Oakhampton

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Down freight passing the rudimentary Oakhampton platform 26/11/1195 - the station was no longer an authorised stop at this point but was still used to pick up and set down schooll children (Munro Collection)

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26/11/1995 - 3801 leads a special tour train past Oakhampton.

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Oakhampton (hi res)

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Loading hay at Oakhampton, 1914

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Oakhampton in 2010 and 2023, the site of the one-time station and yards is now rather overgrown.

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# Oakhampton (North Coast Line)
## Entries from NSW Government Railways Weekly Notices, 1911–1989

---

**Type:** Station (Closed) 
**Line:** North Coast Line (West Maitland–Paterson section at opening; later Telarah–Mindaribba) 
**Distance from Sydney:** 198.960 km (198.956 km per 1975 and 1985 Weekly Notices) 
**Location:** -32.696116, 151.559437 
**Construction Name:** Huntingtower 
**Opened:** 14 August 1911 (with the opening of the Maitland–Dungog line) 
**Closed:** 20 October 1975 (W.N. 41–1975) 
**Status:** Closed 
**Name meaning:** After Oakhampton (town) in Devon, England — 32 km west of Exeter, meaning "Town on the River Okeement" 
**Station Brand:** OKH 
**Platform:** 76.2-metre Down side platform; timber B2 standard waiting shed; Cl closet and urinal at ground level at Up end 
**Goods Siding:** Up side loop siding at opening; abolished **9 March 1942** (W.N. 10–1942) 
**Post-closure:** Platform still used for school children into the early 2000s 

---

> **Notes:** Oakhampton opened on 14 August 1911 with the opening of the Maitland–Dungog line (construction contract let to Carson, Cary & Simpson on 28 April 1908). The construction name was Huntingtower. At opening, a Down side platform and an Up side loop siding were provided. The facing points in the Main line and the catch points at each end of the siding were secured by **Lever and Bracket Lock arrangements**, unlocked by the key on the Ordinary Train Staff for the section **West Maitland–Paterson**. No person was in charge — all consignments were prepaid under platform conditions, and passengers had to exhibit a green disc to the Driver by day or light the lamp at night to be picked up.
>
> The Up side goods siding (standing room 29 trucks) was abolished on **9 March 1942** — Frames A and B and connections removed (W.N. 10–1942). The station was deleted from all publications from **20 October 1975** (W.N. 41–1975), but trains 735 and 722 continued to call for school children and mail bags after that date. In 1985 all remaining references (Station No. NC2) were deleted. By 1989, the level crossing daily test responsibility transferred from SM Telarah to CTC Broadmeadow.

---

## 1911 — Opening; Station Brand; Working Instructions; Lever and Bracket Locks

### Maitland–Dungog Line Opened — 14 August 1911
> **Station sequence at opening:**
> West Maitland to Marshalling Yard — 9 miles; **Oakhampton — 3 miles**; Dunmore — 6 miles; Paterson — 12 miles; Martin's Creek — 16 miles; Hilldale — 21 miles.

*(Source: 1911 Weekly Notices — station sequence table)*

### Station Brand — OKH — 1911
> Station brands allotted:
> - **Oakhampton — OKH**
> - Dunmore — DMR
> - Paterson — PTR
> - Martin's Creek — MCH
> - Hilldale — HLD
> - Wallarobba — WLB
> - Wiragulla — WRG
> - Dungog — DXG

*(Source: 1911 Weekly Notices — station distinguishing brands)*

### Working Instructions — Unattended; Green Disc Required — 1911
> All consignments of traffic for **Oakhampton**, Dunmore, Martin's Creek, Hilldale, Wallarobba and Wiragulla must be **prepaid** and consigned under **platform conditions**. There are Sidings only at the Marshalling Yard, and passengers must not be booked thereto.
>
> Passengers wishing to proceed by trains authorised to stop at Oakhampton, Dunmore, Martin's Creek, Hilldale, Wallarobba and Wiragulla must **exhibit to the Driver a green disc by day, and light the lamp at night**; and Guards must, before leaving each station or platform at which the train stops, ascertain if there are any passengers in their train wishing to alight at intermediate platforms. *(Source: 1911 Weekly Notices)*

