Type : Station
Line : Dorrigo Branch
Distance from Sydney : 688.028km
Location : -30.234628, 152.882366
Opened : 23 December 1924
Closed : 20 September 1975
Status : Closed
Name meaning : Taken from the area - a long view from a U shaped spur of land
Notes : The Up side platform was 20.1 metres in length. Ulong opened 23 December 1924 with the Dorrigo Branch as an unattended station. Staff Drawer Locks released by Miniature ETS for the section concerned (Lowanna–Dorrigo at opening; Lowanna–Megan after the November 1925 split). Controlling station Lowanna. Down side goods siding extended 90 feet toward Dorrigo on 5 May 1926 — Frame "B" moved a corresponding distance (W.N. 18–1926). A 66-foot loading bank was provided alongside the Down side siding in the same period (W.N. 23–1926; ref. V.24–20,443). 5 ton crane decommissioned 1964 (W.N. 26–1964). All Local Appendix references deleted W.N. 38–1975 alongside Timber Top, Lowanna, Brooklana, Lloyd, Cascade, Briggsvale, Megan and Leigh.
Ulong station in 2011 (Robert Cook)
17th April 1954, 1954 shunts at Ulong before heading to Glenreagh with a mixed train (N Reed)
1954 was a stalwart on the line for many years - having a short wheelbase and no leading bogie, the locomotives had a tendency to derail and they were ultimately restricted to a maximum speed of 40 km/h and relegated to shunting and branch line traffic. Driven slowly, they could negotiate the most appalling curves and badly maintained or unballasted tracks. They were therefore ideal in goods yards, such as Darling Harbour and Port Waratah with the last two withdrawn from the latter in August 1972. Branch lines such as those to Dorrigo, Batlow and Oberon where grades of up to 1 in 25 (4%) and curves as sharp as 100.6 m (5 chains) radius could be encountered were ideal for this class and these were the only locomotives permitted on these lines until dieselisation.
Ulong Station as it was 38 years ago. 24th December 1984.
Gwen Cowling photo
Ulong (David Johnson)
Siding at Ulong in 2009 ( emddl41)
Ulong station, 2017 (copyright Explored Visions by GD)
Ulong station, 2017 (copyright Explored Visions by GD)
Ulong (Dorrigo branch) (1950s) (Margaret Anne Black), heading to Dorrigo for TB clinic appointments.
Location of Ulong station (Dorrigo branch) (Six Maps)
Ulong station (undated) (Jeanette Egan)
Ulong (undated) (uncredited)
Ulong area (Dorrigo branch), undated (Angeline Timms)
Ulong station in 1980 (Coffs Collection)
Ulong station in 2011 (Robert Cook)
A photo taken by my Dad on 7-5-1990. Dorrigo Rail Museum rollingstock stored at Ulong. (Graeme Kirkby)
Richards Gwilym
Ulong railway station 1st of February 2018 Glenreagh to Dorrigo railway line
Peter Lee:
4816 shunting at Ulong on the morning of 27 October 1972. This photo is from Marie Howlett's collection, Marie being the daughter of the driver, Vince Shipman. I think I can safely surmise that the photo was taken by Peter Holdom, as he travelled on this train, and took numerous photos along the way.
Thanks to Marie for sharing this photo, and thanks to Beth. Oh, and thanks also to Peter Holdom for taking the photo.
Beth Scaysbrook
My father, George Scaysbrook, loading his sleepers at Ulong
Ulong Railway Station. 1st of April 2023 (Richard Gwilym)
If memory serves me correctly, the village of Ulong is the largest settlement along the line between Glenreagh and Dorrigo. This pic dates to 1980, does the station building still exist? The young lady who happened along appeared to have made the closed line into a railtrail for afternoon exercise. (Chris Sim)
Ulong 13/10/2024 (Ted Brewer)
Ulong, 1960s (Beth Scaysbrook)
# Ulong (Dorrigo Branch)
## Entries from NSW Government Railways Weekly Notices, 1924–1975
---
**Type:** Station (Closed)
**Line:** Dorrigo Branch (Lowanna–Ulong / Ulong–Brooklana section; within Lowanna–Megan section)
**Distance from Sydney:** 688.028 km (approximately Mileage 432m–433m)
**Location:** -30.234628, 152.882366
**Between:** Lowanna (south) and Brooklana (north)
**Opened:** **23 December 1924** — with Dorrigo Branch; Staff Drawer Locks released by Miniature ETS for section concerned; Circular No. 584 of 1924; controlling station **Lowanna**
**Closed:** **20 September 1975** (per your notes); all Local Appendix references deleted W.N. 38–1975 (ref. C1 75 2414)
**Status:** Closed
**Name meaning:** Taken from the area — a long view from a U-shaped spur of land
**Platform:** **20.1-metre (66-foot)** Up side
**Goods Siding:** Down side; extended **90 feet toward Dorrigo — 5 May 1926** — Frame "R" moved corresponding distance (W.N. 18–1926)
**Loading Bank:** **66-foot loading bank** alongside Down side siding — W.N. 23–1926 (ref. V.24–20,443)
**5-tonne crane:** Decommissioned **1964** — W.N. 26–1964: delete 1–5 from crane column (alongside Brooklana and Megan in same notice)
**ETS section:** Within Lowanna–Megan section (after 1925 split); Lowanna controlling station
**Running times (1950):** Lowanna–Ulong: **12 minutes**; Ulong–Brooklana: **15 minutes**
---
> **Notes:** Ulong opened 23 December 1924 with the Dorrigo Branch as an unattended station. Staff Drawer Locks released by Miniature ETS for the section concerned (Lowanna–Dorrigo at opening; Lowanna–Megan after the November 1925 split). Controlling station Lowanna. Down side goods siding extended 90 feet toward Dorrigo on 5 May 1926 — Frame "R" (the frame letter is unusual; possibly a misread OCR of Frame "B") moved a corresponding distance (W.N. 18–1926). A 66-foot loading bank was provided alongside the Down side siding in the same period (W.N. 23–1926; ref. V.24–20,443). 5-tonne crane decommissioned 1964 (W.N. 26–1964). All Local Appendix references deleted W.N. 38–1975 alongside Timber Top, Lowanna, Brooklana, Lloyd, Cascade, Briggsvale, Megan and Leigh.
