{"id":433736,"date":"2026-05-21T14:19:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T04:19:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?guid=7d4fff63347e33d935b24443c84b6b14"},"modified":"2026-05-21T14:19:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T04:19:36","slug":"back-to-muttama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=433736","title":{"rendered":"Back to Muttama"},"content":{"rendered":"

 Muttama – 140 years after opening of Railway<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

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Muttama recently held a small celebration of the opening of the railway through their village.<\/p>\n

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Muttama is located on the former branch line between Cootamundra and Gundagai – opened in 1886.  Muttama hosted a small station building, goods shed, stock siding.   The line from Gundagai was later extended across the Murrumbidgee River, to Tumut, and Batlow.  Trains on the branch were quite frequent, but alas, the last train ran in 1984.<\/p>\n

As Muttama was just over an hour from Junee, the celebration seemed a good excuse to explore a section of railway line that was off my normal travel routes.  <\/p>\n

Getting there.<\/u><\/p>\n

As the “Back Brawlin” gravel road from Cootamundra to Brawlin followed the railway alignment, it seemed a good choice.  A lot of the line had been pulled up, which is a “no-no”, as the line has not officially been closed despite the absence of trains for over 40 years.  At Brawlin the gatekeeper cottage was still standing, and occupied<\/p>\n

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In the distance, looking along the line back towards Cootamundra, the loading bank platform at Brawlin  could be made out.  <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

From Brawlin, the road rejoins the main Cootamundra-Coolac road, which we took to Muttama.<\/p>\n

Muttama<\/u><\/div>\n
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The Muttama Hall contained the part of the display.  The other displays extended to the other side of the road.  Pizza, coffee, and steak\/sausage sandwich vans in the nearby yard<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Across the road, a small country fete\/market stalls to tempt the tastebuds further<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Cootamundra & District Machinery Restoration Society members had a lovely display.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Various designs and colours of lineside insulators was most interesting.  <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Brian Flanagan’s display of brass taps and fittings <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

And on the back of the ute, was a working steam engine<\/p>\n

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