### Lever and Bracket Lock Arrangements — 1911
> **The Facing Points in the Main Line and the Catch Points at each end of the siding are secured by Lever and Bracket Lock arrangements.**
>
> The Lever and Bracket Lock arrangements at **Oakhampton and Dunmore** must be worked in accordance with Regulation "E" on page 27 of the General Appendix, the Bracket Locks being unlocked by key on the Ordinary Train Staff for the section **West Maitland–Paterson**. *(Source: 1911 Weekly Notices)*

---

## 1913 — Pick-up Goods; 15 Minutes Allowed at Oakhampton

### Goods Train Times — 1913
> **No. 17 Goods** is allowed time at intermediate places as follows: **Oakhampton, 15 minutes**; [other stations listed]. *(Source: 1913 Weekly Notices)*

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## 1920 — Pick-up Goods; 10 Minutes for Oakhampton and Mindaribba

### Pick-up Goods — 1920
> **No. 110** works all stations and sidings to Oakhampton inclusive. **Twelve minutes allowed to work Oakhampton and Mindaribba**. *(Source: 1920 Weekly Notices)*

### Return Tickets to Newcastle — 1920
> Return tickets at single fare and a quarter to be issued to Newcastle from Dungog, Oakhampton and intermediate stations. *(Source: 1920 Weekly Notices)*

---

## 1924 — 10 Minutes Allowed; Listed in Section Sequence

### Goods Shunting Times — 1924
> - No. 141 Goods: **Mindaribba, 7 minutes; Oakhampton, 10 minutes**; Martin's Creek Metal Quarry Sidings, 15 minutes
> - No. 142 Goods (Sundays): **Oakhampton, 10 minutes**; Martin's Creek Metal Sidings, 19 minutes

*(Source: 1924 Weekly Notices)*

---

## 1930 — Transfer of Control; Gang Set Down; Credit Account Closed

### Section of Line Oakhampton–Nooroo Transferred — W.N. — 1930
> From **Monday, 1st September, 1930**, the section of the line **Oakhampton to Nooroo, inclusive**, will be transferred [to a different administrative district]. *(Source: 1930 Weekly Notices)*

### Oakhampton — Gang Set Down on Sundays
> **Oakhampton** — trains call on Sundays to set down extra gang. *(Source: 1930 Weekly Notices)*

### Credit Account Closed — 1930
> The credit account at Oakhampton in favour of **Wilsons Granite and Gravels** has been closed. *(Source: 1930 Weekly Notices)*

---

## 1942 — Goods Siding Abolished — 9 March 1942

### Goods Siding Abolished — W.N. 10–1942
> **Oakhampton (North Coast) — Abolition of Goods Siding** — On **Monday, 9th March, 1942**, between 8.0 a.m. and 5.0 p.m., the Goods Siding at Oakhampton will be abolished. **Frames "A" and "B" and connections will be removed.** *(W.N. 10–1942)*

### Standing Room Deleted — W.N. 10–1942
> **Stations, Platforms and Sidings — North Coast:**
> - **Oakhampton** — Delete "29" under heading "Standing Room — Other Sidings"
> - **Mindaribba** — Delete "36" under heading "Standing Room — Other Sidings"

*(W.N. 10–1942)*

### Deleted from Intermediate Sidings — W.N. 10–1942
> **Intermediate Sidings — North Coast** — Delete "Oakhampton" and references thereto. *(W.N. 10–1942)*

---

## 1975 — Station Closed 20 October 1975; Trains Continue for School Children

### Station Closed — W.N. 41–1975
> **Page 71 — Oakhampton** [deleted].
>
> **Page 173 — Stations and Platforms, etc. — Maitland–Queensland Border** — Delete all reference to the following (from **20.10.75**): **Oakhampton**, Airdrie, Hilldale, Wiragulla. *(W.N. 41–1975)*