---
## 1924 — Opened 23 December 1924; Staff Drawer Locks; Circular No. 584; Controlling Station Lowanna
### Opening — 23 December 1924
> **Sidings at Timber Top, Moleton, Ulong, Brooklana, Mulhearn's Siding, Briggsvale and Megan** — The whole of the Lever Frames at these Sidings are fitted with **Staff Drawer Locks**, and released by Miniature Electric Train Staffs direct for the section concerned. Controlling station: **Lowanna**. *(W.N. 53–1924; Circular No. 584 of 1924)*
---
## 1926 — Goods Siding Extended 90 Feet — 5 May 1926; Loading Bank 66 Feet — W.N. 23–1926
### Siding Extended — W.N. 18–1926
> **Pages 301–302 — Ulong (Dorrigo Branch) — Extension of Goods Siding** — On **Wednesday, 5th May, 1926**, between 8.0 a.m. and 4 p.m., the Goods Siding at Ulong will be extended **90 feet** towards Dorrigo, and Frame **"R"**, which works this connection, will be moved a corresponding distance. *(W.N. 18–1926)*
### Loading Bank — W.N. 23–1926
> **Page 49 — Ulong (Glenreagh–Dorrigo Branch)** — A Loading Bank, **66 feet** in length, has been provided alongside the Siding on the **Down side**. (V.24–20,443.) *(W.N. 23–1926)*
---
## 1950 — Running Times; Ulong in Section Table
### Running Times — 1950
> **Dorrigo Branch:** Lowanna–Ulong: **12 minutes**; Ulong–Brooklana: **15 minutes**. *(Source: 1950 Weekly Notices — Working Timetable running times)*
---
## 1964 — 5-Tonne Crane Decommissioned — W.N. 26–1964
### Crane Deleted — W.N. 26–1964
> **Page 87 — Stations, Platforms and Sidings — Accommodation Provided — Glenreagh–Dorrigo Branch** — Brooklana — delete 1–5 [crane]; **Ulong** — delete **1–5** [crane]; Megan — delete 1–5. *(W.N. 26–1964)*
---
## 1975 — All Local Appendix References Deleted — W.N. 38–1975
### All References Deleted — W.N. 38–1975
> **Page 174 — Stations and Platforms, etc. — Glenreagh–Dorrigo Branch** — Delete Timber Top, Lowanna, **Ulong**, Brooklana, Lloyd, Cascade, Briggsvale, Megan, Leigh and relevant distances. (C1 75 2414.) *(W.N. 38–1975)*
---
## Summary of Key Events
| Date | Event |
|------|-------|
| **23 December 1924** | **Opened** — 20.1-metre Up platform; Staff Drawer Locks; Circular No. 584 of 1924; controlling station Lowanna; section Lowanna–Dorrigo (later Lowanna–Megan) |
| **5 May 1926** | **Goods Siding extended 90 feet toward Dorrigo** — Frame "R" moved corresponding distance (W.N. 18–1926) |
| **W.N. 23–1926** | **66-foot loading bank** provided alongside Down side siding (ref. V.24–20,443) |
| **W.N. 26–1964** | **5-tonne crane decommissioned** — deleted from accommodation table |
| **W.N. 38–1975** | All Local Appendix references deleted alongside other Dorrigo Branch stations (ref. C1 75 2414) |
| **20 September 1975** | **Station closed** |
---
*Extracted from NSW Government Railways Weekly Notices, 1924–1975.*
*Note: The frame designation "Frame R" in the 1926 siding extension notice is unusual — this is likely an OCR misread of "Frame B" (the letter B occasionally being misread as R in the 1920s typeface). It is the only "Frame R" designation found in the entire North Coast collection. The loading bank (W.N. 23–1926) and siding extension (W.N. 18–1926) were carried out within the same month, suggesting a coordinated upgrade of Ulong's timber handling facilities in May–June 1926. The 5-tonne crane deleted in the same W.N. 26–1964 notice that removed cranes from Brooklana and Megan confirms a simultaneous decommissioning of cranes across three Dorrigo Branch stations in 1964.*