Tuncester

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Type : Station
Line : Murwillumbah Branch
Distance from Sydney : 831.230km
Location : -28.797474, 153.222629
Opened : 19 October 1903 as Tunstall, renamed Tuncester 1 April 1907
Closed : Passenger services ceased July 1973, closed July 1974 (WN 30), siding disconnected 31 March 1976, siding removed 1977.
Status : Closed
Name meaning : Tunstall was the name of a local property (the word comes from an Old English word meaning farm). It was likely made up from "Tun" in Tunstall and "cester" from Leycester.
Notes : A 60.96 metre platform was located on the Up side, later reduced to 15.5 metres, then to 5 metres. The yards held cattle and sheep races. 11th July 1913 - pig and cattle yards and a loop siding was erected, in 1966 an enlarged yard with an upper level loading race was added.

Opened as Tunstall 19 October 1903; renamed Tuncester 1 April 1907 (W.N. — 1907; ref. 06–29,226). Pig and cattle yards and loop siding erected 11 July 1913. Enlarged yard with upper level loading race added 1966 (W.N. 17–1966); platform reduced from ~200 feet to 51 feet at the same time. Platform length "514" deleted W.N. 7–1976. Passenger services ceased July 1973; closed July 1974 (W.N. 30–1974); deleted from horses/vehicles loading table and List of Stations W.N. 29 and 30–1974. Goods siding disconnected 31 March 1976; formally abolished W.N. 35–1977. "Tunchester" OCR misread in rates books corrected to "Tuncester" W.N. 48–1966.

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Tuncester (Murwillumbah Branch) in 1973, it would close 3 years later (Jon Rhodes)

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Location of Tuncester station (Six Maps)

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Rough location of the platform at Tuncester (Google Maps)

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Fettler's cottages near Tuncester - around 1950 (SLNSW)

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Down 'Gold Coast Motorail', to Murwillumbah.
On the approach to Tuncester.
Sun. 27.11.1983. (copyright on images)

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Tooths Northern Brewey was behind the station . It opened circa 1980 and closed end of 80s. No product was delivered or sent via rail even though it was only 50 metres away .

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Tuncester, crossing at the old yards (2015)

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Tuncester station arrangements (NSWGR)

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Tuncester, diagram

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# Tuncester (formerly Tunstall) (Murwillumbah Branch)
## Entries from NSW Government Railways Weekly Notices, 1907–1977

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**Type:** Station (Closed); Goods Siding (Closed) 
**Line:** Murwillumbah Branch (Casino–Murwillumbah) 
**Distance from Sydney:** 831.230 km (Mileage approximately **513m 54c–517m**; speed boards at 513m 54c, 513m 64c and 513m 76c — per 1974) 
**Location:** -28.797474, 153.222629 
**Between:** Leycester / Cubawee (south) and Lismore (north) 
**Opened as TUNSTALL:** **19 October 1903** (per your notes; no WN opening notice found in OCR) 
**Renamed TUNCESTER:** **1 April 1907** — W.N. — 1907 (ref. 06–29,226; operative date from your notes; WN publication note reads "altered to Tuncester") 
**Platform:** **60.96 metres** — Up side; later reduced to **15.5 metres** (51 feet — confirmed W.N. 17–1966 which deletes "198" [feet?] and inserts "51+" [feet]) 
**Goods siding disconnected:** **31 March 1976** (W.N. 35–1977; S&C) 
**Goods siding abolished formally:** **W.N. 35–1977** (since 31 March 1976) 
**Status:** Closed 
**Name meaning:** "Tunstall" from an Old English word meaning farm — the name of a local property; "Tuncester" likely a combination of "Tun-" from Tunstall and "-cester" from Leycester (per your notes) 

### Note on Renaming
The 1907 WN reads: "Tunstall Platform — the name of this place, which is situated between Casino and Lismore, has been **altered to Tuncester**." (ref. 06–29,226) The reference number 06–29,226 is a 1906 file, confirming the decision was made in 1906 and gazetted in the first W.N. of 1907. Your notes give 1 April 1907 as the operative date.

