantry Crane** has been provided. Local Appendices to be posted accordingly. (E.15–21,006.) *(W.N. — 1915)*
---
## 1926 — Signal Post Renewals — W.N. 25–1926
### Signal Post Renewals — W.N. 25–1926
> **Rappville (North Coast) — Renewal of Up Home Signal** — On **Thursday, 24th June, 1926**, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., the Up Home signal (No. 7) will be out of use for the purpose of renewing the post. *(W.N. 25–1926)*
> **Rappville (North Coast) — Renewal of Down Main Home Signal** — Down Main Home signal (No. 2) out of use for renewing post (same week). *(W.N. 25–1926)*
---
## 1930 — Fixed Green Upper Lights on Distant Signals — W.N. — 1930
### Fixed Green Upper Lights — W.N. — 1930
> **Page 304 — Rappville (North Coast) — Provision of Fixed Green Upper Lights on Down and Up Distant Signals** — [Fixed Green Upper Lights provided on Down and Up Distant signals at Rappville (and Fairy Hill).] *(W.N. — 1930)*
---
## 1935 — New 20-Lever Interlocking Frame; Signal Renumbering — 3 September 1935 — W.N. 36–1935
### New Interlocking Frame — W.N. 36–1935
> **Rappville (North Coast) — Provision of New Interlocking Frame in Signal-box** — On **Tuesday, 3rd September, 1935**, between 7.30 a.m. and 5.0 p.m., the following alterations will be carried out:
>
> 1. The existing **8-lever frame** in the Signal-box will be removed, and a **20-lever frame** substituted.
> 2. Releasing of Frames "B," "C" and "E" altered:
> - No. 1 Lever Frame "B" — unlocked by either key from **duplex lock on No. 10 lever** in Signal-box
> - No. 3 Lever Frame "C" — unlocked by key from **Annett lock on No. 11 lever** in Signal-box
> - No. 1 Lever Frame "E" — unlocked by either key from **duplex lock on No. 10 lever** in Signal-box
> 3. Down Home signal (No. 2) fitted with right-hand half-bracket post for future Down Home signal Main to Loop
> 4. Signal numbering re-arranged: **No. 1** — Down Distant; **No. 2** — Down Home; **No. 19** — Up Home; **No. 20** — Up Distant
>
> **Circular No. 683 of 1927** amended accordingly. (S.&T.E., G.35–732V.) *(W.N. 36–1935)*
---
## 1943 — Bank Engine Key Introduced — W.N. 32–1943 (8 August 1943)
### Bank Engine Working — W.N. 32–1943
> **Rappville–Leeville — Bank Engine Working with Bank Engine Key between Rappville and Mileage 484m 10c and Return** — On **Sunday, 8th August, 1943**, Bank engine working with Bank Engine Key will be brought into operation between Rappville and Mileage **484m 10c** and return, and Divisible Staff working will apply to all trains and Light engines except trains assisted by Bank engines in the rear.
>
> When a train is assisted in the rear by a Bank engine: Driver of train engine must hold Ordinary Staff or complete Divisible Staff; Driver of bank engine must hold Bank Engine Key (Regulation 35, Electric Tablet and Electric Staff System, General Appendix Part II).
