The ARHS' popular Railway Luncheon Club day-long adventure for 2025 is set for Wednesday, 2nd April 2025 when Society members and friends will visit Gloucester and Wingham. These towns bookend some of the best scenery on the North Coast. You will observe the last attempts at providing platform buildings in the days of a real railway in the 1980s. We travel on the 0708 XPT from Sydney Terminal (ex Broadmeadow at 0935). Make your own booking. Eat on the train. On arrival at Gloucester at 1137, we change modes and board our bus (not a coach) into Gloucester to have a quick look along the main drag, i.e. Church Street. We are then on our bus journey to Wingham following the North Coast railway line via Bulliac, Bundook, Mount George, Charity Creek, Karaak Flat and Killawarra. Three retired drivers will provide the commentary. We shall make stops along the way to look and reminisce before arriving at Wingham. There, passengers will examine the 1910 Station Master's residence, have a quick look along Isabella Street, the main street in town, have a wee at the best public toilet in town and then proceed to Wingham station where we catch the 1455 XPT, arriving at Broadmeadow at 1752 and Sydney Terminal at 2012. Attendees must book their own seat on the train, again. Notes will be posted on the Society’s website.

The cost to hire the bus is $50.00 per passenger. Use this site to confirm your place and make a booking for the bus. You will need to make a separate booking via the NSW Trainlink site for the return XPT trip.

The visit has been brought forward from the usual third Wednesday to avoid the impact of school holidays and Easter. There will be no members’ general meeting in April.

For enquiries, send an email to talkingtrains@arhsnsw.com.au

Bob Gibson, Bill Laidlaw and Stuart Sharp