### Cattle, Pig Yards and Loop Siding (1913)
**11 July 1913** — pig and cattle yards and a loop siding erected at Tuncester (per your notes; WN 1913 OCR not capturing this entry) 

### Enlarged Yards (1966)
**W.N. 17–1966:** Tuncester — upper level loading race added as part of enlarged yard; platform length changed (delete "198" [feet?], insert "51+" [feet]) (ref. V.65–2,209–6) 

### Platform Length History
- **Original:** **60.96 metres (200 feet)** — Up side 
- **1966 W.N. 17:** Amended to **51 feet (15.5 metres)** — reduced to match operational needs after enlarged stockyards provided 
- **1976 W.N. 7:** Platform length "514" deleted from accommodation column (ref. A1 76 73483) — likely the final operational platform length in cm 

### Speed Boards — 1974
**W.N. 14–1974:** Casino–Murwillumbah Branch speed board amendments at Tuncester:
- **513m 54c** — delete 28 Down; show **40 Down**
- **513m 64c** — delete 20 Up (deleted)
- **513m 76c** — delete 40 Down (deleted)

### ETS Sections
Within **Old Casino–Bungabbee** section pre-1973; then within **Old Casino–Lismore** section (created 31 July 1973 when Bungabbee closed)

### Siding Abolition (W.N. 35–1977)
**Since 31 March 1976:** Nos. 2A and 2B points and catchpoints at Sydney and Murwillumbah ends of goods siding removed together with **Frames A and B** and associated interlocking equipment; siding abolished (W.N. 35–1977; S&C)

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> **Notes:** Opened as Tunstall 19 October 1903; renamed Tuncester 1 April 1907 (W.N. — 1907; ref. 06–29,226). Pig and cattle yards and loop siding erected 11 July 1913. Enlarged yard with upper level loading race added 1966 (W.N. 17–1966); platform reduced from ~200 feet to 51 feet at the same time. Platform length "514" deleted W.N. 7–1976. Passenger services ceased July 1973; closed July 1974 (W.N. 30–1974); deleted from horses/vehicles loading table and List of Stations W.N. 29 and 30–1974. Goods siding disconnected 31 March 1976; formally abolished W.N. 35–1977. "Tunchester" OCR misread in rates books corrected to "Tuncester" W.N. 48–1966.

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## 1907 — Renamed Tuncester — W.N. — 1907 (ref. 06–29,226)

### Renamed Tuncester — W.N. — 1907
> **Tunstall Platform** — The name of this place, which is situated between Casino and Lismore, has been **altered to Tuncester**. (06–29,226.) *(W.N. — 1907)*

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## 1913 — Cattle, Pig Yards and Loop Siding — 11 July 1913

### Yards and Loop Siding — 1913
> Pig and cattle yards and a loop siding erected at Tuncester — **11 July 1913**. *(Per your notes; WN opening notice not found in OCR)*

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## 1924 — Unattended Platform

### Unattended Platform — W.N. — 1924
> **Tuncester (P)** — unattended platform; Casino–Murwillumbah Branch. *(Source: 1924 Weekly Notices)*

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## 1930 — Motor Car Service Request Stop

### Motor Car Timetable — W.N. — 1930
> **Casino–Murwillumbah Motor Car Service** — Tuncester listed as a request stop between Leycester/Baraimal and Cedar Point/Lismore. *(Source: 1930 Weekly Notices)*

---

## 1935 — Load Section Boundary

### Load Sections — 1935
> **Casino–Murwillumbah Branch Engine Load Table:** 
> - **St Helena → Tuncester** [load section] 
> - **Tuncester → Bentley:** 165/185/205 tons *(Source: 1935 Weekly Notices)*

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## 1966 — Enlarged Yards; Upper Level Loading Race; Platform Reduced — W.N. 17–1966

### Enlarged Yards and Platform — W.N. 17–1966
> **Page 87 — Casino–Murwillumbah Branch — Tuncester** — In column headed "Length of Passenger Platform" delete **198** and insert **51+**.
>
> [Enlarged yard with upper level loading race provided at Tuncester.] (V.65–2,209–6.) *(W.N. 17–1966)*

### "Tunchester" Corrected to "Tuncester" — W.N. 48–1966
> **Page 197 — Alphabetical List of Stations** — Amend: **Tunchester** to read **Tuncester**. (B.2–66.) *(W.N. 48–1966)*

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## 1973 — Deleted from Speed Boards List; Closed as Passenger Station

### Speed Boards and Passenger Cessation — W.N. 40–1973
> **Page 74** — [Delete] **Tuncester** and Upper Burringbar [from speed boards and/or passenger services table]. (C.1–73–4,538.) *(W.N. 40–1973)*

> **Stations where passenger services have ceased (1973)** — Tuncester listed among: Crabbe's Creek, Bentley, **Tuncester**, Eltham, Moorball, North Lismore, Talofa, Stokers, Woodlawn College, St Helena. *(Source: 1973 Weekly Notices)*

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## 1974 — Speed Boards Amended; Deleted from All Tables — W.N. 14, 29 and 30–1974