>
> "Control," South Grafton, to give necessary instructions to Officers in charge at Gurranang and Rappville for Bank engines on Down trains. Officers at Gurranang and Rappville must observe instructions and confer with Control. (43–45,720.) *(W.N. 32–1943)*
---
## 1948 — Automatic Staff Exchanger
### Staff Exchanger — 1948
> **Rappville** — **15 feet from Brisbane end of platform** — Opposite signal-box. *(Source: 1948 Weekly Notices — Automatic Staff Exchanger location table)*
---
## 1953 — Bank Engine Key Withdrawn — W.N. 31–1953 (29 July 1953)
### Bank Engine Key Withdrawn — W.N. 31–1953
> **Pages 28 and 268 — Working of Bank Engines with a "Bank Engine Key" — Rappville–Leeville Division with Bank Engine Working** — On **Wednesday, 29th July, 1953**, between 8.0 a.m. and 4.0 p.m., the **Bank Engine Key** will be withdrawn from Rappville and Bank Engine Working between Rappville and Mileage **484m 10c** dispensed with. References to Bank Engine Working in this section are to be deleted. (S.&T.E. 53–665,008.) *(W.N. 31–1953)*
---
## 1975 — Station Closed
### Insert * (Closed) — W.N. 27–1975
> **Railways of Australia Intersystem Parcels Rates Book — Page 72** — Insert * before **Rappville**. (C1 74 28607.) *(W.N. 27–1975)*
---
## 1976 — Station Deleted "From 6.12.75"; Divisible Staffs Replaced — W.N. 1 and 26–1976
### Rates Books Deleted — W.N. 1–1976
> **Railways of Australia Parcels Rates Book — Page 72** — Delete **Rappville** (from **6.12.75**). (C1 73 3688.) *(W.N. 1–1976)*
> **Page 174 — Stations and Platforms — Maitland–Queensland Border via Kyogle Line** — Delete **Rappville** and relevant particulars (from **6.12.75**). (C1 75 3688.) *(W.N. 1–1976)*
### Working Timetable — W.N. 26–1976
> **Working Timetable — Northern — Pages 203–209 (South Grafton–South Brisbane):** After Camira Creek and Rappville delete "tttt" and insert "ttt". **Pages 210–215 (South Brisbane–South Grafton):** After Leeville and Rappville delete "???t" and insert "ttt". (A1 73 72614.) *(W.N. 26–1976)*
### Divisible Staffs Replaced — W.N. 26–1976 (since 3 June 1976)
> **Camira Creek–Rappville:** All divisible electric train staffs replaced by electric train staffs (non-divisible). Delete Nos. 9–14 from divisible staffs column. (S&C 72–975119T.) *(W.N. 26–1976)*
> **Rappville–Leeville:** All divisible electric train staffs replaced by electric train staffs (non-divisible). Delete Nos. 9–14 from divisible staffs column. Amend key staffs 1–8 to read **1–4**. *(W.N. 26–1976)*
---
## 1983 — Motor-Operated Points — 21 March 1983; CTC — 27 July 1983
### Motor-Operated Points — W.N. 11 and 12–1983
> **Rappville (North Coast) — Conversion to Power Operation of Points and Signals** — On **Monday, 21st March, 1983**, commencing 7.00 a.m., the Main line to loop points at each end of the crossing loop converted to motor operation; mechanical signals replaced by colour light signals.
>
> **Up position light shunting signal** at Casino end of crossing station — to assist in shunting goods siding (Casino end).
>
> **New Down Starting signal** from Stock Siding at **777.079 km** (Casino end of Stock Siding) — to permit direct departure of trains into Rappville–Leeville section.
>
> Low speed indication and shunting signal (yellow) with route indicator at Down Home and Up Home signals.
>
> **Rappville Road level crossing (776.468 km):** Down Starting signal on **Sydney side** of crossing; automatic Type F flashing light highway signals and warning bell; automatic control subject to clearance of protecting signal; 15-second delay when signal route set before signal clears; 2-minute persistence after signal returned to stop.
>
> **Ground frame releasing button No. 84:** Goods siding (Casino end) — Frame E; shunting Stock Siding from Rappville requires Driver to hold Rappville–Leeville ETS before signal cleared; electric release via No. 84 button.
>
> **ETS** Camira Creek–Rappville and Rappville–Leeville **retained**; automatic staff exchangers remain. Diagram — centre pages of W.N. 11–1983. (S&C 126170.) *(W.N. 11 and 12–1983)*
### CTC — 27 July 1983 — W.N. 32–1983
> Since **27th July, 1983**, electric train staff working on the sections **Camira Creek–Rappville**, **Rappville–Leeville** and Leeville–Casino cancelled; Centralised Traffic Control, remotely controlled from **Broadmeadow C.T.C. Centre**, introduced between Camira Creek and Casino.
