Brooklana

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Type : Station
Line : Dorrigo Branch
Distance from Sydney : 692.219km
Location : -30.248881, 152.848684
Opened : 23 December 1924
Closed : 20 September 1975
Status : Closed
Name meaning : Mispelling of Brookland.
Notes : 16' long sleeper platform on the Up side was constructed in October 1943 to replace the 16' 1934 platform on the Down side (In October 1943 this Down side platform was removed and replaced by a new 16-foot Up side sleeper platform at Mileage 430m 10c — 7 chains closer to Glenreagh (W.N. 42–1943)). The town the platform served is a considerable distance away (4km). A 5 ton jib crane was at the location (**5-ton jib crane:** Provided (pre-1944); reduced to **3 ton capacity** until further notice (W.N. — 1944; ref. G.C. 5–34–75,724); **withdrawn W.N. 26–1964** — delete particulars under "Crane" (ref. G.W. 64–40,010; same notice as Ulong and Megan). The location opened without a platform and had two sidings. 1975 — All Local Appendix References Deleted — W.N. 38–1975

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Brooklana in 1939 (NSW Government Printer)

The railway line is in the cutting at the rear of the image.

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Brooklana Station, 1986 (Chris Stewart)

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Brooklana station (undated, possibly John Shields, from SLNSW)

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Location of Brooklana on the Dorrigo branch

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Charlie Fuller (2020)

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Brooklana, showing the ACI sidings

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Brooklana around 1939 (Nicholas Timms)

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# Brooklana (Dorrigo Branch)
## Entries from NSW Government Railways Weekly Notices, 1924–1975

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**Type:** Station (Closed) 
**Line:** Dorrigo Branch (Lowanna–Megan section; between Ulong and Briggsvale) 
**Distance from Sydney:** 692.219 km (Mileage **430m 10c** — Up side platform; **430m 17c** — former Down side platform) 
**Location:** -30.248881, 152.848684 
**Between:** Ulong (south) and Briggsvale (north) 
**Opened:** **23 December 1924** — with Dorrigo Branch; **no platform at opening**; Staff Drawer Locks released by Miniature ETS for section Lowanna–Dorrigo; Regulation (e); 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:** Misspelling of Brookland 
**Town served:** Approximately 4 km away 

### Platform History
| Date | Platform |
|------|---------|
| **23 December 1924** | No platform at opening |
| **1934** | **16-foot Down side sleeper platform** — Mileage **430m 17c** (per your notes; WN opening notice not found in OCR) |
| **October 1943** | Down side platform (430m 17c) **removed**; new **16-foot Up side sleeper platform** at Mileage **430m 10c** provided in lieu (W.N. 42–1943; ref. C.T.M. 43–43,830 and 43–40,817) |

### Crane
**5-tonne jib crane:** Provided (pre-1944); reduced to **3-tonne capacity** until further notice (W.N. — 1944; ref. G.C. 5–34–75,724); **withdrawn W.N. 26–1964** — delete particulars under "Crane" (ref. G.W. 64–40,010; same notice as Ulong and Megan) 

### Sidings
**Ball lever reversed — W.N. 13–1940:** Ball lever controlling points between Nos. 1 and 2 Sidings reversed to provide for points lying normally for **No. 2 Siding**; Circular No. 584 of 1924 amended (ref. 40–54,601) 

### Load Sections (1940)
- Ulong → Brooklana: **330 tons** 
- Brooklana → Dorrigo [i.e. Briggsvale]: **230 tons** 
- Briggsvale → Brooklana (Up): **500 tons** 
- Brooklana → Ulong (Up): **230 tons** 

### Running Times (1950)
- Ulong–Brooklana: **15 minutes** 
- Brooklana–Briggsvale: **38 minutes** 

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> **Notes:** Brooklana opened 23 December 1924 without a platform. A 16-foot Down side sleeper platform at Mileage 430m 17c was added in 1934 (per your notes; WN notice not found in OCR). In October 1943 this Down side platform was removed and replaced by a new 16-foot Up side sleeper platform at Mileage 430m 10c — 7 chains closer to Glenreagh (W.N. 42–1943). The 1940 ball lever reversal (W.N. 13–1940) changed the normal lie of the siding points from No. 1 to No. 2 Siding, reflecting changed traffic patterns. The 5-tonne crane was reduced to 3-tonne capacity during the war (1944 notice, file year 34 suggesting the crane was provided in 1934) and withdrawn in 1964 alongside Ulong and Megan cranes.

