Manning River Siding

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4501+44202 performing shunting operations on the Manning River siding (aka Peter's Branch), 6 August 1994.  This siding saw regular milk pickup from the Peter's Creameries factory & Manning Co-op Dairy Soc.  It had also once served the towns BP depot, which at the time of these images no longer occured. (Chris Harrison)

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Driving around Taree in a back street very close to the main line when I saw council had cut back a lot of overgrown vegetation. This is part of the remains of the Manning river branch line about 300 metre from the main line junction. Most of the branch line track still exists for now but overgrown. FIrst pic looking towards the old Peters dairy, the second towards the tight curve to where the points were (2021 - Nigel Bissett)

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4848 shunts the Manning River branch at Taree in the 1970s (Steve Brien)

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Type : Siding
Line : North Coast Line
Distance from Sydney : 379.813km
Location : -31.901728, 152.467491
Opened : 9th March 1917
Closed : 2002
Status : Closed
Name meaning : After the Manning River
Notes: A 1.5km branch which left the main line and ran along the Manning River serving a number of local industries including Peters Creameries (later Allowrie Butter) and the Manning Co-op Dairy Society (later Dairy Farmers). Manning River Siding opened on 9 March 1917 as part of the broader Taree yard development coinciding with ETS installation on the Gloucester–Taree section. The siding ran approximately 1.5 km along the Manning River serving Peters Creameries, the Manning Co-operative Dairy Society, Chatham Sawmilling and other industries. From 13 July 1918 the terminal end (245 feet) was granted to the Taree Timber and Trading Company (Taree Timber Siding). Peters' Siding was later connected off the Down side of Manning River Siding from 18 September 1939. By 1944 the siding had been reconditioned (since 29 October 1943) and a Loop siding of 220 feet provided on the Up side near the Manning Co-op Dairy Society building. The gate in the boundary fence (from 8 May 1930, Circular No. 129 of 1926) required the Guard or Shunter to secure it for train passage and close it on completion. By 1975 direct telephone communication from Taree North Signal-box to the Manning River intermediate staff hut was in place, and a Pilotman's Key in Taree North Signal-box operated Frame A at Manning River during Pilot Working. By 1985 the siding was operated by electric release button No. 88 from the signalman (shunting signal 11(S)M for Down direction movements), with emergency release keys for multiple frames in the Traffic Room. The siding closed in 2002. Since **29th October, 1943**, Manning River Siding has been reconditioned throughout, and instructions on the subject in Weekly Notice No. 11 of 1937 are hereby cancelled. A **Loop siding, 220 feet in length** in the clear, is provided on the **Up side** of the siding on the **Taree side of the Manning River Co-op. Dairy Society Ltd building** (1944).

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The disadvantage of the location of the Taree Railway Station (opened February 1913) was its distance from the river which was still an important transportation network. In 1911 land was resumed for a siding from Taree station to the waterfront at Taree but this was not constructed.


A second siding was surveyed to the Manning River at Chatham (now a suburb of Taree). Although precise details of the rationale for the route have not been located, the undeveloped nature of the land at Chatham (less compensation to be paid) and access to deepwater moorings in the Manning River made the study area ideal to be developed as a connection between the North Coast line and the Manning River. The land was resumed by the Government from 1913 to 1916.


The original siding was opened on the 15th July 1918 and ran to the Upper Manning Co-operative Dairy Company's Dairy Factory. It is not clear what happened after the factory closed. However the siding was no doubt a factor in the decision of Peter's limited to construct their Ice Cream and Dairy Factory beside the line off Railway Parade at Chatham. Peters also use a wharf at North Street presumably to collect milk for their factory. It is not known how the milk was moved to the factory but it could have been by the old tramway as the route of the tramway was roughly along Railway Parade.


On the 18th October 1940 the Government sold the land along Pitt Street between North Street and Queen Street to the Manning River Co-operative Dairy Society Ltd for ₤1268 (Old System Bk 1880 f742). With the establishment of the Dairy factory the siding was reconditioned and from the associated plan (dated 1941) it seems that the track had been lifted and was now to be re-laid. The original siding was moved to the north to front the boundary along Pitt Street.


It is not clear to what extent the siding served the other industries that leased land from the Manning River Co-operative Dairy Society Ltd. There are unloading facilities for the produce sheds. There seems to be no remaining evidence of discharge facilities for the two fuel dumps or for the Readymix plant.


The siding was officially put out of use on the 10/11th February 2007 but most of the track remains in place

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1997 diagram

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Manning River branch from 3/11/22 (Mark Bennett)

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7317 shunting the branch, 4/8/86 (Munro)

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5393 on the siding, special passenger train, 25/9/1966 (Munro)

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7317 is returning to Taree with the afternoon milk run from the Manning River siding.  How times have changed.  One of the shunters rides back on the last wagon.  Due to the length of the train, 7317 was probably stopped on Browns creek bridge after exiting the Manning River siding.  No way the shunter could have got back on board the loco after completing safeworking duties to the siding, and it was a long walk anyway.  Of interest to note, the bracket signal in the distance is now sitting inside the carpark of Taree station.  This scene captured May 5 1985. (Chris Harrison)

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Construction photo, State Archives

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Manning River Siding - diagram

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Manning River Siding (Nigel Bissett, June 2023)

[Goldilocks]

The siding doesn't run along the Manning River, only after it passes under the old Pacific Hyw now Cresent Ave. First part of the Manning River Siding runs near Browns Ck

[Goldilocks]

Open as Taree Wharf Siding (no wharf) 9.3.1917,
Changed to Manning River siding 1.2.1926,