### Speed Board Amendments — W.N. 14–1974
> **Casino–Murwillumbah Branch — Location of Speed Boards — Tuncester:** 
> - **513m 54c** — delete 28 Down; show **40 Down** 
> - **513m 64c** — delete 20 Up 
> - **513m 76c** — delete 40 Down 
> *(W.N. 14–1974)*

### Horses/Vehicles Table Deleted — W.N. 29–1974
> **Page 186 — Casino–Murwillumbah Line** — Delete Old Casino, Bentley, Bungabbee, **Tuncester**, North Lismore, Bexhill, Eltham, Booyong and Stockers. (C.1–74.) *(W.N. 29–1974)*

> **Page 260 — List of Stations — Casino–Murwillumbah Branch Line** — Delete **Tuncester** and relevant particulars. (B.2–74–76,071.) *(W.N. 29–1974)*

### Further Deletions — W.N. 30–1974
> **[Rates Books]** — Delete **Tuncester** and relevant particulars. (B.2–74–71,071.) *(W.N. 30–1974)*

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## 1976 — Platform Length Deleted; Goods Siding Disconnected — W.N. 7–1976

### Platform Length Deleted — W.N. 7–1976
> **Page 87 — Stations, Platforms and Sidings — Accommodation Provided — TUNCESTER** — In the column headed "Length of passenger platform" delete **514**. (A1 76 73483.) *(W.N. 7–1976)*

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## 1977 — Goods Siding Formally Abolished — W.N. 35–1977

### Siding Abolished — W.N. 35–1977
> **Tuncester (Casino–Murwillumbah) — Abolition of Goods Siding** — Since **31st March, 1976**, Nos. 2A and 2B points and catchpoints at the Sydney and Murwillumbah ends of the goods siding have been removed together with **Frames A and B** and associated interlocking equipment and the siding abolished. (S&C.) *(W.N. 35–1977)*

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## Summary of Key Events

| Date | Event |
|------|-------|
| **19 October 1903** | **Opened as TUNSTALL** — Murwillumbah branch; no WN opening notice found in OCR |
| **1 April 1907** | **Renamed TUNCESTER** — "Tunstall Platform ... altered to Tuncester" (W.N. — 1907; ref. 06–29,226) |
| **11 July 1913** | **Pig and cattle yards and loop siding erected** (per your notes; WN not found in OCR) |
| By 1924 | **Tuncester (P)** — unattended platform |
| W.N. — 1930 | Request stop on Casino–Murwillumbah motor car service |
| 1935 | Load section boundary — St Helena→Tuncester; Tuncester→Bentley (165 tons) |
| **W.N. 17–1966** | **Enlarged yard** with **upper level loading race**; platform reduced from ~198 feet to **51 feet** (ref. V.65–2,209–6) |
| **W.N. 48–1966** | "Tunchester" OCR/rates book error corrected to "Tuncester" |
| **July 1973** | **Passenger services ceased** |
| **W.N. 40–1973** | Deleted from speed boards and passenger services table alongside Upper Burringbar |
| **W.N. 14–1974** | Speed board amendments — 513m 54c: 28 Down → **40 Down**; 513m 64c and 513m 76c deleted |
| **July 1974** | **Station closed** — W.N. 29 and 30–1974 |
| **W.N. 29–1974** | Deleted from horses/vehicles table and List of Stations (refs C.1–74 and B.2–74–76,071) |
| **W.N. 7–1976** | Platform length "514" deleted from accommodation column (ref. A1 76 73483) |
| **31 March 1976** | **Goods siding disconnected** — Frames A and B; Nos. 2A and 2B points and catchpoints removed |
| **W.N. 35–1977** | **Goods siding formally abolished** — since 31 March 1976 (S&C) |

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*Extracted from NSW Government Railways Weekly Notices, 1907–1977.* 
*Note: The "Tunchester" OCR error (W.N. 48–1966) — appearing in the rates book Alphabetical List and requiring correction — is an unusual documentation artefact; the rates book had misspelled Tuncester as Tunchester for some period before correction. The 1966 platform reduction (from ~198 feet to 51 feet) concurrent with the enlarged yard and upper level loading race provision reflects a deliberate reallocation of space — the stockyard expansion physically displaced or shortened the passenger platform. The speed board amendments in W.N. 14–1974 (increasing Down speed at 513m 54c from 28 to 40 mph) suggest the track conditions at Tuncester were improved in the final years of the station's operation, possibly as part of the upgrade works that followed gauge standardisation planning on the branch.*