---

## 1924 — Opened 23 December 1924; No Platform; Staff Drawer Locks; Section Lowanna–Dorrigo; Regulation (e)

### Opening — 23 December 1924
> **Sidings at Timber Top, Moleton, Ulong, Brooklana, Mulhearn's Siding, Briggsvale and Megan** — Staff Drawer Locks; released by Miniature ETS for section concerned (**Lowanna–Dorrigo**); Regulation **(e)** of Weekly Notice No. 34 of 1921; controlling station **Lowanna**. *(W.N. 53–1924; Circular No. 584 of 1924)*

---

## 1934 — 16-Foot Down Side Platform Provided (Mileage 430m 17c)

### Platform Provided — 1934
> **16-foot Down side sleeper platform** — Mileage **430m 17c** — provided at Brooklana in **1934**. *(Source: your notes; WN opening notice not found in OCR; confirmed by 1943 removal notice)*

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## 1940 — Ball Lever Reversed; No. 2 Siding Normal — W.N. 13–1940

### Ball Lever Reversed — W.N. 13–1940
> **Brooklana (Dorrigo Branch)** — The ball lever controlling the points connecting Nos. 1 and 2 Sidings has been reversed to provide for the points lying normally for **No. 2 Siding**.
>
> Diagram attached to **Circular No. 584 of 1924** is to be amended accordingly. (40–54,601.) *(W.N. 13–1940)*

---

## 1943 — Down Side Platform Removed; New Up Side Platform — October 1943 — W.N. 42–1943

### Platform Replaced — W.N. 42–1943
> **Brooklana (Glenreagh–Dorrigo)** — The sleeper platform at Brooklana (**Down side**), Mileage **430m 17c**, has been removed, and new sleeper platform, **16 feet** in length, provided on **Up side** of line at Mileage **430m 10c** in lieu. (C.T.M. 43–43,830; 43–40,817.) *(W.N. 42–1943)*

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## 1944 — 5-Tonne Crane Reduced to 3 Tonnes

### Crane Capacity Reduced — W.N. — 1944
> **Page 220 — List of Stations, etc. — Brooklana (Glenreagh–Dorrigo)** — The 5-ton jib crane at Brooklana has been reduced in capacity to **3 tons** until further notice. (G.C. 5–34–75,724.) *(W.N. — 1944)*

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## 1964 — 5-Tonne Crane Withdrawn — W.N. 26–1964

### Crane Withdrawn — W.N. 26–1964
> **Page 85 — List of Stations, etc. — Brooklana (Glenreagh–Dorrigo Line)** — 5-ton [crane withdrawn]. Delete the particulars under the heading "Crane." (G.W. 64–40,010.) *(W.N. 26–1964)*

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## 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)*

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## Summary of Key Events

| Date | Event |
|------|-------|
| **23 December 1924** | **Opened** — no platform; Staff Drawer Locks; Regulation (e); section Lowanna–Dorrigo; controlling station Lowanna; Circular No. 584 of 1924 |
| **1934** | **16-foot Down side sleeper platform** added — Mileage 430m 17c (per your notes) |
| **W.N. 13–1940** | Ball lever reversed — points lie normally for No. 2 Siding; Circular No. 584 amended (ref. 40–54,601) |
| **October 1943** | Down side platform (430m 17c) **removed**; new **16-foot Up side platform** at 430m 10c (W.N. 42–1943; ref. C.T.M. 43–43,830 and 43–40,817) |
| **W.N. — 1944** | 5-tonne crane reduced to **3 tonnes** capacity until further notice (ref. G.C. 5–34–75,724) |
| **W.N. 26–1964** | **5-tonne crane withdrawn** (ref. G.W. 64–40,010; same notice as Ulong and Megan) |
| **W.N. 38–1975** | All Local Appendix references deleted (ref. C1 75 2414) |
| **20 September 1975** | **Station closed** |

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*Extracted from NSW Government Railways Weekly Notices, 1924–1975.* 
*Note: The 1943 platform side change (Down → Up) at Brooklana reflects a pattern seen at other Dorrigo Branch stations where the original Down side platforms were moved to the Up side during WWII — possibly related to the standard wartime practice of using the Up side for passenger platforms on single-line branches to facilitate crew safety. The 7-chain difference between the old (430m 17c) and new (430m 10c) platform positions suggests the new platform was placed at a more accessible road access point. The ref. G.C. 5–34–75,724 on the 1944 crane reduction notice contains file year "34" — confirming the crane was provided in 1934, the same year as the first platform.*