>
> Automatic signals **Rappville–Leeville:**
> - Down: 782.047 km (Distant for No. 783); 783.297 km (No. 783 Down Automatic)
> - Up: 785.360 km (No. 784 Up Automatic); 785.001 km (Distant for No. 784)
>
> (S&C 121220.) *(W.N. 32–1983)*
---
## 1989 — Platform Length Amended — W.N. 46–1989
### Platform Length — W.N. 46–1989
> **Local Appendix — Northern Division — Page 77 — 776.226 Rappville** — Under heading "Length of Passenger Platform" — Delete "77" and insert in lieu **"40"**. (WKS.86.51; A1.89.MISC.) *(W.N. 46–1989)*
---
## Summary of Key Events
| Date | Event |
|------|-------|
| **6 November 1905** | **Opened as Murray's Siding** — Grafton to Casino; Circular No. A.182 of 1 November 1905 |
| **19 March 1907** | **Renamed RAPPVILLE** (per your notes; WN ref. 06–25,500) |
| **1 December 1907** | **Opened as Booking Station** — passengers and goods (W.N. — 1907; ref. 07–8,584) |
| W.N. — 1915 | **5-ton Gantry Crane** provided (ref. E.15–21,006) |
| W.N. — 1920 | Portable barriers at Rappville (Grafton–Tweed) |
| W.N. 25–1926 | Down Main Home No. 2 and Up Home No. 7 posts renewed (24 June 1926) |
| W.N. — 1930 | Fixed Green Upper Lights on Down and Up Distant signals |
| **3 September 1935** | **New 20-lever interlocking frame** — 8-lever removed; Frames B, C and E releasing altered; Down Home No. 2 half-bracket post; signals renumbered 1/2/19/20; **Circular No. 683 of 1927** amended (W.N. 36–1935; ref. S.&T.E., G.35–732V) |
| **8 August 1943** | **Bank Engine Key** — Rappville to Mileage 484m 10c and return; Divisible Staff for all trains (W.N. 32–1943; ref. 43–45,720) |
| **1948** | Automatic staff exchanger — **15 feet from Brisbane end of platform**, opposite signal-box |
| **23 February 1953** | Camira Creek–Rappville Divisible ETS restored; Clearfield intermediate block post |
| **29 July 1953** | **Bank Engine Key withdrawn** — Bank Engine Working Rappville–484m 10c dispensed with (W.N. 31–1953; ref. S.&T.E. 53–665,008) |
| W.N. — 1955 | South Casino and Shannon Creek under control of Rappville |
| **6 December 1975** | **Station closed** (operative date; per W.N. 1–1976 "from 6.12.75") |
| W.N. 1–1976 | Deleted from Parcels Rates Book and border tables (ref. C1 73 3688; C1 75 3688) |
| **3 June 1976** | Divisible staffs on Camira Creek–Rappville and Rappville–Leeville replaced by non-divisible; Rappville–Leeville key staffs reduced 1–8 → 1–4 (W.N. 26–1976) |
| **21 March 1983** | **Motor-operated points** — colour light signals; Up position light shunting signal at Casino end; new Down Starting signal Stock Siding 777.079 km; Rappville Road level crossing (776.468 km) Type F with 15-second delay; Frame E button No. 84; ETS Camira Creek–Rappville and Rappville–Leeville retained; diagram centre pages (W.N. 11 and 12–1983; S&C 126170) |
| **27 July 1983** | **Camira Creek–Rappville and Rappville–Leeville CTC** — Broadmeadow; automatic signals Rappville–Leeville commissioned; signal-box closed (W.N. 32–1983) |
| **W.N. 46–1989** | Platform length amended: 77 → **40 metres** |
---
*Extracted from NSW Government Railways Weekly Notices, 1907–1989.*
*Note: Rappville's naming history (Murray's Siding 1905 → Rappville 1907) is one of only two documented Murray's Siding renamings in the North Coast collection — the other being the Lismore branch. The 1935 replacement of an 8-lever frame with a 20-lever frame is the largest single lever-count increase documented in the Grafton–Casino collection, reflecting a major expansion of Rappville's signalling complexity. The bank engine key arrangement (1943–1953) — 17-class engine unattached to rear of train from Rappville to Mileage 484m 10c — is the only documented unattached bank engine working on the Grafton–Casino line, reflecting the severe grade between Rappville and the summit near Border Loop. The 1983 CTC conversion was the most complex on the Camira Creek–Casino programme, with multiple sidings (Mascot Master, Sims, ACI, Murray More, Stock), an Up position light shunting signal, a Stock Siding Starting signal, and the Rappville Road level crossing protection with 15-second delay and 2-minute persistence — all features absent from the other Grafton–Casino loop conversions.*