### Trains Continue to Call — W.N. 42–1975
> **From October 20 (Mondays to Fridays):**
>
> Train No. 735 will stop regularly at **kilometrage 198.956 (Oakhampton)**, 215.773 (Airdrie), 226.372 (Hilldale) and 237.972 (Wiragulla) for the purpose of **setting down school children**.
>
> Train No. 722 will stop regularly at 237.972 (Wiragulla), 226.372 (Hilldale), 215.773 (Airdrie) and **198.956 (Oakhampton)** for the purpose of **picking up school children**, also receiving and putting out mail bags at kilometrage 226.342 (Willdale).
>
> **From October 25 (Saturdays):**
>
> Train No. 745 will stop regularly at **198.956 (Oakhampton)** [and other stations] for the purpose of setting down passengers.
>
> Train No. 722 will stop regularly at **198.956 (Oakhampton)** for the purpose of picking up passengers, also mail bags. *(W.N. 42–1975)*

> **Note:** The continuation of train calls at Oakhampton after formal closure on 20 October 1975 — for school children and mail bags — confirms the platform remained in active use. Your notes indicate the platform was still being used in the early 2000s for school children, consistent with this arrangement persisting long after the administrative closure.

---

## 1985 — Station No. NC2 Deleted; All References Removed

### Final Deletion — W.N. — 1985
> **198.956 Oakhampton** — Under column headed "Station No." delete **NC2**. *(Source: 1985 Weekly Notices)*

> **Note:** Station No. NC2 was Oakhampton's code in the North Coast numbering system. Its deletion in 1985 — ten years after formal closure — confirms the station had continued to appear in administrative tables throughout the post-closure period.

---

## 1989 — Level Crossing Daily Test — CTC Broadmeadow

### Level Crossing Daily Test — W.N. 36–1989
> **Level Crossing Protection — Oakhampton:**
>
> Delete: Daily test recorded by **SM Telarah**
>
> Insert: **CTC Broadmeadow** *(W.N. 36–1989)*

> **Note:** By 1989, the daily test responsibility for the Oakhampton level crossing had transferred from the Station Master at Telarah to Broadmeadow CTC Centre — consistent with the 1982 introduction of CTC working on the Telarah–Kilbride section.

---

## Summary of Key Events

| Date | Event |
|------|-------|
| 28 April 1908 | Construction contract Maitland–Dungog let to Carson, Cary & Simpson; construction name Huntingtower |
| **14 August 1911** | **Opened** — Down side platform (76.2m); timber B2 waiting shed; Cl closet and urinal at Up end; Up side loop siding; Lever and Bracket Lock arrangements (unlocked by West Maitland–Paterson staff); station brand OKH; no person in charge; green disc required for pick-up |
| 1913 | 15 minutes allowed for goods work at Oakhampton |
| 1920 | 12 minutes allowed (Oakhampton and Mindaribba combined) |
| 1924 | 10 minutes allowed; Oakhampton–Nooroo district boundary |
| 1930 | Section Oakhampton–Nooroo transferred; Wilsons Granite and Gravels credit account closed |
| **9 March 1942** | **Goods siding abolished** — Frames A and B and connections removed; standing room (29 trucks) deleted; deleted from intermediate sidings (W.N. 10–1942) |
| **20 October 1975** | **Station closed** — deleted from all publications (W.N. 41–1975); trains 735, 722 and 745 continue to call for school children and mail bags (W.N. 42–1975) |
| W.N. — 1985 | Station No. NC2 deleted — all remaining references removed |
| W.N. 36–1989 | Level crossing daily test: SM Telarah replaced by **CTC Broadmeadow** |

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*Extracted from NSW Government Railways Weekly Notices, 1911–1989.* 
*Note: Oakhampton was an unattended platform from opening, with the distinctive green disc system for passenger pick-up. The goods siding — provided at opening with Lever and Bracket Lock arrangements — lasted just over 30 years before abolition in 1942. The station closed formally in 1975 but the platform continued to serve school children for many years thereafter.*