Type : Station
Line : North Coast Line
Distance from Sydney : 339.320km
Opened : 5 February 1913
Closed : 18 September 1972
Status : Closed
Name meaning : Named after the county in England
Notes : 250' platform on Down side of the line, site had a loop siding that was removed 17th July 1929. A water tank existed at the site until 1965. At some point prior to 1961 the platform had been reduced to 80'. A1 platform building. Platform demolished 29 June 1975. There was an access road on the Down side of the platform. A signal box was shown on the opening of the line circular but it is not known if a building was
provided. If the building had been provided, the signal box would have been removed when the signals and interlocking machine were dispensed with in 1917, in conjunction with installation of Electric Staff working.
Location of Somerset
One of the very, very few mentions of Somerset (14/12/1928)
Graeme Kirkby:
What little I have of Somerset, cobbled together. Located at M.210-67, platform opened 2/1913, length 250 feet on Down side of line, a Loop siding that was there was removed in 7/1929. In 1930 there was shown in the Local Appendix a loco water tank with an 8" jib, 53 feet from Sydney end of platform and was shown as still being there in 6/1961. At this date the platform was shown as being just 80 feet in length. (reduced by 170 feet) Water was pumped up from the river, through a pipeline across the paddocks to the overhead railway tank.
Somerset water pump (Lorraine Jones)
Photo taken about 800 metres south of the location of Somerset station in 2004 by Kim Andronicus
Washpool Bridge Mount George side looking towards the location of Somerset station. (Photo: Oliver Fenning)
Somerset (Travis Walker) (1954)
Somerset station sign (Travis Walker). The sign is near to the station site.
Somerset pump house- photos courtesy Travis Walker
Water supply plan
Somerset tank
A view from NT-25, the Down "Grafton XPT" approaching the Manning river bridge, between Somerset and Mt. George, 31-5-2003. (Graeme Kirkby)