During the steam era, watering facilities at NSW railway stations were vital to the operation of trains across the state. Steam locomotives required a constant supply of water for their boilers, but only had limited capacity to carry water with them. Locomotives would stop at planned destinations along their route to take on water, often giving passengers the opportunity to visit the local refreshment room.
Larger railway yards, like Cooma, had dedicated loco facilities which included a coal stage for replenishing coal supplies, overnight stabling, turning facilities and often more than one water column.
Recently, our volunteers have started restoration of the water column at the southern end of the loco shed in Cooma yard. The concrete pit and drain had been buried under decades of dirt and debris as the need for watering locomotives dwindled and the diesel era took over.
The team have now dug out the layers of dirt and cleared debris from the drains. The edges of the concrete have been broken away over time but the team have now installed the formwork for new concrete to be poured, repairing the damaged sections.
Moving forward, the team will reconnect sections of pipe that have been disconnected, repaint the whole column and install new canvas. It’s hard work digging these features out of the ground but it’s so exciting the see these important facilities from the past come back to life.
